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 Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:51 pm
- This thread is AD Approved - This is the place for any and all discussion of China, so if you have questions or things you want me to keep an eye out for, post them here! Also, feel free to comment on my updates, I'll try to be consistant with writing down all the things that go on here.
Moved from the overall discussion board ... my flight and first day in China.
February 10, 2006
A lot of people show a frustration and maybe a little resentment to all the procedures that American airports take these days. The admittance to my first flight, I am happy to say, was not a long and tiring process of checks and checks and more checks. It took about one hour for me to get to my gate and another hour of waiting for my flight to be boarded. (in other words, I was early!) Where the small trouble began started earlier that day. It had been raining all day in Houston, and as a result, the runways became hazardous for some time, which backed many flights. This did not affect my arrival time to L.A., since I had a six hour layover, but it did put our flight 40-50 minutes behind schedule. Now, once up in the air, the flight was uneventful, with a little turbulance and a movie I had no interest in paying money to watch. (Walk the Line) On the other hand, I was seated to a very nice Kenyan women on my flight. She was a nursing student from Houston and was going to L.A. for a high school reunion with her sister and boyfriend. Amongst talking to her for a little bit, I took to sleeping for a short time, reading H.P. Lovecraft, did some crossword puzzles and gazed out the window when we arrived in L.A.
My layover was very long; I did have to go out onto the streets for a short time to transfer from one terminal to the other, but not much else happened. (During the day, there are a lot of crazies outside the airport trying to sell you stuff or convert you to whatever religion is out there. I got questioned by a begger asking if I would "donate" to him after he complimented my coat. Didn't say what I would be donating to, mind, but I had a funny feeling I knew anyway) Here's a crazy thing: did you know that McDonald's food is ridiculously overpriced in airports? (or, at the least, the L.A. International airport) $8.00 for a 10 McNugget meal, almost double what I would pay normally! I shelled over the cash, regardless ... I was hungry! Ate, did some more crossword puzzles, stared out into the darkness of L.A. ... talked with a few of the passengers who were headed to Guangzhou with me ... and then boarded the plane for eighteen "fun-filled" hours of nothing.
It's not that international flights are "bad" ... they are just long, long, long, long, long. I had an aisle seat, so I could go to the bathroom whenever needed ... but most of my flight I spent trying to sleep, mostly unsuccessfully. I tried to occupy my mind with other things, but when you're in a cabin with about 50 Chinese people, all of whom are trying to sleep, you're a bit hesitant to turn on your light and pull out a good book. Not the best first impression, so I pulled out the headphones and saw what movies the flight was showing. I watched Batman Begins practically twice, The Fantastic Four almost twice, and attempted to watch Stealth, but couldn't stomach the absolutely horrid acting. (not to mention a boring movie anyway) In between sleeping and movie watching, I looked at the on board flight progress. You see, we didn't fly over the ocean, we traveled over Canada, Alaska, Kamchatka, (and some of the other little countries up there) the sea of Japan, and finally into China. So, technically, I have been to about four other separate countries now. Not very exciting considering I couldn't even see them. Oh well
My flight arrived in Guangzhou on (their) 12th at 5:45 in the morning. I went through three sets of customs concerning my health and baggage and only had to go through one twice because I had filled out one of my forms with a pen instead of a pencil. (which was a little odd, because the other two paid that fact little mind) I picked up my baggage and waited for someone from the university to pick me up. After about 10-15 minutes of waiting, I saw Norma (who I had known from my college) and the soon to be introduced Lei Gordon, who welcomed me and took me to a van that would transport us to the college. First impression of Chinese driving? Aggressive, almost to a ridiculous degree. As I would be told by Norma later, there are, of course, rules to driving, but no one follows them. About thirty minutes later, I was placed in my new home, welcomed, and left to get some real sleep.
February 12, 2006
I awoke at 12:30 P.M. Beijing time to the sound of (one of) my new phone(s). Gordon, who is one of the foreigner teachers' "go to guy", was on the other line and asked me if I had rested well. He was calling to see if he could show me around the campus, to which I accepted. The campus where I will be working is actually not that big, but has very tall buildings to make up for its small size. It has a four story library, which I will definately look around in later, a swimming pool, a large area with multiple basketball courts, a four story gym, dorms for teachers, foreign teachers and students. In the middle is the teaching building, where I will be working in about a week. My "office" area is on the fourth floor, where there is a small lounge area, Gordon's workplace, and three computers for our (foreign teachers) internet use and what-not. I do not have the internet available in my room yet, but Gordon is looking into it and I should have it quickly. (I believe it will be a cable network)
At 1:30, Norma called Gordon as we were walking around the campus and invited me to go have lunch. Naturally, I accepted, as I was quit hungry. At 2:00, she showed up and we drove to one of the big shopping areas of Guangzhou. There are, literally, countless restraunts, stores and residential areas all over the place. The most common set up in the city is that the first floor of the tall buildings are places for shops and places to eat, and the other floors are apartments. We ate at one of Norma's favorite restraunts and I had hot tea and a noodle lunch consisting of shrimp, scallops, kalamari and cabbage. I was not that hungry, so I didn't eat all of it, but it was delicious!
