I went to a yoga class in Manhattan yesterday at Vira Yoga. The class was full and the vibe in the room was exciting. Everyone was talking and getting to know each other when I arrived and I quickly set my rental mat down and got myself prepared. It's amazing how my thinking changes drastically when I hit the mat. I just wish I could take the focus, concentration, and determination and apply it to my life outside of yoga. I take that back. I realize I practice all of the above qualities, but just right now, it is much easier when it's in physical form.
I had a great practice. My favorite quote from the teacher was something about how we should let our eyes be open and to allow them to view our whole body at once. And that is how it feels. I don't know what the technical term for it is in Sanskrit but yoga feels like it's happening in my body simultaneously and my mind and my eyes are able to see and feel it everywhere and in every inch of muscle, tissue, etc. What is that feeling? Is it called Awareness? Because that term, although readily used in the yoga world doesn't satisfy me. I think Iyengar talked about how intelligence is in the cells of the body and that yoga stops being a physical form (the asana) and starts to become an awakening of the senses of perception. To me, my insides smile. They light up. There's a communication and understanding that goes deeper than just getting a better stretch. The action I feel is internal. And there's so much freedom that results from this particular action. And when there isn't freedom in the muscle tissue, that's replaced with a yearning to understand myself better. To figure it out. And to make it improve by listening, drawing within, and nurturing my body. The nurturing part has taken me years to finally begin to do. I used to push, get angry, but mostly sad and frustrated when there was no response from my body. Now I am more observant and accepting of myself. I have a long ways to go, don't get me wrong. But I know I am on the way there.
Well, I've rambled on for quite a bit.
I received a not so satisfying assist in handstand in the class which made me twist my hips in the position. And I wondered for the rest of the class why one side of my body was doing so much work. This has happened before where one hip comes forward and I am straining in one arm more than the other. I was able to brush it off and asked one of the other teachers from the studio who was also taking class to help me after the class was over. And voila! It was great and I even balanced for a while in the middle of the room! Gotta love it!
So, the moral is I love Yoga. I can't get enough of the good stuff.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
NYC
We're here! Chase and I arrived in Newark last night and had Christmas Eve dinner with his parents at the Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan.
Because of jet lag, Chase was up right around sunrise. The river looks beautiful in the morning and we've had fun looking at the birds and geese swimming around. Now we've had a breakfast. I'm going to go upstairs and enjoy some cardio in the workout room. Being on a plane and then sitting at a restaurant makes me a bit stir crazy. And then after that I'm going to make my yoga schedule. I'm going to try as many different yoga studios and take at least one class a day while I'm here because there's no yoga in the Jing.
Merry Christmas!
Because of jet lag, Chase was up right around sunrise. The river looks beautiful in the morning and we've had fun looking at the birds and geese swimming around. Now we've had a breakfast. I'm going to go upstairs and enjoy some cardio in the workout room. Being on a plane and then sitting at a restaurant makes me a bit stir crazy. And then after that I'm going to make my yoga schedule. I'm going to try as many different yoga studios and take at least one class a day while I'm here because there's no yoga in the Jing.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Bayby Teddy Bear
This year I received a new student in my class from Singapore. Since she was new to Beijing, she was sick often and missed class. It was only during November when I felt that she was settling in, making friends, and opening up to me. I could finally see she was happy. We had parent-teacher conferences at the Family Learning House in November and when her parents came, they brought her Godmother along. Later that week, the school went on a field trip and her Godmother was a chaperone.
So the other day Chase and I went out to dinner and in the elevator came in a lady with an adorable brown puff ball in her hands. I was oohing and aaahing and petting the puppy and when I looked up it was the Godmother! So we live in the same building and through a series of emails we have arranged to be pet-sitters for her dog.
This is a great situation because I have been mourning Lola since we left Austin. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t look at other dogs without feeling miserable. It wasn’t until recently that I could pet a dog happily. So having a dog for the weekend is great therapy for me.
The dog’s name is Bayby. This is what she looks like.
She’s a toy poodle which the nickname of this particular poodle is called “teddy bear poodle.” I was confused as to why they have this particular nickname until her Mom went back upstairs to get her leash and she stood by the door on her hind legs how a bear would stand upright. She has amazing balance and great jumping skills.
Here she is sprawled across my hip.
And then when her Mom finally left she kept watch on our sofa facing the door with her legs flared out. Chase and I call this her “commando crawl” as she often has to get in this position because she’s so small and has to flop over things like pillows.
At night, she slept in the bed and in morning she was really into jumping over the comforter and clambering over the pillows.
Here’s another picture with Chase on the computer as she watches on. Notice that he hasn’t shaved in about one month. He claims he’s going to dye it white for Christmas to go with his infamous Santa Hat.
I know she looks ferocious (like a growling bear) in this picture, but she’s really in mid-yawn.
So the other day Chase and I went out to dinner and in the elevator came in a lady with an adorable brown puff ball in her hands. I was oohing and aaahing and petting the puppy and when I looked up it was the Godmother! So we live in the same building and through a series of emails we have arranged to be pet-sitters for her dog.
This is a great situation because I have been mourning Lola since we left Austin. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t look at other dogs without feeling miserable. It wasn’t until recently that I could pet a dog happily. So having a dog for the weekend is great therapy for me.
The dog’s name is Bayby. This is what she looks like.
She’s a toy poodle which the nickname of this particular poodle is called “teddy bear poodle.” I was confused as to why they have this particular nickname until her Mom went back upstairs to get her leash and she stood by the door on her hind legs how a bear would stand upright. She has amazing balance and great jumping skills.
Here she is sprawled across my hip.
And then when her Mom finally left she kept watch on our sofa facing the door with her legs flared out. Chase and I call this her “commando crawl” as she often has to get in this position because she’s so small and has to flop over things like pillows.
At night, she slept in the bed and in morning she was really into jumping over the comforter and clambering over the pillows.
Here’s another picture with Chase on the computer as she watches on. Notice that he hasn’t shaved in about one month. He claims he’s going to dye it white for Christmas to go with his infamous Santa Hat.
I know she looks ferocious (like a growling bear) in this picture, but she’s really in mid-yawn.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday Night
Phew! What a day. I went after work to Shin Kong Place (www.shinkong-place.com) to find an outfit for Christmas Even dinner in NYC. The website doesn't do the mall justice, but it really is one of the best places to shop in Beijing. No real luck but I found a great top for New Year's Eve. I am really excited about my trip back to the States. I haven't done any of my Christmas shopping for others though. I always fall behind and it's especially difficult to find anything here when most of the stores have foreign brands and I'm not sure of their quality. But I have this upcoming weekend at least.
I stopped over to get some groceries and then made my way home. Chase and Fernando were just heading out the door to our Monday Night Supper Club. Yes, you read that right, we have a group of friends that we try out different restaurants with. It's fun, and there's a good rotation of new people that we get to have conversation with and see regularly. I think by living in a big city you have to make extra efforts to see friends otherwise you just get wrapped up in your own bubble. I wanted to stay in my bubble though. I have been feeling like being alone. And if you know me, you know that I can survive without talking to anyone for a long time before I get lonely. And another reason I wanted to stay home tonight was because they were going to an all-you-can-eat Teppanyaki restaurant where the choice of veggie options are limited. And then I have to be the "party-pooper" by asking the chef to cook my veggies with different cooking utensils, away from the meat and seafood, and so that the grease doesn't drip on to the veggies. And since there were around ten people going, I knew that would be a problem.
And so I cooked. It's been the first time in literally two weeks! I chopped veggies. My chopping skills have declined since I don't cook anymore. And I made myself a yummy bowl of pasta with sauce, peas, sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green pepper. I even had some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It was definite comfort food.
I've now been catching up on emails and I got an email from my friend Kevin that he has a yoga friend in Beijing who's also a Montessori teacher. What a small world! And then I got in touch my other yoga friend, Katie, from DC who got married I just found out! And Ashley and Benedict bought a house this weekend! Everyone I know is so exciting!
So now I'm going to go be exciting and get some sleep.
