14 Days Later...

Now, I love fireworks. They are great to watch and make me crave hotdogs. But for two weeks straight is a bit much. Tonight will be the last night of explosions in Beijing. Tonight, two weeks into the lunar new year, is the first full moon of the tiger.
Tonight is the Lantern Festival.

These are picture I took from my apartment of the fireworks in my neigborhood. Most of them were set off by children around 10 years old. Some of the ash from the explosion hit my windows.

Random Facts I only learned once in Malaysia:

Until 2003 Kuala Lumpur was home to the tallest building in the world- the Petronas towers.

Monkeys like shiny objects and backpacks.

The local language, Melayu, is really fun and has many ties to English. Example: “teksi” is taxi.

Alcohol is very heavily taxed since the majority of the country is Muslim. This means beach mojitos were a pricey and rare find.

Malaysian time is on it’s own schedule. Example: “We would like to go snorkeling tomorrow at 9:00am. Is that ok?” “Yes. We will be here around 10:30.”

Continuing with Malaysian time: The average working day is from 9:30am- 4:00pm.

It is not a good idea to trek in the jungle after it rains. Leaches can attach themselves to you and draw blood in under a minute.

The underside of a hornbill’s wings are orange.

Houses are on stilts because there is literally a 20ft strip of sand that separates ocean and jungle. And the tide moves that entire distance during the day.

February is “Jellyfish season.” And the fish can be larger than the diameter of a truck tire!

Coconuts are filled with a surprising amount of liquid, and tastes very different when fresh than anything in a can.
Top random fact: They drive on the left side of the road! I had no idea!

Kuala Lumpur

On our marathon to Pankgor, we stopped in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. Though I only spent two short days here, it was enough to fall in love. The city is a warm collaboration of old european architecture, muslim inspired mosques, and modern skyscrapers. The main square is a lovely green patch that is home to a cricket field and the world's largest flagpole! It is surrounded by incredibly old buildings. Visiting KL was also the first time I have ever gone inside a mosque. It was beautiful inside and the peaceful ambiance and natural beauty made it a place of solitude in the bustling city. The palm trees added a sense of relaxation mixed with the modern structures. A river runs through the city, offering a great place to sit and have a cool ice cream while watching the city wash by.

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Malaysia!

In China, the Lunar New Year is a time to spend with your family. Sadly my family is in America and that is a bit far away. So I decided to make the most of my time off and travel a bit of Asia. I headed to Malaysia! My boyfriend and I meticulously planned a relay trek down south and set our sights on the quiet island of Pangkor. Pangkor is off the western coast of Malaysia and is only one small island in a chain of random sploches of land. It is less than 7 degrees from the equator and was plesantly scorching hot- which was most welcomed after a long winter in Beijing.

There is no lack of things to do on Pangkor. On our agenda of activities were snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and trekking in the jungle! We rented a motorbike and explored the island and all it's tiny villages, exchanging waves and cheers from the locals. To drive all the way around the island takes about 45 minutes.
After staying in the sun as long as possible, most nights we ate on the beach- which I loved! Though the area is renound for it's amazingly fresh seafood (as in you see them take it off the boat and put it on the grill) I only sampled the seashells. These are like mini clams and delicious! And from what I heard of the people around me, the fish is amazing! The food is a bit of a mixture between Thai and Indian and while it is often a bit spicey, it is a great combination.

Local Specialty: Sting Ray.

The Big Night.... NEW YEARS!

Happy Year of the Tiger my friends! So far it has been a great year! On the day before the New Year there were festivals and markets all over the city. That night there were many gatherings with family and friends and at midnight there were TONS of fireworks! I rang in the New Year with some friends in a building just over the river from the CBD area, giving me a great view of the many firework displays that the city’s patrons put on.
It was a great celebration and was certainly a night to remember!

The Lunar year...

虎年快乐!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is the last day of the Lunar year. At midnight tonight, the entire continent will be a blaze of fireworks and families.

Actually, all day the city has been smelling of gun powder and ringing with explosions. Could be due to the 200 fireworks you can buy for $5 at the stand down the street. My colleagues began to make their way back to their smaller home towns earlier in the week and the next 5 days will be spent with family and friends in celebration of the year to come. I have 10 days off from work and am going to an island in Malaysia for a change from the Beijing cold. But before I leave, I am spending the day celebrating the end of the year at carnivals and in the city tonight. Pictures to come...

This coming year is of the Tiger, a very good sign in the eyes of the Chinese. I hope that it is as memorable as they say!

China's Box.