After eating, Norma took me to buy a few things, mostly food and a pair of shoes. We spent about 2 hours shopping and I spent, essentially, $60 for about a week's worth of food, new shoes (which were $30 by themselves), bath towels, toilet paper, a trash bin and a laundry hamper. When you hear someone say that stuff in China is cheap, they are not lying! Just to give you an idea of how cheap ... I can buy a five pound bag of rice for $4 and precooked pork (about 5 servings worth) for maybe $2.
We returned to the college and unloaded my stuff and said our goodbyes for the moment, then I unpacked some of the stuff and went back to bed. (jetlag is still working its way off) I woke up twice, at 7:00 and again at 10:30 when Gordon called me to see if there was anything else I needed before I went to bed. I wish I had been able to go out into the city and see the celebration that was going on. Today was the Lunar Lantern festival and it lasted from about 7:00 until midnight. When I first woke up at 7:00, I heard strange, loud, popping noises outside and it took me a minute to realize it was the celebration. They fire off fireworks for hours in celebration of the night. A little disappointed, I went back to bed.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:14 am
February 14, 2006
The process of getting used to life in China is going steadily. Many people speak of culture shock in terms of just being downright flabbergasted over the things that people do in other countries. While there have been things that have surprised me about China and the Chinese (such as their apparently insane ideas concerning driving *more on that later*) there has been nothing yet that has really left me awestruck or appalled. Sure, the idea that you can walk into a restraunt and under "Meats" it is not uncommon to find dog is a bit strange, but hey ... Islams are appalled by the idea of eating cow. I think a trick to this phenomenom of culture shock is a relatively simple one, but a hard thing to enact. When going to a new country, don't go with any preconceptions of anything; and be sure to leave your culture and your ways at home. Just live with the fact that your ways are not going to be their ways. Unfortunately, it is human nature to fear or resent what it does not understand.
As far as today's adventure, it began around 1:30. The previous night I was called up by one of the foreign teachers (Helen) and asked if I would like to go out and do something with her and some of the other teachers. Being as late as it was coupled with my still jetlagged self, I had to decline the offer. Today she called again and invited me to join her and another foreign teacher (Kathleen) in a trip outside of campus, so I accepted. We met at 2:00 and proceeded to walk towards the bus stop outside campus. Some points of interest concerning these two ... Helen is British and a very rambunctious kind of lady. She's still fairly young (mid twenties I believe) and very short. She's very excitable and seems to take offense to things lightly, so you sometimes have to be careful what you say about things she likes. Kathleen, on the other hand, is a bit more modest. She's a southern girl from America and a pretty clean cut lady. What is interesting to see is the way that Kathleen and Helen act around each other; it is instantly clear that they are good friends.
We arrived at the bus stop and flagged down one of the many buses in Guangzhou and proceeded towards our destination. This being my first trip in a bus, I spent most of my time trying to adapt myself to this different way of traveling. Since there were no seats available, I had to stand and hang on to one of the hand rails. The bus made several stops before we reached our destination, and with each stop came more people. This is an inevitability ... the buses in China are going to be crowded, so you not only have to keep your eyes out for pickpockets, you got to make sure you try to get out of people's way when they want to exit, least you want to be forcibly pushed out of the way. Then you have to be ready to make a rush for the exit when your stop comes up, while trying not to loose your footing. This brings up the issue of the drivers in China: they drive very aggressively ... to ridiculous extremes. This is how it seems to work: pedestrians believe it is the job of drivers and bikers to look out for them, so they don't look out for cars and bikes; drivers believe it is the job of pedestrians and bikers to look out for them, but they usually yield to them anyway; bikers ... they believe they own the road, no questions asked. So, when driving or riding in China, be sure to not loose your nerve. People are constantly going to want to get in front of you and will not use their blinkers 80% of the time; get used to not staying in your lane, this is about as common as breathing; use your horn ... a lot, the importance of letting others know you are there is vital.
