Posts tagged China
More Cultural Experiences in China
We’ve been in China long enough to catch a glimpse of its way of life. Like Brigette mentioned, the first thing to learn is the Asian squat. We’ve got that mastered. But getting used to some of the other cultural differences has taken a bit of time, chopsticks aside.
First off, people spit. Everywhere. In the hotel lobby, the train, the bus, the sidewalk, I mean you name it and it’s free game. It’s no ordinary spit either. It’s a deep hacking that is dug up from the depths of the throat and shot out on the “No Spitting” sign in the subway station.
Next up, the traffic. The hustle and bustle is constant and people love their horns. Scooters and bikes weave through buses and cars like life has no value. Meanwhile, pedestrians play Frogger trying to cross the street.
However, one of the most frustrating Chinese customs happens while waiting in lines. Well, there are no lines, only an open spot waiting to be pounced on. Bathrooms, markets, taxis, it’s a free-for-all. Everything my mom taught me about being polite has been thrown out the window.
As frustrating as these differences can be, I have to remember, this is what makes traveling exciting. Adapting to how people live is part of travel and part of the adventure. Looking past the minor contrasts, I’ve managed to meet amazing people, witness some of history’s best landmarks and taste some of the best fried scorpion I’ve ever eaten. Okay, the only scorpion I’ve ever eaten.
The Unique Bathrooms in China
The squat.
It’s something the Chinese have done since the beginning of time. And if you plan on taking a trip to China, you better be prepared to do it.
I don’t mean squatting around the dinner table or while you play mahjong. I mean bathrooms. Squatter toilets. They’re pretty much all they use here.
What, you’ve never heard of one?
A squatter is, put bluntly, a hole in the ground. Sometimes it has a flusher, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it has a door, sometimes it doesn’t.
Once in a while you’ll find yourself a trough instead of a hole. Be prepared to simultaneously share that one with others.
Nose plugs and hand sanatizer are a good idea.
Last night I dropped my favorite ring into a squatter. Guess how I retrieved it?
Yup. A pair of chopsticks.
Vietnam and China
Vietnam and China are probably two of the craziest countries you could ever trek through. While the language barrier creates a problem, I would say the cultural differences are just so vast that you can’t help but find differences left and right.
For instance, when I took my first drive in Hanoi I was befuddled by the beeping, honking, and crazy driving exhibited by – everyone! Even my taxi driver was on the verge of hitting every other person (including the family of five huddled on a motorcycle suited for two).
But, all in all, I would say that you need to bring these two to the top of your travel wish list. If anyone has told you recently that travel is expensive, you will be blown away at how far your money can go over here! Let me convert some things for you that I saw in China and Vietnam (this is all priced out in American dollars): handmade traditional silk dress ($12), Coca-Cola ($0.50), Adidas sneakers ($15),etc. The list goes on and on. The two boxes I shipped home were over 25 pounds each. Oh boy, can anyone say shopping spree?
There is actually just too much to say about this tour. It’s difficult to put into words how hysterical it is to be haggled by little old ladies in Chengyang on the wind and rain bridges. (They basically come up to you and scream, “You want to buy? Only one hundred!” Even if you say no, they continue to lower the price until it’s roughly 70% off. If you’re a good bargainer, come here!)
It’s unfathomable to describe the Longji rice terraces. (One of the coolest places on the planet – the Drong people, an ethnic Chinese minority actually carved these terraces into the side of a mountain to avoid leaving their homeland. Talk about determination! It took over seven hundred years to complete. That’s pretty hardcore if I do say so myself.)
It’s also impossible to try and explain how much fun our tour has been! You grow so close to the nine or ten other people you’re with, that you have a family connection. You know? It’s just an all-around immersing experience. Peace out everyone!
An American in Hong Kong
So now I am in the fantastic urban jungle known as Hong Kong. Walking down the streets you are bombarded with neon lights, gorgeous super models from all corners of Asia, and the most delicious street food on this planet! Seriously, watch out New York hot dog vendors. Roasting ducks and making yellow curry on the corner might just make us throw franks on the street.
Upon arriving, I was very lucky to catch up with Kristen Delmonte, STA Travel’s World Traveler Intern runner-up stationed at the University of Dreams in Hong Kong! One of the coolest girls on the face of this planet (a triple threat – very attractive, very intelligent, and very much into travel), was able to take me on a tour of the HK.