I stopped over to get some groceries and then made my way home. Chase and Fernando were just heading out the door to our Monday Night Supper Club. Yes, you read that right, we have a group of friends that we try out different restaurants with. It's fun, and there's a good rotation of new people that we get to have conversation with and see regularly. I think by living in a big city you have to make extra efforts to see friends otherwise you just get wrapped up in your own bubble. I wanted to stay in my bubble though. I have been feeling like being alone. And if you know me, you know that I can survive without talking to anyone for a long time before I get lonely. And another reason I wanted to stay home tonight was because they were going to an all-you-can-eat Teppanyaki restaurant where the choice of veggie options are limited. And then I have to be the "party-pooper" by asking the chef to cook my veggies with different cooking utensils, away from the meat and seafood, and so that the grease doesn't drip on to the veggies. And since there were around ten people going, I knew that would be a problem.
And so I cooked. It's been the first time in literally two weeks! I chopped veggies. My chopping skills have declined since I don't cook anymore. And I made myself a yummy bowl of pasta with sauce, peas, sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green pepper. I even had some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It was definite comfort food.
I've now been catching up on emails and I got an email from my friend Kevin that he has a yoga friend in Beijing who's also a Montessori teacher. What a small world! And then I got in touch my other yoga friend, Katie, from DC who got married I just found out! And Ashley and Benedict bought a house this weekend! Everyone I know is so exciting!
So now I'm going to go be exciting and get some sleep.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wei? Ni Hao.
Hello? Wei?
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted. Our lives here are at lightning speed. I just wanted to talk about an interesting phenomenon that I’ve noticed with the children in my class.
When I lived and studied abroad in Taiwan several years ago. I would often notice how prevalent cell phone usage was. Cell phones and electronics are much cheaper in Asia and they more “blingy.” A total fashion accessory. This way of thinking is just now catching on in America. In Taiwan it’s extremely popular to have neon LEDs all over your phone if you are a guy and cute Hello Kitty charms attached to the antennae if you are female. People would answer their cell phones where ever they were: in the bathroom, on the treadmill, in the movie theatre, and in the middle of a lecture in class. They would just cover their mouths over the phone with one hand as if that stopped you from noticing that they were on the phone. Missing a phone call probably made them nervous. And I am sure you have read articles about how many people are addicted to their Blackberries, cell phones, and other hand-held emailing devices.
Several years later, the reliance on our electric devices has now changed the way children in my class play. Just yesterday, I had to keep a child inside from playtime because of his actions the day before and because they continued yesterday as well. While he sat in the room, he began to entertain himself by playing “cell phone” and talking with the person on the line. This continued for several minutes and he was mimicking the way he has seen his parents act on the phone. Another child was putting his shoes on the other day and all of a sudden like as if he was struck by something, he held is hand to his right ear, cocked his head to one side and began speaking into his imaginary phone. Another instance is when a new child came to visit my classroom a few weeks ago. She proudly showed off her toy cellphone that looked shiny, bright, and had buttons to press and play with. I had nothing to say to her about it but inside was bewildered that her parents thought that this was an ok toy to buy. Some people might think these three instances are cute and that the children are just being “imaginative.” However, I feel that they are a clear indication how obsessed we have become. Our children are watching us everyday. They might be playing in the same room and not looking like they are watching as you clean or pay bills. But they sense your emotions, the watch how you interact, and they absorb everything that. So if you are a parent and you need to talk on the phone, do it after you pick up your child from school, not while you are driving, and as little as possible in their presence. Put away your cell phone at dinner time or other quality time that you spend with your child. Then we can help children interact with the real world around them and allow them to have real experiences.
Alright, I’m off my soapbox.
Chase and I got a suitcase of things from Austin. We have our jackets now! And gloves, mittens, and other essentials we have been missing. It’s great. Thank you Mom and Dad!
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted. Our lives here are at lightning speed. I just wanted to talk about an interesting phenomenon that I’ve noticed with the children in my class.
When I lived and studied abroad in Taiwan several years ago. I would often notice how prevalent cell phone usage was. Cell phones and electronics are much cheaper in Asia and they more “blingy.” A total fashion accessory. This way of thinking is just now catching on in America. In Taiwan it’s extremely popular to have neon LEDs all over your phone if you are a guy and cute Hello Kitty charms attached to the antennae if you are female. People would answer their cell phones where ever they were: in the bathroom, on the treadmill, in the movie theatre, and in the middle of a lecture in class. They would just cover their mouths over the phone with one hand as if that stopped you from noticing that they were on the phone. Missing a phone call probably made them nervous. And I am sure you have read articles about how many people are addicted to their Blackberries, cell phones, and other hand-held emailing devices.
Several years later, the reliance on our electric devices has now changed the way children in my class play. Just yesterday, I had to keep a child inside from playtime because of his actions the day before and because they continued yesterday as well. While he sat in the room, he began to entertain himself by playing “cell phone” and talking with the person on the line. This continued for several minutes and he was mimicking the way he has seen his parents act on the phone. Another child was putting his shoes on the other day and all of a sudden like as if he was struck by something, he held is hand to his right ear, cocked his head to one side and began speaking into his imaginary phone. Another instance is when a new child came to visit my classroom a few weeks ago. She proudly showed off her toy cellphone that looked shiny, bright, and had buttons to press and play with. I had nothing to say to her about it but inside was bewildered that her parents thought that this was an ok toy to buy. Some people might think these three instances are cute and that the children are just being “imaginative.” However, I feel that they are a clear indication how obsessed we have become. Our children are watching us everyday. They might be playing in the same room and not looking like they are watching as you clean or pay bills. But they sense your emotions, the watch how you interact, and they absorb everything that. So if you are a parent and you need to talk on the phone, do it after you pick up your child from school, not while you are driving, and as little as possible in their presence. Put away your cell phone at dinner time or other quality time that you spend with your child. Then we can help children interact with the real world around them and allow them to have real experiences.
Alright, I’m off my soapbox.
Chase and I got a suitcase of things from Austin. We have our jackets now! And gloves, mittens, and other essentials we have been missing. It’s great. Thank you Mom and Dad!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Decorating
Well, Chase and I had another fun weekend. We work very hard during the week so it's nice to just relax and do fun things. Funny though, I went into work this morning from about 9:30-1. There's so much work to do. And I don't work well during the week as I am tired from being with the children. So the weekends are when I get most of my classroom management out of the way.
I met Chase at Starbucks in Jianwai SOHO (the group of buildings where I work). Here's a picture of where I work. The school is the three story building admist the taller white buildings. If you look closely you can see the white Christmas tree I get to see every morning when I get to work. Lovely!
SOHO is also where our gym is. So we worked out. Then we went to a place in SOHO called "Grandma's Kitchen" for lunch. It's American home-cooked fare. And it's cozy there. We had major ordering issues. Chase asked for a Mint Chocolate Chip milkshake and made sure they understood he wanted the chocolate milkshake and the mint one to be combined. We ended up with two.... one chocolate and one mint. We sent it back and they just brought us what they combined. We ended up paying for two milkshakes, etc. Anyways, we came home and had a great Chinese study session. We love playing "students." Makes us feel young.
Oh, here's a picture of what it was like outside today. We call it "nuclear fall-out" days when the pollution is this bad. Some people might say this is just what winter looks like but you should smell the air and then make a judgement.
Then we made it home to start decorating our Christmas tree. We are having a very IKEA Christmas. That's where we got our Christmas tree and ornaments. Yesterday we went to a shopping market that is more Chinese and Chase and I couldn't stay there more than 1.5 hours. It's a place where you can bargain and great deals, but the sellers hustle and try to get you to buy things to get ripped off. It's a lot of work to barain. Anyways, we opted to go the IKEA route. We are happy with our tree in a box. Here's Chase opening up the bubbly to set the tone for the evening. Notice he is shirtless. We literally never turn our radiators on. Our floor is insanely hot. We believe someone else inadvertantly has left their radiators on and is creating warmth for us and 20 other residents. We tried to open the windows to get some fresh air because it's so hot in our apartment, but the air was so bad today that it stank up our whole apartment.
At IKEA I bought a cool new mouse apron with hearts all over. Here I am putting it on.
Before...
After...
Yay! We have Christmas in Beijing! Chase is out to the Landmark Flower Market tomorrow to find some Christmas lights for the tree and maybe a tree skirt. It's simple, but it's a start.
I met Chase at Starbucks in Jianwai SOHO (the group of buildings where I work). Here's a picture of where I work. The school is the three story building admist the taller white buildings. If you look closely you can see the white Christmas tree I get to see every morning when I get to work. Lovely!