So, we finally get to our destination, which is one of the many shopping malls throughout the city. These things are enormous, it is not uncommon to walk into a mall that is over eight stories high with shops. It is not uncommon to be in a store that resembles our Wal-Marts, (where they sell everything, and I do mean everything) they are literally everywhere. Amongst these gigantuan malls you will also find places to eat, most commonly you will find McDonalds ... that's right! The Golden Arches are everywhere here. (and they're cheaper here to boot ... $2 for a meal deal, its crazy!) The ladies had not eaten yet, so we stopped by one of the McDonalds and they treated themselves to lunch while I watched and talked with them. Since they have been living in China for over six months, I figured out quickly that it would be best to get to know them. After eating, we shopped for groceries and talked about various things ... then their was the highlight of the trip, getting back with bags of groceries and (though not mine of course) liquor. Did I mention they drink? Did I mention that the places to buy liquor are packed with every manner of wine and booze you can imagine? Yeah ... the Chinese like to drink. From what I understand it is a big part of their many celebrations.
Anyways, we had to get back to campus while carrying bagged goods, which is makes bus rides even more tricky. Luckily for us, we were able to snag seats on the bus ride home, so the trip back was much more pleasant. The rest of the day was spent resting ... I still hadn't gotten the internet up and running in my room yet ... so I had to entertain myself by either reading or working on crossword puzzles. Since I haven't gotten word exactly what I will be teaching and was told not to worry about that yet ... I was able to relax from my first experience in town with other foreigners.
February 16, 2006
Rise and shine kids! Its your favorite day of all time ... the day you go visit the doctor!
That's right folks, I had to go get a physical today. (that and set up a Chinese bank account ... I have money now!) Well, let's start from the beginning of the day. Norma called me around 8:00 and wanted to give me the pictures she had taken for me the day I had arrived in China. (yes, there are pictures to show you later!) After transferring them to my computer, I got ready for my excursion into the town and then walked to "The Statue" where I met Gordon and one of the new foreign teachers. (Sarah) We got onto one of the college vans and made our way to the bank to set up our account. The Chinese banking system is an interesting one, because there is so many customers to deal with on any given day, every bank has a system where, when you walk in, you get a ticket with a number on it, then wait for the number to be called and displayed on a small screen above the tellers. We waited about fifteen minutes for our number to come up, but it would be a while longer. Gordon asked me if I had any more currency that needed to be converted, and when I answered yes, he remembered that the bank we were at does not transfer money to Chinese currency. So, we left Sarah in the bank in case our number came up, and we ran over to another bank which was just down the road, and grabbed a ticket, seeing that the line was long there as well. We ran back to the other bank, waited out turn, and did all the necessary paper work and what not to get our bank accounts, then headed over to the other bank. All in all ... we spent about one and a half hours total in the banks, because there was a lot of paperwork that had to be done.
Next we went to the hospital to get a physical examination. The process of setting up a physical was quick and easy, but the physical itself was very long and thorough. They checked our weight, height, blood pressure, pulse, took our blood, checked our bowel movements, heart rate, blood flow, gave us an x-ray, ear, nose, and eye inspection. It only took about twenty minutes ... the Chinese have this down to a science. Instead of waiting for one doctor to do all this, they have a sort of assembly line set up, where you move from one room to the next, all in one squared off area. Very interesting ... the most irritating part for me was the blood sample ... I don't like needles.
After we were all done, we returned to the campus and I went on with the rest of my day, doing this and that.
PICTURE TIME!
- This is me at the restraunt where Norma took me my first day in Guangzhou. The food was quite delicious, and I was kind of sad that I couldn't finish it. sad
- This is me again in the same restraunt, with a look outside. In this area of town, there are a lot of tall buildings, like a down town area. (the actual down town is home to even taller buildings)
- I wanted to try and snap a picture of the kind of traffic you experience in Guangzhou. The traffic that day was very tame. That bus is at a stop and waiting for a chance to get out into traffic. Notice its already in one of the lanes. xd
- This is where I live. The living room is pretty comfortable, but I don't much care for the chairs or couch they have ... oh well.
- Here's my bedroom, complete with heater, air conditioning, and a small lockable drawer! The bed's mattress is very firm ... but its surprisingly pretty comfortable.
- This is my office area, where I keep my books, clothes and various other items. I was still unpacking, as you can see.
- The most important room in the house! The bathroom! Wondering where the shower is? Well ... you're looking at it, the shower head is just to the left of the photo.
- The kitchen, with a refrigerator to the right and a window to the left. Small, crowded, but still usable.
