Beer Garden Beijing Bye-Bye

July 2, 2009
From [09.06.28] Beer Garden Bye-Bye

After two great nights of parties, we didn’t think we had it in us anymore, supposing Sunday night to be a quiet night at home with a lowkey dinner at the local Wudaokou beer garden. Haha … what a joke that we thought anything in the Wu with our friends could be “quiet”!

The “evening” — which was really 4PM — began with our friends Natasha and Anne bringing over two bottles of wine for a “house cooling” party. We recapped some of our favorite Chinese adventures and headed over to the beer garden to meet the Swedes and our friends from Cuba and Greece for some chuanr and chitchat.

The beer garden is packed with Chinese food stalls as well as cheap ($0.25) draft Tsingtao beer, and offers some great Chinese cultural encounters, such as the chuanr cooks who use hairdryers to speed up the skewers’ cooking process. All of our closest friends from school still left in town got together for one last night of reverie that included Cuban cigars, lots of beer, a giant heart made of small, bulbous balloons and a late night stop at our local hot dog joint, Crazy Dogs.

Even though we didn’t turn in until 2AM and had to get up a mere four hours later, it was worth it. We’ll miss our Beijing good times, good food and good friends!

[09.06.28] Beer Garden Bye-Bye

Going Away in Style

July 1, 2009
From [09.06.26] Going Away Party at Obiwan and Chocolate

A fond farewell isn’t very fond without that time honored tradition: the going away party.

In true Colleen and Sean fashion, we started the party on Friday night and kept it going all the way through Sunday night at 2AM. Well, of course interspersed with bouts of sleep.

Friday

From [09.06.26] Going Away Party at Obiwan and Chocolate

We began the marathon with what we originally believed to be our only going away shindig at Club Obiwan, a chill bar/lounge with a roof deck overlooking Qihai lake right in the middle of Beijing. We should have known that things wouldn’t have ended there, as the whole crew rolled over to Chocolate. Chocolate might just be the most spectacular club I’ve ever been to. Run and staffed by Russians, the club features a midget doorman sporting a mohawk, scantily-clad (um, underwear only) “dancers,” gaudily opulent velvet banquets and Louis the XIV chairs,a live band that sings Russian electro hits and reasonably priced bottles of alcohol. It didn’t take us long to realize our group of 15-20 definitely needed to buy the best booth right next to the stage — for a meager $150 in spend, which is 3 bottles of booze, mixers and a hookah. This was 1000 kuai here and would easily have cost $1000 in NYC (probably more). The night devolved and I’ll let what happened at the club stay at the club, but I escaped unscathed and sober. We sure went out with a bang!

Saturday

From [09.06.27] Ristorante Sadler and 最后的 Cash Box (KTV)

After packing up all day Saturday, we met up with Jonathon, Emily and Emily’s mom, Sandy, on Saturday. As a lovely engagement present, Jonathon and Em treated us to a wonderful dinner at Ristorante Sadler, an Italian restaurant in the Legation Quarter created by 2-star Michelin chef Claudio Sadler. The handmade breads were one of the highlights, as was my liquid risotto-filled ravioli topped with sweetbreads. Mmmm, brains. I definitely felt a bit smarter eating them.

From [09.06.27] Ristorante Sadler and 最后的 Cash Box (KTV)

After dinner, we hit up “Cash Box” — also known as Party World — for one last epic karaoke session. On the ride home, I couldn’t help but get a little weepy that I was leaving my best friend behind in Beijing.

[09.06.26] Going Away Party at Obiwan and Chocolate
[09.06.27] Ristorante Sadler and 最后的 Cash Box (KTV)

Aaaaand … we’re back!

July 1, 2009

After 16-hours of door-to-door travel, a not-so-bad two flights on China Eastern airlines, one viewing of Stallone classic Demolition Man and 200-pages of Foreign Babes in Beijing, the fiance and I made it back unscathed to our country of origin. We currently rest our weary bones and decompress just south of Los Angeles, cozily welcomed by Sean’s family. Although we’ve only been back just shy of 30 hours, We’ve already compiled a list of American things for which we’re grateful and Chinese things which we miss (in no particular order).