I have started a new position in Beijing and I really do enjoy it. I am getting the chance to work in the midst of a start up company that has amazing potential and I am getting opportunities and responsibilities that someone ten years my senior would be aiming for. I am by far the youngest employee at my company, yet I am the Director of PR and Marketing. I am getting these privileges for one reason: I am American. I bring a new perspective to the table and that is exactly why my boss hired me.
Recently, my company CEO came to me and asked me to give a speech to our entire staff (around 50 people!). He wanted to boost their enthusiasm and promote creativity in our upcoming projects. He is very aware of the difference in business from the west and wanted me to talk about how I saw China through my American perception.
This is the basic outline of what I said…


"When I came to China there were many differences that stood out immediately. The pollution and the traffic is something that permeates any situation. Eating with chopsticks instead of a knife and fork left me hungry for the first few weeks. The first time I went to a market I paid the price marked, not knowing that I could bargain. No one uses lanes when driving. Getting on the train there are no lines, and if you wait in one, you will never get on. If you order water, it will come hot, not cold as I am used to. Crossing the street is always dangerous and cars never stop for you. Never expect to get anywhere in the city during rush hour. And no matter what I wear, do or say, people on the street will always stare at me.

Yet, a main difference that I have noticed between China and the West is not a tangible disparity. It is a mentality, a philosophy. It is the approach that Chinese people take to life. It seems that to the Chinese, there is a life path, only one. It is very structured, lined with rules and procedures. Having a process creates order and fairness. It ensures safety and dependability. This is important and a major sign of Chinese success is stability.

Risk is not something that the Chinese society seems to be particularly fond of. This makes sense considering your culture. You are expected to take care of your parents and grandparents as soon as you graduate University. You have to get a job to buy an apartment so that you can get married and start a family, whom you then have to continue to provide for. There really is no room for error in this plan. Too many people depend on you to disappoint them. And I respect all the responsibility you are willing to take on for the ones you love. But it alters the way you think, just as the structure of my society molded my way of thought.

A common saying in America is: “Think Outside the Box.” This means to be different and unique and creative. Unconventional ideas are often rewarded. Many American successes have been ideas that are “outside of the box.” Facebook was outside the box, it was the first time social networking had successfully been brought online and now is one of the largest online networks in the world. The new movie Avatar was outside the box, using a mythical world and new digital animation techniques, and it is one of the highest grossing movies ever. Madonna has been outside of the box for her entire career and that is what has kept people interested in her music for so long. These ideas are what make people stand out and in a western outlook that is a good thing.

In my life I don’t want to know the things I can not do. I want to figure out how to do anything I want. In my American mindset, anything is possible. I want to discover new and exceptional ways of accomplishing my goals.

Honestly, at times living in China leaves me confused, frustrated and exhausted. Getting the internet installed in my apartment is one of the hardest things I have ever done, not to mention registering with the government and paying my bills. But I adapt. I have no choice. And now I enjoy, and in fact crave, this variety. I like the different and unfamiliar. And while I know that I am nowhere close to understanding Chinese culture, the more I learn about your culture,and each of you individually, the more I learn about my own and myself.

Xie xie."

Japan, December 2009.

The many sides of Tokyo...

The Great Wall.

The Great Wall of China is an amazing thing to see.

Due to the development of the city in the past hundreds of years, the wall is no longer in tact but is split into sections. Some of these sections are fully restored while others are literally crumbling under your feet.

How I missed you CHINA!

So, I have been back in China for just over 2 weeks now... And I finally have access back to the real world!

As I am sure most of you know, China has been having a bit of "controversy" in the internet area. The pressure surrounding the Google hacking combined with China's control-freak personality made things go on lockdown- aka, any site of entertainment (facebook, youtube, blogs...) is blocked.

But the moral is: I AM BACK! and I am sure all 3 of my readers (2 of which are probably related to me) are glad!

Thought I would share some of the various sides of the city and how it can continually change and develop and at the same time, keep it's traditional base. Coming back makes me realize the stark contrast that surrounds Beijing.

Example:

View of old downtown:

New Downtown (View from my office):

The shopping market back then:

...And now:

Gastronomy... yumm.

My favorite Chinese meal is a Beijing masterpiece: Peking Duck.

This is a complete duck that is cut into 120 pieces (yes EXACTLY 120) and eaten wrapped in pancakes. The duck is smothered in a plum sauce and rolled in crepe like pancakes. Cucumber and onion is also added to the roll.

Markets are a great place to find good eats. In addition to random ingredients, they also provide a chance to practice my Chinese bartering skills and in general are wildly educational and entertaining!

This is Wanfujing snack street. It is an avenue filled with stalls selling a variety of treats. The smells of frying foods combined with the vendors shouting in Chinese makes this quite an experience. Just for the record, all I have ever eaten on this strip are the veggie dumplings!