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:09 am
February 18, 2006
Two events of today, both equal in importance, created a very bizarre duality, one event being a time of great pain and suffering while the other was a time of immense pleasure and, quite literally, a taste of home. Best to get today's moment of displeasure out of the way first. (makes the point of pure bliss just that more enjoyable)
It was our first meeting of the semester, which would make mine the first meeting period. I didn't know how things went or who most of the people were, but ignorance has a strange way of making itself dissipate and lose itself in the relms of "knowing" very quickly. I met most of my fellow co-foreign teachers, most of them being very pleasant people around my age. Starting from where I sat, there was Katy to the right of me. She's an Amerian southern girl whose a very sweet and emotional person. She gets along well with her students and loves to have them over to her apartment at any time. First on my left was Ben, a tall, quiet guy who seems to share similar interest as me. At the moment I don't know a whole lot about him, but I do know that he shares a common interest of mine - comic books! We were able to start conversation very quickly. Helen, on the other hand, is a very outspoken, very exciteable, very rambunctious London girl. A marvelous story teller and huge movie buff. Izy is a girl I have not gotten to know very well. She's oriental, but was not born or raised in the orient. She's quiet around strangers at first, but always has a smile on her face. Kind and curteous, she enjoys other people's company. Next is Claire, the other girl from Great Britain. At first glance, one would consider her a very prim and proper lady, and this is true for the most part. She's very helpful and very intelligent. Leslie is one of the oldest of the foreign teachers, even though she just turned 26. She's what some might call "the sweetest girl you'll ever know." Every word is true from what I've seen so far. Next up is Sarah, who is a new teacher like myself. She's actually the step-sister of Leslie and is a very quiet girl as well. Presently I don't know a lot about her. Last, there is the oldest of our group of foreign teachers, Kevin. He is a 62 year old man who has been teaching at the university for five years, with a personality that ... well, let's just say that first impressions were not very kind in his favor.
Our meeting started our well, the foreign affairs people let us in on all the information we needed to know, and everything was moving along well until the issue of a new procedure came up. Before this happened, Kevin asked a question about whether the college could provide an example on how to fill out one of the forms that pretained to weekly class sessions and what was learned. (Lesson plans, essentially) Having done plenty of those during my student teaching, I spoke up and said I would be happy to write out a good example for the college Teacher's manual, and I tell you ... Kevin stared at me with eyes that screamed, "How dare you claim to know what needs to be done!" I was shocked, because up until that point, I considered him to be pretty easy going. His eyes quickly changed and he ignored me and kept questioning, saying, for the most part, it would be more appropriate for the college to take care of the matter. Fine, I can understand that.
The new procedure that summoned the storms of "drama" was a Teacher-Student Interaction Form. We were, over the course of the semester, "interview" thirty of our students and record our conversation with them for governmental purposes. Kevin was not going to have any of this. He started on a tangent on how this was absurd, useless, had no reason to be done, on and on and on. He started making claims that the Chinese Government should have thought this through more, that the college should do something about it, some on and so forth. This went on for twenty minutes, with the head speaker for the foreign affairs department, Sam, trying to get the point accross to Kevin that this had to be done. The rest of us were left watching, until finally Helen spoke up and basically told Kevin nothing we said would change the fact that we had to do this and to drop it. Everyone was releaved ... except Kevin. Before that, Katy had tried to talk some sense into him, but he was very rash and very rude towards her, for no reason.
Finally, the meeting ended and we moved on with our lives. I listened to the other teachers tell me that this was a common thing. They let off their steam, because they were completely pissed off about the whole thing. Many obseneties and stories were told, the most memorable being the system that they have come up with to rank the outbursts that Kevin has every meeting. They call them Kevlons, and I had survived a Kevlon level 3.5. (the highest they have seen is a 4) Drama, drama, drama.
The happy moment came after all the steam had been let off and we were left hungry and ready to eat. (actually, it was Helen who spurred us to action, exclaiming, "I'm going to start eating people!") We walked to the bus and taxi stop and flagged down two taxis for the six of us. (only Helen, Ben, Izy, Leslie, Sarah and I went) We went to one of the many malls of Guangzhou and entered a restraunt called "Latin" to have our meal. The atmosphere is quite hilarious considering the country this restraunt is in. Imagine, if you will, a restraunt that is pretty much a buffet, but where waiters in full cowboy getups walk around with freshly cooked meat and serves it to each table. This is just not any meat. No, no, no ... this is prime cut steak of varying grades and seasoning, sausage, pork, chicken, lamb, and various other things being constantly cooked over an open fire. The buffet has magnificent choices: fresh rolls, corn, rice with a hint of garlic, sauteded potatoes with garlic, fresh fruit, and some seafood. (I ate snails there ... quite delicious I must say) Also, lets not forget the desserts; lots to choose from, all choices delicious.
Now ... to describe the taste of all this food is impossible. It was beyond words just how good this food was. The meats, by themselves, sent me to heaven. They were juicy, they were seasoned just right, they were prepared rare, and. they. were. succulent. The best thing? The whole meal cost 70 yuan ... not even $10. Close to $8. Unbelievable.
