China has the world’s biggest mall, … but it’s been 99% vacant since opening in 2005. The New South China Mall in Dongguan (Guangdong province) –spearheaed by an instant noodle billionaire– has seven zones modeled on international regions (Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Venice, California, Egypt, and the Caribbean). It includes a 25m replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a 2.1km canal with gondolas, and an indoor-outdoor roller coaster.
[Source: Daily Mail UK, Wikipedia “New South China Mall” ]
China is weird.
For more than one reason.
Least of which is that they have blocked the Good Reads website, because God forbid you want to keep track of the books you have read, are reading or want to read.
But, what brings this up today is the fact of how they handle their utilities here. You pay for your electricity, gas and water in advance. You have to go to the utility office with a wad of cash, they take your money and in return give you a credit card thingy that you then take to your house and slide into a slot in the utility box. Voila, workable utilities.
This might sound like an all right method.
It’s not.
There are several problems with this. First, the utility boxes are behind a locked door, if you live in an apartment, which most people do. Second, you have no idea when you will run out of money on the meter, because you can’t check the meter whenever you want to…because it is behind a locked door.
So, you guessed it. It will run out at the most inopportune moment. Like right in the middle of a shower. Or late at night when the maintenance office is closed, so they can’t come and unlock the utility door.
Oh yeah, and the maintenance office only speaks Chinese. So you better pray one of your Chinese roommates is home when your shit gets cut off, so that they can make the call.
To complicate this issues, often the power or water go off and it’s not because you have run out of money on the meter. Sometimes it’s the whole building. For unknown reasons.
So, if the power, water or gas goes off, the first step is to bother your neighbors by trying to use some sort of sign language to figure out if it is that way for everyone or if it is just your apartment. On the bright side of this, we found out we do have one nice neighbor who now says hi to us if we see him on the elevator. But, I still want to smash his granddaughters fingers, because she is the annoying, jingle bells playing piano player from hell.
One last note. It has been really warm here for the past week. Warm enough to need to turn on the A/C. We have found out that we can run the A/C, as long as we don’t have anything else using power. So we can have light and sweat to death or sit in the dark and be cool. It’s a dilemma.
The ultimate in diva dogs, a miniature pinscher named Lu Lu prefers to walk upright on her back legs while carrying a teddy bear-shaped purse that holds her own waste bags wherever she goes. Her owner taught her to walk upright when she was just four months old. A celebrity in Zhumadian, Henan Province, Lu Lu attracts local fans during her daily walks with her owner every morning.
Also: MinPins are the shit, y’all
[ The Daily Mail UK ]
Chinese babies/toddlers wear a thing called kaidangku (open crotch pants) before they are potty trained. We see them around town. Even when it was freezing cold a month or so ago. Whenever the kid needs to relieve itself, the parent puts them on the ground to squat it out. And then they just walk away from it.
One one hand, it beats the hell out of changing diapers all the time. On the other hand…EWWWW!! This may explain the unexplainable piles of shit on the ground that we come across on a regular basis. But, apparently, more and more Chinese people are using disposable diapers.
You get giddy whenever you see another white person.
You aren’t phased at all when people around you constantly say ‘ni-ga’ (Which is actually ‘na-ge’, meaning that one and is used as a filler word much like er, um).
You never leave the house without a packet of tissue.
You break out in moans of appreciation whenever you spot a Starbucks.
You find yourself eating at McDonald’s at least once a day.
You no longer bus your own tray at McDonald’s or any other fastfood restaurant.
You take up littering, or at least ignore it when others do.
You take up smoking. Everywhere. Even when there are no smoking signs posted.
You start to enjoy room temperate water, soda and beer and are not phased when asked if you want ice in your wine.
Your car horn usage jumps from once a year….to once every 2 seconds.
Your new motto: “Waiting patiently in line is for suckers.”
You ignore the person limit on already full elevators and know you can squeeze several more people in.
You expect bus drivers and other service people to verbally abuse you.
You no longer bother saying “excuse me” when you accidentally bump into someone.
You stop smiling at strangers and service people (or acknowledging their existence).
You hail taxis the Chinese way (with a Heil Hilter salute and fingers scratching towards you).
You automatically jump into a taxi’s front seat.
For the first time in your life, you consider yourself really tall at 5’6″
You notice that you’ve picked up a noisy loogie-hocking habit.