What I already miss about China:

  • Great cell phone reception for less than $10 a month (not to mention no contracts)
  • $0.25 bottles of soda
  • My electric bicycle
  • Being able to eat a feast for $3 or less
  • The exchange rate
  • Cheap subway rides ($0.25) on clean modern subways
  • The fact that a 35-minute taxi ride costs less than $10
  • Cheap rent
  • Chuanr
  • My best friend, Emily
  • All my other friends still in China
  • The little baby girl growing up right next door to us
  • Crazy Dogs
  • The Wudaokou Beer Garden
  • Cheap bootleg DVDs
  • REAL Chinese food (esp. Peking duck)
  • Coitus Maximus
  • The fact that I’m missing the Great Wall Beach Party
  • My Chinese class
  • Sundays on Top with Patrick Yu
  • That you can usually haggle a better price for anything
  • Not getting to practice Chinese on a daily basis

What’s awesome about being back in America:

  • No squatting toilets!!!!!!!!!
  • Not having to carry around your own toilet paper with you everywhere
  • Voicemail
  • That spitting is considered disgusting and unhygienic
  • Avocados
  • In-n-Out burgers (ok, this is just one thing that rocks about being in Cali)
  • No time difference hassle when I want to call people
  • Uncensored movies
  • More than 12 TV stations (with only one in English)
  • People not staring at me like I’m a curiosity
  • Sour patch kids
  • Pollution levels nowhere near as bad as Beijing (even in LA)
  • Subway rides without cell phone service (people screaming into their phones)
  • Not always worrying you are getting ripped off
  • Wine and cheese
  • Seeing much missed fam and friends
  • Being able to have a conversation with someone about anything without having to grasp for vocabulary (also known as: Everyone speaks English!)
  • People saying “excuse me” and just generally being polite

The best thing about being back in the USA: MY BLOG IS ACCESSIBLE!

I’ll have some more up on our last few days in China over the next week. Stay tuned!


Stay Class-y, BeiYu!

June 26, 2009
From [09.06.25] Final Class Dinner

I’m DONE!

After four somewhat grueling days of review, cramming and testing, I completed my final exams for certification in elementary Chinese. This means I now have at least 800 characters and over 1200 words under my belt! I really can’t believe I can now certifiably speak Chinese. Well, maybe not enough to write the next great Chinese novel, but enough for me to have a menial conversation with my waxer for 45 minutes (such as occurred this morning).

I feel particularly fortunate that I won the class “lottery” and ended up in a class stocked with funny, interesting and hard-working people from all over the world. I have friends from familiar places such as Canada, Holland, Germany and the UK, but also people from places that I would rarely encounter: Indonesia, Suriname, Sudan, Cambodia and Mongolia.

I also was blessed with some kind, patient and entertaining teachers that took the time to learn about our lives and even socialize with us outside of class at class dinners. One of my teachers even paid for a birthday party for every student in class. What’s more, he and my classmates surprised Sean and me with an engagement party. They presented us with a “hongbao” — red envelope. Hongbao’s are given at Chinese New Year and other important occasions such as weddings, usually filled with money. However, our hongbao was stuffed with notes from my classmates and teacher wishing us, in each of their native languages, good luck in our marriage. This gift was worth so much more than money.

From [09.06.25] Final Class Dinner

Last night, after our final exam, we gathered for the last Peking duck dinner I will have in Beijing. While the food seemed never ending and was overwhelmingly delicious, the conversation and laughter comprised the centerpiece of the meal.

老师门和同学门: I wish all of you luck and laughter now and always. Thank you accompanying me for the last year on the wild adventure that is learning Chinese. I will always remember you! 我爱你们!


Hanging in Hong Kong: Water Dragons (Part 1)

June 21, 2009
From [09.05.28] Hong Kong

With all the recent excitement of our engagement, finals and impending move, I forgot to post about our Hong Kong adventures. Our last Chinese jaunt brought us down to the “Pearl of the Orient” and what has probably been our closest encounter with Western culture since landing in the Far East. What’s more, we had the double treat of visiting my college blocking group member Rich and his girlfriend Julie (both recent NYC>HK transplants) in addition to my new friend Kathryn, who I met at a wedding last year.

Hong Kong is a fast, fun city, packed with both expats living the relocation stipend life and tons of Cantonese Chinese accustomed to a place far different and freer than the mainland. Because flying to Hong Kong is still regulated as an international flight, the taxes and fees are ridic. Instead, we flew into nearby Shenzhen, from which you take a 2-hour bus ride into downtown Hong Kong.

The first surprise came when, at the border crossing, we tried to ask directions and no one spoke Mandarin. WTF!? I knew Cantonese rules in HK, but I at least thought the huge push to standardize with Mandarin across China meant we’d be able to communicate. On the upside, many people can speak English, which is definitely a welcome respite from English-challenged daily living in Beijing.