Oh, if that wasn't good enough, right next to this restraunt was a place that served, according to Helen and Ben, the best sushi in town. Twos restraunts of that magnitude of service and excellent food should not be that close together. Its too utopian.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:57 am
Yeah ... so ... haven't been keeping you guys informed on current events, so ... it's time for an update!
Oddly enough, this update goes hand in hand with a comic series I've been discussing elsewhere, and it is quite keen I think. Anyways, before this recent event I've been teaching classes every week, trying to get out of campus at least twice a week and look around. There's a nice river walk in the "Western District" that has good food and a beautiful view at both the daytime and nighttime.
My students are great and generally try pretty hard in class. This next week they'll be doing Informative speechs for their mid-term, and then next week is my week off! YAY!
Anyways ... without further ado ... my account of climbing Mt. Dinghu and its relevance to the comic Klarion. (from the Seven Soliders of Victory series)
There is nothing left to discover in this world; there are no islands or contents that have not been found; there is nothing new about ancient buildings and ancient cultures; there are no new stories, no new ideas, no new colors, shapes, or expressions. The age of discovery is gone ... or so some people will try to tell you. However, to see for the first time, to discover something you've never beheld before, the world you thought you knew is uncovered and rediscovered all over again.
Klarion is a story of discovery; the discovery of ancient wonder. In the world of Klarion, "every cheap and tawdry dime store" is a "marvelous palace of delights, filled with glitter and treasure ... Everything is new in his sight. Everything is holy." The world is a place of wonder and excitement, not one of humdrumness, of dull same-ole-same-ole. I have experienced the world of Klarion and it is the most magical of places ... and, its right outside your door.
In the southern provinces of China, there are many mountains, some that seek to hide ancient secrets and the ways of old. One such mountain is referred to as Dinghu and it is a place that serves both as a place of spiritual awareness and awe inspiring scenes. It was here I saw through the eyes of Klarion, it was here I discovered that the world is still full of wonder; and the sad part is ... many people will climb to its peak, gaze at its lake, step foot on the grounds of Qingyun Temple, soak their feet in the waters below the Flying Waters waterfall and will go away from such a magical place believing they have discovered nothing and that the world is still the same, completely uncovered with no mysteries.
Klarion begins in bleakness and darkness, showing us the world as seen through the eyes of many. Klarion himself is still one who believes there is more to the world than what he sees. He has heard the ancient tales, dreamed of the outside world and seeks to flee the comfort of his current life and go on a journey of discovery. Those who live under the rocks and the mysterious Croatoan seek to bind Klarion in the conscripts of "reality", telling him, "You cannot do it! Put such thoughts away!" A glance back at the history of the Puritans, who, while being a very dedicated and quiet people, have come to be known as hypocrites to the teachings they held as truth, gives us the inspiration behind those who live under the rocks. (and who are, literally, covered to the world around them)
The beginning of Klarion's journey is sparked by the measure that seeks to bind people to the "reality" of the world. Horigal Hunt emerges and seeks to stop Klarion from discovering the outside world. Horigal Hunt personifies the embodyment of all that seeks to stop discovery: elements of the earth, (the chaos of the sea) elements of the frightful mind, (fear of heights) elements of imaginable boundries. (the earth is flat) I experienced my own form of Horigal Hunt as I climbed to the peak of Mt. Dinghu. The trek up the mountain is a long and tiring one, and many times fatigue and weariness saught to keep me from continuing my journey; "reality" - my Horigal Hunt - tried to tell me I was unfit and not physically able to continue my journey. Though its attack was far less lethal than the being Klarion was forced to face, the similarity is there. And while the threat of Klarion was cut off by the subway pirates ... my threat was depleted by one of life's necessities: water - that and the view from the mountain grew more spectacular the higher I climbed. There was so much more to see, blue rafters awaited me ... and when I reached the height, my reaction was strikingly akin to Klarion's, "O, Heaven."
This brings the appearance of the other key player in the story of Klarion, Melmoth ... a homage to the literary character Melmoth the Wanderer, half man, half demon ... the powerful, the knowledgable, the cursed. In the literary work, cursed by the very thing he wished for, in Klarion cursed by being bonded to Gloriana. (and wanting everything, the world, for himself) There are many ways to look at Melmoth and one of his more pressing roles in accordance to the theme here is his role as the enforcer of "growing up" and "growing out of the age of wonder." His act of throwing Billy Beezer into the realms of "adulthood" (or, more appropriately, the realms of hard labor, the clerical desk, the store attendant, take your pick) is key. I could go on and on about the what could be said of Billy's 17th birthday and his being cast into the workforce. I taught high school kids his age, and their main motivation is money to spend on things they want. Its almost a literal selling of their freedom so they can buy stuff. Melmoth is the tempter in this case, the one who says, "You don't need your magic anymore, you don't need your wonder." Like Klarion, Melmoth did not reach me. I saw through his ploy as I climbed and discovered the wonders of Mt. Dinghu. He watched on and as I stared in awe of the Flying Waters, tasted the food of the mountain, looked down on the vast earth that lay out like a map from atop, and roamed the halls of Qingyun Temple. He tried to tell me, through the mouths of my fellow travelers, "See ... there was nothing much to see here, time to return to reality." Like Klarion, I wanted to continue on, to see more, discover more, and taste more, but there was a task ahead of me, like the one that confronted Klarion. I had to return to humdrumness, the realm of darkness. "Down then. Down we go again ... " To tell those who did not see what they are missing and to attempt to ward off the words of Melmoth. Unlike poor Klarion, I was not accepted with torch and anger, but with inquiry.
