May 2010 Archives
(Yeah, yeah this is Bonnie's Blog, but afterall, it is MY website - so my comments are in Italics;)
Well we did it, 8 cities in 10 Days! And I survived China...
When people asked me how my trip was the one word to sum it up would have to be "Crazy".
I don't think you can describe the things you do and see to people who have never been until you actually see and do them yourself.
Well we did it, 8 cities in 10 Days! And I survived China...
When people asked me how my trip was the one word to sum it up would have to be "Crazy".
I don't think you can describe the things you do and see to people who have never been until you actually see and do them yourself.
I
first arrived on a Saturday afternoon where Linda met me at the airport
(thank god cause the thought of getting downtown alone was terrifying).
We hit the train and headed downtown Beijing. We cheers'd with some
Bijou and redbull after my long day in Vancouver and 11 hour flight....
I soon learned that "laowai" were able to get away with basically anything. So drinking in public was no big D.
I soon learned that "laowai" were able to get away with basically anything. So drinking in public was no big D.
We
headed to a cool lounge with Linda's friend Shannon, who I also
admire living in China for the last 5 years, and grabbed some drinks
before dinner.
We
then headed to a beautiful lake and a part of town called Houhai where
we met a few of Linda's friends for a "welcome dinner". Got to see my
friend Lincoln as well for a quick bite! Great food and good times. But then I
hit a wall at about 11pm where I had been awake for 24 hours at that
point, so we headed back to the Houtongs hostel and got set up for the
night.
Was up and ready at 6am for a Hike along the Great Wall the next morning! When we arrived after a 3 hour bus ride I was ready to go! (thank you, Extra Jos) We managed a 10 km hike up the stairs of the great wall in about 2 hours. My pace was pretty steady at first but after 1hr 30 of stairs the last 30 mins was a deep deep burn! The great wall was beautiful, I had never seen anything so historically old. We stopped along the way for photos and to buy a $1 tee shirt. While we chatted the whole way seeing as we had a year and a half of catching up to do. The great wall would have to be one of my top highlights of the whole trip. Was a great way to really start off the whole China experience.
We
then headed back downtown and were off to a Kung Fu show that night. It was
beautiful and I would describe it as a mixture of Kung Fu Panda, Break
Dancing and Ninja Assassin, and would compare it to a Cirque de Soleil in
Vegas style. We walked around in the rain afterwards and had some mango and
pineapple on the street.
Didn't find sleeping in china hard even tho the beds were hard, I seemed to be so exhausted at the end of every day. Probably for the best.
Next morning we got up and walked Beijing... We visited a few parks (BeiHai, JiangShan)... beautiful and entertaining!! There were lots of old people there stretching, doing thai-chi, hitting/slapping themselves, dancing to christmas carols, walking backwards, walking their birds in cages around, singing, you name it....all the things linda told me about...but never really comprehending till i was staring it in the face. We visited the bell tower, TianAnMen Square and the forbidden City that afternoon. We grabbed a Starbucks at Linda's favorite spot and then Linda was off to work!
While
she was working for 3 hours i visited a 1600 year old Buddhist temple (YongHeGong). Very cool, lots of great statues, and the strong smell of incense. Met
some cool people from Holland on an exchange for 6 weeks as well. I
walked around the streets afterwards and checked out a few stores.
Stopped for lunch and fortunately found Linda shortly after that. We
headed for a quick mani and trip to the spa! Got a facial/massage for
only $5! The girls there gave me a Chinese name "Mei Ya." (梅雅， meaning strong and beautiful）
We jetted off to the airport and missed our damn flight (thanks to rush hour...at 7pm). So Shannon rescued the day and we crashed with her and changed our flight to the first flight out to Guiyang the next day. The city we landed in after Beijing is considered a small one 300,000 population. We found a great hostel ("presidential suite" we called it) and started exploring the city. The mountains are beautiful in this part of China... very "traditional Asia" or what you would expect in Thailand, Vietnam. (GuiZhou province)
It was in the smaller towns where I started to appreciate the culture, and notice that I was actually in a third world country and could see the poverty all around us. We were definately in a place where people had never seen a white person in their whole lives. And probably will never see one again. We would have people stop as they were walking towards us and with dropped jaws stare at us as we walked past. It was quite a different feeling... having someone watch your every move in a zoo animal kind of way. We would get requests to have our photos taken with locals daily. and little kids running up to us and saying "hello" then giggling and running away.
Visited a local temple via motorcycle taxi after a $1 hair wash.
We headed out to a night market
after that, grabbed some $0.25 beer and walked the streets. So many
sounds, sites, smells, bargaining, and people! Fun times. We bought
some green tea from a local woman that day who grew it, dried it and
sold it herself. photo below:
We
woke up early and took a bus to Asia's tallest Huanggoushu Waterfall
(81m). On the hour and a half bus we passed through some beautiful
scenery, old women and men farming in the lands, planting rice, and
walking on the street with their yacks. Lots of old dilapidated houses
all over.
We
got the the small town the falls were located at and started walking.
On the way the local police pulled over and told us to get in their
car. At first I thought we were getting in trouble... then we realized
the police there are more there to serve and protect the tourists then
the locals. They drove us in their cop van to the falls and gave us a
few tips on the way there. The falls were about a 45 min hike to....