The first night, we met up with Rich and Julie for some Mexican food and beers. I’ve had my fair share of Chinese food, so this was my time to indulge in some of the Western fare I have missed to much.

The next day marked the “big event” of our trip: Dragon Boat Festival. The holiday hosts hundreds of rowers scrambling to the finish line — the beach — in long wooden vessels that hold about 8-10. Instead of a bullhorn, the coxswain beats a giant drop to keep the rhythm. The other side to the day is the massive amounts of partying that goes on in the “junks” that assemble to watch the races. The junks are really chartered yachts or party boats that are usually rented (or owned) by companies hosting teams or advertising at the event. Dragon boating is big all over China, but the races at Stanley Beach in Hong Kong are the most famous.

Kathryn was racing for on the Bloomberg-sponsored team and subsequently was able to get her on the company’s junk. Unfortunately, the day wasn’t the best weatherwise. Rain pelted down and the clouds blocked any sun. Usually, the boats are tethered together so that you can hop from one boat to the next to check out the different parties. But the wind and the fact that a partygoer drowned last year when he fell off a boat prevented the set up from happening this year. Nevertheless, we had a great time cheering Kathryn on and enjoying the free beer and food all day. After a quick drink in town at Stanley, we went to the Hong Kong Football Club for a nice bite. While it wasn’t the raucous party we expected, it was great to see the water again after being trapped in land-locked Beijing.

[09.05.28] Hong Kong

Smogged Down

June 19, 2009
From [09.06.16] Jonathon's bday, Trivis Victory and Nasty Day

Believe it or not, this is a picture of the Gate of Heavenly Peace from Tiananmen Square. Can’t see it? Yeah, well neither could we when we were practically standing right in front of it. The gorgeous clear blue skies of the past few weeks have been replaced by lung-searing “hazardous”-level pollution so thick I debated buying a machete just to try to cut through it.

From [09.06.16] Jonathon's bday, Trivis Victory and Nasty Day

In other news, my trivia team finally came in first place this past Wednesday. The bad news is that the first place prize is a bottle of Jack Daniels that you have to drink right then and there. Oof.


How Green the Grass Grows (and Other Observations)

June 18, 2009
From [09.06.06] Wild Weekend

Back before sweltering summer descended, the brief Beijing welcomes a flurry of landscape beautification projects, most of them including the planting of grass. While this happens most anywhere that the climate can support green, growing outdoor carpeting, something struck me as odd about the grass being installed around the Beij. I finally figured it out: Rather than a bed of grass being laid down like a blanket or a handful of seeds scattered in hopes of germination, the newly implanted grass was arranged in perfectly aligned rows of small grassy tufts. You know what else is planted this way?

From [09.02.05] Hoi An

Rice! While this may be a stretch, my thoughts were that the people most often doing the gardener are migrant workers from small, poorer villages, many of which cultivate rice as a primarily source of food and income. I can’t help but think there is some link between how Beijing’s gardens were planted and this ancient cultivation technique.

Group Think … and Play and Sing

From [09.06.07] Lu Xun Museum, Baita Temple, Guanji Temple, Ritan Park

Another oddity in China is the pre-shift pep talks many businesses, particularly those in the service industry, administer. Our apartment overlooks the rooftops of several restaurants. Every day around 4pm or 5pm, right before the dinner shift, a small hotpot restaurant arranges its staff on the roof to play games such as an out-of-the-water version of Marco Polo, ping pong, or other entertainment. After they are sufficiently warmed up, the chef and/or evening supervisor leads the perfectly lined-up staff in a company-specific song/chant, complete with hand clapping. I can never quite make out what they are saying, but I know where all the clapping goes now and amuse myself by trying to follow along.

Sushi Style

From [09.06.16] Jonathon's bday, Trivis Victory and Nasty Day

Finally, I just loved this sign outside a nearby conveyor belt sushi joint. Wouldn’t you just love to have a sushi hat? I know I would!


Not Your Typical Tourist

June 18, 2009
From [09.06.11] Old Summer Palace, Zhihua Temple, Donyue Temple, Kathryn's Visit_1

I am a woman of many, often quite different, roles, but one I play to Oscar-worthy perfection is that of tourist extraordinaire. No sight is too obscure, no directions too elusive for me to track it down and unleash my camera and guidebook upon its grounds. For me, traveling is about learning, taking in as much as possible from the sights, sounds, smells around you. I attack sightseeing with a fervor unmatched in anyone I have yet to encounter.