The other members of my Limbo town tried to tell those that asked me that the mountain was nothing special, nothing great, no wonder, no majesty. I retorted ...quietly, but my words fell on many deaf ears. No one wanted to hear of the splendor of a temple built on the side of a mountain hundreds of years ago. No one wanted to hear of the beauty of the lake. It's as though a place that is labled as a tourist attraction, like Mt. Dinghu, instantly losses its charm simply because many people have seen it. Denying its existence, much like Limbo town denied Klarion's claims that Blue Rafters was real, is one thing ... denying something its majesty is travesty.
Melmoth has not come to those that denied yet ... he has not revealed the sham he placed on their hearts. His moment will come for everyone, and we will either cry for not knowing the beauty that was in front of us or we will laugh at him because we conquered him. Back to the story, Klarion physically overcomes Melmoth, even though he flees. Klarion's journey of discovery was over for now ... my journey of discovery was over. We each had a choice ahead of us, for Klarion, " ... Today I will be a soldier."; for me, " ... Today I will continue to be a teacher."
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Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 9:13 am
Hong Kong
From the moment you get off the subway just off Hong Kong island, you will be bombarded with inquiry. This will usually fall into the realms of people wanting to sell you something, but what is utterly fasinating here is the three most common things you, a foreigner, apartently want while in Hong Kong: watches, massages and nice suits. Now, more interesting than this is who will be asking you if you want these things. Chinese people? Well, some of them. There is a rather large population of Indian people living in Hong Kong, who own their own shops and are more than willing to ask any and every passer-byer whether they would like to come into their shop and buy something. They're not pushy, except when you give them a reply, which I did once, just to see what would happen. The seller instantly jumped on the occasion and tried to get me to come see his suits, trying everything he could, in politeness, to get me to comply. That's the thing, they will, at all times it seems, try to push you into it while being completely polite. Good business, treading cautiously and all that of course, but it must be frustrating for a lot of them, at least at first.
Another thing you will notice once you step foot in Hong Kong, especially if you've already spent some time in China, is that it is not China. Of course with the strong British influence for so many years, this is a no-brainer, but some expect for there to be at least more similarities than differences. There are very few to be blunt. The structure of the city is tightly knit together, yet there is plenty of room to stretch out and breathe. There's plenty of room to walk, and getting from point A to point B is easy. Maps in both Chinese and English are all over the city, each hotel carries portable maps for their guests, even bus schedules. There are plenty of interesting places to go and plenty of interesting things to do, and getting around is quick and painless. The subway system, for example, is speedy and efficient. To illustrate, the second day of my journey I wanted to go see two of the temples that could be found in the area, but they were very far apart, one of which was on a completely different island than Hong Kong. However, the simplicity and ease it took to get to each temple, coupled with me taking my time at each one, left me with a few hours of sunlight when I returned. All in all ... it took a twenty minute subway trip to the first temple, Sik Sik Yuen, twenty five minutes to get from there to Hong Kong island, a quick change of subway cars, and then about an hour trip to the island that held the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha. Hong Kong has also made it very easy for travelers to use the various forms of transportation while visiting; you can buy what is known as the Octopus card and can use it to get anywhere.
The biggest difference between mainland China and Hong Kong is the price of things. While there are many commodities in HK that are cheaper than the mainland, (and of better quality) most are not. An expensive meal in the mainland can cost about 500 yuan and feed about five people; an expensive meal in HK can cost about $500 HK and feed about one person. Clothes are more expensive, most high tech stuff is more expensive, and hotels can be ridiculously expensive. On the plus side, it would seem that Hong Kong spares no expense keeping its citizens and tourists safe. The security and police force is top notch and you regulary see them patrolling (usually in pairs) the city no matter where you go. (this, however, immediatly stops once you get past customs, as I would later regrettably find out)
The first day I arrived in Hong Kong I was on the look out for a hotel, but, as fate would have it, my first stop was at a camera shop, where I bought a brand new digital camera for a very reasonable price. I immediatly started taking pictures as I walked down the street, because each new block presents an interesting side of the city. There is lots of color in the city and it is, without a doubt, one of the cleanest cities I've been to. As I was exploring, I ran accross one of the many malls of HK and decided to see what kind of restraunts they had, since I had not eaten since getting off the train. I found a nice little bar and restraunt and ordered a very satisfying noodle chowder with scallops, chives and cabbage. After eating, I made my way back the way I came and found three hotels right next to each other, all of which were very close to the ocean front and the subway. I opted to stay at the Holiday Inn, which I found to be very expensive, but well worth the money. (if I return someday though ... I will definately have to find someplace cheaper) I checked in to my room and relaxed for a while.
