There's been a little confusion regarding the idea of leaving comments on this site. PLEASE feel perfectly free. I'm a little unclear myself as to the requirements of posting comments, and you may have to create a username to do so, but rest assured it is entirely free to do so. I've tried to make the commenting process as open as easy as the option screen would allow me...
I'd love to hear from anyone :)
Amendment:
It looks like all you need to do is click the button at the bottom of any given post. You do not need to have a username on this site. If you want to create one, that is just fine - still free - but if you'd rather not, simply click the identity-choice queue down to the third option, called "Name/URL" and you'll be prompted to type in whichever name you choose, along with your comment, and then hit "Publish Your Comment."
Easy as pie!
The lycanthropic jottings of my fourth year prowling the Chinese moonlight.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Contrasts
Today is an off day for me, beginning with a leisurely stroll in the xiapuyu area to find some breakfast. We found a very nice little bakery, complete with croque-monsieurs (ham, cheese, and croissant), and other delicious goodies. It was definitely worth the long, sweaty walk in the mid-morning heat.
Other than that, thus far, it's been a stay-at-home day. On the way back home, we found one of the infamous Chinese DVD stores... where they had... wait for it.... waaaaait for it....
The Dark Knight!
Yep, that's right, months before it's supposed to be out on DVD, it's available here for a mere 8 yuan... which translates out to...oh...about $1.12. And I must stress this... It has an minimum, and absolute minimum...
of people walking in front of the little video camera the guy used to record it in the theater.
Worth every jiao.
The sound is great, though... not sure how they got a hold of it. It's in multiple languages, meaning it definitely is not from the theater.
But it was interesting, at least to me, that I'd get my hands on a movie about a society so corrupt and so without hope, that its last hope would rely on a masked vigilante...
On the same day Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Colorado would give me little tingles up my spine... Contrasts. It truly was an inspirational speech, given by a man who has given so may people hope in the continued political solvency of the U.S. I'm sure you all saw it - likely well-before I did, since I had to YouTube it - so I'll skip on my natural impulse to do a full biopsy of my favorite parts. I'll just leave the issue with three words:
Yes We Can.
More to come...
Other than that, thus far, it's been a stay-at-home day. On the way back home, we found one of the infamous Chinese DVD stores... where they had... wait for it.... waaaaait for it....
The Dark Knight!
Yep, that's right, months before it's supposed to be out on DVD, it's available here for a mere 8 yuan... which translates out to...oh...about $1.12. And I must stress this... It has an minimum, and absolute minimum...
of people walking in front of the little video camera the guy used to record it in the theater.
Worth every jiao.
The sound is great, though... not sure how they got a hold of it. It's in multiple languages, meaning it definitely is not from the theater.
But it was interesting, at least to me, that I'd get my hands on a movie about a society so corrupt and so without hope, that its last hope would rely on a masked vigilante...
On the same day Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Colorado would give me little tingles up my spine... Contrasts. It truly was an inspirational speech, given by a man who has given so may people hope in the continued political solvency of the U.S. I'm sure you all saw it - likely well-before I did, since I had to YouTube it - so I'll skip on my natural impulse to do a full biopsy of my favorite parts. I'll just leave the issue with three words:
Yes We Can.
More to come...
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Turn and Cough
Let's see here, I've got 2 days to catch up on, since I've resolved not to be perpetually behind on these...
So in the interest of brevity, I'll really just hit the highlights.
Yesterday (Wed. Aug. 27)
Woke up early - well, at least for me - around 6:30-7 because my back was aching. What the Chinese refer to as "matresses" are, in fact, probably one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever slept on. I'm not sure what they're made from, but it feels similar to what I'd imagine it's feel like to sleep on a densely-packed hay bale. Comfort-wise, it's just this side of a big, flat rock. Having the bad-ish back I have to begin with, this is NOT a good combination.
Of course, I can't complain too hard... I did know what I was getting myself into.