Now the coolest thing about Hong Kong is its blend of eastern and western culture. On one street, you’ll find a ’7 Eleven’ right next to a traditional tea shop. Jasmine tea Slurpee anyone? It just goes to show how global the world has become. (And if you’re really into the whole ‘small world’ thing, stop by Disneyland Hong Kong. A bunch of my friends from Intrepid took the Mickey plunge and noted how fantastic it was.)
But Kristen’s experience with University of Dreams has been really fabulous. She’s really gotten into the high profile Hong Kong circuit (ask her about her crazy Madagascan jewel encounter) through her internship.
Well, I’m off to do just what the doctor ordered – hop on a plane to Sydney and slip into some Ugg Boots, because this is where we flip into winter. Can’t wait! Catch y’all later.
Cooking in China
‘Culture immersion’ is something I take very seriously. That’s why I put my hardcore extreme on and decided to jump into the deep end. That’s right folks, I brought the “When in China…” attitude as I tried dog and snake. Oh boy, Lassie.
First let’s start with our good friend the snake. (Note to everyone: this just hit me – in China, they serve every food from the Zodiac. That’s pretty random. Sorry, I’ll continue). My good friend from the last tour Jono decided he wanted to order a delicious snake delicacy. Well, he got what he bargained for! As we learned, snake is a very special dish. When it’s ordered, the chef will be glad to cut off its head in front of you. (Unfortunately, he used scissors. I was hoping for some Ricki-Ticki-Tavi action.)
Then they will pour the blood into a shot of strong Chinese alcohol. Unfortunately, he was only able to pour one shot. (Shucks?) But Jono was nice enough to offer me bits of fried snake skin, snake flesh, and snake cartilage. (Hooray?) It tasted very rubbery – and the skin was almost like licking a pleather sofa in your grandmother’s living room until enough lint residue rolled off to form some type of congealed glop. (Yum?)
Now on to the dog. Sorry, sorry, sorry if you’re at all queasy, sad, or distraught by this. Remember, part of going to other countries is to observe, engage, and try to understand how people live. Especially in China, a land very different from home, I thought it was very important for me to try a food like this. No comments on taste, but I will say it’s only eaten on special occasions.
Take care guys!
(P.S. I totally won ‘The Iron Chef’ hands down…if by hands down you mean that not a single judge voted for me. Alas, alas.) It’s okay though! Oh, that reminds me! If you like any of the dishes in this video, I have typed up one for you to try. 
CHICKEN WITH CASHEW NUTS
50g thinly sliced chicken breast
1/3 cup roasted cashew nuts
1 tbsp of peanut oil
2 cloves of crushed garlic
½ sliced carrot
3 spring onions or garlic tops
1 tbsp of water
1 tsp of soy sauce
½ tsp of oyster sauce
¼ tsp of salt
Heat a wok and add ½ tbsp of peanut oil. Then, heat the oil and add chicken and garlic until the chicken is white and firm. Add in your soy sauce, then remove this from the wok. Then, add the remaining ½ tbsp of peanut oil with carrots and salt for 1 minute. After a minute, add the chicken and water until there is very little sauce left. Add the oyster sauce, spring onions, and cashew nuts. Heat and serve.
Temples in China
I am happy, dirty, and bronzed by the sun. What a wonderful life this is! While the first few days at the conservation center provided some rather serious heat (read: sweet farmer’s tans and unladylike sweating for me), the last couple have cooled off and brought a bit of refreshing rain. I’ve been working with the utmost devotion to the giant pandas, as they truly are the most beautiful animals on earth! Even if you’re not an animal person, there’s no denying a little love for the pandas.
The weekdays here have been the same since I last wrote: work with those slow-moving bandit-looking bears, exploration of the park, impromptu exchanges of English-Chinese lessons with the town’s children or my keepers, and the consumption of too much delicious food during meals in town. Excellent! And I forgot to mention earlier that I seem to cause a bit of commotion around the park and town with my blond hair and light eyes. I can’t figure out if I’m an oddity or a commodity, but I am pop-u-lar with the camera-toting population. Hayley and I constantly get bombarded with crowds of passersby who seem unable to blink or pull their chins off their collar bones because they’re staring so hard. Then it’s “Nihao! Hello!” and much motioning with cameras and totally awkward pictures with strangers. Right on… What do they go tell the people at home when the pictures are developed? “This is the stranger I met today. Cool, huh? She thought I was awesome at English and very hip. We’re pretty good friends now.” Because really it’s just a very odd and amusing exchange where I’m not sure which way to lean or whose hand is ever-so-slightly gracing my back. Yeah, Westerners in rural China!