After sitting on a comfortable bed and seeing what kind of entertainment they had on TV, I went outside and headed towards the ocean. It had been raining most of the day, so the streets were wet and the clouds were just starting to roll off, letting just a little brightest into the sky. When I got to the ocean, I started to take some pictures of Hong Kong island, which was clearly visible from where I was. The actual island is absolutely congested with tall buildings that all seem to be crunched together, but when you step foot on the island, you find out that there is plenty of space inbetween them. I snapped a few pictures and began to walk along the coast line. This was not one of the beached areas of the city, but it had an interesting walk way that I found, called Avenue of the Stars. Think of it as what America has in Hollywood with the area that has the hand prints of various stars in the cement of the walk way. Many of the plaques didn't have hand prints at all, just names. I'm guessing this was a fairly new development, so the stars of old were long gone when it was constructed. The hand prints I did see, however, were Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Andy Lau. There was also a life size bronze statue of Bruce Lee, the only statue they had on the walk way, which I snapped a picture of.
My next stop was Canton road, which held many gigantic malls along its path, and it was here that I did some window shopping until it got dark. I was very pleased to find a very nice book store, which had many books I was looking for, for very good prices. I would later return here and acquire a few of the ones that caught my eye. Next, I headed back to the coast line, as it was dark out once I exited the malls. I tried to get some pictures of the city at night, but it was very windy out and my camera could not take very good pictures because of all the motion the wind was giving. I did, however, get a very good shot of the Bruce Lee statue with the city behind him, which turned out splendidly. Being quite tired and ready to call it a day, I returned to my hotel, soaked in a real bath (which I have not had in a long, long time) and watched some TV before going to bed.
The next day was spent trying to see as many as the sights as I could. I first went to the Sik Sik Yuen temple which is right in the midst of the city. What is a little strange about the temples I've seen in China so far is that they are both tourist attractions as well as places where people still come to off prayers and incense to Buddha. I tried my best to stay out of people's way as I looked around the grounds. The temple itself was small, but very colorful. The roof was a dark yellow, with crimson trim and walls. There was a stone gateway in front of the temple, as well as the male and female fuu beast, which were standing atop stone totems. There was an urn before the temple where worshippers would place their incense, kneel on the knee pads, clasp their hands together, fingers pointed to the sky and kowtow. Along with the main temple area, there were two other smaller alters that served as worship grounds. My guess is that some would pray at all three of these sites for reasons I'm not entirely sure of.
Just behind the temple was a garden area, with old stone walks ways over small pools of water that head lilipads and strange rocks. Flowers were set up on the east side and there was a small waterfall on the west side. It was called the garden of the nine dragons, but I could not find a person who could explain to me exactly why this was. I did, however, get asked to take a picture for two Chinese ladies as they stood on the walkways of the garden. After spending a little more time looking around and marveling at the architecture and what was going on around me, I left and headed towards Hong Kong island. When I arrived, it was around lunch time, so I tried to find a place to eat. This proved to be difficult, as it was a little more difficult to find restraunts in the district I was in. I finally found a place that served very nice sandwhichs, had a quick bite to eat, and headed for the subway station again. My next destination was Lantau Island, which was home to the Po Ling Monestary and the Big Buddha.
The subway ride to the Island takes about half an hour and then I had to catch a bus that drove up the mountain to where the Monestary was. The scenery on the island is absolutely gorgeous. There is a lot of trees and shurbs growing on the side of the mountains, and there was a beautiful seaside view that I saw as we travelled upward. I saw what appeared to be a very old burial ground on the side of the mountain, which quite a sight to behold.
Finally, the bus reached the top of the mountain and the first thing that caught my eye was the massive stone gateway that lead to the Monestary. I had not yet seen the Buddha, but this would change quickly. Just after exiting the bus, there was also a round structure that was erected, and if you were to look to the north while standing in the middle of it, you could see the Big Buddha staring back at you. Now ... this bronze statue is enormous. There are very few ways to describe how magnificent a sight it is, but I have come to describe it as though the statue is literally sitting on top of a mountain. He looks as though he is sitting just a few feet from you, but he is really at the top of 242 steps of stairs, waving at you.
