When Worlds Collide: Part 4

Beijing State of Mind

I think when people think of China, they either think of two things: the romantic, rolling hills covered in the mists straight out of Mulan OR cement buildings, crowds, traffic, and pollution. Both are very real... the more romantic version can be found in the south in places like Guilin and Yangshuo and the stark, kind of nasty version (if we're all being honest) version is in Beijing. It's true that Beijing is over crowded, dirty, and so polluted that it really can be hazardous to your health (my friend, Dave, just started using an inhaler due to the pollution) but there are also so many things to do and see in the city that it would be a sin to not stop by for at least a few days to visit.

March 28th

Saying, "Farewell!" to Adam, Mama Woomer and I packed our backpacks (that might have been a challenge for her!!) and headed downtown to the new Hangzhou train station for our six hour train ride to Beijing. Last time I went to Beijing, it was a 16 hour ride overnight on hard seats... Needless to say, I did not sleep at all and it could be one of the worst experiences I've had in China thus far (other than that awful flight from Dalian during National Holiday... read more here!). So when Mama Woomer was coming, I was more than willing to drop the 580元 on tickets for the fast train (one ticket, one way... ouch). 

We stopped off at McDonald's (remember: NO JUDGING!!) and killed about two hours by eating and wandering around the new train station (Seriously, it is too big to be a train station... but there is a Disney store, so I will let that go). Soon it was time to join the rabble in the clump that I'm sure was supposed to resemble a line but this is China and lines have not been invited yet. Following the herd, we found our train, found our seats (WINDOW!! Kind of...) and settled in with our water, cookies, and ramen. We talked nearly the whole time about lots of fun, exciting, different stuff (♥), watched the sun set, nibbled on some snacks, and read... and before we knew it, we had left Hangzhou way behind us and arrived in Beijing.

Mama Woomer's first bowl of ramen... EVER!!

We wandered around the train station, walking in circles a bit too long trying to find probably the only tall white guy in the whole place. Eventually found him--Dave--Mama Woomer got to meet him and I was finally reunited with my Disney twin. 

The moment Mama Woomer and Dave met, I knew it would be anatomic and energetic with some glitter thrown in just because. Mama Woomer is a whole lot of human. Dave is a whole lot of human. I liked pushing them together and just sitting back and listening (I admit, it was also nice to not have to be the only one entertaining anymore)! 

A taxi ride later, we were in Dave's beautiful apartment (I'm not bitter) and (despite the fact  that we had been traveling literally all day), we stayed up well past midnight just talking, laughing, and eating watermelon.

March 29th 

This was the day that any person who comes to China waits for--The Great Wall. Originally, I was thinking of taking Mama Woomer to Yangshuo to see the mountains but you cannot come to China and not see the Great Wall... So to Beijing it was. 

We went our separate ways from Dave for the day (he's as sick of the Great Wall as I am of West Lake) and, once again, I was in charge (oh no!!). I was confident in myself--the last time I went out to the Great Wall was super easy: Rachel, Dave, and I just hopped onto a bus, paid our 6元, and we went along on our merry way. Piece of cake!

Well apparently there is a difference between December and March... silly Amanda.

We found the bus that I had taken out to Badaling easily (too easy if you ask me now). We waited in an actual line (don't get to excited--there were metal barriers that forced people to wait in the line) for about 30 minutes, got on the bus and the driver asked us, "Where are you going?"

I wanted to say, "We're two white women... Where do you think we're going?!" but instead I replied, "The Great Wall."

"Wrong bus."

WHA?!? Excuse me? Cue a small rumble of panic in my stomach.

Mama Woomer and I pushed our way past the people still trying to get by us on the bus and began to wander around the bus stop (which is really just a glorified round about) searching for the right bus. We found another long line and someone who looked official kept saying, "Badaling," so I assumed we were in the right place... But there was no sign and no buses were coming. It had been almost an hour at this point. I left the line to wander around looking for a clue (I felt like I was on Scooby Doo) and eventually found one in the form of a sign that said 八达岭 ("Badaling"). Now, I can't read Chinese but I knew that the name of the part of the Wall that we were going to was Badaling and I know the Chinese character for "ba" so we left the second line we were in and got into the absolute longest line in the whole bus stop. 