Squid, Snake, Salamander, Seahorse, Spider, Worms, Crickets. Just a few options. Scorpion is a known specialty.

Chose what you would like to try and watch as they fry or grill it then put a seasoning on it and give it to you on a stick. An interesting experience. I have heard mixed reviews about the culinary delights, personally I was not brave enough to sample.

China Life.

I get a lot of questions when people find out that I live in China. Lots of questions about my living environment, the people that surround me and my everyday lifestyle. I will try to answer some of these quandaries and give a more in depth account of my situation in Beijing.

The most common question is about the most important thing: Food. The food in China is…unique. Some is insanely hǎochī (delicious) and like no Chinese food I have ever had in the States. Other dishes are less than desirable. The biggest difference between “American Chinese” and authentic Chinese food is mostly in the sauce. I feel like at any P.F. Cheng’s everything you order comes in a thick and heavy sauce. This is often not the case in Beijing. In my experience, some of the best places I have been to are hole in the wall dives that serve rice with tomato and egg or eggplant in a light sauce. Not all food experiences are a pleasant surprise, I have tried chicken feet and cow intestine and neither were hǎochī.

The next most common question: What is it like to live in a communist country? To be honest, the Chinese as a whole are well informed about world events and know how their society differs. But most respect their government, so I am choosing to do the same. Communism contrasts greatly with democracy, but as we have seen from the recent issues with health care reform, not all types of government fit all groups of people.

Language. This is a daily struggle for me. The main language in Beijing is Mandarin and most people speak it. I am currently trying my best to be one of them. I have been taking lessons from a local student and trying to improve my skills. Unfortunately, the progress is slow. Many people speak English but it always seems that the important people, like cab drivers, waiters and cable guys, don’t. It is an on-going process…

I often get questions about my living conditions. I live in an apartment very similar to any living quarters in an American city. 17^th floor, 100 square meters, tv, cable (mostly Chinese, except HBO!), kitchen, stove, bathroom. In comparison to my friends living in Denver and Chicago, I am paying substantially less in rent, especially since I live right downtown. Most amenities in China are cheaper than in the States, but it is all relative.

What type of work do you do in Beijing? I get asked this all the time. I am starting a new position when I return working for a Chinese company doing marketing and events for an online business networking site. My colleagues speak English at levels varying from totally fluently to beginning tidbits, but all are very happy and eager to practice their skills with me.

Communication is tricky in China. There is a 14-hour time difference from my family in Colorado. This makes phone calls a well-timed affair. I mostly use Skype to talk to people in America. Facebook is banned by the Chinese government along with YouTube and a few other select sites. This makes keeping in touch a bit complicated but I e-mail a lot and talk to people when I can. I miss them dearly, but hope they come visit and love to keep up with their lives!

你好

This means "Welcome."

Welcome to China, the most diverse and thrilling place I have ever been.

The Beginning...

What better day to start something than on January 1^st?

I have decided that today is the beginning of my chronicles of China.

The photo is of the moon. To be more specific, of the moon on December 31,2009. (Even more specifically this is the moon over the University of Kansas in Lawrence.) This was the second full moon in the month of December this year. This is also known as a “Blue Moon.” It is a rare and auspicious occurrence and I feel that this is an indication of the year to come.

I have been lucky enough to begin exploring the world. I have spent time in a variety of locations varying from a semester studying in Brussels, to wandering the Greek Islands, to pub-scouting in Galway, to beach retreats in Portugal, to football games in Kansas. I am completely fascinated and enthralled by the diverse people, unique cultures, delectable foods, and vibrant customs that I have been able to encounter in my short life. My plan is to remember and share these experiences.

The Situation: I am a recent graduate and seeking some “real world” experience. Seeing as the States is not the ideal place to find a job these days, I have chosen to move to Beijing, China and pursue some career enlightenment. I have been living and working in Beijing for 4 months but am currently back in Colorado with my family for the holidays. Before returning to America I accepted a new job and a one-year work contract in China. After some rest and relaxation, and of course snowboarding, I will travel back to Asia to begin my year in Beijing.

Reasons I am starting a blog…

• I want a decent response when asked: “So, how is China?”
• I want to have a way to keep in touch with the people in my life who are not persistent enough to get a biweekly phone call/email.
• I want to share my experience with anyone considering moving to China or abroad.
• I want some form of documentation for my life.
• I like a challenge (until I don’t).

I am going to try and keep it short and sweet. Lots of photos, less actual reading. Basic thoughts/events/incidents/comical moments.

I view this as an experiment. Bare with me…