SOHO is also where our gym is. So we worked out. Then we went to a place in SOHO called "Grandma's Kitchen" for lunch. It's American home-cooked fare. And it's cozy there. We had major ordering issues. Chase asked for a Mint Chocolate Chip milkshake and made sure they understood he wanted the chocolate milkshake and the mint one to be combined. We ended up with two.... one chocolate and one mint. We sent it back and they just brought us what they combined. We ended up paying for two milkshakes, etc. Anyways, we came home and had a great Chinese study session. We love playing "students." Makes us feel young.
Oh, here's a picture of what it was like outside today. We call it "nuclear fall-out" days when the pollution is this bad. Some people might say this is just what winter looks like but you should smell the air and then make a judgement.
Then we made it home to start decorating our Christmas tree. We are having a very IKEA Christmas. That's where we got our Christmas tree and ornaments. Yesterday we went to a shopping market that is more Chinese and Chase and I couldn't stay there more than 1.5 hours. It's a place where you can bargain and great deals, but the sellers hustle and try to get you to buy things to get ripped off. It's a lot of work to barain. Anyways, we opted to go the IKEA route. We are happy with our tree in a box. Here's Chase opening up the bubbly to set the tone for the evening. Notice he is shirtless. We literally never turn our radiators on. Our floor is insanely hot. We believe someone else inadvertantly has left their radiators on and is creating warmth for us and 20 other residents. We tried to open the windows to get some fresh air because it's so hot in our apartment, but the air was so bad today that it stank up our whole apartment.
At IKEA I bought a cool new mouse apron with hearts all over. Here I am putting it on.
Before...
After...
Yay! We have Christmas in Beijing! Chase is out to the Landmark Flower Market tomorrow to find some Christmas lights for the tree and maybe a tree skirt. It's simple, but it's a start.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Dropbacks
I decided to go to an Ashtanga class on Sunday. I found what I thought was the most authentic and reputable studio in town (based on their website and looking to see the upcoming workshops at the studio- not really a great and barely made it to class because I was stopped by some crazy hairdressers insisting that I needed a haircut). You see, some days, not very often in Beijing because the air is so dry here, I wear my hair curly. In Asia, that translates to = ugly hair. This guy and girl who had the standard Asian funky hairdos were telling me that they could do wonders for my hair if I would just pay them 30 kuai (less than $5). Alright, moving on.
The studio was alright and the class was going well. I am surprised how much my Anusara practice has helped my (little to nothing) Ashtanga practice. I am more grounded in technique. I don't feel floppy half way through the sequence. And basically I don't stress as much in the sequence as I used to. I have learnt to have a calm mind and just take it as it comes. It is more freeing.
We had gotten to dropbacks and I was ready to try them with assistance. For all you non-yoga readers, dropbacks are where you are standing and you lean backwards and end up on your hands in a wheel position.Then you stand back up. I motioned for the teacher to come and help me out. I did one and she suggested I was ready to try on completely on my own. I hesitated and she tried to encourage me. I tried another and this time she was really telling me I could do one on my own. I looked her in the face and made sure she was serious and would still stand right there. I went back and was about half way there when... thud... I landed on my head. I don't know what happened except that she wasn't right there. She apologized and told me she looked away. Even if it was for a second she did the worst thing you can do for your students.
I put my entire trust onto this one human being. I thought that even though she was a stranger to me, we could overcome that because of our love of yoga and well, because dropbacks are fun. My head didn't hurt nearly as much as my heart did the rest of the class. All these emotions came up about about trust, blind faith, and yoga teachers. I teared up for the rest of the sequence. And I promise I was trying so hard to make it stop. It wasn't really even crying so much as it was just raw emotion and feelings about what had just happened. I even thought about leaving the class but didn't want her to lose face.
So I will be attending her classes in the future because I want to give her another chance, but I am just so eager to better good yoga instruction. I was in a conversation with a Canadian on Monday about the Beijing yoga scene and apparently all the good teachers have moved to Hangzhou (closer to Shanghai). Interesting because that's where the AMI training centre has been set up. And in the past I have noticed that where ever there is good Montessori, there's good yoga. Just my theory... I'll keep you updated on our impending move to Hangzhou...haha.
The studio was alright and the class was going well. I am surprised how much my Anusara practice has helped my (little to nothing) Ashtanga practice. I am more grounded in technique. I don't feel floppy half way through the sequence. And basically I don't stress as much in the sequence as I used to. I have learnt to have a calm mind and just take it as it comes. It is more freeing.
We had gotten to dropbacks and I was ready to try them with assistance. For all you non-yoga readers, dropbacks are where you are standing and you lean backwards and end up on your hands in a wheel position.Then you stand back up. I motioned for the teacher to come and help me out. I did one and she suggested I was ready to try on completely on my own. I hesitated and she tried to encourage me. I tried another and this time she was really telling me I could do one on my own. I looked her in the face and made sure she was serious and would still stand right there. I went back and was about half way there when... thud... I landed on my head. I don't know what happened except that she wasn't right there. She apologized and told me she looked away. Even if it was for a second she did the worst thing you can do for your students.
I put my entire trust onto this one human being. I thought that even though she was a stranger to me, we could overcome that because of our love of yoga and well, because dropbacks are fun. My head didn't hurt nearly as much as my heart did the rest of the class. All these emotions came up about about trust, blind faith, and yoga teachers. I teared up for the rest of the sequence. And I promise I was trying so hard to make it stop. It wasn't really even crying so much as it was just raw emotion and feelings about what had just happened. I even thought about leaving the class but didn't want her to lose face.
So I will be attending her classes in the future because I want to give her another chance, but I am just so eager to better good yoga instruction. I was in a conversation with a Canadian on Monday about the Beijing yoga scene and apparently all the good teachers have moved to Hangzhou (closer to Shanghai). Interesting because that's where the AMI training centre has been set up. And in the past I have noticed that where ever there is good Montessori, there's good yoga. Just my theory... I'll keep you updated on our impending move to Hangzhou...haha.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Our Home
So I never got around to posting pictures of our apartment in Beijing. Here are some pictures I took when I was touring around the city looking. Of course, the apartment is more decorated and lived-in now, but we still haven't bought lamps, anything for the walls, and too many accessories. Mostly it's because we are so busy. Chase and I were thinking about staying in China for Chinese New Year and I suppose that might be a good time to go around and shop.
Here's the kitchen. It's more like a kitchenette if you ask me coming from our lovely kitchen in the Paisano house in Austin. But it'll do. Towards the end is the room for the washing machine. Note: no dryers in Beijing. The air is so dry, everything is dry within in a day when you just hang it up.
The great room. We now have a rug for under the coffee table and it is usually more lit than what shows in the picture. We love our sectional couch. But in some ways it's a bit too small for Chase's legs. He usually sits on the "L" part or lays down.
Our shoe cabinet and entryway mirror.
Our dining room. Notice how the microwave is in the dining room. Not much we can do about that as there is only one outlet in the kitchen and that is for the electric water kettle. At least we don't have the problem that most Chinese apartments have where the refrigerator has to stay in the dining room!
Guest bathroom.
Guest bedroom. Since we haven't had any guests yet, we feel comfortable using this space as our bike garage and our Ayi uses it as her workspace for folding and ironing our clothes.
Our bathroom. We have a tub. That's not so common in Beijing either! Most bathrooms tend to be in the style where the tile floor just has a shower head and the water goes all over the floor. Similar to India.
Our bedroom. We really like the big window that is on the corner. You get a good view of what's happening on our street corner. Ask Chase about it sometime. He watches the people every day while he's working and has some good stories.
Here's the 3rd bedroom which is more like a storage room by American standards. But it now has a large desk and chair and bookshelf for Chase while he works. This twin bed folds up to be a little couch in the corner. So that's where I come in and chat with him when I get home from work each evening.
So I hope you have a better visual of where we live now. It's a lot of space for just two people.
And we feel very happy with our arrangement. We also live really close to amazing restaurants and shops. We we live is called the CBD- Central Business District. It's located in the ChaoYang District of Beijing which is the fastest growing and most sophisticated part of the city. Virtually all westerners live in ChaoYang and quite frankly, we haven't left ChaoYang, except to go to the airport. But even that might be located in ChaoYang. I'm not sure.
Here's the kitchen. It's more like a kitchenette if you ask me coming from our lovely kitchen in the Paisano house in Austin. But it'll do. Towards the end is the room for the washing machine. Note: no dryers in Beijing. The air is so dry, everything is dry within in a day when you just hang it up.
The great room. We now have a rug for under the coffee table and it is usually more lit than what shows in the picture. We love our sectional couch. But in some ways it's a bit too small for Chase's legs. He usually sits on the "L" part or lays down.