There are too many people in China...

Luckily the line moved quickly(ish), we had cute kids selling flags for 1元 (I still wish I had bought one), and an overly enthusiastic man selling corn on the cob (aka: the most monotone human being I have ever heard on this glorious planet).  After about an hour of waiting in that line, we made it onto the bus, we got seats, and we got seats together. Uffda!

 My goal was to get to the Great Wall by 12:00pm... Our bus didn't even leave the bus stop until 12:15pm. Throw in some bad traffic and we had about only two hours to climb up, see, explore, and come down from the Wall before the last bus left and rush hour traffic started.

But the Woomer Women are hearty stock and we marched our way past meandering tourists and hiked our way up the Wall, calling out 加油 (Jiāyóu... "You can do it!!") to all the out of shape Chinese tourists huffing and puffing, and found some perfect spots for photo ops!

  

I think I take living in China for granted a lot. I spend so much time with Adam and the other foreigners; we go from one person's apartment to another and from one Western restaurant to another. It's moments like riding your bike down Wen Yi in the middle of the night with no cars, drinking beers and eating your weight in niangao, having strangers come up and ask to take photos with you that remind you that you and Toto are not in Kansas anymore. The Great Wall does that for me too... It is this big, ancient, mysterious thing that has loomed in the imagination of my childhood; it is something that people only dream of seeing one day and there I was seeing it for a second time. It makes me love China and it makes me love my life.

Coming down was way more fun than going up. Badaling (and some of the other Great Wall locations) have fun little attractions to help you up and down and at Badaling, they have (what they call) the "Sliding Cars." It is basically a completely unsafe roller coaster on an uneven track with rusty cars that you sit in with a bar that kind of just sits across your lap, encouraging you to stay seated. I had done it when I first visited Badaling in 2012 and enjoyed it so much that Mama Woomer knew it was there and she wanted to do it too... Of course we got the sketchiest cars and it was just as awesome as I remember (though WAY warmer).

At the bottom of the track there is a great little market area selling photos, food, toys, kitschy merchandise, drinks, Tshirts... they even have bears (random)! We stopped and grabbed some food (Chinese hamburgers) and some sesame toffy that we watched them make. Hopping back on the bus we made it back to Beijing just in time for dinner.

Meeting back up with Dave and some of his other friends, we went to one of their favorite things--hot pot!! If you are thinking back to Mama Woomer's first night in China (You can read all about THAT, here) and the hot pot we went to then... THINK AGAIN!! This was a super nice, super delicious hot pot with your own personal pot with the flavor you want (spicy all the way), you order SO much food (meat, glorious meat), and you mix and make your own dipping sauce (I could drink that stuff). While there, we got Mama Woomer to try duck blood and baijiu (nasty disgusting alcohol that you could clean with). One she liked, one she did not like... You be the judge.

After dinner, the night was still young and it was time to introduce Mama Woomer to the magic that is KTV. For those of you who don't know, KTV is just like karaoke BUT instead of singing in the middle of a bar in front of strangers, you get a private room with just you and your friends; sometimes they're really nice and fancy with comfy couches, tables strong enough to dance on, and lights everywhere. She knows that I enjoy going out to KTV with Rachel, Becky, and some of my other friends from Oswego but she had never had the chance to experience it herself... and where else could be better than China?! ABBA, Queen, Backstreet Boys, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga... it was a night filled with white guys rapping, people banging on tambourines off beat, and a finale of "Hey Jude" that would have made Sir Paul proud... I think mom's first KTV experience was a hit! {PS: And absolutely NO alcohol was consumed during KTV... Impressive!!}

March 30th

With the Great Wall out of the way, Sunday was a day of epic sightseeing in Beijing. The day started perfectly with a breakfast that would make any expat miss America... Pancakes and eggs and bacon and hot chocolate... I felt as though I was at Denny's!! I've been pretty good with not missing America TOO much (why open that painful door if I know I can't get any decent American food [especially breakfast food] for another year?!), I've been able to survive on Papa John's and Burger King for the last seven months now... But those pancakes were a gift from above.

