Later this morning, Tom and I will take the train from Zhengzhou to Beijing. For him it could be for the last time (although there has been much talk of returning to learn more Chinese etc.) and for me it will be the last time until July. Tom has been walking on air for about a week now and some how his excitement at going home has been infectious. I don't mean by this that I am also keen to leave now, it's just that the idea of him going back after his less than brilliant experience, seeing all his friends and family and getting to experience all of those things (mainly food) that we have talked of fondly in Buses, Trains and Bars makes me happy. I am clearly just a very empathetic person.
Anyway, it has been a while since my last post. I will not make the excuse that I have not had time, because I have had ample, but I will say that any spare time I have had has mainly been filled with looking at the best form of transport to continue my travels. I am now all sorted. I have my Australian visa (instantly received after sending them a small fee and filling out a form online, God Bless our special relationship!) and all of the tickets I need. I am not actually flying from Beijing to Sydney, but from Hong Kong. This is mainly because I have a friend there who I am keen to meet up with on my return and also because it's a little cheaper. I will fly to Shenzhen from Beijing on the day and get the bus/ferry to Hong Kong airport (about 15 miles away from Shenzhen airport). I am extremely relieved that everything is now sorted, as I have inherited a little of Mother's ability to fret.
My last week has been very cool. I basically bribed my Korean students to make sure that their lasting memory of me is a good one. I bought all 15 of them some Korean drinks from a foreign goods supermarket in the city and also bought my class a bag of Jelly Belly's which we spent an hour eating and guessing the flavours. In return they gave me a few little Korean snacks which they repeatedly told me were to share with my Mum when I was in Beijing. However my appetite being what it is, they did not make it past lunchtime. To each of my Chinese teachers, I gave two books, 'Three Men in a Boat' and 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', which may seem a little stingy but they were delighted. After my last class I took my Korean class mate, my teachers and my Korean headteacher out for Dinner at an all-you-can-eat restaurant (you can see why my belly is fighting a losing battle against flab).
On Saturday, I was persuaded by my boss to go out of the city in the morning to 'give a child an award'. In fact I was being sent to be the English speaking-cohost of an English speaking pageant in a small city about an hour away. It was all very bizarre, children from the ages of 6 giving memorised 2 minute speeches with clearly no understanding of what they were saying. They had rehearsed body language to appear more western but the repeated air punching grew tiresome. The children also performed a talent, either a speech in Chinese, a song in either Chinese or English or a dance. The small girls wearing too little and doing Tango or Bhangra was a little disturbing and reminiscent of American beauty pageants. It was an interesting end to my stint teaching.
I have forgotten to mention that the night before Tom, Wojciech and I had gone to a Xinjiang (the Western most province) restaurant in the city. My European compatriots were both a little worse for wear but I was saving myself for the early morning the next day. We ended up talking to some of the waiters, all from Xinjiang. I say some of the waiters, only two could speak Mandarin. They are completely un-Chinese in appearance, religion, language and feelings of national pride. They look like people from the 'Stans', they are Islamic, they speak Uyghur (a Turkic language) and therefore write in the Persian/Arabic style and feel that they are not really Chinese. It was all very interesting, and now I can say hello in Uyghur; Yachximensez.
Back to chronological harmony. Last night, for Tom's last meal in Zhengzhou we went for some Huoguo (hot pot) which was surprisingly good (unlike Tom, I'm not a massive fan of this kind of cuisine). After we went to sing some Karaoke which was a good laugh, especially after a few bottles of Tiger beer. I have just said good bye to Wojciech for the last time for a month and after taking Xiao Fu out for a walk I will go to the train station. Beijing, here we come!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Seismic Experiences
So the Earthquake. I would like to say that I survived a near death experience but in fact I mistook the entire thing for a bout of light headedness. It was only when my Chinese teacher stopped teaching and lent against the classroom wall that I realised that the movement was not in my mind. I persuaded my teacher to carry on with the lesson, which in retrospect was a little unfair as most of the businesses and buildings closed for the afternoon as people refused to re-enter buildings. Later that night (the earthquake struck at about 2:30 Chinese time) Wojciech and I discovered the extent of the destruction while on the BBC news website. We were not surprised and both of us made the comment that it is lucky that it occured during the day and also that the epicentre was not right under Chengdu or another large city. Had it struck at night the death toll would have been far greater.
On a lighter note, I had a rather enjoyable weekend (or should I say Saturday as fatigue effectively destroyed my Sunday). Firstly I went to a wedding party on Saturday lunchtime. To be honest this was not particularly different from any other large meal in a large restaurant except that there was clearly a reason behind it. That and the fact that Wojciech and I were charged with guarding a handbag containing about 150,000 RMB (11 grand) worth of wedding gifts. The best thing was the food, that was surprisingly good for an expensive Chinese restaurant. Top of the list of dishes were some massive pork meatballs in a 'Hoisinesque' sauce. After a brief recovery, Tom (who met me at our apartment) and I went to watch Henan Construction FC at the large stadium on the outskirts of the city. The quality of the football was poor, but the atmosphere was good and Tom and I looked great in our recently purchased home strips (if I say so myself). After the football match we returned for some more food and beer in our favourite restaurant over the road.
