Just a few words regarding foreigners who live and work in Beijing and in other large cities of China. I never realized until I came here how extensive the ex-pat community is. There are many different types of companies in partnership with Chinese businesses and which have various personnel living here. In my travels with the Chinese Culture Club, I have met people from all over the world like a woman from Finland works to promote Finland to Chinese travelers and a young man from Finland who works for Nokia. I've met several women whose husbands work for petroleum companies. They have various assignments but usually expect to live in an area for 5 to 8 years. Some have lived in Jakarta, the Philippines and other Asian areas. Of course, I have met many people who teach English here. Some are in formal schools like the Canadian International School, others, like myself, teach English less formally. There are many international schools located throughout Beijing. I met an artist originally from Belgium but now an American; also, the wife of a professor who came to teach for one semester in Beijing and several people who work for various embassies. I've met people from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Wales and, of course, I've met many tourists and ex-pats from the United States.
One thing I think all these people have in common is a sense of adventure and an openess to experiencing a new culture and as I speak with them I get to see their impressions from yet another point of view.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Temple Fairs in Beijing
Temple fairs are a Beijing custom dating back to the 10th century. In modern times, they have developed into a seven day festival celebrated during the Spring Festival. It is thought they originated from an ancient sacrifice to the local God of Earth. Originally, they were held every 10 days at various temples and markets but now they are held only during the Spring Festival. Temple fairs begin one day before the New Year and go on for 7 or 8 days. They are held in temples, parks, museums and shopping malls all over Beijing. I attended one fair on Chinese New Year's Eve, February 17th and several on New Year's Day, February 18th.
My overall impression is that the people are warm and friendly and happy to celebrate their holiday with you. They welcomed us wherever we went and continually invited us to join in their activities. This is true of all the Chinese people I've met personally.
Red is the predominant color of the decorations and is considered very lucky by the Chinese. Many of the trees are festooned with red lanterns; bridges and archways with red bunting and it is all very cheerful and uplifting.
There are many folk performances. I saw some Beijing opera, folk dances, a puppet show, comic dialogues, and a lion dance.
As you walk along, aromas from various food stalls fill the air.
Spring Festival is an exciting time to be in China and I'm happy I've had the privilege of learning about it and sharing it with some of my Chinese friends!
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The Year of the Pig
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This year's Spring Festival or Chinese New Year will be celebrated from as early as February 4th culminating with the Lantern Festival which is 15 days after New Year's Day (February 18th). The New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar which was created about the same time as our Gregorian calendar. There are 12 lunar months of 28 days with every four years being a leap year. For the Chinese, this is the equivalent of the western Christmas holiday.On New Year's Eve, fireworks are used to drive out the "monster", Nian, who only comes once a year. Traditionally, most Chinese will stay awake all night to make sure the monster is driven out. Fireworks also bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. As I sit here on New Year's Eve, I hear constant fireworks combined with the sound of car alarms which the noise of the fireworks triggers. I expect the fireworks will last much of the night.
Chinese families will gather together and eat special dumplings called jaiozi, watch festivities on TV, or go out and set off fireworks. It is also the tradition to visit relatives at the New Year, although many people will travel to their traditional home to celebrate the New Year. The Chinese government has declared a holiday from February 17 to February 25th. However, some people are still unable to travel long distances so they make their visits by telephone and even e-mail. The most important people in the family are visited first but one must be sure to make contact with all the important people in one's life. It is now a national tradition to watch CCTV on New Year's Eve much like westerners watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve. Children are given gifts of money which is presented to them in little red envelopes.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Ten Things
A woman I correspond with asked me what are the ten things I wish I had in Beijing that I can't get here.
1. Bob
2. My preferred hair products.
3. Non-caffeine diet soda. I make my own by using Crystal Light and club soda. Bob brought Crystal Light over for me. A can of club soda is about $1 so it is kind of expensive. They do have Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke.
4. Decent wine. Wine is very expensive here and in a restaurant, if they have wine, you generally have to buy by the bottle. Beer is good though and goes better with Chinese food. Water in a restaurant is as expensive or more than beer.