Our shoe cabinet and entryway mirror.
Our dining room. Notice how the microwave is in the dining room. Not much we can do about that as there is only one outlet in the kitchen and that is for the electric water kettle. At least we don't have the problem that most Chinese apartments have where the refrigerator has to stay in the dining room!
Guest bathroom.
Guest bedroom. Since we haven't had any guests yet, we feel comfortable using this space as our bike garage and our Ayi uses it as her workspace for folding and ironing our clothes.
Our bathroom. We have a tub. That's not so common in Beijing either! Most bathrooms tend to be in the style where the tile floor just has a shower head and the water goes all over the floor. Similar to India.
Our bedroom. We really like the big window that is on the corner. You get a good view of what's happening on our street corner. Ask Chase about it sometime. He watches the people every day while he's working and has some good stories.
Here's the 3rd bedroom which is more like a storage room by American standards. But it now has a large desk and chair and bookshelf for Chase while he works. This twin bed folds up to be a little couch in the corner. So that's where I come in and chat with him when I get home from work each evening.
So I hope you have a better visual of where we live now. It's a lot of space for just two people.
And we feel very happy with our arrangement. We also live really close to amazing restaurants and shops. We we live is called the CBD- Central Business District. It's located in the ChaoYang District of Beijing which is the fastest growing and most sophisticated part of the city. Virtually all westerners live in ChaoYang and quite frankly, we haven't left ChaoYang, except to go to the airport. But even that might be located in ChaoYang. I'm not sure.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Expat Status Granted
I am officially an "expat." My work visa came today. I am a registered "alien" with the Chinese government. They now have jurisdiction over my rights. Well, actually, I'm not sure how I am protected by the US government anymore. I'm still a citizen so I suppose it shouldn't change much.
Speaking of which Chase and I went out to the local outdoor store (www.sanfo.com/en) which is beautiful. They have everything we can need from brands like Patagonia, Nalgene, MadRock, etc. But many items are 2x as expensive. So we will wait to go back to America to get needed items like socks, water bottles, climbing ropes, down jackets, etc. And then we went to another area of town for a bite to eat at a place called Bite A Pita. So as we pulled up to "super bar street" we were both oohhing and aaaahing over a well lit 10 story building and compound. Turns out it we found the new American Embassy. And wow, is it nice. It's heavily guarded, not by actual people that we could see although I am sure they are there during daylight hours in more plain sight, but by huge walls, cameras everywhere, and lighting that leaves no room for shadows. The American government has certainly staked out it's presence in China.
Our food was good at the restaurant and we are just having so much fun eating in China. There are so many kinds of Chinese cuisine let alone international restaurants. We were in fact talking at dinner tonight about how we, er, mostly me, are feeling spoiled by the seemingly extravagant lifestyle we lead. I take that back. It's mostly because rent and bills are much more reasonable in China and so our income gets spent more on nice meals. And the food is great in China.
This evening, Chase got a haircut while I got a french manicure. We ate dinner, came home, and now I've got to go prepare for more parent-teacher conferences while Chase is practicing his hanzi (chinese characters). I feel each year that talking with parents for conferences gets easier and easier as I know children as a collective whole a little better and better.
This week at the school we are preparing for Thanksgiving. And although it is not celebrated in China, the culture theme of the month at The Family Learning House is America. So we have been able to incorporate a Thanksgiving meal for all the families of the school and we are busy decorating the classroom and making placemats for the children. The dinner is on Friday and I am looking forward to meeting with the families over a meal.
Also today, I had the "blues" over Lola. I know I shouldn't have done this but I searched some Italian Greyhound and Whippet websites. Whippets are what we feel Lola is mixed with. Her temperament, gait, build, and eating and sleeping habits are identical to the breed standard. And well, she does look like them. And I believe the other part of her has at least some Chow Chow. That you can see in her bark when you come to door. Anyways, I miss that dog so much tonight. I had a good cry about it while looking at pictures of happy Whippets and their families. I need a dog in my daily life and I can't wait for the day I can see Lola again.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Celebrate!
Last week, I entered a contest for a Beijing expat magazine called CityWeekend. The contest prize was a dinner for four people at the Grand Hyatt Beijing (close to Tiannanmen) for a Thanksgiving dinner. It's valued at over $300USD (1780 RMB) and includes a turkey buffet with all the fixings and alcohol. And guess what?!?!? I won!!!!!
So that's where Chase and I and two other people who we haven't decided yet will be going.
Here's the URL for my answer and the contest rules, etc.
http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/events/33991/
It's the first time I've ever won a contest- raffle, prize drawing, anything!
And yes, I will make an exception and will be eating turkey that night. And Zach and Jackie, we decided that if we were still in Austin ya'll would be who we'd invite.....
So that's where Chase and I and two other people who we haven't decided yet will be going.
Here's the URL for my answer and the contest rules, etc.
http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/events/33991/
It's the first time I've ever won a contest- raffle, prize drawing, anything!
And yes, I will make an exception and will be eating turkey that night. And Zach and Jackie, we decided that if we were still in Austin ya'll would be who we'd invite.....
Monday, November 17, 2008
Starbucks in China
When I lived in the United States, I rarely visited Starbucks. Mostly because of the ridiculous amount they would charge me for hot water and a few bits of tea dust in a pouch. I'm not a coffee drinker, so at least I didn't have the cravings for a nonfat mocha frappucino or something like that... But whenever I would go, it would be for a little indulgence and for those yummy almond toffee bars and yes, ok a grande chai tea (bag, not syrup).
Since being in Beijing Starbucks has become a portal of what life is like back home. I step into a Starbucks and I am seriously transported. I could be anywhere in one of Austin's Starbucks. The baristas all speak good English, my drink (still tea, but no chai to be found anywhere in Asia- note that it is the origin of spice, spice trade, and the like, but no chai, grrr) is made just the way I like it with a little froth of non-melamine containing milk, and the muffins are sweet and satisfying. I limit myself to once a week, because the amount I spend at Starbucks each visit is equivalent to 1/4 of the average Chinese person's monthly salary. I will double check this fact, but I feel the guilt sometimes walking down the street and seeing construction workers and street vendors looking puzzled as to how one can spend so much on a drink and a pastry.
Today after working out, I went in and the Starbucks close to my work was all decked for Christmas- wreaths in the door, pre-packaged gifts for friends, Christmas mugs, frost on the windows, and Christmas music playing. I almost called Chase to let him know! Anyways, it's not easy to get into the spirit of the holidays when nowhere else around you is decorated in that fashion. Not to say that I am into the commercial nature of the Christmas season, but the ambience is what I miss.
It just might be that Christmas music just lifts your spirit and everyone's just a tad nicer during that time of year. I'm not sure. But I know I will be going in to Starbucks next week to capture a bit of that cheer again.
Since being in Beijing Starbucks has become a portal of what life is like back home. I step into a Starbucks and I am seriously transported. I could be anywhere in one of Austin's Starbucks. The baristas all speak good English, my drink (still tea, but no chai to be found anywhere in Asia- note that it is the origin of spice, spice trade, and the like, but no chai, grrr) is made just the way I like it with a little froth of non-melamine containing milk, and the muffins are sweet and satisfying. I limit myself to once a week, because the amount I spend at Starbucks each visit is equivalent to 1/4 of the average Chinese person's monthly salary. I will double check this fact, but I feel the guilt sometimes walking down the street and seeing construction workers and street vendors looking puzzled as to how one can spend so much on a drink and a pastry.
Today after working out, I went in and the Starbucks close to my work was all decked for Christmas- wreaths in the door, pre-packaged gifts for friends, Christmas mugs, frost on the windows, and Christmas music playing. I almost called Chase to let him know! Anyways, it's not easy to get into the spirit of the holidays when nowhere else around you is decorated in that fashion. Not to say that I am into the commercial nature of the Christmas season, but the ambience is what I miss.
It just might be that Christmas music just lifts your spirit and everyone's just a tad nicer during that time of year. I'm not sure. But I know I will be going in to Starbucks next week to capture a bit of that cheer again.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Warmth
Well, I woke up this morning to find that the radiators were turned on. In China, the government turns on the gas for the radiators in all the buildings all at the same time in one day.
So even though it's been around freezing every night, we haven't had any actual heat in our house, making our tile floors freezing. Now we have hot spots on the floor as if we have heated flooring, but really it's just the radiators from the floor below us.