Thankfully I packed smart walking shoes.....not... I had reef sandals
where I tripped on about step 40 of 900 and broke my shoe. Linda had a
entertaining time watching me walk around for almost 2 hours in one
flip flop. Ohhh boy. As we got closer to the falls you could hear the
roar and feel the mist. The waterfall was stunning and is the only
waterfall in the world you can view from all sides. And we made sure we took advantage of that!
Headed back to town after the falls and grabbed some
lunch then off to the train station (for lil' Bonnie's first train ride!) to the next city, Kailie, which was
just a quick stop over where we stayed the night and bought 7 pairs of
socks for 1$ (We kept thinking... should have gotten 14... should have
gotten 14) (In fact I don't think Bonnie slept that night and I am pretty sure she was talking in her sleep saying 14, 14, 14...)
I learned that you find out a lot about a culture on a 4 hour train with them. While I was avoiding being annoyed by the sound of chewing spits, I had the great pleasure of witnessing two women eating chicken feet. One which was sitting next to me, I swear when she bit in and I heard a crunch and got some chicken juice squired on my neck I was gonna hurl! I survived my first train ride of my life, let alone in China... barely. (and I don't think she'll be doing that again).
After staying the night in Kailie we woke up early and caught two bus's to Sanjiang and a 10 hour day of traveling. The roads were in rough condition and Linda advised "it's just better if you don't watch," so I tried to ignore the fact we were going very fast on a windy gravel road with a cliff on one side. The driving there was nuts in the first place, and that was a whole other level... May or may have not hurled at one of the stopped. don't judge! turns out I was actually sick for the rest of the trip... must have been some of those strange fruits we were trying on the side of the streets... or the water. Again we just stayed the night and found about a 1 star cockroach hostel... literally! (but the location, and the price made the cockroaches worth it, right?)
Again we were up early and bussed to Guilin which the world famous Li River ran through. It was a beautiful city but the most catered to tourists. Which, looking back, really made me enjoy the rural areas. Linda picked a hostel for us she saw last time she was in town and we set up our stuff for the last two nights left of my trip. It was nice and great location. In Gulin we had the opportunity to check out some parks and visit a old tunnel of caves. They light up the tour with phony lights to Linda and I felt like we were in Disney Land. Still really beautiful and quite cool... and we we inspired to do some TaiChi in them.
After ditching the worlds slowest
tour group we finished the rest of the caves (aka bat city) in the
dark. In the park we had a man write my chinese name on a fan for $1 in
some beautiful old chinese calligraphy. We motorcycle taxied back
downtown... where I was still not feeling 100% but after a beer sitting
by a lake with two 1600 bagodahs (spelling) Pagodas, and a McDonald's Big Mac (me, rolling my eyes the entire time) I
was feeling almost back to normal! Thankfully Linda "let me" try a few
of the western fast food joints to get some "normal" food in me. We
walked around more and went to a nice restaurant for dinner across
town. While we were there the storm of a century brewed. The loudest
Thunder occurred, which sounded like it was right outside of our door of
the restaurant! The amount of car alarms that were set off after were
nuts. We let the rain let up a bit and walked down what was the biggest
Night market we had been to yet.
On our last day of adventure left, we woke up early (what day DIDN'T we...) and got in a bus with a bunch of other tourists towards the Li River. We dressed for sun... but when we arrived... there was nothing but cold rain and wind. While the 5 of us boarded a small bamboo boat, Linda and I had full hypothermic shakes followed by histerical laughter. The river was gorgeous! and a great way to end the trip.
Hit
the night markets (and the outdoor spa for every asserby to watch the foreigners get waxes and painted) for one last night and bought some gifts for my
friends and family. Repacked and was off to the airport the next
morning... I had 3 flights... one of which was delayed and I missed my
flight home. By that time I had already said goodbye to Linda so I was
on my own. The airline put me up in a hotel for 24 hours till I could
catch the flight the next day. But I would have to say I was in the
oddest position of my life... Stuck in a country where I had NO money,
didn't know the language, had no tv, phone or computer, and was by
myself. I sat in my hotel room with nothing to do. Literally lost in
translation. Finally caught my flight home the following day...
Linda's commentary:
Tea in a bag; duck in a bag; corn in a bag; tongue fruit et al. that made us both sick for a week; giggling hysterically on the train at the hicks and their non-stop eating and cracking of sunflower seeds; laughing until we couldn't breath at the cold and insanity on a boat down the Li river; quoting dumb and dumber, ace ventura and all the oldies of our childhoods; getting to know my little sister as an adult and being prouder of her than I could ever imagine - those were my highlights and memories I pray I never forget.
I think China is taking a big sigh of relief now that the McGrew sisters are separated again.
Our biggest challenge will be topping this one.... here's to at least trying in France next year!
We
then headed to a beautiful lake and a part of town called Houhai where
we met a few of Linda's friends for a "welcome dinner". Got to see my
friend Lincoln as well for a quick bite! Great food and good times. But then I
hit a wall at about 11pm where I had been awake for 24 hours at that
point, so we headed back to the Houtongs hostel and got set up for the
night. Was up and ready at 6am for a Hike along the Great Wall the next morning! When we arrived after a 3 hour bus ride I was ready to go! (thank you, Extra Jos) We managed a 10 km hike up the stairs of the great wall in about 2 hours. My pace was pretty steady at first but after 1hr 30 of stairs the last 30 mins was a deep deep burn! The great wall was beautiful, I had never seen anything so historically old. We stopped along the way for photos and to buy a $1 tee shirt. While we chatted the whole way seeing as we had a year and a half of catching up to do. The great wall would have to be one of my top highlights of the whole trip. Was a great way to really start off the whole China experience.