5. Mexican food
6. Variety of spices
7. My kitchen. I cook on a stove top. I just bought a toaster oven for $25. Wish I had thought of it a long time ago.
8. Decent pizza but you can't get that anywhere anymore, in my opinion.
9. Cable TV - I have to rely on DVDs for in home entertainment which I watch on my computer. I bought a speaker to hook up to my laptop and it improves the sound. DVDs here are cheap but can be unreliable and you can't always get what you want. Can't get cable TV because the apartment complex does not have the cable lines running to it.
10. A lending library - so far I have purchased about $100 worth of books. I will probably leave most of them if not all at the Y or in the apartment. Due to the lack of interesting TV programs, I read voraciously. I tend to get books that are very long. I have several that are 600 to 700 pages. Anything under 300 pages I read in a flash!
I have a relatively short time to go and January went by in the usual way, long and cold. I remember January in winter in New York as always seeming like the longest month and so it is here. There haven't been many day trips with the CCC and attendance has fallen off in the classes after the new year. Many are high school or university students and they are busy studying for their exams in January. It has been sunny though. Temps are in the high 30s and low 40s in the day time. They say it gets windy in March. After Bob left, I kind of took it easy but now am itching to do some things outside. February will be a busy month with classes picking up again. Also, friends are coming in next week and I will be busy taking them around town. Then I go to southwest China Feb 20 to 25 during the Chinese New Year holiday. Another friend may visit in March and in March I will also go on a 4 day trip out of town to South China. On March 29th, I leave for home with a 3 day stopover in Tokyo.
1. Bob
2. My preferred hair products.
3. Non-caffeine diet soda. I make my own by using Crystal Light and club soda. Bob brought Crystal Light over for me. A can of club soda is about $1 so it is kind of expensive. They do have Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke.
4. Decent wine. Wine is very expensive here and in a restaurant, if they have wine, you generally have to buy by the bottle. Beer is good though and goes better with Chinese food. Water in a restaurant is as expensive or more than beer.
5. Mexican food
6. Variety of spices
7. My kitchen. I cook on a stove top. I just bought a toaster oven for $25. Wish I had thought of it a long time ago.
8. Decent pizza but you can't get that anywhere anymore, in my opinion.
9. Cable TV - I have to rely on DVDs for in home entertainment which I watch on my computer. I bought a speaker to hook up to my laptop and it improves the sound. DVDs here are cheap but can be unreliable and you can't always get what you want. Can't get cable TV because the apartment complex does not have the cable lines running to it.
10. A lending library - so far I have purchased about $100 worth of books. I will probably leave most of them if not all at the Y or in the apartment. Due to the lack of interesting TV programs, I read voraciously. I tend to get books that are very long. I have several that are 600 to 700 pages. Anything under 300 pages I read in a flash!
I have a relatively short time to go and January went by in the usual way, long and cold. I remember January in winter in New York as always seeming like the longest month and so it is here. There haven't been many day trips with the CCC and attendance has fallen off in the classes after the new year. Many are high school or university students and they are busy studying for their exams in January. It has been sunny though. Temps are in the high 30s and low 40s in the day time. They say it gets windy in March. After Bob left, I kind of took it easy but now am itching to do some things outside. February will be a busy month with classes picking up again. Also, friends are coming in next week and I will be busy taking them around town. Then I go to southwest China Feb 20 to 25 during the Chinese New Year holiday. Another friend may visit in March and in March I will also go on a 4 day trip out of town to South China. On March 29th, I leave for home with a 3 day stopover in Tokyo.
Artists Village Tour
On Saturday I went on a tour with the Chinese Culture Club to Shangyuan Artists Village. This is a village about 40 minutes outside of Beijing where established artists have built their studios and homes. The community is made up of academic artists who are relatively older, established artists well-known in China and abroad.
The village is not normally on the typical tourist route and is not a public space for everyday visitors. CCC arranges appointments with a handful of famous artists who will allow you into their courtyard homes and studios. I was surprised to see many very attractive modern homes, spacious and with lots of air and light. All of the properties are surrounded by a wall about six feet high. This was a refreshing change from Beijing where all the buildings are high rise apartments or hutongs. The various courtyards contain sculptures, plants, trees and one even had pens of peacocks. We visited seven artists and they were very willing to discuss contemporary Chinese art. Many of the artists also teach at universities in Beijing.