On a lighter note, I had a rather enjoyable weekend (or should I say Saturday as fatigue effectively destroyed my Sunday). Firstly I went to a wedding party on Saturday lunchtime. To be honest this was not particularly different from any other large meal in a large restaurant except that there was clearly a reason behind it. That and the fact that Wojciech and I were charged with guarding a handbag containing about 150,000 RMB (11 grand) worth of wedding gifts. The best thing was the food, that was surprisingly good for an expensive Chinese restaurant. Top of the list of dishes were some massive pork meatballs in a 'Hoisinesque' sauce. After a brief recovery, Tom (who met me at our apartment) and I went to watch Henan Construction FC at the large stadium on the outskirts of the city. The quality of the football was poor, but the atmosphere was good and Tom and I looked great in our recently purchased home strips (if I say so myself). After the football match we returned for some more food and beer in our favourite restaurant over the road.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Stop, Break, Box
Over the past few days I have had a number of Chinese sporting experiences as both a participant and as a spectator. Therefore this post will be focused mainly on physical activity in China.
First on the list was our little trip to Longhu (Lake Long) just outside of Zhengzhou. This was an attempt to take advantage of everyone's free time and the ridiculously hot weather over the May holiday. We also decided to have an impromptu BBQ using suitably improvised implements, principally a metal box and some skewers. After much lighting, blowing, and relighting we produced some foodstuffs passable as kebabs. Anyway, the sporting relevance. We took the opportunity of the close proximity of a large body of water to go for a swim. I have no doubt that the water quality was less than good, but the desire to get out of the heat far outweighed the fear of water-borne disease.
A few days later Wojciech and I went to a table tennis club to meet the friend of a friend who is the head coach. It was cool to finally see come proficient players of the national sport. Actually proficient is a bit of an understatement as the ferocity and skill with which the members (both male and female from teenagers to pensioners) played the game was rather intimidating. After a brief coaching session I was soundly beaten by a boy who could not have been older than seven and was then thrashed by an old women. It is hard not to feel a little rubbish after that but I am sure I am a far better rugby player than both of them.
The last of my trio of sporting experiences was perhaps the most interesting. Tom, my English friend, has been at some point a keen amateur boxer, and is often lamenting that he has not been in the ring for years. Fortunately Wojciech managed to find out, through his sister's boyfriend (who works for the Henan Sports Ministry), that there was a four day boxing tournament taking place at Number 11 Middle School. With this knowledge in hand Tom and I set out yesterday afternoon for a little peek. We watched about twenty bouts of fighters from 54 to 91kg. I was very impressed, and I am reliably informed by my local boxing expert...Tom, that the quality of some the fighters was pretty high. The whole thing took place in an incredibly well equipped sports hall to an almost silent crowd, which was odd.
Anywho, despite this recent spate of sport. My physical fitness is fighting a losing battle against grease, beer and mono-sodium glutamate.
First on the list was our little trip to Longhu (Lake Long) just outside of Zhengzhou. This was an attempt to take advantage of everyone's free time and the ridiculously hot weather over the May holiday. We also decided to have an impromptu BBQ using suitably improvised implements, principally a metal box and some skewers. After much lighting, blowing, and relighting we produced some foodstuffs passable as kebabs. Anyway, the sporting relevance. We took the opportunity of the close proximity of a large body of water to go for a swim. I have no doubt that the water quality was less than good, but the desire to get out of the heat far outweighed the fear of water-borne disease.
A few days later Wojciech and I went to a table tennis club to meet the friend of a friend who is the head coach. It was cool to finally see come proficient players of the national sport. Actually proficient is a bit of an understatement as the ferocity and skill with which the members (both male and female from teenagers to pensioners) played the game was rather intimidating. After a brief coaching session I was soundly beaten by a boy who could not have been older than seven and was then thrashed by an old women. It is hard not to feel a little rubbish after that but I am sure I am a far better rugby player than both of them.
The last of my trio of sporting experiences was perhaps the most interesting. Tom, my English friend, has been at some point a keen amateur boxer, and is often lamenting that he has not been in the ring for years. Fortunately Wojciech managed to find out, through his sister's boyfriend (who works for the Henan Sports Ministry), that there was a four day boxing tournament taking place at Number 11 Middle School. With this knowledge in hand Tom and I set out yesterday afternoon for a little peek. We watched about twenty bouts of fighters from 54 to 91kg. I was very impressed, and I am reliably informed by my local boxing expert...Tom, that the quality of some the fighters was pretty high. The whole thing took place in an incredibly well equipped sports hall to an almost silent crowd, which was odd.
Anywho, despite this recent spate of sport. My physical fitness is fighting a losing battle against grease, beer and mono-sodium glutamate.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
It's so damn hot! Milk was a bad choice.