It's nice to have a warm house. Ah, the simple pleasures.
My sister emailed me this morning asking if Chase and I were ok. Something about an earthquake somewhere in China. Anyhow, we don't know anything about it. At least the media is not reporting it.
So even though it's been around freezing every night, we haven't had any actual heat in our house, making our tile floors freezing. Now we have hot spots on the floor as if we have heated flooring, but really it's just the radiators from the floor below us.
It's nice to have a warm house. Ah, the simple pleasures.
My sister emailed me this morning asking if Chase and I were ok. Something about an earthquake somewhere in China. Anyhow, we don't know anything about it. At least the media is not reporting it.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Now We Can Check It Off Our List
We finally made it to the Forbidden City and Tiannanmen Square. It's only in our backyard... literally, we can ride our bikes to both places. I have been sick for the last two days. I ate something bad... it seems like Chase and I exchange being sick. One of us is always under the weather since coming to China. But I pushed through because we didn't want to return to America for Christmas having not gone to these two wonderful historic sites.
We ate lunch at a rotating sushi bar, where the sushi is plated and placed on a conveyor belt and is priced by the color of the plate it's on. Chase seems to love this idea and it was "a good value" he would say.
Then we walked to the Eastern (where civilians would enter) and then Southern (where the Emperor would enter) gate of the Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum. There's an outer ring where the Emperor would give speeches, watch his armies, punish criminals, and hold festivals. There are several great halls with expansive courtyards. These are the huge buildings you see in the movies.
You can see the crowds in China. Most of them are Chinese tourists. I expected to see a lot more foreigners but I guess that might be the case in the summer time.
As you walked further through the city, the halls were smaller and more intimate. And the buildings are closer together. Even though the outer ring is magnificent, I especially enjoyed the palace where you can see where the Emperor actually lived, slept, changed clothes, etc. It really felt like a home. The inside of the all the halls house some of the original furniture and artifacts.
Finally, we made it to the Imperial Garden where the concubines were selected and the Empress spent much of her time. The Emperor would make a lot of decisions and hold meetings there as well. Let me remind you that's it's not just one Emperor who lived here but housed the royal family for 5 centuries from the Mid Ming through the Qing Dynasty. It was damaged during the revolution in 1949 until Zhou En Lai sent guards to protect it. A Starbucks opened outside the walls of the city but had to close in 2007 because the government didn't like the way it stood out from the rest of the architecture of the area.
Here's Chase and I at beautiful spot in the rock garden.
We chose the coldest day in Beijing, so far, to be out walking around for five hours or so. My toes were numb by this point. I looked up the weather this morning and it got down to 32 degrees!
Anyways, we went back through the side alleys of the city. There are so many buildings on the sides and are symetrical. It's like a maze. So it was fun to take turns, walk down alleys, and run into amazing courtyards. We would love to go back and just walk around the sides one day. Here's one such alleyway we walked down.
And here's a door I would love to make into my formal dining table. I'll explain. I would like to find an old wooden door from a palace in India or somewhere in Asia made from solid wood and put glass on the top of it and place a pedestal under to make into my formal dining table. Most Asian palace doors are so ornate with carvings, gold plated, etc. So it would be historic and rustic, just the way I would like my formal dining space to be. Anyways, it's a dream of mine in my dream home.....
As we made our way back down south, we left the gates and right onto Tiannanmen Square. We just stood around, looked at Mao's picture hung on the south wall of the Forbidden City and vowed to come back another day to spend time at the three huge museums in the vicinity.
Then we met some friends for dinner and pool. I had a great time talking with some new girls that we met, Roma (from Australia) and Beatrice (from Spain).
It's Sunday now and I am going shopping with BeiBei. Don't know what I will buy yet. Maybe a short jacket. But it will be exciting to shop with her because then I know I won't get ripped off because she's Chinese.
We ate lunch at a rotating sushi bar, where the sushi is plated and placed on a conveyor belt and is priced by the color of the plate it's on. Chase seems to love this idea and it was "a good value" he would say.
Then we walked to the Eastern (where civilians would enter) and then Southern (where the Emperor would enter) gate of the Forbidden City, also known as the Palace Museum. There's an outer ring where the Emperor would give speeches, watch his armies, punish criminals, and hold festivals. There are several great halls with expansive courtyards. These are the huge buildings you see in the movies.
You can see the crowds in China. Most of them are Chinese tourists. I expected to see a lot more foreigners but I guess that might be the case in the summer time.
As you walked further through the city, the halls were smaller and more intimate. And the buildings are closer together. Even though the outer ring is magnificent, I especially enjoyed the palace where you can see where the Emperor actually lived, slept, changed clothes, etc. It really felt like a home. The inside of the all the halls house some of the original furniture and artifacts.
Finally, we made it to the Imperial Garden where the concubines were selected and the Empress spent much of her time. The Emperor would make a lot of decisions and hold meetings there as well. Let me remind you that's it's not just one Emperor who lived here but housed the royal family for 5 centuries from the Mid Ming through the Qing Dynasty. It was damaged during the revolution in 1949 until Zhou En Lai sent guards to protect it. A Starbucks opened outside the walls of the city but had to close in 2007 because the government didn't like the way it stood out from the rest of the architecture of the area.
Here's Chase and I at beautiful spot in the rock garden.
We chose the coldest day in Beijing, so far, to be out walking around for five hours or so. My toes were numb by this point. I looked up the weather this morning and it got down to 32 degrees!
Anyways, we went back through the side alleys of the city. There are so many buildings on the sides and are symetrical. It's like a maze. So it was fun to take turns, walk down alleys, and run into amazing courtyards. We would love to go back and just walk around the sides one day. Here's one such alleyway we walked down.
And here's a door I would love to make into my formal dining table. I'll explain. I would like to find an old wooden door from a palace in India or somewhere in Asia made from solid wood and put glass on the top of it and place a pedestal under to make into my formal dining table. Most Asian palace doors are so ornate with carvings, gold plated, etc. So it would be historic and rustic, just the way I would like my formal dining space to be. Anyways, it's a dream of mine in my dream home.....
As we made our way back down south, we left the gates and right onto Tiannanmen Square. We just stood around, looked at Mao's picture hung on the south wall of the Forbidden City and vowed to come back another day to spend time at the three huge museums in the vicinity.
Then we met some friends for dinner and pool. I had a great time talking with some new girls that we met, Roma (from Australia) and Beatrice (from Spain).
It's Sunday now and I am going shopping with BeiBei. Don't know what I will buy yet. Maybe a short jacket. But it will be exciting to shop with her because then I know I won't get ripped off because she's Chinese.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Go America!
Chase and I are reclaiming our faith in our country. The American people have not been duped this election and I am so excited about the future.
Barack has a inherited messed up foreign relations, two ongoing wars, and an economy in the depths.... but I love his eloquence in speech, his hope, and his determination.
Now, I feel that America has a brighter future...
Barack has a inherited messed up foreign relations, two ongoing wars, and an economy in the depths.... but I love his eloquence in speech, his hope, and his determination.
Now, I feel that America has a brighter future...
Monday, November 3, 2008
This weekend
This Saturday morning I went and took a yoga class. I don't really do much of that here because I just miss Christina Sell's classes so much I think I'm in a state of mourning. I'm sure she would say not to be. But I really think my time learning yoga from her was a gift and I don't even want to replicate that here. I took what was supposed to be an advanced class and although it was moderately challenging during the standing pose sequence, I didn't really gain further insight from the teacher. Now wait a minute you say.... one should be gaining insight.... inside one's self. There is always something to learn... from within. Yes yes, I felt like there's always an opportunity for that, but what I am talking about is in techniques, adjustments, refinements... yes that it's, I didn't externally receive any refinements that made me go, "Ah-Ha."
Chase thinks I should search around the city more and I will find someone who will give me what I am searching for. He mentioned how many teachers it took me until I found Christina and so I should give it some time. Until then, I'm fine with doing a home practice. I guess, it's that I also just miss the Austin Anusara kula. I feel like I was starting to connect and make friends just before moving.