On another note, today Hayley and I rode horses up into the mountains, and it was absolutely incredible. The horses were stunning, and the views were breathtaking the whole way. Guides took us to the top where there was a minute market full of jade, prayer flags and beads, food, and small wooden weaponry (yes!), and we were free to roam about and walk back down when we pleased. People made offerings at the small temple overlooking deep green valleys below and peaks hidden by mist above, and Hayley and I tied bright red and orange flags to the tips of tree branches sending wishes out with the wind.
After stopping a while to take in the scenery and fresh mountain air, we began the walk down the billions of stairs in the direction of town. We stopped in a clearing for a small picnic, were befriended by a beautiful 12 year-old Chinese girl, helped her with some English and followed the young lady further downhill to a mind-blowing Taoist temple.
As one of the main tenets of Taoism is balance between man and nature, this temple’s many annexes seem to gracefully tumble down the mountain with the changing altitude (almost as though mountain and temple are one and the same). The many stairs and brightly painted murals wind up and down with the hills, and the tiled rooftops of the various buildings shimmer in the sun. Deep reds, blues, and greens abound, and incense wafts about as people make their offerings to nature. It’s a pretty otherworldly place, and I fear that words could never do it justice.
Tomorrow, Hayley and I will further explore the town and visit the renowned Japanese Bamboo Garden, and Monday is my final day at the park. This experience truly has been surreal and enriching beyond belief, and I highly recommend one of their programs to anyone interested in travel with a purpose beyond just individual satisfaction. Like I said in a past blog: spend your days giving, and your days will give back to you.
I must be off to bed now. I have a long couple of days ahead of me, as Tuesday morning I’m off to Thailand! Man oh man, the weeks are flying by…
Feeding Pandas in China
The morning after the fountain show in Xi’an, it was well-wishing and hugs to the rest of the tour group and volunteers as I made my way to the mountains with an enthusiastic young English volunteer named Hayley.
A tour employee named Tony drove with us, which proved invaluable as we got oriented in the tiny town that was to be our home for the next little while. We paid a quick visit to the Shaanxi Province Rescue and Breeding Center of Rare Wildlife where we’d be working, dropped our stuff at the hotel (which, by the way, is an excellent hotel considering we’re in quite a small town), and went for lunch at the restaurant of Mr. Deng, the man with the happiest face and demeanor in the universe. Seriously, you’ve never been around someone that glowed such joy as Mr. Deng.
Now, Mr. Deng’s place is the be-all and end-all in terms of our food experience, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I could feel slimmer (less “well-fed,” if you prefer), but I certainly could not be more pleased. Hayley and I hit up Mr. Deng’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, and the food is amazing! Sometimes we choose the dish, sometimes he prepares surprises for us; but, it is always delicious. In fact, one of the only full phrases Hayley and I can say in Chinese is “It’s delicious!” Yeah, Mr. Deng.
From Mr. Deng’s, we headed back to the park to meet the staff and get started in the volunteer efforts. Hayley was immediately placed in the Old Panda House with 6 Giant Pandas, and I was whisked off on an old red motorcycle to the New Panda House with its 5 incredibly cuddly beasts. Now, I must admit: I already have a favorite. His name is Chow Chow, and he was found in the forest after having been orphaned early in life. Since he couldn’t make it on its own, and since one of the purposes of the conservation center is to in rehabilitate sick or injured animals, little Chow Chow was taken under the wing of my keepers, Mr. Cheng and Mr. Jung. Only 3 years old and still too tiny to go out into the wild, wee Chow Chow just spends his days in the park playing, nibbling bamboo and fruit, rolling around, and sleeping. When I have children, I want them to be baby pandas… Speaking of baby pandas, one of my others (an 18 year-old female named Xue Xue) is due to give birth in a month! This is an incredibly big deal, as pandas aren’t particularly sexual creatures, and there are only about 1600 of them on the planet. Make that 1601 come August. Forget extinction — these bears are makin’ a comeback!
Anyway, my jobs around the park included feeding the pandas (by hand!), cleaning enclosures, and administering medicine to those lazy and beautiful creatures. I’ve heard that past volunteers have been asked to help with English in brochures and on signposts, but the English looks spelling-error-free at this point. I spend my copious free time exchanging English and Chinese phrases with my keepers (always a very funny process); wandering about the park to admire leopards, monkeys, peacocks, black bears, and a bunch of other wonderful creatures; reading; and playing with the local children, who just happen to be my most excitable and devoted friends to date. The millions of beautiful children and I run about the park causing a ruckus, and it is glorious. We sing and dance and count in English and Chinese and have long conversations over-flowing with excitement in which the sentences are not mutually understood (because they’re in different languages), but the beaming smiles are universal.