For this reason, I am desperately trying to visit most — not all, as there is no way I’ll visit the sad zoo here — of the sights in Beijing before I leave, especially those lesser frequented temples and museums. While the recent post-engagement craziness has shelved a few of my sightseeing plans, I still managed to visit such sights as the Old Summer Palace, the Dongyue Temple, Zhihua Temple, the North Church and the Lu Xun museum, among others.

I love these places because they see few tourists. Whether it’s the pleasant workers who sell tickets or maintain the grounds being genuinely happy to welcome you or the peacefulness in which you can wander about, these small corners of quietude and, usually, spiritual reflection make me so happy. Below, I’ve shared a few of my photos from these afternoon jaunts, my favorite of which was Dongyue Temple.

Dongyue is a Taoist temple. Taoism believes in the spiritualization of nature, with gods ruling over mountains and all creatures full of spiritual significance. What’s most interesting, though, is the bureaucratic series of “departments” that oversee every decision in life. There’s a department for violent deaths, a department of sneaky people, a department of forrest creatures. There’s even a department for abortion. Each of these departments was materialized in the form of crazy statues — some pretty hideous — at the temple. Unfortunately, I don’t have many pics as they weren’t permitted.

From [09.06.11] Old Summer Palace, Zhihua Temple, Donyue Temple, Kathryn's Visit_1

In addition, the second album contains pictures of my friend, Kathryn, from Hong Kong. As I type, Kathryn is hiking through the Gobi Desert during the Gobi March, a race across the largest desert in Asia. She is such a rockstar and I’m so very proud of her. Luckily, we were able to spend with her the night before she set off for Kashgar, when we stuffer her (and ourselves) silly with Beijing roast duck. Kathryn, “加油!”

[09.06.07] Lu Xun Museum, Baita Temple, Guanji Temple, Ritan Park
[09.06.11] Old Summer Palace, Zhihua Temple, Donyue Temple, Kathryn's Visit_1

Tailor Made

June 18, 2009
From [09.05.22] Qipao

A week and a half … that’s all the time left in our China adventure (well, at least this installment). Therefore, I’m going to try my hardest to blog every day from now until our big return to that great big country sandwiched between Canada and Mexico.

Today, we took advantage of one of the best things China has to offer: cheap tailoring services. When my mom was here, she kindly thanked me for my time and effort in planning Paula and her trip with the gift of a made-to-order qipao, the traditional Chinese dress.

From [09.05.22] Qipao

I was so impressed with our tailor’s work that I rung him up again to have a few more items made: a couple suits, some skirts, pants and blouses. In addition, I’m having another shop make up a new pair of long shorts. I also bought Sean and early birthday/engagement present of a new suit and 5 shirts. Total cost? Around $600 for 16 pieces, including three cashmere suits. Business world, you better get ready for my reentry! Now if I could only find a decent pair of heels in this country …


A “Great” Proposal

June 17, 2009
From [09.06.14] Great Wall Engagement

By now, I’ve told what seems like the entire world, but in case you somehow didn’t get the memo: Sean proposed to me and I said yes! Well, actually, I said “Are you serious?! Seriously?!?! YES!!!”

Although you already know how the story turned out, I’d like to share the details of what was quite possibly the best day of my life (WARNING: This is a loooooong one):

Since we’re both going to school next year, meaning two very long years living in different cities, we had been discussing getting engaged for some time now. However, I made Sean promise that if it wasn’t going to happen in China, he would tell me, so that I could stop wondering when and how it was going to happen and focus on all the other wonderful things about being here. So a couple of weeks ago when he said “It’s not going to happen in China,” I figured all was said and done for now.

We had planned to visit the Great Wall this past weekend for quite some time. While Sean went on an overnight at the Wall when he first came and I had been in 2001, neither of us had been to a restored part of the Wall on this trip and wanted to go to get some good pictures. Sean kept insisting we go to Badaling, the closest and therefore most touristed part of the Wall. Myself and others kept insisting this was a bad idea, but Sean pushed back saying it was easy to reach by train. Fine. I’ll let him have his way.