Anyways, after the class I went to a restaurant nearby and had yummy pumpkin, spinach, and mushroom risotto and drank a glass of Earl Grey. I was reading The Beijinger, a magazine for foreigners, in a tiny room where two middle aged woman were having a lavish 3 course lunch with wine. At the tail end of their meal, they started a conversation with me. It was great. I conversed in Chinese for about 15 minutes! Mostly it was me listening to them rant about China and how I should stay here longer than 3 years, maybe possibly 8. And that I should take the best elements of Chinese culture, Indian culture, and American culture and make it my own. It was a powerful, uplifting, and inspiring talk from someone who could have been my mother. We exchanged phone numbers to go have dinner sometime. Yes, I know, they are almost 30 years older than me but I instantly felt their love and warmth. It was such a great moment being in China. And yes, Chase and I are looking into a long term committment to China- it was 2 years last week, it is 3-4 years today. =) At the end of our conversation, they have me a Chinese name. I am officially: Jin Jin!!! It's a translation of the meaning of Svetha, in Chinese. So I'm officially Chinese.
So I went shopping for the first time and bought some good sweaters and 2 pairs of boots at bargain prices. And then headed home.
Saturday night we went to the Kanye West concert at the Workers Indoor Gymnasium. Kanye put on a good show but the circumstances were pretty off for us westerners. First of all, Avril Lavigne came to Beijing last weekend for the first time and the crowd rushed the stage at the end causes mass chaos. So the security and the Kanye concert was pretty rigid. They didn't fill the floor, that was only for VIP. Then the rest of the audience sat very far from the stage and I mean, you had to sit. The security guards came over and told you to sit down if you started to dance. Luckily for us foreigners, this policy was only enforced for the locals. There was an area that was cordonned off if you wanted to dance though.
After that, we went to see a dj that Chase and I like, from D.C., named Dubfire (Deep Dish). It was a good show and I danced a lot. We met a really cool guy from Monterrey, Mexico and another from Sweden. Beijing is such an international city that you are always going to meet new and interesting people.
Sunday I got a manicure and pedicure with Roslyn, a friend of mine, worked out, and watched dinner and a movie. Life's good in the Jing!
Chase thinks I should search around the city more and I will find someone who will give me what I am searching for. He mentioned how many teachers it took me until I found Christina and so I should give it some time. Until then, I'm fine with doing a home practice. I guess, it's that I also just miss the Austin Anusara kula. I feel like I was starting to connect and make friends just before moving.
Anyways, after the class I went to a restaurant nearby and had yummy pumpkin, spinach, and mushroom risotto and drank a glass of Earl Grey. I was reading The Beijinger, a magazine for foreigners, in a tiny room where two middle aged woman were having a lavish 3 course lunch with wine. At the tail end of their meal, they started a conversation with me. It was great. I conversed in Chinese for about 15 minutes! Mostly it was me listening to them rant about China and how I should stay here longer than 3 years, maybe possibly 8. And that I should take the best elements of Chinese culture, Indian culture, and American culture and make it my own. It was a powerful, uplifting, and inspiring talk from someone who could have been my mother. We exchanged phone numbers to go have dinner sometime. Yes, I know, they are almost 30 years older than me but I instantly felt their love and warmth. It was such a great moment being in China. And yes, Chase and I are looking into a long term committment to China- it was 2 years last week, it is 3-4 years today. =) At the end of our conversation, they have me a Chinese name. I am officially: Jin Jin!!! It's a translation of the meaning of Svetha, in Chinese. So I'm officially Chinese.
So I went shopping for the first time and bought some good sweaters and 2 pairs of boots at bargain prices. And then headed home.
Saturday night we went to the Kanye West concert at the Workers Indoor Gymnasium. Kanye put on a good show but the circumstances were pretty off for us westerners. First of all, Avril Lavigne came to Beijing last weekend for the first time and the crowd rushed the stage at the end causes mass chaos. So the security and the Kanye concert was pretty rigid. They didn't fill the floor, that was only for VIP. Then the rest of the audience sat very far from the stage and I mean, you had to sit. The security guards came over and told you to sit down if you started to dance. Luckily for us foreigners, this policy was only enforced for the locals. There was an area that was cordonned off if you wanted to dance though.
After that, we went to see a dj that Chase and I like, from D.C., named Dubfire (Deep Dish). It was a good show and I danced a lot. We met a really cool guy from Monterrey, Mexico and another from Sweden. Beijing is such an international city that you are always going to meet new and interesting people.
Sunday I got a manicure and pedicure with Roslyn, a friend of mine, worked out, and watched dinner and a movie. Life's good in the Jing!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Diwali
Diwali was on Tuesday and I took the day off work. I have never done that before but being that this was the first time I was away from my family, I felt like being close to the only family I have here, Chase.
So we woke up and got into our new clothes- traditional Diwali custom. I relaxed and surfed the internet celebrity sites, particularly Perez Hilton. It's my one weakness on the weekends!
We still had so many groceries from our delivery service that I cooked a four course lunch. And then we headed out for a day at the climbing wall at Ritan Park and then massages after. We got foot massages and Shiatsu massages. Total indulgence for two hours. I feel so spoiled here in China because we are able to afford luxuries so easily.
Then we went on a quest to find the only Indian grocery store in Beijing. It is run by an old Chinese couple and has all the basics for an Indian kitchen- spices, vegetables, and pickles! Too bad I don't know how to cook Indian food. So we went to the Taj Pavillion where we had a great dinner and after met an Indian family. It was nice to have that connection with them.
Tonight, the Indian Embassy of Beijing is hosting a cultural evening with performances by children, and a dinner followed by fireworks. Unfortunately, we already bought tickets to see Kanye West in concert.
Yes, I know, I'm going to see Kanye West. Not because I particularly like him or his music. Well, I do like his music. But if he was in Austin, I would never go see him, but somehow now that I'm in Beijing, it is just the buzz of the event that has us going. Chase and I are pretty excited to see the spectacle of the event and see how Chinese people react to American music.
Well, before that I'm going to a yoga class, shopping for clothes, getting a pedi and mani, and getting some cardio in. Wow, life is tough around here....
So we woke up and got into our new clothes- traditional Diwali custom. I relaxed and surfed the internet celebrity sites, particularly Perez Hilton. It's my one weakness on the weekends!
We still had so many groceries from our delivery service that I cooked a four course lunch. And then we headed out for a day at the climbing wall at Ritan Park and then massages after. We got foot massages and Shiatsu massages. Total indulgence for two hours. I feel so spoiled here in China because we are able to afford luxuries so easily.
Then we went on a quest to find the only Indian grocery store in Beijing. It is run by an old Chinese couple and has all the basics for an Indian kitchen- spices, vegetables, and pickles! Too bad I don't know how to cook Indian food. So we went to the Taj Pavillion where we had a great dinner and after met an Indian family. It was nice to have that connection with them.
Tonight, the Indian Embassy of Beijing is hosting a cultural evening with performances by children, and a dinner followed by fireworks. Unfortunately, we already bought tickets to see Kanye West in concert.
Yes, I know, I'm going to see Kanye West. Not because I particularly like him or his music. Well, I do like his music. But if he was in Austin, I would never go see him, but somehow now that I'm in Beijing, it is just the buzz of the event that has us going. Chase and I are pretty excited to see the spectacle of the event and see how Chinese people react to American music.
Well, before that I'm going to a yoga class, shopping for clothes, getting a pedi and mani, and getting some cardio in. Wow, life is tough around here....
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cuan Di Xia Day Two
We woke up well rested the next morning and surprisingly warm. The sun was up and I was looking forward to our hike. As we got dressed, the laoban, brought breakfast. It consisted of a few hardboiled farm fresh eggs, cornmeal soup, pickled radish, sprouts, and white buns with fermented tofu to spread on them. The fermented tofu was certainly a taste I had to get used to and so I used it sparingly on my bun. The cornmeal soup was so bland, so I began adding the pickled radish for better flavor. And the sprouts made me happy. This breakfast was definitely less satisfying than normal European fare but that was my first taste of a real Chinese breakfast so I enjoyed the opportunity.
Chase and Fernando vetoed taking the normal route that everyone else takes to get to a viewing point. So we basically had to do a lot of scrambling off the beaten path. Several times Chase or Fernando had to pull BeiBei and I up rocky hillsides covered with slippery fall leaves. It was an adventure and I'm sure they were both yawning, but BeiBei and I were feeling the adrenaline. It was worth it. Here are some pictures of our time at the top....
Here we are at the summit of the Dragonhead Mountain.
You can see the village below.
A better view of the village.