The first artist we visited was Mr. Quan. He is 80 years old and appears to be very healthy and happy. He was always laughing and was very friendly. His courtyard is filled with beautiful sculptures. Then we were led inside to see his beautiful airy and spacious studio. Up the stairs was a gallery with sculptures. Mr. Quan is also noted for his Chinese calligraphy. He gave each of us a book of his calligraphy.
In the house next to Mr. Quan, was an artist who specialized in wooden sculptures. He appeared to be about 45 years old and had been an apprentice to Mr. Quan. His studio was full of wood sculptures that were contemporary but also had touches of folk art. He also teaches in university and keeps all his art in his studio and does not sell it. His was voted the most popular studio by the group.
Our next visit was to see Feng Jiali, a woman artist with a feminist point of view. She tries to bring handicraft into her artistic creations. She also had a big, airy studio displaying several oil paintings on which she was working.
By this time, it was time for a break. We went to a local restaurant at a resort and had a delicious lunch. There were several cold dishes, then some vegetables, a couple of meat dishes, some tofu, and a sizzling stew made with beef. Great stuff washed down with some Chinese beer. Our lunch companions were very interesting and we had a pretty lively conversation comparing our experiences.
Back on the tour, we visited an artist who specialized in "toilet culture". Our guide, Fung, explained how, until recently, the villages all had communal toilets. People would squat in their place and read the newspaper, smoke to cover the odors, and gossip with their neighbors. Some might be there as long as an hour! This artist has tried to depict these scenes in an amusing way that also makes a comment on Chinese culture. It was fun to see the various expressions depicted on the faces of his subjects.
Another sculptor was our next stop. He was not at home but his wife graciously showed us his studio and their home. Much of his worked is displayed throughout their home. This home also had a courtyard with peacocks. One of them proudly displayed his feathers and pranced around showing them off. I was quite thrilled by that as I don't ever recall seeing a live peacock on display.
We went on to see another artist's home. It seems his specialty was photography but he did not have much art on display. His house was fascinating though. It was very big, by Chinese standards, with many bedrooms, sitting porches, a living room, office and had two levels. It also had an enclosed swimming pool (empty now because of winter). The grounds were huge and surrounded the house pretty equally around. He was renovating an old army truck and a communications truck into bedrooms. He had a huge wok in the backyard for outdoor cooking and I'm sure he enjoys his lifestyle very much.
Our last stop was at the studio of an oil painter specializing in abstract art, using oil paint and fabric in his artwork.
The village was very quiet with little traffic but I did get to see some people while walking around. Here you see a classically beautiful Chinese girl, a woman cleaning up leaves, a grandmother and grandchild, and two women exercising in the park. When we came upon the grandmother and grandchild, the baby started to cry but the grandmother told him that we were all mothers and not to be afraid. After that she told him to wave goodbye to the "mothers."
As the day came to a close, I couldn't help but feel extremely privileged to have been allowed a glimpse into these artists lives and to have been received so graciously by them as they showed us their studios and homes and talked to us about their art.
The village is not normally on the typical tourist route and is not a public space for everyday visitors. CCC arranges appointments with a handful of famous artists who will allow you into their courtyard homes and studios. I was surprised to see many very attractive modern homes, spacious and with lots of air and light. All of the properties are surrounded by a wall about six feet high. This was a refreshing change from Beijing where all the buildings are high rise apartments or hutongs. The various courtyards contain sculptures, plants, trees and one even had pens of peacocks. We visited seven artists and they were very willing to discuss contemporary Chinese art. Many of the artists also teach at universities in Beijing.
The first artist we visited was Mr. Quan. He is 80 years old and appears to be very healthy and happy. He was always laughing and was very friendly. His courtyard is filled with beautiful sculptures. Then we were led inside to see his beautiful airy and spacious studio. Up the stairs was a gallery with sculptures. Mr. Quan is also noted for his Chinese calligraphy. He gave each of us a book of his calligraphy.
In the house next to Mr. Quan, was an artist who specialized in wooden sculptures. He appeared to be about 45 years old and had been an apprentice to Mr. Quan. His studio was full of wood sculptures that were contemporary but also had touches of folk art. He also teaches in university and keeps all his art in his studio and does not sell it. His was voted the most popular studio by the group.