Anyway, around 8:30, we (meaning myself, Aaron, James, Mr. Mao, and a woman whose English name is Christina) got a cab and headed in to the local medical center to get our physical checkups ("our" meaning mine and Aaron's). This is not your mother's physical. Included in the festivities were:
After our run through the gamut, we went and bought a couple of 100 yuan phone cards for 40 yuan, thank to some Chinese-style bartering from our 中国 colleagues. Following that, we were passed on to our "handler," a named Xiaoxian, though she also has the English name of Jane. She is a very petite, very pretty woman in her early thirties (though she looks like she could be 18) who is extremely kind. She also happens to be the direct assistant to the vice-dean of the English Dept. Suffice it to say, I'm on my best behavior.
Xiaoxian (pronounced "she-ow she-ahn") took us to a place called Danlu Square, which is a sort of Western oasis amid the sea of Chinese stuff. The architecture is very Roman/Greek, and there was a grocery store there that sold many Western food items that would be very difficult to find elsewhere, among them:
And with that, I put some Firefly into my DVD player until sleep took me.
So in the interest of brevity, I'll really just hit the highlights.
Yesterday (Wed. Aug. 27)
Woke up early - well, at least for me - around 6:30-7 because my back was aching. What the Chinese refer to as "matresses" are, in fact, probably one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever slept on. I'm not sure what they're made from, but it feels similar to what I'd imagine it's feel like to sleep on a densely-packed hay bale. Comfort-wise, it's just this side of a big, flat rock. Having the bad-ish back I have to begin with, this is NOT a good combination.
Of course, I can't complain too hard... I did know what I was getting myself into.
Anyway, around 8:30, we (meaning myself, Aaron, James, Mr. Mao, and a woman whose English name is Christina) got a cab and headed in to the local medical center to get our physical checkups ("our" meaning mine and Aaron's). This is not your mother's physical. Included in the festivities were:
- blood sample
- urine sample
- chest X-ray
- Electrocardiogram
- Ultrasound of the abdomen
- checking for surgical scars
- "feeling" the abdomen for... something...
After our run through the gamut, we went and bought a couple of 100 yuan phone cards for 40 yuan, thank to some Chinese-style bartering from our 中国 colleagues. Following that, we were passed on to our "handler," a named Xiaoxian, though she also has the English name of Jane. She is a very petite, very pretty woman in her early thirties (though she looks like she could be 18) who is extremely kind. She also happens to be the direct assistant to the vice-dean of the English Dept. Suffice it to say, I'm on my best behavior.
Xiaoxian (pronounced "she-ow she-ahn") took us to a place called Danlu Square, which is a sort of Western oasis amid the sea of Chinese stuff. The architecture is very Roman/Greek, and there was a grocery store there that sold many Western food items that would be very difficult to find elsewhere, among them:
- cheese, of many different varieties (many Chinese think of cheese as a bizarre form of rotten milk... it's not very popular here... much the way we think of fermented bean curd, which is a very popular thing here)
- Red Bull (gives you wiiiiiiings!... the Chinese tend to prefer tea, but I say bring on the jitters!)
- lots of imported meats, noodles, beers... I imagine I'll be hitting that place up at some point in the not too distant future.
And with that, I put some Firefly into my DVD player until sleep took me.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Getting Settled In
Suffice it to say, I made it safely to Wenzhou. Aaron and I were greeted at midnight at the airport by throngs of short Asian people waiting for loved ones, liked ones, and probably even a few barely-tolerated ones.
After getting our bags (which all arrived with us! Air China:1, Delta: 0), we walked toward the entrance hoping that someone would be there to meet us. From the crowd of vertically-challenged Zhongguoren stepped a slim, well-dressed (yet casual), good looking man wearing glasses. Shaking our hands and speaking very good English, he introduced himself as James Miao. Finally, a face to put with the name and well-written, yet occasionally typo-prone emails!
He and his associate, one Mr. Mao (no, not that Mao! In a country like this, last names are an exercise in repetitiveness), and "unnamed van driver #11735" drove us to the part of the city where our apartments where, which is called Xia Yu Pin. Apparently it's one of the nicer mid-level districts in town, set aside for educators and the like. In the middle of the night, we debarked on last time. First Aaron at his apartment, and then me a mine, a good 1.5 city blocks away
My apartment is very nice, actually. It's a combination of what I expected, and some things I did not. A 1-bed, 1-bath, with a kitchen, study area, living room, and balcony/washroom, it's completely self-contained. I won't need, ostensibly, to find the Chinese Laundromat here... not that that'd be overly difficult.