We
then headed back downtown and were off to a Kung Fu show that night. It was
beautiful and I would describe it as a mixture of Kung Fu Panda, Break
Dancing and Ninja Assassin, and would compare it to a Cirque de Soleil in
Vegas style. We walked around in the rain afterwards and had some mango and
pineapple on the street. Didn't find sleeping in china hard even tho the beds were hard, I seemed to be so exhausted at the end of every day. Probably for the best.
Next morning we got up and walked Beijing... We visited a few parks (BeiHai, JiangShan)... beautiful and entertaining!! There were lots of old people there stretching, doing thai-chi, hitting/slapping themselves, dancing to christmas carols, walking backwards, walking their birds in cages around, singing, you name it....all the things linda told me about...but never really comprehending till i was staring it in the face. We visited the bell tower, TianAnMen Square and the forbidden City that afternoon. We grabbed a Starbucks at Linda's favorite spot and then Linda was off to work!
While
she was working for 3 hours i visited a 1600 year old Buddhist temple (YongHeGong). Very cool, lots of great statues, and the strong smell of incense. Met
some cool people from Holland on an exchange for 6 weeks as well. I
walked around the streets afterwards and checked out a few stores.
Stopped for lunch and fortunately found Linda shortly after that. We
headed for a quick mani and trip to the spa! Got a facial/massage for
only $5! The girls there gave me a Chinese name "Mei Ya." (梅雅， meaning strong and beautiful）We jetted off to the airport and missed our damn flight (thanks to rush hour...at 7pm). So Shannon rescued the day and we crashed with her and changed our flight to the first flight out to Guiyang the next day. The city we landed in after Beijing is considered a small one 300,000 population. We found a great hostel ("presidential suite" we called it) and started exploring the city. The mountains are beautiful in this part of China... very "traditional Asia" or what you would expect in Thailand, Vietnam. (GuiZhou province)
It was in the smaller towns where I started to appreciate the culture, and notice that I was actually in a third world country and could see the poverty all around us. We were definately in a place where people had never seen a white person in their whole lives. And probably will never see one again. We would have people stop as they were walking towards us and with dropped jaws stare at us as we walked past. It was quite a different feeling... having someone watch your every move in a zoo animal kind of way. We would get requests to have our photos taken with locals daily. and little kids running up to us and saying "hello" then giggling and running away.
Visited a local temple via motorcycle taxi after a $1 hair wash.
We headed out to a night market
after that, grabbed some $0.25 beer and walked the streets. So many
sounds, sites, smells, bargaining, and people! Fun times. We bought
some green tea from a local woman that day who grew it, dried it and
sold it herself. photo below:We
woke up early and took a bus to Asia's tallest Huanggoushu Waterfall
(81m). On the hour and a half bus we passed through some beautiful
scenery, old women and men farming in the lands, planting rice, and
walking on the street with their yacks. Lots of old dilapidated houses
all over.Headed back to town after the falls and grabbed some
lunch then off to the train station (for lil' Bonnie's first train ride!) to the next city, Kailie, which was
just a quick stop over where we stayed the night and bought 7 pairs of
socks for 1$ (We kept thinking... should have gotten 14... should have
gotten 14) (In fact I don't think Bonnie slept that night and I am pretty sure she was talking in her sleep saying 14, 14, 14...) I learned that you find out a lot about a culture on a 4 hour train with them. While I was avoiding being annoyed by the sound of chewing spits, I had the great pleasure of witnessing two women eating chicken feet. One which was sitting next to me, I swear when she bit in and I heard a crunch and got some chicken juice squired on my neck I was gonna hurl! I survived my first train ride of my life, let alone in China... barely. (and I don't think she'll be doing that again).
After staying the night in Kailie we woke up early and caught two bus's to Sanjiang and a 10 hour day of traveling. The roads were in rough condition and Linda advised "it's just better if you don't watch," so I tried to ignore the fact we were going very fast on a windy gravel road with a cliff on one side. The driving there was nuts in the first place, and that was a whole other level... May or may have not hurled at one of the stopped. don't judge! turns out I was actually sick for the rest of the trip... must have been some of those strange fruits we were trying on the side of the streets... or the water. Again we just stayed the night and found about a 1 star cockroach hostel... literally! (but the location, and the price made the cockroaches worth it, right?)
Again we were up early and bussed to Guilin which the world famous Li River ran through. It was a beautiful city but the most catered to tourists. Which, looking back, really made me enjoy the rural areas. Linda picked a hostel for us she saw last time she was in town and we set up our stuff for the last two nights left of my trip. It was nice and great location. In Gulin we had the opportunity to check out some parks and visit a old tunnel of caves. They light up the tour with phony lights to Linda and I felt like we were in Disney Land. Still really beautiful and quite cool... and we we inspired to do some TaiChi in them.