Our next visit was to see Feng Jiali, a woman artist with a feminist point of view. She tries to bring handicraft into her artistic creations. She also had a big, airy studio displaying several oil paintings on which she was working.
By this time, it was time for a break. We went to a local restaurant at a resort and had a delicious lunch. There were several cold dishes, then some vegetables, a couple of meat dishes, some tofu, and a sizzling stew made with beef. Great stuff washed down with some Chinese beer. Our lunch companions were very interesting and we had a pretty lively conversation comparing our experiences.
Back on the tour, we visited an artist who specialized in "toilet culture". Our guide, Fung, explained how, until recently, the villages all had communal toilets. People would squat in their place and read the newspaper, smoke to cover the odors, and gossip with their neighbors. Some might be there as long as an hour! This artist has tried to depict these scenes in an amusing way that also makes a comment on Chinese culture. It was fun to see the various expressions depicted on the faces of his subjects.
Another sculptor was our next stop. He was not at home but his wife graciously showed us his studio and their home. Much of his worked is displayed throughout their home. This home also had a courtyard with peacocks. One of them proudly displayed his feathers and pranced around showing them off. I was quite thrilled by that as I don't ever recall seeing a live peacock on display.
We went on to see another artist's home. It seems his specialty was photography but he did not have much art on display. His house was fascinating though. It was very big, by Chinese standards, with many bedrooms, sitting porches, a living room, office and had two levels. It also had an enclosed swimming pool (empty now because of winter). The grounds were huge and surrounded the house pretty equally around. He was renovating an old army truck and a communications truck into bedrooms. He had a huge wok in the backyard for outdoor cooking and I'm sure he enjoys his lifestyle very much.
Our last stop was at the studio of an oil painter specializing in abstract art, using oil paint and fabric in his artwork.
The village was very quiet with little traffic but I did get to see some people while walking around. Here you see a classically beautiful Chinese girl, a woman cleaning up leaves, a grandmother and grandchild, and two women exercising in the park. When we came upon the grandmother and grandchild, the baby started to cry but the grandmother told him that we were all mothers and not to be afraid. After that she told him to wave goodbye to the "mothers."
As the day came to a close, I couldn't help but feel extremely privileged to have been allowed a glimpse into these artists lives and to have been received so graciously by them as they showed us their studios and homes and talked to us about their art.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Amblings and Tours
On Sunday, I joined the Chinese Culture Club to see the Silver Fox Cave. It is a 4,500m long cave in Xia Ying Shui Village, 68 km away from Beijing -- but about a two hour drive.
The cave has unusual formations which have been imaginatively named by the Chinese. After walking deep into the cave we took a boating trip which runs on a stream 106 meters below ground level. The average temperature in the cave is 14 degrees centigrade. The most-noted likeness there is the silver fox which gives the cave its name. The fox "hides" in a small hole at the side of the cave. It is a two-metre-long crystal that looks like a furry silver fox hanging upside down from the cave wall. Next we took a coal miners train about halfway to the surface and then climbed 102 meters up stairs to the exit. The cave was beautiful but the most fun for me was the ride on the coal miners train. After our tour of the cave, we had lunch at a local restaurant with a variety of Chinese foods.
On Thursday, I took a tour of the Tap Water Museum and the Underground City.
The museum reviews the history of tap water in Beijing since its beginning in 1908. Previous to that people used local wells, or had to travel far to fetch their water. The exhibition is set in an old high, strong and spacious building, formerly a pump house. Exhibits include special coupons issued for people to fetch buckets of water from public water stations in town, wooden carts for sending flasks of tap water to people's homes, a US-imported stethoscope used for listening for water leaks from pipes, water quality control examination facilities, and a miniature, active tap-water filtration system. Outside the museum there are bigger exhibits such as huge tunnels, steam engines and ancient stone wells. The architecture is well worth a look too, especially a German designed pavilion where water was filtered before being pumped off. We were told there is a vast underground reservoir in Beijing as well as one above ground. Beijing is surrounded by several rivers and there are plans to bring water in from other areas through a pipeline. We were assured that there is plenty of water to meet the needs of Beijingers and water levels aren't expected to go down for another 20 or 30 years. We all use bottled water for drinking, and brushing teeth, etc. However, I rinse my toothbrush and dishes with tap water and have not had any ill effects.