We get in a cab and as I’m telling the cabbie to go to the train station, Sean interjects and shoves a map towards the driver, pointing out streets and places I’ve never heard of. At first, I think this is just a way to get to the correct part of the train station, as Chinese train stations are black vortexes of misinformation. But as we start rolling, I realize we’re going nowhere near the station. When I question him, Sean claims he read something in the guidebook and we’re going to have a surprise. At this point, I think something fishy might be up. But how could he call my parents? How could he have arranged all this in such a short time? And then there’s the whole “not in China” thing … I figure he just planned a fun detour.

That detour turns out to be a rented motorcycle with a sidecar! For awhile, we have mused about buying a sidecar motorcycle and driving around Eastern Europe. I even geekily already named my would-be blog “Europe on the Side.” So I was obviously thrilled, and even moreso when he explained we’d be going to the nicer part of the Wall at Mutian’yu.

After a series of false starts — turns out getting the thing going without stalling is a bit tricky — we were on our way over the highways and byways of Beijing’s outer bouroughs. Although I feared for my life once or twice on the Chinese highway, the wind rushing over our faces and all the Chinese that waved to us made the ride pleasantly exhilarating, not to mention the exquisite vistas stretching out in front of us. The day was warm and clear, with cotton clouds speckling deep blue skies. Toto, I don’t think we’re in China anymore!

We arrived at the Wall shortly after noon, and after a quick bit of instant noodles, we ascended the Wall for a 4 hour hike. Although the restored part of the Wall is only 2.5 km, the undulating walk including many uneven stairs and can take quite a while.
Arriving in the afternoon meant all the flag-following tour groups had already departed, and very few tourists remained.

At one point, it started to storm, and we rushed for cover in one of the turrets. Given my luck, I was convinced we’d be hit by lightning. Well, at least I would be hit. While watching the rain fall, Sean began to get a bit down on the weather. i obviously now know why, but at the moment I just tried to convince him that the shower looked to be passing and would just serve as a much needed cooling agent.

Of course, I was right, and the skies cracked open with sun once again less than 30 minutes later. We continued our hike all the way to the far eastern part of the restored Wall until we met a “No Tourists Passing” sign marking the end of the restoration. beyond this sign stretches what is known as “wild Wall,” where trees and bushes cover the walkways and the stones crumble on either side. The majority of the Great Wall is indeed wild Wall, and in some ways these parts are more charming than the clean-scrubbed restorations. After following one branch of the wild Wall for a bit, we decided to hope through a turret window to get onto another branch.

After pushing our way through shrubbery for 15 minutes or so, I realized we should make a move home as we had to return the motorcycle. Sean suggested we get to the top of the next turrent to enjoy the beautiful view over the entire valley and the expanse of the Wall snaking in front of us.

When we reached the top, Sean said he was going to pull out his camera (a not small task since it was buried in his backpack). As he was fussing and I was snapping photos, I started to talk about how perfect the day had been: the weather (even the rain), the sidecar bike, the lack of tourists. At that moment, Sean put his hands around my waist, leaned towards me and said, “Can I make this day a little more perfect?” I turned my head around and said “Uh, what?” to which he replied, “Will you marry me?”

And that’s when I sputtered out the “Are you serious?!?!” All the thoughts of it not being in China, how he couldn’t have planned this, etc., rushed through my head and I couldn’t believe it. I was so surprised, shocked and happy. And when he said, “Yes, I’m serious. Will you marry me?” I started crying.

Sean then said, “Let’s do this right,” and proceeded to get down on his knee. However, he slipped on the crumbly gravel and ended up on two knees instead. I quipped, “You don’t have to beg me,” through my joyful tears. He told me how much he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and I repeated “yes” an inordinate number of times, sprinkled with a few “oh my God” ’s and a hearty helping of “I love you so much” ’s.

He slipped a gorgeous pearl and diamond ring on my finger. We had actually looked at the ring before when we were talking about getting an “alternative” engagement ring, but it was so much more beautiful than I had remembered it. And that it was bought at our favorite store in Hongqiao pearl market and features a Chinese pearl will always hold such special significance for us.

Giddy with the excitement of the newly betrothed, we hopped down the wall and took a fantastic sled ride to the bottom. After driving the sidecar bike back to the shop, we immediately when to the pearl market to have it sized down and then went out for a huge sushi dinner filled with beer, wine and lots and lots of raw fish. Of course, the day ended with many phone calls to loved ones to share our excitement.

We could not be more ecstatic to start the next phase of our relationship and I’ve had a perma-grin on since this weekend. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect proposal, or a more perfect man with whom to spend the rest of my life.

Click here for pictures:

[09.06.14] Great Wall Engagement