Deciding to be a little different, instead of going to the Buddha first, I went to the Monastery, which is just as magnificent as the Buddha. A key element in Buddhism is the presense of not one, but multiple Buddhas. The fat one, which many people believe to be the real Buddha, is actually the fake Buddha, the one that old masters would tell their pupils was there to fool them into thinking they had reached enlightenment. (hence the infamous line, "If you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha.") There were multiple statues throughout the monastery and I wish I could have found someone who could tell me who each one was ... there was one room that was called the "Hall of the Great Hero" but I have no idea which hero it is.
As I was exploring the site, I noticed that the daily chanting of the monks was being played over speakers, and at one place you could look inside a big room and watch the worshippers attend to their daily prayers. It was most interesting to watch ... but I dared not take a picture; tourists were forbidden to enter, so I assumed that also meant they frowned upon pictures of their ceremonies. There were also a few rooms in the Monastery that were off limits. One had the door open and I peeked inside, it was the monk's room for eating.
Next, I climbed the 242 steps to the Buddha, taking pictures the closer I got. When you reach the top, you must look to the sky just to get a climpse of his face. It is simply amazing how something so monstorous was built so high in the mountains. There was a small museum inside the area below the Buddha, with some interesting artifacts and paintings. After looking around, taking in the sites and the scenery, I boarded a bus and returned to Hong Kong Island. I then waited for night fall and took the Peak train to the top of the tallest mountain of the island to take a look at the city at night. Unfortunately, the night was too misty and foggy, so I saw nothing but clouds. Next time I hope to be more fortunate.
And that was my trip. A very pleasant one and well worth the time and effort I put into it. My only short coming came when I was leaving Hong Kong. I was in the Imigration section that connects HK to China ... and I placed my bag that had my camera in it on top of a desk so that I could fill out forms. I left the bag, realizing my error later on. I rushed back to find my camera stolen, long gone. To say I was not happy would be an understatement. Too many pictures and too many potential memories lost. I was crushed.
I entered the train for home with a heavy heart.
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Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:24 pm
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:24 am
Mah Jong Night
Well tonight marked my first, official time to play Mah Jong against real players. I had gone to dinner with two of my colleagues and decided to head home early while they went on to do whatever. When I got off the subway and was making my way back to campus, I saw four men outside of an auto-shop playing Mah Jong, so on a whim I decided to stop and watch them play.
The style of play they were using only incorporated two of the usual three “suits” (there were no Character tiles) in the game, and the declarations of “Chii/Chow” (set of 123, 456, etc. of the same suit) were not allowed. You could not even declare a win if someone dealt a tile that completed a set, only if you drew it yourself. The game instead revolved around the declaration of “Pon/Pung” (three pair of same suit ex. 111) and “Kan/Kong” (four pair of the same suit) with a special rule I had not seen yet. Let say you declared a “Pung” of 333 Bamboo. If someone else dealt the other three, you had to throw away your Pung, so if you won, you did not receive any points for the Pung. Since the group was playing for low stakes, it meant less money on a win.
I watched them play for about an hour, then I tapped one of the players on the shoulder and pointed at the table and then at myself. He paid no attention at first, so I sat down in one of the very low chairs they had and kept watching. After they completed their game, they brought me a higher chair, I thanked them, and they continued to play. After a few more games, one of the players had to leave. His wife (I’m assuming) walked by and started yelling at him, so he played one more game and left. This left an open chair ready for anything. After a few seconds, I placed myself in the seat and the other three guys looked at me kind of funny for a second, then starting smiling and chuckling. I grinned and started to help them shuffle the tiles. We built the walls and started to play.
I was not yet sure of how to win, but I learned very quickly. The first game was lost to the player on my left (he was the West side at the moment) and I had to pay him 1 RMB. (like I said, they were playing low stakes) Second game the player on my right won and I had to pay him 4 RMB. I showed him my hand and the whole table made a sort of “Whoa!” sound and the guy who was watching me from behind said something to the effect, “He almost got a lot of money out of you guys! Ha ha ha!” (I was one tile away from a complete one-suit straight) By the third game, I knew what I was doing and surprised the other players by a very quick win which got me 1 RMB from each player. I became the dealer and won another game which got me 2 RMB from each player. Lost the fourth and followed it by a handsome win that got me 4 RMB from each player.
It was about 10:30 when the guys all got up and started saying “Good bye!” to me. Apparently it was time for the guys to get ready for bed so they could carry on their tireless work the next day … or they were tired of losing money to me. I’ll let you decide what the real answer was.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:48 am
^^ This is great.
I'm going to China again this June to visit my family.
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