There are plans for several apartment buildings to be torn down to make way for expansion of the museum. However, it makes one wonder who will visit this museum as while we were there we saw no other visitors. Apparently, there is an abundance of funds to build these types of projects and while the money is there it is being used in all sorts of ways to enhance and expand various projects.
Later we went to the Beijing Underground City where the tunnels are dark, damp, and genuinely eerie. A portrait of Mao stands amid murals of ordinary folk volunteering to dig tunnels, and fading but catchy slogans (Dig The Tunnels Deep, Accumulate Grain, Oppose Hegemony, and For The People: Prepare for War, Prepare For Famine). Apparently the workers only knew about the section they were working on and never realized the scope of the project throughout the city.
Built during the 1960s, with border skirmishes with the USSR as the pretext, the tunnels were planned to accommodate all of Beijing's six million inhabitants upon completion. However, as built, they could accommodate about 300,000 people. The rest were on their own to literally run for the hills! Army engineers were said to have built a secret network of tunnels connecting the residences of Party leaders to the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square and to the numerous military bases to the west of the city. The plans for the tunnels included munitions storage, hospital, restaurants, shops, movie theaters, areas for socializing, etc. They also had water and sewage systems. We also saw some secret entrances which would have been well hidden on the surface.
The recent construction boom means that this is the only remaining entrance to the non-secret tunnels, and it may disappear soon. The entrance is within a hutong that from all appearances is being torn down. Once construction is begun on the new buildings, it is unsure as to if and how much of the tunnels will be preserved for history. Many of the Chinese, especially the older generation, are not interested in the tunnels since they are the ones who labored on them. They seem to be of more interest to tourists. The entrance is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment.
Some of the above information was obtained from the Chinese Culture Club website.
The cave has unusual formations which have been imaginatively named by the Chinese. After walking deep into the cave we took a boating trip which runs on a stream 106 meters below ground level. The average temperature in the cave is 14 degrees centigrade. The most-noted likeness there is the silver fox which gives the cave its name. The fox "hides" in a small hole at the side of the cave. It is a two-metre-long crystal that looks like a furry silver fox hanging upside down from the cave wall. Next we took a coal miners train about halfway to the surface and then climbed 102 meters up stairs to the exit. The cave was beautiful but the most fun for me was the ride on the coal miners train. After our tour of the cave, we had lunch at a local restaurant with a variety of Chinese foods.
On Thursday, I took a tour of the Tap Water Museum and the Underground City.
The museum reviews the history of tap water in Beijing since its beginning in 1908. Previous to that people used local wells, or had to travel far to fetch their water. The exhibition is set in an old high, strong and spacious building, formerly a pump house. Exhibits include special coupons issued for people to fetch buckets of water from public water stations in town, wooden carts for sending flasks of tap water to people's homes, a US-imported stethoscope used for listening for water leaks from pipes, water quality control examination facilities, and a miniature, active tap-water filtration system. Outside the museum there are bigger exhibits such as huge tunnels, steam engines and ancient stone wells. The architecture is well worth a look too, especially a German designed pavilion where water was filtered before being pumped off. We were told there is a vast underground reservoir in Beijing as well as one above ground. Beijing is surrounded by several rivers and there are plans to bring water in from other areas through a pipeline. We were assured that there is plenty of water to meet the needs of Beijingers and water levels aren't expected to go down for another 20 or 30 years. We all use bottled water for drinking, and brushing teeth, etc. However, I rinse my toothbrush and dishes with tap water and have not had any ill effects.
There are plans for several apartment buildings to be torn down to make way for expansion of the museum. However, it makes one wonder who will visit this museum as while we were there we saw no other visitors. Apparently, there is an abundance of funds to build these types of projects and while the money is there it is being used in all sorts of ways to enhance and expand various projects.
Later we went to the Beijing Underground City where the tunnels are dark, damp, and genuinely eerie. A portrait of Mao stands amid murals of ordinary folk volunteering to dig tunnels, and fading but catchy slogans (Dig The Tunnels Deep, Accumulate Grain, Oppose Hegemony, and For The People: Prepare for War, Prepare For Famine). Apparently the workers only knew about the section they were working on and never realized the scope of the project throughout the city.