We came down the mountain the normal way and by that time my ankle was feeling pretty wobbly. It's not completely healed. I have run twice on a treadmill and every time I do my ankle tightens up all around. It's amazing how much your body needs to be in tune. Chase and I went for massages yesterday and got foot massages as well as Japanese Shiatsu body massages and I must say my right foot had so much "junk" that needed to be worked out. Anyways back to the other point. We were famished and sat down for a meal at a hutong in the front of the village. The three meat-eaters ate this...
A WHOLE LEG OF "LAMB"
I sat as far away as I could and tried hard not to look at what they were doing. This picture still makes me queezy. Chase has been on a meat-eating phase since he moved to China. Mostly because there is so many ways the Chinese cook meat than what we are used to in America. And I think he's also enjoyed the seafood and the prices for this kind of food. But after this meal, he told me that he's been feeling bad about how much meat he's been eating.... mostly for the environmental reasons. He's switching back to more seafood he says.
We hired a car with a driver to take us back to Beijing and that was another adventure in itself. He was driving pretty fast... although only 60 kph it felt really fast as we are not used to moving more than 30-40 in the city. So I tried to stay awake for the ride just in case I had to hold on for my life. But I fell asleep for about 20 minutes. Chase and I used to joke about how easy it for Chinese people to fall asleep. They can nod off for a few minutes almost anywhere... on the bus, waiting in line, in the subway, sitting in a chair, etc. And so now I have adopted their ways. I love my sleep. Infact, it's time for that right now.
Will write more on Diwali tomorrow.
We headed to the Dragonhead Mountain which shelters the village. The village faces it on the south (good fengshui) and the sun was just coming up over the mountain top. Fernando spotted this scorpion on the way. It was out even though the temp was only around 10 degrees celcius.
Chase and Fernando vetoed taking the normal route that everyone else takes to get to a viewing point. So we basically had to do a lot of scrambling off the beaten path. Several times Chase or Fernando had to pull BeiBei and I up rocky hillsides covered with slippery fall leaves. It was an adventure and I'm sure they were both yawning, but BeiBei and I were feeling the adrenaline. It was worth it. Here are some pictures of our time at the top....
Here we are at the summit of the Dragonhead Mountain.
You can see the village below.
A better view of the village.
We came down the mountain the normal way and by that time my ankle was feeling pretty wobbly. It's not completely healed. I have run twice on a treadmill and every time I do my ankle tightens up all around. It's amazing how much your body needs to be in tune. Chase and I went for massages yesterday and got foot massages as well as Japanese Shiatsu body massages and I must say my right foot had so much "junk" that needed to be worked out. Anyways back to the other point. We were famished and sat down for a meal at a hutong in the front of the village. The three meat-eaters ate this...
A WHOLE LEG OF "LAMB"
I sat as far away as I could and tried hard not to look at what they were doing. This picture still makes me queezy. Chase has been on a meat-eating phase since he moved to China. Mostly because there is so many ways the Chinese cook meat than what we are used to in America. And I think he's also enjoyed the seafood and the prices for this kind of food. But after this meal, he told me that he's been feeling bad about how much meat he's been eating.... mostly for the environmental reasons. He's switching back to more seafood he says.
We hired a car with a driver to take us back to Beijing and that was another adventure in itself. He was driving pretty fast... although only 60 kph it felt really fast as we are not used to moving more than 30-40 in the city. So I tried to stay awake for the ride just in case I had to hold on for my life. But I fell asleep for about 20 minutes. Chase and I used to joke about how easy it for Chinese people to fall asleep. They can nod off for a few minutes almost anywhere... on the bus, waiting in line, in the subway, sitting in a chair, etc. And so now I have adopted their ways. I love my sleep. Infact, it's time for that right now.
Will write more on Diwali tomorrow.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Our Trip to Cuan Di Xia
So Friday night, Chase and I decided to join Fernando and his girlfriend, BeiBei on a trip outside Beijing. Chase and I have been talking about leaving the city at least once a month and this was our outing for October. In November we are looking into visiting Shanghai. Even though that's not really the countryside, it's at least going to be away from Beijing pollution and the hum-drum of every day life.
So we took the subway to the western most edge of the system and then took a 3 hour bus ride to Cuan Di Xia. Cuan Di Xia is a small village 90 km outside of Beijing. The residents lived there nestled between mountains, far away from everyone and were self-sustaining. Most of the city was built during the late Qing and Early Ming Dynasties. So the architecture is really representative of that era. There are 76 preserved hutongs where you can spend the night.
Our bus ride was good. Here's a picture of BeiBei shielding herself from the sun. Someone on the bus even took out their umbrella! Chinese (and most Asians) people do not like being tan. So even just a bit of sun shining on them prompts covering up in any way possible.
On the way we saw evidence of angular plate tectonic folding.
I made Chase take a picture of this truck carrying coal. We heard mining noises throughout the valley. Chase thinks they are just mining for rocks for making concrete. Fernando thought they were mining for Uranium. I think that Coal's the real possibility. Here's the evidence:
As soon as we got to the village, we started orienting ourselves to find a guest house. Chase and I had imagined a picturesque village where we could buy antiques, stay in a cozy guest house, and do some hiking. Our Western influenced mindset gave us a different hopes for what it would be like. Here's BeiBei and Fernando towards the end of the village.
The guest houses were not renovated hutongs like I imagined. They were poorly kept and I really wish a bit more effort was made in saving and protecting this site. At least it gave us a true picture of what life was like in this mountain village- no heating, no running water, and freezing cold air. I was the coldest of everyone as I truly believe I should be living in the tropics because of my body type. So here I am sitting closest to the radiator with gloves, two beanies, my warmest jacket, a scarf, and about 3 layers on under my jacket. No one else is so bundled up.
The specialty of the house was a chicken and mushroom dish which came out to be a soup. In my effort to be sociable I accepted to have some of the soup and break my vegetarianism. They were out of all of the veggies dishes I was interested in- no potatoes, eggplant, or tofu. So this was one of my only choices. In case you were wondering, I am doing pretty well in maintaining my vegetarian diet and I feel bad every time I eat chicken nowadays (something that I didn't mind doing in the US... something has just changed). But more on that later. I think this picture is great because they use every part of the chicken including the head and the claws, etc. Here's a picture of the head.
Like I said earlier, our accomodations were pretty unexceptional. But don't worry, we were enjoying the idea of "roughing it." Here's Chase in our room with a built in brick bed. The bed had several layers of comforters on it and we added a few more.
The only source of heat was a small hole in the ground where the laoban, or landlord/boss, lit a small log. The heat is only intended to warm the room until you fall asleep. We were remarkably warm with the comforters they gave us even though the outside temperature was reading 1 degree celcius. I especially enjoyed using the pillows they gave us which were stuffed with wheat husks.
After we ate and drank some really strong rice liquor of the region, we headed back up to the top of the village to look at the stars. In Beijing, we can not see any stars even on clear pollution days. So this was a real treat for us city dwellers. I couldn't take my eyes of the stars. I was in such amazement at the amount of stars in the sky. I felt like a child in awe of the wonder of the Universe. And then I saw a shooting star! That was the highlight of my weekend. It shot clear across the sky and Chase was able to look up in time to see the tail end of it. Another interesting aspect of the night sky was that we were able to see the Milky Way and Chase and I realized that for the first time we were seeing the other side of the Milky Way because usually we have been on the Western Hemisphere, looking up at the sky. This side of the Milky Way is definitely long, stretching across the whole sky, but not nearly as bright as the other side and towards the end of the left side, it splits into two branches. This leads me to believe we were looking at the side the Earth is closest to. We got some rest as we were freezing cold and needed to have energy for the big hike we had planned.
So we took the subway to the western most edge of the system and then took a 3 hour bus ride to Cuan Di Xia. Cuan Di Xia is a small village 90 km outside of Beijing. The residents lived there nestled between mountains, far away from everyone and were self-sustaining. Most of the city was built during the late Qing and Early Ming Dynasties. So the architecture is really representative of that era. There are 76 preserved hutongs where you can spend the night.
Our bus ride was good. Here's a picture of BeiBei shielding herself from the sun. Someone on the bus even took out their umbrella! Chinese (and most Asians) people do not like being tan. So even just a bit of sun shining on them prompts covering up in any way possible.
On the way we saw evidence of angular plate tectonic folding.