It is, however, an old place. The building itself is what I think of when I think "Soviet-esque tract housing" It's a 6-story complex, just one of row after row after row of the exact same building. To look at it from the outside....well, let's just say it's not the world's prettiest sight.
(I'll input some photos as soon as photobucket decides to quit being so ornery...)
After getting our bags (which all arrived with us! Air China:1, Delta: 0), we walked toward the entrance hoping that someone would be there to meet us. From the crowd of vertically-challenged Zhongguoren stepped a slim, well-dressed (yet casual), good looking man wearing glasses. Shaking our hands and speaking very good English, he introduced himself as James Miao. Finally, a face to put with the name and well-written, yet occasionally typo-prone emails!
He and his associate, one Mr. Mao (no, not that Mao! In a country like this, last names are an exercise in repetitiveness), and "unnamed van driver #11735" drove us to the part of the city where our apartments where, which is called Xia Yu Pin. Apparently it's one of the nicer mid-level districts in town, set aside for educators and the like. In the middle of the night, we debarked on last time. First Aaron at his apartment, and then me a mine, a good 1.5 city blocks away
My apartment is very nice, actually. It's a combination of what I expected, and some things I did not. A 1-bed, 1-bath, with a kitchen, study area, living room, and balcony/washroom, it's completely self-contained. I won't need, ostensibly, to find the Chinese Laundromat here... not that that'd be overly difficult.
It is, however, an old place. The building itself is what I think of when I think "Soviet-esque tract housing" It's a 6-story complex, just one of row after row after row of the exact same building. To look at it from the outside....well, let's just say it's not the world's prettiest sight.
(I'll input some photos as soon as photobucket decides to quit being so ornery...)
Day 1: Captain's Log, Supplemental
Beijing Intl. Airport, 7:15 pm PEK
Oh man, what a LONG flight! Last time, at least, there was a stopover in Tokyo which broke up that creeping feeling of "I'm never going to get out of this crowded tube" and the subsequent claustrophobia. But this time? Straight Shot to Beijing...ugh...
Regardless, we are now waiting at the terminal for our (relatively) short flight south, which should board in an hour or so. Still no free WiFi here, which seems to be a commonality of all airports these days. I guess they know they have a captive market, and so they feel they can hold the internet ransom. It's rather irksome, to say the least.
The airport's design (at least the brand-new Terminal 3, the world's biggest - it felt like I was in a cave) is very interesting and urban-chic... also, it's very walking-intensive. We must've walked for almost a mile just in this terminal, only to realize we essentially pulled an enormous, aggravating switchback and were *almost* back where we had de-planed. This fling thing is definitely for the birds...
In other news:
It's been officially determined that China beats the U.S. in "The World's Most Obnoxious Customs Procedures" contest, which neither nation really realized it was a part of. What pushed China over the top to earn itself gold, you ask? Aren't both nations equally paranoid and full of time-consuming, ridiculous hoops for passengers to jump though?
Nay.
The Chinese went so far as to individually check every DVD Aaron and I had brought with us. Sure, the US DoHS might demand you remove you shoes, change, pants, and dignity before boarding...
but at least they don't judge your movie collection.
Oh man, what a LONG flight! Last time, at least, there was a stopover in Tokyo which broke up that creeping feeling of "I'm never going to get out of this crowded tube" and the subsequent claustrophobia. But this time? Straight Shot to Beijing...ugh...
Regardless, we are now waiting at the terminal for our (relatively) short flight south, which should board in an hour or so. Still no free WiFi here, which seems to be a commonality of all airports these days. I guess they know they have a captive market, and so they feel they can hold the internet ransom. It's rather irksome, to say the least.
The airport's design (at least the brand-new Terminal 3, the world's biggest - it felt like I was in a cave) is very interesting and urban-chic... also, it's very walking-intensive. We must've walked for almost a mile just in this terminal, only to realize we essentially pulled an enormous, aggravating switchback and were *almost* back where we had de-planed. This fling thing is definitely for the birds...