Built during the 1960s, with border skirmishes with the USSR as the pretext, the tunnels were planned to accommodate all of Beijing's six million inhabitants upon completion. However, as built, they could accommodate about 300,000 people. The rest were on their own to literally run for the hills! Army engineers were said to have built a secret network of tunnels connecting the residences of Party leaders to the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square and to the numerous military bases to the west of the city. The plans for the tunnels included munitions storage, hospital, restaurants, shops, movie theaters, areas for socializing, etc. They also had water and sewage systems. We also saw some secret entrances which would have been well hidden on the surface.
The recent construction boom means that this is the only remaining entrance to the non-secret tunnels, and it may disappear soon. The entrance is within a hutong that from all appearances is being torn down. Once construction is begun on the new buildings, it is unsure as to if and how much of the tunnels will be preserved for history. Many of the Chinese, especially the older generation, are not interested in the tunnels since they are the ones who labored on them. They seem to be of more interest to tourists. The entrance is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment.
Some of the above information was obtained from the Chinese Culture Club website.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Driving Ms. Judy
There's not a lot to report these last few weeks. I've just been busy preparing for and having my classes. I now have four one on one students. These discussions are very interesting and each one is a challenge. I have one adult woman, an 18 year old boy, a seven year old boy and an 11 year old girl. In addition, I still have our Monday night and Saturday night adult conversation groups. We have, I think, the most interesting discussions. On Friday night I have my middle school age group. We generally have a video, play songs with English lyrics, or lately the favorite has been to play Uno. Lots of fun!
Now that the weather is colder it's very tempting to just curl up with a good book and let the world go by. I do try to go out for a walk or get some exercise almost every day. As I've mentioned before, there are many interesting things to do near my apartment. There's a very good mall nearby but those who know me know of my aversion to malls! The stores here tend to be very noisy, hot and crowded. One mall nearby has an ice skating rink in it. It also has a drugstore so it is nice to go there and pick up some sundries and then watch the skaters for awhile. I said watch as I never was a very good ice skater and now prefer my bones in one piece, thank you very much!
There's not much regard for safety measures here and I cringe as I watch some of the skaters doing their fancy maneuvers without regard for the less adept among them. I foresee crashes everywhere. I only saw one child wearing a helmet. In the middle of all this, there are instructors giving private lessons to novice or not so novice skaters. I suppose that given the children's busy school schedules and extra curricular activities there is only limited time when they can use the skating rink, so it's a free for all out there when it is open.
In the past, Beijing's main mode of transportation was the bicycle and it is still used by a lot of people. During rush hour, the bike lanes are mobbed. There are a few motorized bikes but I rarely see a motorcycle, except for last Monday when I was walking on the sidewalk and looking at the passing parade. As I turned my head, and to my surprise, a motorcycle brushed right past me on the sidewalk. He came within inches! I also rarely see a cyclist wearing a helmet. Many bikes have two passengers, either parent and child or friends riding together.
I still haven't determined which is the safest mode of travel. Subways are good but they don't go everywhere. Walking should be okay but as I've just related, still dangerous --- and just try to cross a street! Buses are too hot and crowded and the windows fog up so you can't see where you are. Taxis are my favorite but the back seats don't have seat belts and the front seats, which do have belts, are scary, watching all the near misses with pedestrians, bicyclists, buses, trucks and other cars. After a while, you learn to not look and to ignore everything that is happening right outside.
My experience with taxi drivers has run the gamut. Most are pleasant and even friendly. Very few speak English, but those that do have the most fun practicing their English with me. I have a stack of index cards in Chinese which I use to get places. I also have a map with destinations in English and Chinese. Some will look at the card or map and out right refuse to take me. I don't know whether they don't understand the directions or just don't want to go there. Now that it's cold, I just jump into the taxi and since I started doing that no one has refused to take me to my destination. Some play the radio with the volume very high. I've actually learned to distinguish one program by the voice and diction of its emcee. I rarely listen to talk shows in the U.S. except for NPR but this guy sounds like one of those loud, opinionated radio personalities like we have in the U.S.
The style of driving by most drivers is like being in a demolition derby except they rarely hit any thing. Near misses abound though. I much prefer women taxi drivers who drive more gently and cautiously. But, of course, they are derided by the male population.