When 5 p.m. rolls around, I’m off for the day, so I take one last spin around the park and come back to the hotel before dinner. Then a fantastic feast so huge you’re eyes would become dislodged at the sight of it, and back through the wooded streets of the town to the hotel to admire blazing red-orange sunsets against the deep green mountain walls. If ever there were a place with Zen, this is it. Spend your days giving, and your days will give back to you. Fabulous!
Visiting Xi'an
Hello again, everyone! You’ll never guess where I am now…
Okay, so maybe you will since I already told in past blogs and videos (it’s CHINA!), but you couldn’t possibly imagine what this place is like until you’ve been. So, I’m going to have to fill you my time with i-to-i (that means Meaningful Travel, ladies and gentlemen) in on the magical land that is the People’s Republic.
My wondrous time in Hong Kong was filled with an equally exciting stay in Xi’an, a city that was the capital of 13 dynasties. As the first stop on the Silk Road trading route, Xi’an for many years saw massive wealth pour into its hands, funding the creation of such stunning structures as the massive city walls and the Drum and Bell Towers in the city center. But beyond impressive history and architectural treats, this city has a quite a buzz about it. I suppose a population of more than 8 million people will do that. Despite its large population, however, it maintains the feel of a smaller city. While Beijing is said to have non-stop bike traffic and an impressive amount of noise (plus the awesome Forbidden City and the nearby Great Wall, of course), one can still find room to walk and silence to think in Xi’an. Even when in the hands of the wily cab drivers, I felt at ease…but maybe I had just resigned myself to the fates and accepted that the seeming lack of driving laws would be the end of me.
I stayed several nights at the volunteer house with the other people doing programs in or around Xi’an, whether they were teaching English at elementary schools, working at day camps, or giving their time to orphanages and centers for the mentally handicapped. The mix of people from the US, UK, and the Middle East meant good times and good conversation. When not enjoying the communal dinners and tea houses (chocolate milk tea…mmm…) around the volunteer house, the group explored the city with wide eyes. We wound through the Muslim Quarter seeking bargains on calligraphy, jade, and tea, and stopped by the grills of street vendors to attempt to discern what on earth they were cooking. A number of us bounded through the night markets and made our way to the Great Goose Pagoda for a fabulous night-time fountain show (picture neon lights, booming music, and thousands of people dancing in the fountains to finish the weekend and ward off evening heat).
What a fantastic several days to be introduced to China! More communiques from the mountains shortly
Visiting Hong Kong
So, I have a stopover of a few days in Hong Kong, and I must say: I’m rocking out right now. Really and truly rocking out.
Never have I seen such an awe-inspiring mix of steel and neon, water and hillsides, man and earth. You look up to the sky and the scraping of buildings only stops at the sun, and you look out to the sea and the cargo ships skim across the water in late afternoon’s haze. And yet, I’m not overwhelmed as I feel when I’m in New York; I actually think I could live here for a little while. For, somehow the concrete doesn’t seem so hardened. The people walk a bit slower and still take time to have tea or play cards along the street. Groups shift in and out, interact, blend, and go about their lives without yelling about who they are. I like that in a city.
And then there’s my hotel. It’s a 4-star, and I have a suite. I don’t need two TVs or phones, and I haven’t had time to read the daily newspaper on my desk, but it’s nice (no, it’s wild) to feel spoiled every now and again. I can make my own coffee, and the shower is a massive structure of steel and smooth gray stone. Sure, I can turn down my own bedsheets (I always have), but I adore that they put chocolates by the pillow after making the bed and providing me with fresh fruit. And the view: I have two sets of massive windows (one in the bedroom, one in the living room) onto Victoria Harbor. That is to say that I can see the buildings touching mountains touching clouds touching sky, and I can watch the boats pass by flashing their neon and touting internationalism. Incredible.
I’ve been wandering the streets of the old neighborhoods, exploring night markets, trying frightening but tasty foods, and absorbing everything surrounding. Photographing red lanterns and crawfish waiting to be made into dinner and old coins and jade Buddhas. Not exactly passing as a local (something about blonde hair and more curves than the average Asian), but immersing myself and getting by without a hitch. Marveling at skinny and colorful trams, the permeating smell of seafood, humidity, high fashion, and how welcome I feel in a city so far from home.
Tomorrow I head to mainland China, and I’m psyched. I didn’t get to see as much of the islands of Hong Kong as I’d like, but that just gives me the excuse to return.
On, then, to the mainland!