In other news:
It's been officially determined that China beats the U.S. in "The World's Most Obnoxious Customs Procedures" contest, which neither nation really realized it was a part of. What pushed China over the top to earn itself gold, you ask? Aren't both nations equally paranoid and full of time-consuming, ridiculous hoops for passengers to jump though?
Nay.
The Chinese went so far as to individually check every DVD Aaron and I had brought with us. Sure, the US DoHS might demand you remove you shoes, change, pants, and dignity before boarding...
but at least they don't judge your movie collection.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Day 1: Continued
August 24 (25) - Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, 8:55 pm PST (10:55 am PEK)
I'm now something like 15 hours into this trip... or move... or whatever it's called. Such an odd thought!
Regardless, if my calculations are correct (and to be sure, there's a better than average chance that I'm way off), there's only another 6-ish hours until we arrive in Beijing. And from there, another 3 hour layover before a 2-hour flight south to Wenzhou.
...yippy-skippy...
A few things I've determined thus far:
I'm now something like 15 hours into this trip... or move... or whatever it's called. Such an odd thought!
Regardless, if my calculations are correct (and to be sure, there's a better than average chance that I'm way off), there's only another 6-ish hours until we arrive in Beijing. And from there, another 3 hour layover before a 2-hour flight south to Wenzhou.
...yippy-skippy...
A few things I've determined thus far:
- I liked my previous pan-Pacific flight a lot more. There's no individual entertainment screen for each seat. Apparently they've got those in business.first-class, though... bastards.
- They do still offer free wine here though. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's a red called Greatwall (go figure), and it both smells and tastes like the Chinese who made it had only the vaguest idea of what red wine is. It's a bit like old grape juice mixed with butane, and then left out in the heat for a month.
- Though they clearly do have "special request meals" (they parade them out first), apparently my gambit at requesting a kosher meal was a no-go. Just the regular gruel for me. Not bad, for airline food... not that that bar's set very high. I guess the last name Stewart just wasn't Jewish enough... but c'mon!! What about Jon Stewart?!
Day 1: It begins... with a ton of travelling
August 24, 2008 - Portland Intl. Airport, 5:10am PST
After a delay of 4 days - due in part to my companion's lackluster planning and, moreso, the Chinese govt./Consulate taking their sweet-ass time getting our respective visas processed, I am finally on my way to Wenzhou, China! Fortunately, both my lodgings, and company were *more* than pleasant enough to keep me from regretting the extra time in Portland too much, if at all.
To say that this is an exciting prospect would be a rather large understatement; and to say that it's also a terrifying one would be an even larger understatement. I'm combating the looming stomach-butterflies by simply not thinking too far ahead - a skill I'm rather good at ;)
I'm not sure whether it's the anxiousness of waiting/traveling, or the two Amp energy drinks I had (probably both), but it was very easy staying up with Meredith waiting for the clock to strike 3:00 and us to make the ~hour journey in from "lovely" Forest Grove to PDX. Unfortunately, that also means I'll have a hell of a time getting to sleep - something I have problems doing on planes even under the best of circumstances - regardless of my inevitable travel-exhaustion. Bleh.
Damn the red eye!
After a delay of 4 days - due in part to my companion's lackluster planning and, moreso, the Chinese govt./Consulate taking their sweet-ass time getting our respective visas processed, I am finally on my way to Wenzhou, China! Fortunately, both my lodgings, and company were *more* than pleasant enough to keep me from regretting the extra time in Portland too much, if at all.
To say that this is an exciting prospect would be a rather large understatement; and to say that it's also a terrifying one would be an even larger understatement. I'm combating the looming stomach-butterflies by simply not thinking too far ahead - a skill I'm rather good at ;)
I'm not sure whether it's the anxiousness of waiting/traveling, or the two Amp energy drinks I had (probably both), but it was very easy staying up with Meredith waiting for the clock to strike 3:00 and us to make the ~hour journey in from "lovely" Forest Grove to PDX. Unfortunately, that also means I'll have a hell of a time getting to sleep - something I have problems doing on planes even under the best of circumstances - regardless of my inevitable travel-exhaustion. Bleh.
Damn the red eye!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)