After ditching the worlds slowest
tour group we finished the rest of the caves (aka bat city) in the
dark. In the park we had a man write my chinese name on a fan for $1 in
some beautiful old chinese calligraphy. We motorcycle taxied back
downtown... where I was still not feeling 100% but after a beer sitting
by a lake with two 1600 bagodahs (spelling) Pagodas, and a McDonald's Big Mac (me, rolling my eyes the entire time) I
was feeling almost back to normal! Thankfully Linda "let me" try a few
of the western fast food joints to get some "normal" food in me. We
walked around more and went to a nice restaurant for dinner across
town. While we were there the storm of a century brewed. The loudest
Thunder occurred, which sounded like it was right outside of our door of
the restaurant! The amount of car alarms that were set off after were
nuts. We let the rain let up a bit and walked down what was the biggest
Night market we had been to yet. On our last day of adventure left, we woke up early (what day DIDN'T we...) and got in a bus with a bunch of other tourists towards the Li River. We dressed for sun... but when we arrived... there was nothing but cold rain and wind. While the 5 of us boarded a small bamboo boat, Linda and I had full hypothermic shakes followed by histerical laughter. The river was gorgeous! and a great way to end the trip.
Hit
the night markets (and the outdoor spa for every asserby to watch the foreigners get waxes and painted) for one last night and bought some gifts for my
friends and family. Repacked and was off to the airport the next
morning... I had 3 flights... one of which was delayed and I missed my
flight home. By that time I had already said goodbye to Linda so I was
on my own. The airline put me up in a hotel for 24 hours till I could
catch the flight the next day. But I would have to say I was in the
oddest position of my life... Stuck in a country where I had NO money,
didn't know the language, had no tv, phone or computer, and was by
myself. I sat in my hotel room with nothing to do. Literally lost in
translation. Finally caught my flight home the following day...Over
all the trip was great, the cities was beautiful, I tried a lot of new
food, learned some of the language, saw my sister impress the pants off
of everyone with her ability to speak amazing chinese, witnessed a new
culture, quoting Ace Ventura and Nacho Libre like it was nooobody's
business and learned a lot about the Country (that will soon take over the earth). Linda and I have never
gotten along better... and if nothing else we have a friendship now
like never before!
McGrew sisters survived china... CHECK!
(in other words, China survived the Mcgrew sisters)
McGrew sisters survived china... CHECK!
(in other words, China survived the Mcgrew sisters)
Linda's commentary:
Tea in a bag; duck in a bag; corn in a bag; tongue fruit et al. that made us both sick for a week; giggling hysterically on the train at the hicks and their non-stop eating and cracking of sunflower seeds; laughing until we couldn't breath at the cold and insanity on a boat down the Li river; quoting dumb and dumber, ace ventura and all the oldies of our childhoods; getting to know my little sister as an adult and being prouder of her than I could ever imagine - those were my highlights and memories I pray I never forget.
I think China is taking a big sigh of relief now that the McGrew sisters are separated again.
Our biggest challenge will be topping this one.... here's to at least trying in France next year!
Reporting live from the roads of Beijing..........
I am certainly not a passive cycle commuter and I really do like the colour red - in particular with all it's connotations in this special communist state. The name "Red Rager" was given to me back during The Tour de Chine and I work hard to uphold my worthiness of it while at the same time trying to win the game of "Face" - the rules to which will become apparent in the following soliloquy.
White shoes, red socks, black shorts, black shirt, yellow glasses... as the camera pans in I slowly and coolly put on my red helmet and red gloves, then pop the red panier onto my red bike. I swing my right leg over the seat and straddle my baby... I am now, officially, the Red Rager.
Cue music.
Looking around now I notice the sun is a bit past high noon, and the afternoon traffic has begun. But honestly, did it ever end? It must be at least 330. I deeply inhale and smile as I soak it all in - then choke a bit from the dust and what is fondly known here as 'fog' but is certainly Something that Makes me think there is no 'f' before the OG. But calling it fog keeps us all a little happier in 'we all pretend nothing is wrong on the surface' world.
And I spit.
Sometimes one forgets where one is during a perfect moment, then is subsequently reminded with a smack, kick, honk, or in this case, phlegm.
I am, as we speak, getting reacquainted with Reba, my lovely bicycle (did I mention she is red?) as I ride her from my old 'home' to my new one on this fine Summer day in the capital of the PRC. After the preliminary preparations, I flick the switch; an old Bruce Springsteen song starts to rock in my ears; and I start to roll.
Oh sweet, sweet Reba.
I start off at each light way ahead of everyone the second it turns green. It is a race, of course, to the next set of lights. Which I must win and which is apparently not fun to anyone else on a bike in Beijing, as they prefer to play the game of 'who can get there last' instead. But we all, always, end up at the next red light together. Waiting. or, in some cases, not.
Occasionally an e-bike or a car veers in front, thinking I am a typical "slow" bike....thus begins the game of 'face' as I try to educate the masses and stay alive at the same time.
I win a point when I behave the most serenely - the most zen.
I lose a point if I sneer, veer, or brake...let alone if I yell or curse - things a Red Rager must do at times, even armed with the knowledge this behavior will lose her points.
There's a red light up ahead. Michael Jackson's Thriller just came on. Do I stop? I am not even within the third ring road yet. Things are different out here. It's like a whole new frontier. Almost the Wild West in a concrete jungle sort of way but with more dust and less whistling. The cars seem to keep going and so I stop pedaling but don't break. Still red, still red, still red. The bikes all keep going too. And all the people are going across. Ah, it must be yet another green light simply disguised as a red one. Silly me, I should have known.
See, there is democracy in China. Majority rules.
I continue through and think to myself that the right thing to do in a country where there are few enforced laws and no religion is simply whatever-everyone-else-is-doing.
Along with democracy on the roads in China there is also a caste system. To make it simple I will keep it to 4 levels. The top level are, straight-shooter, the busses. Most of which are either double decker or the double long accordion-in-the-middle types. Not only do the busses do whatever they please but they also get the most respect. Even I won't dabble in a game with these upper echelons on society.