You no longer bother to pick up your dog’s poop on the street (not applicable if you’re French).
You let your kids pee on the street.
You feel that it’s acceptable to scream into your cell phone in restaurants.
You feel entitled to make as much noise as you want, regardless of time or location.
You fantasize about inventing a time machine so you can find the person who invented the megaphone and bludgeon him to death with his own bloody, severed arm.
When you return home, you unconsciously counteroffer every sales person with an 80% discount.
Back home, you’re offended that no one in Chinatown is asking you to pose for a photo (or is secretly trying to take your picture like some sort of ninja paparazzi).
You wouldn’t dream of paying more than $3 for a meal.
You never leave a tip for your wait staff, hairdresser or any other service individual.
You can eat a full cob of corn, only using chopsticks.
You don’t worry that your taxi driver is driving down the wrong side of the street.
You don’t get mad when people push and shove you in line or on the bus or subway. You just push and shove back.
Burping, slurping, chewing with your mouth open and resting your elbows on the table are all acceptable.
For all the amazing things about China, it is still a filthy, stinking mess.
The pollution is atrocious. I wake up every morning with a sore throat and my sinuses have been giving me problems ever since I got here.
Garbage is everywhere, mostly because people litter all the time.
A layer of fine gray dust covers everything and has made the spring not nearly as enjoyable because, after the last few months of dingy gray and brown winter I was looking forward to much more green but, it is hidden under the dust.
I can’t wait to get home to wash everything I own, to get rid of the China funk. On second thought, I may end up burning it all and start over again.
You have to walk with your head down, so you don’t accidentally step in giant loogies that people constantly spit on the ground or piles of poop from dogs or humans. I’m still trying to get this one but, I’ve figured out allies are often used as toilets, so they have the stench of a 1000 outhouses.
Something has to be up with the sewage system. You’ll be walking down the street and then suddenly be knocked over by the most foul sewery type smell that ever existed. I have a pretty strong stomach, but even I have gagged a few times. Poor Alira, who does not have this luxury, constantly gags. I’m not always sure if it is sewer smell or stinky tofu, another vile odor.
The thing that really has me stumped is the puke.We run across a pile of it every few days and sometimes several times in one day. It’s in the middle of the sidewalk. It’s in the middle of the street. One time it was even in the middle of our lobby. What in the hell is wrong with these people that makes them puke so much? And why can’t they make it to a toilet or a trash bin? Why does it always right were people need to walk?
Are they eating bad food? This is entirely plausible. Everything here is so filthy and I know safe food handling is nearly non-existent. I asked one of my Chinese friends and he says it is because they drink too much. The book I’m reading says that the Chinese cannot physically tolerate alcohol, so maybe that is it. Whatever it is, it’s gross.
Y’all know I take a ton of pictures and post many here. Just be glad I don’t take pictures of these things!
April 26th,2012
Culture |
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I had a pretty bad cold last month. At home, I would probably make a run to the drugstore and get something to help me through the day and something else to help me get some rest at night. Thankfully, I rarely ever get sick, but it is miserable getting sick here.
When the people I work with found out I wasn’t feeling well, they had all manner of advise.
- You need to eat a pear, it will take away throat pain.
- You need to boil a pear, drink the water, then eat the pear.
- Drink lots of hot water. You need to make your insides hot. No, coffee doesn’t count. Yes, I know coffee is made with hot water, but it still doesn’t count.
- Etc.
Everyone was quick to give advise. Maybe some of these things would work, who knows. I’m not opposed to Eastern medicine that strongly relies upon natural remedies. In fact, I prefer not to take pills concocted in laboratories. What really gets me is the strange ideas, that done seem to be based in any kind of reality. Such as,
- You need to walk a lot to get taller (said by a middle aged women, who still takes walks in hopes of growing taller)
- Eating dog in winter will help keep you warmer
- Women should not eat ice cream or other cold foods because it is harmful to their bodies (apparently, this does not effect men)
- Wearing flimsy shoes lets cold into your body and can cause many different problems (cupping can cure this, because they believe it draws the cold out of your body)
In fact, most things that women do can cause their bodies great harm or destroy their reproductive system. I was talking to some of my female students one day about adoption and infertility. They staunchly believe that if a woman can’t get pregnant, she has done something somewhere along the way to cause this problem. I asked if it could possibly be a problem with the man and they looked at me like I was talking crazy.