In early February, my friends Jack and Anne will be visiting for a few days. Also, everyone is looking forward to the Chinese New Year holiday which begins around February 17th. The children will have a few weeks off from school beginning next week. Much of the country will be on the move to visit with relatives during the holidays. I plan to visit some temples on February 18th which have special celebrations during the holiday and will also visit a small village near Beijing on February 19th for their celebration. I also will be going to Yunnan Province from February 20th through February 25th. It is in the southwest part of China and is a tropical climate. Should be a nice change from our winter weather.
I'm still having trouble posting pictures to this blog, so if you want me to send my Yahoo Picture Albums to you, let me know via e-mail. I normally only send these to a few people as I don't want to bore everyone with all my "vacation" pictures.
Now that the weather is colder it's very tempting to just curl up with a good book and let the world go by. I do try to go out for a walk or get some exercise almost every day. As I've mentioned before, there are many interesting things to do near my apartment. There's a very good mall nearby but those who know me know of my aversion to malls! The stores here tend to be very noisy, hot and crowded. One mall nearby has an ice skating rink in it. It also has a drugstore so it is nice to go there and pick up some sundries and then watch the skaters for awhile. I said watch as I never was a very good ice skater and now prefer my bones in one piece, thank you very much!
There's not much regard for safety measures here and I cringe as I watch some of the skaters doing their fancy maneuvers without regard for the less adept among them. I foresee crashes everywhere. I only saw one child wearing a helmet. In the middle of all this, there are instructors giving private lessons to novice or not so novice skaters. I suppose that given the children's busy school schedules and extra curricular activities there is only limited time when they can use the skating rink, so it's a free for all out there when it is open.
In the past, Beijing's main mode of transportation was the bicycle and it is still used by a lot of people. During rush hour, the bike lanes are mobbed. There are a few motorized bikes but I rarely see a motorcycle, except for last Monday when I was walking on the sidewalk and looking at the passing parade. As I turned my head, and to my surprise, a motorcycle brushed right past me on the sidewalk. He came within inches! I also rarely see a cyclist wearing a helmet. Many bikes have two passengers, either parent and child or friends riding together.
I still haven't determined which is the safest mode of travel. Subways are good but they don't go everywhere. Walking should be okay but as I've just related, still dangerous --- and just try to cross a street! Buses are too hot and crowded and the windows fog up so you can't see where you are. Taxis are my favorite but the back seats don't have seat belts and the front seats, which do have belts, are scary, watching all the near misses with pedestrians, bicyclists, buses, trucks and other cars. After a while, you learn to not look and to ignore everything that is happening right outside.
My experience with taxi drivers has run the gamut. Most are pleasant and even friendly. Very few speak English, but those that do have the most fun practicing their English with me. I have a stack of index cards in Chinese which I use to get places. I also have a map with destinations in English and Chinese. Some will look at the card or map and out right refuse to take me. I don't know whether they don't understand the directions or just don't want to go there. Now that it's cold, I just jump into the taxi and since I started doing that no one has refused to take me to my destination. Some play the radio with the volume very high. I've actually learned to distinguish one program by the voice and diction of its emcee. I rarely listen to talk shows in the U.S. except for NPR but this guy sounds like one of those loud, opinionated radio personalities like we have in the U.S.
The style of driving by most drivers is like being in a demolition derby except they rarely hit any thing. Near misses abound though. I much prefer women taxi drivers who drive more gently and cautiously. But, of course, they are derided by the male population.
In early February, my friends Jack and Anne will be visiting for a few days. Also, everyone is looking forward to the Chinese New Year holiday which begins around February 17th. The children will have a few weeks off from school beginning next week. Much of the country will be on the move to visit with relatives during the holidays. I plan to visit some temples on February 18th which have special celebrations during the holiday and will also visit a small village near Beijing on February 19th for their celebration. I also will be going to Yunnan Province from February 20th through February 25th. It is in the southwest part of China and is a tropical climate. Should be a nice change from our winter weather.
I'm still having trouble posting pictures to this blog, so if you want me to send my Yahoo Picture Albums to you, let me know via e-mail. I normally only send these to a few people as I don't want to bore everyone with all my "vacation" pictures.
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