The second highest class would have to be police and government vehicles, and the neuveaux riches (porche, audi, hummer, beamer, etc), the latter of which I try to make my focus of "Face", as they are the easiest to win points off of - being that they've usually been driving for one year tops, and still revere the good old tall nose, round eyed laowai.
In the next class, the third class, we have taxis and bikes. I do not consider myself in this class (surprise, surprise). I seat myself snugly in the middle of slow pedal biker and crazy-eyed taxi driver. I might look like a 2 but I act like a 3. And I've got the scars and medals to prove it.
The untouchables in this caste system would be pedestrians. If you have the misfortune of being born unto this class, do not, for any reason, think if any of the higher classes are coming towards you, that they will stop for you. They will not see you. In fact, you are henceforth renamed 'invisibles'.
The roads have suddenly started to get a bit busier as I get closer to the epicenter - the Forbidden City - and as it near XiaBan (work is over) time. Some 10 million people must be on the move around me now, and I'm going along with them. As the dustiness picks up, the noise is maddening - the cars are all practically at a stand still - and I whiz by them all. Freeeeedoooom!!!!!! I lick my lips, Igtch, dust. Try to remember not to do that again.
Bon Jovi comes on and I pass an e-bike going 25km/hr or so. I am not even sweating or breathing through my mouth (I try not to, without my mask) and I hear the driver yell "Sky!!!" which means, 'Oh my god!'
"Sky, sky sky!!!! A foreigner on a bike and they are fast!!" Oh the Chinese are so darned talented at pointing out the bluntly obvious. "Thank you," I say. I am going to give myself one point on that one... you would too if you dealt with "Helllooooo, Laowai, waiguoren?" Etc all day long. It's enough to make you wanna drop kick a split-pantsed baby the next time you see they 'spitting-and-squatting' parent light up a cigarette in the middle of the grocery store while their child pees in the cookie isle.
Deep breaths.......
A car makes a right turn into the bike lane and across four others. No check to the left. No signal. After all, I should have seen it coming. Of course I should have, right? "Is this your first day with a car?" I yell, and kick at it with the precision of someone who might have done that before.
"Bang!"
A mild hush envelopes the entire city. Damn. I lost a point there. Maybe even two if there were judges. Another car veers right, through the intersection and across the bike lane. I swerve a bit and there is only one thought on my mind "poker face, poker face, poker face'. Oh yeah, I won that one.
Honk! Honk! Honk! This honk! constant honk! and never honk! ending backhonk!drop to all Chinese cities becomes part of your thoughts after living here a while. But every so often it is obnoxious enough to yet again permeate even the longest-lived vetran. HONK!
"What the heck is that guy going on about?" I look back for a second, annoyed he might be driving behind me in the bike lane and about to give him a piece of my mind (knowing full well that would mean losing a point, but preemptively strategizing that it will be worth it). But I need not worry as this driver is much smarter than the rest and not in the bike lane at all but instead driving seamlessly along the sidewalk. That must be why they make them so wide here.
I start getting lost in my own thoughts. I am getting into the groove. "Is a moment wasted if it has no purpose? But how it is determined whether that moment has purpose or not until after the moment has passed? In which case how can anyone in any moment correctly judge whether that moment is of use or not? Why is it that we feel everything must have a purpose? Or we make sense of some choice, some random meeting, so missed flight, etc? Is it true that a purposeless life is a life un-lived? Or does all life have an inherent purpose and thus putting value or thought into it actually makes it less purposeful or more purposeless?"
Honk honk honk!!!!! Tweeeeet! Woah, wake up, Red Rager.
Hard right. South for a light then only a few more blocks East and I'll be at TianAnMen.
I am a hero for maneuvering through this city without a map.
I am a hero!
Hey that dude's got a mustache!
Woah, a foreigner!
Honk honk! "baby it don't matter if your black or white"
Oh yeah, life is good. And I am ....pedestrian!!!
"AhYaWoDeMaYa!!?!" Guess they aren't invisible after all. And looking before crossing was yet another thing mum's forgot to tell their kids growing up and Moa failed to mention in his little red book. Maybe the Communist Party needs to write a New Testament version. Or maybe I do? Hey, there's a good plan for my Saturday.
I am certainly not a passive cycle commuter and I really do like the colour red - in particular with all it's connotations in this special communist state. The name "Red Rager" was given to me back during The Tour de Chine and I work hard to uphold my worthiness of it while at the same time trying to win the game of "Face" - the rules to which will become apparent in the following soliloquy.
White shoes, red socks, black shorts, black shirt, yellow glasses... as the camera pans in I slowly and coolly put on my red helmet and red gloves, then pop the red panier onto my red bike. I swing my right leg over the seat and straddle my baby... I am now, officially, the Red Rager.
Cue music.
Looking around now I notice the sun is a bit past high noon, and the afternoon traffic has begun. But honestly, did it ever end? It must be at least 330. I deeply inhale and smile as I soak it all in - then choke a bit from the dust and what is fondly known here as 'fog' but is certainly Something that Makes me think there is no 'f' before the OG. But calling it fog keeps us all a little happier in 'we all pretend nothing is wrong on the surface' world. And I spit.
Sometimes one forgets where one is during a perfect moment, then is subsequently reminded with a smack, kick, honk, or in this case, phlegm.