 Once again, the ladies split from Dave and we headed to the other place that every foreigner must visit if they are ever in Beijing. Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City. 

Now I am not too familiar with Tienanmen Square (it happened before I was born and let's be honest--I might get arrested if I try to look up more information over here). Today, it's a huge wide open space with lots of government buildings, vendors, photographers, and the mausoleum of Chairman Mao. As we first set foot in the Square, Mama Woomer was definitely in awe. I love going to places that I've been before and seeing them anew through the eyes of my companions (I just felt like Doctor Who writing that). Sadly, the mausoleum with our good friend Chairman Mao was closed--I went inside in 2012 to see Mao and I would have gone in again but alas... Maybe next time!!

Directly across the dangerously busy street, is a huge image of Chairman Mao's face plastered right on the gate of the Forbidden City (I have a lot of feelings on that matter but I better not post them openly on the internet over here... if you know what I mean... *cough*Bigbrotheriswatchingyou*cough* 

The last time I visited the Forbidden City, it was cold (the coldest I have ever been and that is saying something having lived in Buffalo, studied in Oswego, and visited Quebec in February) and I was miserable because of the cold. So to go back when the sun was shining (yes the sky was blue and the sun was shining in Beijing while we were there... the jealousy you feel is natural and will soon pass...) and the fact that the weather did not force me to wear a scarf, earmuffs, and two pairs of gloves made me a happy little Amanda.

The Forbidden City is huge. 

There. That's it.

 

But seriously, they're not kidding when they call it a city. It just keeps going and going and going and all the buildings look the same (seriously, I've gone twice now and I will probably never go again). Yes the buildings a beautiful and yes the history is old and rich but 40元 to walk around a huge courtyard, look at 150 buildings that look identical, avoid pickpockets and crazy "tour guides", and trying to find the exit is just not worth it to me anymore.

That being said, I do love rubbing the knobs for good luck as you enter (I'm a total sucker for things that are supposed to bring you luck) (Yes, I am aware of just how awful "rubbing the knobs" sounds). I love that, because the Forbidden City is so big, the crowds don't seem to be too bad. And the Imperial Gardens are absolutely beautiful and my favorite part (plus how can you not love the name "Hill of Accumulated Elegance"?!?).

 Still having a little time left before we had to meet back up with Dave for dinner, we hopped back on the metro and headed to the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. It really is beautiful (though there is literally nothing to do there). In 2012, when I went there for the first time, I went for Aunt Sue and this time in 2014, Mama Woomer also went for Aunt Sue (she's an Olympics fan if you can't tell)! We had just enough time to run up to it, snap some pictures, and turn back around to head back to Beijing Normal University.

Taking a cab for literally 12 seconds (don't ask), we picked up Dave and headed out to one of his favorite places to eat Guizhou cuisine. 

When you eat with Dave, you eat a lot--you are never short on food--and that night was a veritable feast. I still don't know what half of the things we ate were, but there is one thing that I am 100% sure of... You might want to skip the next paragraph in fear of hating me forever.

One thing that many people who come to live in China say that they want to try... is dog. It's a stereotype in America that people in Asia eat dog and stereotypes do come from somewhere. However, I can tell you that in Hangzhou, it is not very common (many of my students seemed traumatized when I told them that I had tried it), however it is available and many expats seek it out to be able to try it. So you might think that we are cruel and disgusting but, honestly, I don't think that we are the minority when it comes to trying dog... not one expat  that I have met has said that they did not want to try it and everyone that I have talked to who has tried it, liked it. It tasted like a very smoky venison. I'm still not sure of whether or not I liked it... but I did keep eating it. And I'm sure I'll have it again since Adam hasn't gotten to try it yet... Oh the things we do for love...