Women here definitely have body image issues. Not only do they have to be wary about so many things like what they are doing to their insides, they also have to be concerned about the outside. They are absolutely obsessed with their skin, hair and weight. And, I’m not talking about a healthy concern. Most of my female students have made comments about these things. Usually, negative things that their mothers have said to them are relayed in the same breath. They can never be pretty enough or slim enough (which is insane, because they are so incredibly thin already) and much of this comes from their mothers. It always makes me sad when they talk this way. They are all beautiful women.
April 25th,2012
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Yesterday was absolutely beautiful. High of 85 with a slight breeze, but still only a bluish-gray sky because of the pollution. We took a long taxi ride to a mall that has many western style restaurants. The greek salad I got was incredibly good. Probably because it is the first salad I have had in four months. Alira got tacos and Tal got carbonara.
After lunch, we took another long taxi ride back closer to our area. The destination was Italian Style Town. This section of Tianjin consists of what used to be the concessions of Italy, France, Belgium, Russia, Austria-Hungary, England, Japan, and Germany. The concessions were set up as early as 1860, as a result of battles lost by the Chinese against the French and British. The Qing Dynasty gave these large portions of strategically placed land in treaties to facilitate trade with the foreigners and Beijing, the capital, just up river. Tianjin was one of the most important ports and still is today. The last concession was abandoned in 1947.
Each country built housing, military outposts, hospitals, schools and administrative buildings in their territories and built them in the style that was common to their homeland. They were governed by their home countries and did not fall under the jurisdiction of Chinese law. Anyone who lived in the area was considered a citizen of the foreign country, to include any Chinese that lived there. Many of the original structures still stand. A small section has been turned into what is now called Italian Style Town, which is in an an area originally in the Italian Concession. It is mostly restaurants that serve Italian, German, American and French food and is very expensive.
It is a beautiful area, with each restaurant having a lovely patio of tables and chairs for their patrons. We went to an Italian restaurant there for Talin’s birthday. At the end of one of the streets is a Starbucks. I generally do not patronize Starbucks, but there aren’t many good coffee shops in China and none that provide unlimited free internet. There is usually a 30 minute cap. I’ve mentioned before that the internet at our apartment and at the office is horrible, so we headed there to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Provence French Restaurant
Bavaria German Restaurant, but they serve Beer American BBQ, too (whatever that is)
We spent a bit of time there last weekend too, when we were out and about with Gabriel and Amber. The people watching is great from the sidewalk cafe style seating. The Chinese come to check it out and they take lots of pictures. Which means, we have ended up in many of them, since we are usually the only waiguoren (foreigners) there. Which seems to always surprise them.
The concession is bordered by the Hai He
On both sides of the river, old tanks sit in parks
I’m actually kind of surprised that they have preserved this area at all. The Chinese do not recall the time of the concessions with great fondness. In fact, these such places are what fueled the Boxer Rebellion in 1899, when the Chinese railed against the weak Qing Dynasty and what they had given up to the foreigners. The Chinese also did not want the spread of christianity to infect their country. But, I suppose they have kept it around because the buildings are beautiful, sturdy, and are at the very least a curiosity. And a great place to take wedding photos. We saw no less than six couples having portraits done throughout the day.
I also found one former cheerleader…
The only bad part about going here (besides the high costs), is that I kick myself for not learning Italian and going to Italy. Oh well, I’ll have to plan a different trip for that.
Shut up! I know it’s mid April already and I am just now getting around to this. Better late, than never.
Since I posted most of my best pics in other posts, this will be a short one.
Fresh noodles from the noodle man. It’s fun to watch him peel off each flying noodle, while you wait for your food to be ready.
Now, those are real Jiaozi!
Amy (Liu Man) is one of my favorite students. She’s so smart and adorable.
Random duck in Beijing. Probably a restaurant that specializes in Peking Duck. ‘Hey look how cute the little ducky is…let’s go inside and devour him!”
This mostly toothless Tuk-tuk driver was hilarious. First, he kept talking to us, even though we told him many times we didn’t speak Chinese (in Chinese), he just kept chatting away at us. Second, because his tuk-tuk was pimped out and even had a loud speaker.
I’m not sure what the business laws are here, but both of these places are convenience stores and sell the exact same thing. o_O
Yay! We finally made it to Hong Kong!