I am, as we speak, getting reacquainted with Reba, my lovely bicycle (did I mention she is red?) as I ride her from my old 'home' to my new one on this fine Summer day in the capital of the PRC. After the preliminary preparations, I flick the switch; an old Bruce Springsteen song starts to rock in my ears; and I start to roll.
Oh sweet, sweet Reba.
I start off at each light way ahead of everyone the second it turns green. It is a race, of course, to the next set of lights. Which I must win and which is apparently not fun to anyone else on a bike in Beijing, as they prefer to play the game of 'who can get there last' instead. But we all, always, end up at the next red light together. Waiting. or, in some cases, not.
Occasionally an e-bike or a car veers in front, thinking I am a typical "slow" bike....thus begins the game of 'face' as I try to educate the masses and stay alive at the same time.
I win a point when I behave the most serenely - the most zen.
I lose a point if I sneer, veer, or brake...let alone if I yell or curse - things a Red Rager must do at times, even armed with the knowledge this behavior will lose her points.
There's a red light up ahead. Michael Jackson's Thriller just came on. Do I stop? I am not even within the third ring road yet. Things are different out here. It's like a whole new frontier. Almost the Wild West in a concrete jungle sort of way but with more dust and less whistling. The cars seem to keep going and so I stop pedaling but don't break. Still red, still red, still red. The bikes all keep going too. And all the people are going across. Ah, it must be yet another green light simply disguised as a red one. Silly me, I should have known.
See, there is democracy in China. Majority rules.
I continue through and think to myself that the right thing to do in a country where there are few enforced laws and no religion is simply whatever-everyone-else-is-doing.
Along with democracy on the roads in China there is also a caste system. To make it simple I will keep it to 4 levels. The top level are, straight-shooter, the busses. Most of which are either double decker or the double long accordion-in-the-middle types. Not only do the busses do whatever they please but they also get the most respect. Even I won't dabble in a game with these upper echelons on society.
The second highest class would have to be police and government vehicles, and the neuveaux riches (porche, audi, hummer, beamer, etc), the latter of which I try to make my focus of "Face", as they are the easiest to win points off of - being that they've usually been driving for one year tops, and still revere the good old tall nose, round eyed laowai.
In the next class, the third class, we have taxis and bikes. I do not consider myself in this class (surprise, surprise). I seat myself snugly in the middle of slow pedal biker and crazy-eyed taxi driver. I might look like a 2 but I act like a 3. And I've got the scars and medals to prove it.
The untouchables in this caste system would be pedestrians. If you have the misfortune of being born unto this class, do not, for any reason, think if any of the higher classes are coming towards you, that they will stop for you. They will not see you. In fact, you are henceforth renamed 'invisibles'.
The roads have suddenly started to get a bit busier as I get closer to the epicenter - the Forbidden City - and as it near XiaBan (work is over) time. Some 10 million people must be on the move around me now, and I'm going along with them. As the dustiness picks up, the noise is maddening - the cars are all practically at a stand still - and I whiz by them all. Freeeeedoooom!!!!!! I lick my lips, Igtch, dust. Try to remember not to do that again.
Bon Jovi comes on and I pass an e-bike going 25km/hr or so. I am not even sweating or breathing through my mouth (I try not to, without my mask) and I hear the driver yell "Sky!!!" which means, 'Oh my god!'
"Sky, sky sky!!!! A foreigner on a bike and they are fast!!" Oh the Chinese are so darned talented at pointing out the bluntly obvious. "Thank you," I say. I am going to give myself one point on that one... you would too if you dealt with "Helllooooo, Laowai, waiguoren?" Etc all day long. It's enough to make you wanna drop kick a split-pantsed baby the next time you see they 'spitting-and-squatting' parent light up a cigarette in the middle of the grocery store while their child pees in the cookie isle.
Deep breaths.......
A car makes a right turn into the bike lane and across four others. No check to the left. No signal. After all, I should have seen it coming. Of course I should have, right? "Is this your first day with a car?" I yell, and kick at it with the precision of someone who might have done that before.
"Bang!"
A mild hush envelopes the entire city. Damn. I lost a point there. Maybe even two if there were judges. Another car veers right, through the intersection and across the bike lane. I swerve a bit and there is only one thought on my mind "poker face, poker face, poker face'. Oh yeah, I won that one.
Honk! Honk! Honk! This honk! constant honk! and never honk! ending backhonk!drop to all Chinese cities becomes part of your thoughts after living here a while. But every so often it is obnoxious enough to yet again permeate even the longest-lived vetran. HONK!
"What the heck is that guy going on about?" I look back for a second, annoyed he might be driving behind me in the bike lane and about to give him a piece of my mind (knowing full well that would mean losing a point, but preemptively strategizing that it will be worth it). But I need not worry as this driver is much smarter than the rest and not in the bike lane at all but instead driving seamlessly along the sidewalk. That must be why they make them so wide here.
I start getting lost in my own thoughts. I am getting into the groove. "Is a moment wasted if it has no purpose? But how it is determined whether that moment has purpose or not until after the moment has passed? In which case how can anyone in any moment correctly judge whether that moment is of use or not? Why is it that we feel everything must have a purpose? Or we make sense of some choice, some random meeting, so missed flight, etc? Is it true that a purposeless life is a life un-lived? Or does all life have an inherent purpose and thus putting value or thought into it actually makes it less purposeful or more purposeless?"
Honk honk honk!!!!! Tweeeeet! Woah, wake up, Red Rager.