Today is Labour Day/May 1st Holiday, so I have no more classes (both teaching and learning) this week. It is also bloody warm here: the last few days have been in the low thirties. Of course some of the Chinese still refuse to remove full length underwear (maybe this is an attempt to induce impotence and control the massive population growth) and many of them are still wearing woolen tops. I, on the other hand, am struggling in shorts and t-shirt. Today I went into the city with Tom for a little stroll into the city and on more than one occasion we ventured into shops simply to bathe in the air-conditioned coolness. What really worries me is that it is only the beginning of May, and it can only get hotter.
Last weekend, Tom and I went to Kaifeng for the afternoon. The city is about 40 minutes east of the city by train and along with Luoyang and Zhengzhou, is one of China's ancient capitals (I think you may already know this). The main purpose for our visit was to sample the delights of the night market. This bustling collection of stalls opens after sundown and is the place to buy xiaocai (snacks). The mix of heavy smells and the loud discussions in Chinese (some cordial, some confrontational) undoubtedly add to the dining experience. As with the purchase of food anywhere in China, things are often not as they seem. This is especially true for the 'meat on sticks' family of foodstuffs, Tom's major gastronomic vice. We ordered what we thought was a large piece of fish on a skewer but in fact turned out to be another form of chewy organic matter. I would be lying if I said that I was certain that is originated from an animal. Of course with anything purchased from a street vendor, the risk to your bowels is increased ten fold, however on this occasion, the mild discomfort for the next few days was worth it.
Last night we were taken to 'Club Jaguar' by some Chinese English teachers. This was yet another bizarre experience. The place was, as one can expect, massively overstaffed and eclectically decorated. We were all given I Heart China t-shirts on entry, which for no apparent reason some but not all of the clubbers were required to wear. Unfortunately, neither Tom nor I had our cameras so the many bizarre sights were consigned only to our memories rather than to a micro-chip. The first thing that was photo-worthy was the sign warning punters against fighting, it read:
'Forbid to fight, bustup. Disobey pure appear outside"
Magnificent. The next moment of interest was when four people dressed as the Olympic mascots entered the room, small Chinese flags and flares were handed out and the band struck up a patriotic pop punk number while two scantily dressed girls waved larger Chinese flags on stage. At this point Tom got very angry with me for saying to him earlier, that it would probably not be worth taking cameras out that night. After the worship of the motherland was over there was a small dance on a podium (on this occasion I chose the 'Robot' from my veritable arsenal of 3 dance moves) and a chat with Michael, the Belgian fellow, who happened to arrive later on. We helped Wojciech, who was rather worse for wear, into a taxi and went home at about one.
As we are on holiday, Tom, Wojciech and I are planning to do a few little jaunts about the county. Hopefully we will climb Songshan, although the current temperature is not conducive to physical exertion, and maybe even go for a swim somewhere.
Last weekend, Tom and I went to Kaifeng for the afternoon. The city is about 40 minutes east of the city by train and along with Luoyang and Zhengzhou, is one of China's ancient capitals (I think you may already know this). The main purpose for our visit was to sample the delights of the night market. This bustling collection of stalls opens after sundown and is the place to buy xiaocai (snacks). The mix of heavy smells and the loud discussions in Chinese (some cordial, some confrontational) undoubtedly add to the dining experience. As with the purchase of food anywhere in China, things are often not as they seem. This is especially true for the 'meat on sticks' family of foodstuffs, Tom's major gastronomic vice. We ordered what we thought was a large piece of fish on a skewer but in fact turned out to be another form of chewy organic matter. I would be lying if I said that I was certain that is originated from an animal. Of course with anything purchased from a street vendor, the risk to your bowels is increased ten fold, however on this occasion, the mild discomfort for the next few days was worth it.
Last night we were taken to 'Club Jaguar' by some Chinese English teachers. This was yet another bizarre experience. The place was, as one can expect, massively overstaffed and eclectically decorated. We were all given I Heart China t-shirts on entry, which for no apparent reason some but not all of the clubbers were required to wear. Unfortunately, neither Tom nor I had our cameras so the many bizarre sights were consigned only to our memories rather than to a micro-chip. The first thing that was photo-worthy was the sign warning punters against fighting, it read:
'Forbid to fight, bustup. Disobey pure appear outside"
Magnificent. The next moment of interest was when four people dressed as the Olympic mascots entered the room, small Chinese flags and flares were handed out and the band struck up a patriotic pop punk number while two scantily dressed girls waved larger Chinese flags on stage. At this point Tom got very angry with me for saying to him earlier, that it would probably not be worth taking cameras out that night. After the worship of the motherland was over there was a small dance on a podium (on this occasion I chose the 'Robot' from my veritable arsenal of 3 dance moves) and a chat with Michael, the Belgian fellow, who happened to arrive later on. We helped Wojciech, who was rather worse for wear, into a taxi and went home at about one.
As we are on holiday, Tom, Wojciech and I are planning to do a few little jaunts about the county. Hopefully we will climb Songshan, although the current temperature is not conducive to physical exertion, and maybe even go for a swim somewhere.
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