The jury is still out...

 We digested our dinner of dog and other Guizhou delicacies by walking around one of the lakes of Beijing (yes, apparently it has lakes... Though not THE West Lake) and spending a few hours on top of a rooftop cafe. 

A great end to a great time up in Beijing. I got to show Mama Woomer around some of the iconic places in China (and maybe even the world), I got to try some amazing new foods, I got to hang out with one of the funnest guys I've ever met (thanks again for letting us crash with you, Dave!), I got my KTV fix, and I think we ended Mama Woomer's China adventure on quite the high note... 

Only a few days remained in China...

Until Next Time,

Amanda 

Thanks, Dave!!

 

Qingdao: China's Key West

One of the things I love the most about living in China is the amount of holidays and days off they throw your way. At the end of September, we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival and in the beginning of October (literally a week later), we celebrated National Holiday (basically our 4th of July). I was lucky enough to not work on Fridays or Mondays so I did not have to make up any classes for this holiday. The meaning? I had an eleven day vacation. After a quick visit from a family friend (thanks, Chris!), I hopped on a plane with The Adams and we headed north to cold weather, clear blue skies, and beer--the city of Qingdao.

At one point the city was occupied by the Germans and the Japanese but it is most known for Tsingtao, its beer and brewing company.

If I had to choose an American city that closely matched the culture and style of Qingdao, I would probably go with Key West down in Florida. At first I thought maybe Las Vegas but the city is so much more laid back than the manic, wild Vegas strip. In Qingdao, there is a very specific culture and I would call it (with confidence) a beer culture. The city has the Tsingtao brewery and they have come to embrace that fully. With it's sea food, beautiful coast, and excessive amounts of beer, I have decided that Qingdao is China's Key West.

 

Beer kegs are tied to street signs and every restaurant is incomplete without at least four huge kegs of beer. The Tsingtao brewery towers over Beer Street (yes, there is a street called Beer Street) and beckons both lushes and tourists alike. I would recommend this tour to anyone who comes to Qingdao whether you are a fan of beer or not. It offers you a look at the history and culture of the city you are currently visiting. You look at the history, the methods of brewing beer, you can look in at the actual factory, they have the "Drunken House" that is similar to an illusion/fun house that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, and everyone gets a glass of their unfiltered Tsingtao beer. I admit that before I got to China, I didn't have much of a relationship with alcohol outside of rum punch, wine, and martinis but I thoroughly enjoyed the factory tour with The Adams and I've come to have a loving relationship with the beer in China (though I am still not an alcoholic... please believe me...).

Besides beer, one of Qingdao's specialties is sea food. Where Cangqian and Hangzhou have "chicken", veggies, and sausage, Qingdao has squid, fish, and crab. One of the foods I have wanted to try for years now is starfish. If you guys remember Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel TV show, "Passport to Europe," you might remember that she had a show about Beijing during the Olympics. One of the foods she ate while she was here in China was starfish and since then it has been on my (official) unofficial bucket list. Last time I was in China I searched for starfish and never found any... this was most likely due to the fact that I was here in the dead of winter in December. My broken heart of nine months was healed when I arrived in Qingdao. Starfish is EVERYWHERE. You can get it cooked on a stick and just wander around with it or you can order it at a fancy restaurant. And that is exactly what I did.

  If I had to describe starfish I would say that it is very difficult to eat with not a lot of meat on the inside. The meat is green (like our beer!) and it had the same consistency as flaky crab meat with a hint of fishy seaweed. I liked it enough to eat the whole thing but I don't think I would go through the work of breaking it all open to try and get to the meat ever again. The rest of the group was very adventurous with their culinary choices as well--we shared the starfish along with sea urchin. Up north, apparently donkey is pretty popular and (my) Adam was determined to get us to try some. After searching for a while, the restaurant we ended up at did have donkey... intestines... served cold... Still not sure how I feel about that!