Hard right. South for a light then only a few more blocks East and I'll be at TianAnMen.
I am a hero for maneuvering through this city without a map.
I am a hero!
Hey that dude's got a mustache!
Woah, a foreigner!
Honk honk! "baby it don't matter if your black or white"
Oh yeah, life is good. And I am ....pedestrian!!!
"AhYaWoDeMaYa!!?!" Guess they aren't invisible after all. And looking before crossing was yet another thing mum's forgot to tell their kids growing up and Moa failed to mention in his little red book. Maybe the Communist Party needs to write a New Testament version. Or maybe I do? Hey, there's a good plan for my Saturday.
I am a despondent little lady while I write this blog; but I know it must
be done. My reason for depression? Well, that I am no longer here,
Helsinki, with all it brings. And my reason for getting it done now?
Only more good things are to come - and soon! (in
the form of long lost sisters, unexplored lands, Expo 2010 and my last
month in China) - so before they do I must grin and bear it while reminiscing on the last
few weeks without buying a ticket onto the next flight from PEK to HEL.
This is the view South from the tallest (11 stories) building in the city; which just so happens to have a bar at the top - I'll be back just for that!
So where do I start then? I need to somehow tell you all how cool it was (in more ways than one) and at the same time not get too wrapped up in my love, for fear I will ask Bonnie and all other travel agents to cancel hers and my flights for the next months, and close my eyes and wake up in the place in which I write of.
I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks.... and will work on gathering some really geeky facts (like did you know the Finns drink more coffee than any other nation?) and history (such as the 4 wars fought over the last century) for you then. For now, here is just a preview/review of my first time both into Scandanavia and la ville de ma blanc poubelle prince.
It snowed while we were out running one morning (hey, no place is perfect) and speaking of which, it costs 7USD for a beer at the grocery store, let alone at a bar. That and the fact that it doesn't get dark until 10pm already this time of year would both take some warming up to. But the architecture is gorgeous; every building is a different colour and both interiors and exteriors have so much culture and attention to detail. And the air was so damned clean it almost made my head spin!
The Finns are not all tall, blond and gorgeous (just mine is). In fact, most are small, with brown hair...so I fit right in. Oh, except for the minor fact that I cannot speak either of the two official languages (Finnish and Swedish) and therefore am completely incapable of simple things like buying cheese or reading signs. For this reason, and possibly this reason only, I was relieved when I got back into Beijing, in that I understood everything around me again - how backwards is that?
Speaking of backwards, get this -- they don't drink vodka in Finland! Instead, it is essential to start each day with Champagne. Or is that just your family, Bastian? Either way, it is yet another thing I could get used to there.
On the topic of family, if my family were to welcome someone even half as warmly as his welcomed me, I would be very proud (and mildly shocked). Is that saying something about my family or his? Maybe both. Either way, it is yet another thing I am missing now, and another thing I realize I miss so much in my life here in China. Oh that reminds me, my curious cough went missing within days in Finland, and has curiously returned after 3 days back in BJ. Mmmm, crisp air and warm people...is that too much to ask?
I am not the first and certainly not the last to say this church was my favorite building in the capital.
I just happened to visit at the time which coincides with Vappu, possibly Finland's biggest annual celebration and somewhat of an equivalent to Canada Day, but with a few more unique traditions. Vappu is a great excuse to get drunk for many Finns. Actually it's the traditional celebration of workers and students. We started ours on the church steps at 9am with a beer breakfast. You can imagine what the rest of the day was like.
Those Popeye caps are not navy hats, but old traditional graduation caps. From the downtown 9am beer we made it up to Bastian's mum's for a bbq...yep, that IS snow behind them. Friends to the left, brother to the right,
Wikipedia tells me that The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walpurga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walpurga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgis Night is associated with dancing and bonfires.
I'll pretty much associate it with crazy overalls, weird hats, lots of champagne and a love for a country with no laws forbidding drunkenness in public (on special days, like sunny days, anyways).
During Vappu I was introduced to some of the more local foods in the mix of the festivities. Finnish food - much like it's political leftivism, harsh winters, and strong character - is a lot like Canadian food: mainly based on fish and potatoes. But there were a few little tid-bits I'd never seen before like the broiled rice in a half pie crust type of thing with buttery hard boiled egg on top (woulda been heaven with hot sauce) and the black licorice.
OK so I could pretty much live on potatoes, black licorice, and champagne....can I.... please?
Over my week and a bit in Finn-land we also went to a few other cool things like a living museum, a Swedish concert, a military defense island, the contemporary art gallery, and this cool old town called Porvoo.
Additionally, fresh off the flight and on the second day of jet lag, we took "The Booze Cruise" from Helsinki to Tallin, Estonia. It was basically identical to the ferries from Van to Vic but with alcohol, gambling, dancing, and very, very few children.... BC government take note.
Estonia was by far my favorite 'place' during this first visit, and so I can't help but bore you with some cool facts. The group I went there with were more into the social aspect (read: boozin') as they'd been there countless times, but over the last 10 years they've seen this place metamorphose. And I got some pretty cool history lessons from them during beer breaks, on a part of the world I didn't really know existed until a few weeks ago.
Known as one of Europe's best preserved medieval communities, Old Town Tallinn was mostly built in the 13th century and put the 900 year old churches (see last August's post) to shame. There are 1.5 million people in Estonia, of which one third live in Tallin (which says a lot since the country is the size of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and includes over 1,500 islands in the Baltic Sea.