Endless skyscrapers of Hong Kong Island
The first thing we noticed is that it is SOOOO… much cleaner than China. And it doesn’t smell like an outhouse! There isn’t trash all over the ground. Everything isn’t covered in a layer of fine gray dust. People look like they take regular showers, brush their teeth and put on fresh clothes every day. They smell like cologne, perfume or soap. Our nostrils were in heaven! Once we got on the crowded Metro, we become acutely aware that WE DO NOT SMELL OR LOOK GOOD. We just came from months in China. We have been traveling for over 30+ hours. We can’t get to a shower fast enough! The second thing we noticed is that there were so many white people and we were no longer the center of attention. It was nice to blend in again.
Taken on the Star Ferry, looking towards Hong Kong Island
I had reserved a room at a hostel on Hong Kong Island. I didn’t expect too much, because I have been to HK before and knew space is limited and hotel rooms can barely be described as more than a large closet with a bed. By the time we got off the Metro in the general area of the hostel, we were starving and since there was a McDonald’s next door, we stopped in for breakfast. By the way, McDonald’s in China is already better than in the US and it is even better in HK. They have different items on the menu and I don’t know how to describe it, but it tastes better. Or maybe it is just that it is a change from the regular rice and noodles we normally eat. Luckily we did go in there. I was trying to connect to the wi-fi to see if I could get the exact directions to our final destination, which is not always easy here, because there are so many buildings and streets and people, etc. I asked the first white dude that came along if he spoke English. He did and he was also staying in the same hostel and gave us great directions. Swear to God, we would have never found it otherwise.
I was surprised to find out it was a decent sized room with one single bed and a bunk bed and our own bathroom. I’d never done the hostel thing, until coming to China. It’s not half bad and it’s cheap. I don’t tend to spend a ton of time in hotels any way. I’d rather be out and about, so what’s the point of an expensive hotel room. It’s only a place to crash at the end of the night and clean up.
View from Victoria Peak
After we took showers (The best shower I have had in months. Strong water pressure and it kept a constant warm temperature.), we headed out. I have also never done a tour when traveling. I usually prefer to rome around on my own, but I was told this would be the best way to see the most of HK in a short amount of time. The Big Tour Bus took us all over HK Island and Kowloon, to include a harbor tour, sampan tour, and night tour. We hit all the major points like Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, Aberdeen, Wan Chai, Man Mo Temple, Golden Bauhinia Square, etc. We went non-stop for the rest of the first day and all of the second day.
LIPPO Centre (meant to look like koala holding a tree trunk)
Near this building, you can find the ‘Cursing Ladies’. No, they don’t sit around and spew vile profanities as you walk by. Although, that would have been cool, too. Hong Kong, as well as China, have a lot of superstitions and believe in some pretty unusual ideas. Fortune tellers are prevalent, but so are the Cursers. You can visit these women and with a reasonable amount of money, have a curse put on someone. Maybe a friend who lied to you, a lover who cheated on you, a politician or even an entire group of people. How insanely awesome is that?!
DUDE! or Gorilla?!
Peak-a-boo building overlooking Repulse Bay
Famous Jumbo restaurant in Aberdeen
My amazing and beautiful daughters on a sampan in Aberdeen
Not many pics of us, because of...HUMIDITY! (humidity = frizzy, crappy hair)
Streets of Kowloon, by day
...and by night (taken from the top of a double decker bus)
International Commerce Centre (tallest building in HK)
During the second day, we did hit a bit of a snag while at the Ladies Market. A very crowded street market. While in one of the stalls, Tal set her wallet down on a table, right next to her leg, for just a few seconds. Next thing we know, it had been swiped. It had all of her money ($580 HK), new iPod Touch, our subway cards and room key. Needless to say, all hell broke lose while we tried in vain to find it. She was understandably hysterical. One of the stall ladies called the police for us and we gave them a report. Next thing we know, we are in a HK paddy wagon headed to the Mong Kok police station to finish up the report. Not every visitor to HK can say they got to do that!
Excellent service from the Mong Kok Police Department
And no trip to Hong Kong would be complete with out some tea and dim sum for brunch. It was so very, very good!
On the third and final day, we did a tiny bit of shopping. Mostly at the Apple store and the Wan Chai computer mall. It was raining like crazy, which was nice and we needed to head back to Shenzhen to catch our train home. All in all, we had the most amazing time. I am so grateful that I was able to take my daughters to this incredible place. They will never forget and I am so happy I was there to share it with them and them to share it with me.