I had to try and not look at how intestine-like this looked... >_<

Devouring our seafood like champs. BOOM.

Another great thing besides the beer and the seafood in Qingdao is the fact that it is right on the coast, looking out over the Pacific Ocean. I imagine the shoreline of Qingdao is similar to those of the Pacific Northwest in the US--very rocky and jagged with small tide pools here and there. Of course, since we are in China, it was ridiculously crowded but that did not stop us from joining the hundreds of other people climbing over the rocks to get down to the (cold) water. Throwing off our adventure boots, we rolled our pants up (#skinnyjeanprobs) and splashed in the water for a bit. A great perk of being in a country that doesn't give a damn about littering? Sea glass was EVERYWHERE!!

 

When I travel, one of my favorite things to do is just sit and watch people and let me tell you: in China, it is always entertaining!! We walked along the ridiculously crowded beach (seriously--we didn't go anywhere near the water), I collected some sand for my dad, and we found a nice shady table and decided to set up camp for the rest of the day. Lost in translation a bit, we accidentally ordered three full pitchers of beer so we stayed where we were for a few hours. Putting aside the fact that we are convinced we saw someone die (sorry guys), it was such a nice time sitting, getting to know each other more, joking with each other, and watching the sun set. Eventually, the beach cleared out and we were some of the only ones left... I love it when you are in a strange place with new people and you completely lose track of the time--one minute it is lunch time and the sun is shining and it is hot outside and the next moment it is late at night, you missed dinner, and the sun is long gone. In my opinion: THAT is living.

Artsy shot to document the epic mistake we made... epically beautiful mistake...

Perhaps some of you have seen the show on Travel Channel (I am a fan of this channel if you couldn't deduce that on your own), "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern." For those of you who know me, I am obsessed with that show and I love Andrew Zimmern. Half of the things on My Life List are things that I have seen on that show. Now supposedly, there are only two things in the entire world that Andrew Zimmern attempted to eat on his show and could not swallow. Stinky tofu and durian. Lucky for me, BOTH of these delicious morsels can be found on the streets of China. Now I know that I cannot get stinky tofu anywhere near my face in order to actually eat it (if you smelled it, you would understand). HOWEVER, ever since I saw the episode with Andrew and the infamous slice of durian, I wanted to try it and it was thrown down onto My Life List. After a few failed attempts at actually finding the spiky green fruit, I bought two small slices and was determined to eat it. 

Clearly I was not a fan.

I've been told that the taste/smell (the smell will get you) is similar to a mixture of rotten onions and turpentine. Personally, I felt like it tasted like rotten eggs. I knew going into it that it would be bad--both The Adams warned me about it and refused to try it again with me. I kind of feel like trying durian is a sort of initiation the foreign teachers make each other go through when they first arrive in China. Well, I've tried it (though I don't foresee myself trying it again any time soon) and I can cross off #158 from My Life List!!

Now, I've been told that the best way to get rid of the taste of durian is beer. Okay, so that is a lie but we were in Qingdao, the capitol of beer in China, and there was one more aspect of the Qingdao culture that we had yet to take part in--beer in a bag. Yes, the people of Qingdao will take a pitcher of beer and pour it into a plastic bag for the lushes of the city to walk around Beer Street, sipping on their beer through a straw that is poked through the side of the bag. If that is not ridiculous, then I don't know what is. That being said, of course I got a beer in a bag and I loved every sip of it (somehow beer just tastes better coming out of a bag than the same old can or bottle)!!

The Adams with their (first) bag of beer

When in Qingdao, I suppose...

And so with bellies filled with seafood, sea glass in our pockets, a deeper knowledge of the German history and the beer culture of Qingdao, and our bags of beer, we packed up our backpacks and headed up north a little further to the city of Dalian...

To be continued...

Until Next Time,

Amanda