"The city fuses medieval and cutting-edge to come up with an ener- getic new mood all its own - an intoxicating mix of Gothic church spires, glass-and-chrome skyscrapers, wine cellars inside 15th-century basements, lazy afternoons soaking up sun and beer suds on Raekoja plats, and bike paths to beaches and forests - with a few Soviet throwbacks in the mix, for added spice.".
Mmmmhmmmm and I thought I loved Chinese alleys. The alleys in Estonia have a whole new flare...
Go Finns!
This is the view South from the tallest (11 stories) building in the city; which just so happens to have a bar at the top - I'll be back just for that!So where do I start then? I need to somehow tell you all how cool it was (in more ways than one) and at the same time not get too wrapped up in my love, for fear I will ask Bonnie and all other travel agents to cancel hers and my flights for the next months, and close my eyes and wake up in the place in which I write of.
I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks.... and will work on gathering some really geeky facts (like did you know the Finns drink more coffee than any other nation?) and history (such as the 4 wars fought over the last century) for you then. For now, here is just a preview/review of my first time both into Scandanavia and la ville de ma blanc poubelle prince.
It snowed while we were out running one morning (hey, no place is perfect) and speaking of which, it costs 7USD for a beer at the grocery store, let alone at a bar. That and the fact that it doesn't get dark until 10pm already this time of year would both take some warming up to. But the architecture is gorgeous; every building is a different colour and both interiors and exteriors have so much culture and attention to detail. And the air was so damned clean it almost made my head spin! The Finns are not all tall, blond and gorgeous (just mine is). In fact, most are small, with brown hair...so I fit right in. Oh, except for the minor fact that I cannot speak either of the two official languages (Finnish and Swedish) and therefore am completely incapable of simple things like buying cheese or reading signs. For this reason, and possibly this reason only, I was relieved when I got back into Beijing, in that I understood everything around me again - how backwards is that? Speaking of backwards, get this -- they don't drink vodka in Finland! Instead, it is essential to start each day with Champagne. Or is that just your family, Bastian? Either way, it is yet another thing I could get used to there.
On the topic of family, if my family were to welcome someone even half as warmly as his welcomed me, I would be very proud (and mildly shocked). Is that saying something about my family or his? Maybe both. Either way, it is yet another thing I am missing now, and another thing I realize I miss so much in my life here in China. Oh that reminds me, my curious cough went missing within days in Finland, and has curiously returned after 3 days back in BJ. Mmmm, crisp air and warm people...is that too much to ask?I am not the first and certainly not the last to say this church was my favorite building in the capital.I just happened to visit at the time which coincides with Vappu, possibly Finland's biggest annual celebration and somewhat of an equivalent to Canada Day, but with a few more unique traditions. Vappu is a great excuse to get drunk for many Finns. Actually it's the traditional celebration of workers and students. We started ours on the church steps at 9am with a beer breakfast. You can imagine what the rest of the day was like.
Those Popeye caps are not navy hats, but old traditional graduation caps. From the downtown 9am beer we made it up to Bastian's mum's for a bbq...yep, that IS snow behind them. Friends to the left, brother to the right,Wikipedia tells me that The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walpurga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walpurga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgis Night is associated with dancing and bonfires.I'll pretty much associate it with crazy overalls, weird hats, lots of champagne and a love for a country with no laws forbidding drunkenness in public (on special days, like sunny days, anyways).During Vappu I was introduced to some of the more local foods in the mix of the festivities. Finnish food - much like it's political leftivism, harsh winters, and strong character - is a lot like Canadian food: mainly based on fish and potatoes. But there were a few little tid-bits I'd never seen before like the broiled rice in a half pie crust type of thing with buttery hard boiled egg on top (woulda been heaven with hot sauce) and the black licorice.
OK so I could pretty much live on potatoes, black licorice, and champagne....can I.... please?
Over my week and a bit in Finn-land we also went to a few other cool things like a living museum, a Swedish concert, a military defense island, the contemporary art gallery, and this cool old town called Porvoo.Additionally, fresh off the flight and on the second day of jet lag, we took "The Booze Cruise" from Helsinki to Tallin, Estonia. It was basically identical to the ferries from Van to Vic but with alcohol, gambling, dancing, and very, very few children.... BC government take note.Estonia was by far my favorite 'place' during this first visit, and so I can't help but bore you with some cool facts. The group I went there with were more into the social aspect (read: boozin') as they'd been there countless times, but over the last 10 years they've seen this place metamorphose. And I got some pretty cool history lessons from them during beer breaks, on a part of the world I didn't really know existed until a few weeks ago. Known as one of Europe's best preserved medieval communities, Old Town Tallinn was mostly built in the 13th century and put the 900 year old churches (see last August's post) to shame. There are 1.5 million people in Estonia, of which one third live in Tallin (which says a lot since the country is the size of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and includes over 1,500 islands in the Baltic Sea."The city fuses medieval and cutting-edge to come up with an ener- getic new mood all its own - an intoxicating mix of Gothic church spires, glass-and-chrome skyscrapers, wine cellars inside 15th-century basements, lazy afternoons soaking up sun and beer suds on Raekoja plats, and bike paths to beaches and forests - with a few Soviet throwbacks in the mix, for added spice.".Mmmmhmmmm and I thought I loved Chinese alleys. The alleys in Estonia have a whole new flare...
Go Finns!