I made Chase take a picture of this truck carrying coal. We heard mining noises throughout the valley. Chase thinks they are just mining for rocks for making concrete. Fernando thought they were mining for Uranium. I think that Coal's the real possibility. Here's the evidence:
As soon as we got to the village, we started orienting ourselves to find a guest house. Chase and I had imagined a picturesque village where we could buy antiques, stay in a cozy guest house, and do some hiking. Our Western influenced mindset gave us a different hopes for what it would be like. Here's BeiBei and Fernando towards the end of the village.
The guest houses were not renovated hutongs like I imagined. They were poorly kept and I really wish a bit more effort was made in saving and protecting this site. At least it gave us a true picture of what life was like in this mountain village- no heating, no running water, and freezing cold air. I was the coldest of everyone as I truly believe I should be living in the tropics because of my body type. So here I am sitting closest to the radiator with gloves, two beanies, my warmest jacket, a scarf, and about 3 layers on under my jacket. No one else is so bundled up.
The specialty of the house was a chicken and mushroom dish which came out to be a soup. In my effort to be sociable I accepted to have some of the soup and break my vegetarianism. They were out of all of the veggies dishes I was interested in- no potatoes, eggplant, or tofu. So this was one of my only choices. In case you were wondering, I am doing pretty well in maintaining my vegetarian diet and I feel bad every time I eat chicken nowadays (something that I didn't mind doing in the US... something has just changed). But more on that later. I think this picture is great because they use every part of the chicken including the head and the claws, etc. Here's a picture of the head.
Like I said earlier, our accomodations were pretty unexceptional. But don't worry, we were enjoying the idea of "roughing it." Here's Chase in our room with a built in brick bed. The bed had several layers of comforters on it and we added a few more.
The only source of heat was a small hole in the ground where the laoban, or landlord/boss, lit a small log. The heat is only intended to warm the room until you fall asleep. We were remarkably warm with the comforters they gave us even though the outside temperature was reading 1 degree celcius. I especially enjoyed using the pillows they gave us which were stuffed with wheat husks.
After we ate and drank some really strong rice liquor of the region, we headed back up to the top of the village to look at the stars. In Beijing, we can not see any stars even on clear pollution days. So this was a real treat for us city dwellers. I couldn't take my eyes of the stars. I was in such amazement at the amount of stars in the sky. I felt like a child in awe of the wonder of the Universe. And then I saw a shooting star! That was the highlight of my weekend. It shot clear across the sky and Chase was able to look up in time to see the tail end of it. Another interesting aspect of the night sky was that we were able to see the Milky Way and Chase and I realized that for the first time we were seeing the other side of the Milky Way because usually we have been on the Western Hemisphere, looking up at the sky. This side of the Milky Way is definitely long, stretching across the whole sky, but not nearly as bright as the other side and towards the end of the left side, it splits into two branches. This leads me to believe we were looking at the side the Earth is closest to. We got some rest as we were freezing cold and needed to have energy for the big hike we had planned.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Yoga
I practiced yoga at home today for the first time in over a week. If you don't know already, I sprained my ankle for the first time in my life. My reason is lame: I fell down two whole steps. Yes, it was a short staircase and I just didn't see the elevation change so I completely came down on my right ankle. It's been off and on. I iced and rested the first few days. Chase bought a herbal Chinese aerosol spray called Yunnan Baiyue. It worked pretty well and immediately. And it would bring pain relief and improve circulation and blood flow. And then I've been wearing an ankle brace. So this morning it felt stable enough to do standing poses. And that's what I did. In fact, doing standing poses were more like a cure than anything I felt this week. They stabilized the muscles in and around my ankle. They stretched and worked the ankle that I had left pretty much limp all week. And it felt good to get blood flowing and the muscles working in that ankle. I tried a few balancing poses and felt wobbly and now my ankle does feel "tired" but that's mostly because I've kept it so unused this week.
Also another fun thing I did was turn on some music. It helped me be more expressive in my movements-- almost like I was dancing like how Shiva would dance if he was doing yoga. I love self expression and keep nudging to Chase that I'm going to take up dance lessons again. He thinks I'm kidding, but I really need a creative outlet in the form of dance. And there's a great modern dance company in Beijing, so I'm looking forward to taking one or two classes a week.... once my ankle heals completely of course.
So our weekend has been pretty slow. We watched UT beat Mizzou this morning and now we are off to register to vote. I also am going to the Indian store now in my quest of Chai tea. There's no chai in any of the grocery stores in Beijing. I know it would be easier to just make my masala myself, but I can't find cardamom either. So off we go.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Long Day
Get up, shower, decide I need to straighten my hair, wake up Chase by making a smoothie, go over and really wake him, eat breakfast, write more for the Parent Ed workshop tonight, bolt out of the door.
I'm at work at 8:09, one minute to spare. The lady who was my san lun che driver... that's what the little tuk tuks around Beijing are called.... was really talkative and I was able to hold a conversation with her for the ten minute ride to work... so yay for my Chinese! Anyways, she was so sweet I decided to give her 7 kuai instead of 5 kuai and she simply refused. Well, she was willing to take it until she found she didn't have anything but a 5 RMB.
Work all day. Speak to a new employee, Farnoosh, during lunch, get my classroom clean, meet with a parent for a half an hour long discussion, meet with Helen, print copies of my handouts for the parent night, meet with another set of parents, Lunch Menu Tasting evening with parents at the school, and give a presentation on Montessori, and parent ed until 9:30pm.
I am drained!
It was my first time to ever be the lead of a Montessori presentation and even though I think my presentation was dry, I really do enjoy talking about Montessori. It is my passion. I love explaining to parents how children think and develop.
I am so tired. I have to go and unwind.
More in a day or two.
I'm at work at 8:09, one minute to spare. The lady who was my san lun che driver... that's what the little tuk tuks around Beijing are called.... was really talkative and I was able to hold a conversation with her for the ten minute ride to work... so yay for my Chinese! Anyways, she was so sweet I decided to give her 7 kuai instead of 5 kuai and she simply refused. Well, she was willing to take it until she found she didn't have anything but a 5 RMB.
Work all day. Speak to a new employee, Farnoosh, during lunch, get my classroom clean, meet with a parent for a half an hour long discussion, meet with Helen, print copies of my handouts for the parent night, meet with another set of parents, Lunch Menu Tasting evening with parents at the school, and give a presentation on Montessori, and parent ed until 9:30pm.
I am drained!
It was my first time to ever be the lead of a Montessori presentation and even though I think my presentation was dry, I really do enjoy talking about Montessori. It is my passion. I love explaining to parents how children think and develop.
I am so tired. I have to go and unwind.
More in a day or two.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Nesting
We've been in Beijing now for a while and I still don't feel completely settled. I work more than ever here, which I guess it's a good thing and I should feel lucky to have a job given our world's economy right now. Anyways, I just don't seem to have the time to explore all the places to shop and buy things that we need. I just need to do more nesting...
So the other week, I joined the Beijing Organic Consumers group on Yahoo and have found out about a marvelous way to get Organic groceries! Organic Farm, Ltd. has been in operation since 2000 and they send you groceries every week. Twice a week if you want it! It includes most veggies, fruits, dairy, grains, and eggs. So that's how we'll be getting most of our groceries from now on.
This is a sort of luxury we could never afford in the US, but in China with the way labor is, it's very feasible. And I have the comfort of knowing we are eating healthy because in Beijing when we go out to restaurants, which is 4-5 times a week, we don't know the quality of the produce they cook with.
Also, I'm going to the Green Cow Organic Farm Festival this afternoon to do more research about the green food movement in Beijing and maybe pick up a few groceries, soaps, etc.
So the other week, I joined the Beijing Organic Consumers group on Yahoo and have found out about a marvelous way to get Organic groceries! Organic Farm, Ltd. has been in operation since 2000 and they send you groceries every week. Twice a week if you want it! It includes most veggies, fruits, dairy, grains, and eggs. So that's how we'll be getting most of our groceries from now on.
This is a sort of luxury we could never afford in the US, but in China with the way labor is, it's very feasible. And I have the comfort of knowing we are eating healthy because in Beijing when we go out to restaurants, which is 4-5 times a week, we don't know the quality of the produce they cook with.
Also, I'm going to the Green Cow Organic Farm Festival this afternoon to do more research about the green food movement in Beijing and maybe pick up a few groceries, soaps, etc.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Orang Utans in Borneo
The hotel we stayed at was attached to an Animal Reserve that helps rehabilitate orphaned or injured Orang Utans. We got to see four out of the seven three year olds they had. We watched them for almost an hour. Here are some of the highlights. They moved with so much ease in the trees and really resembled humans in their facial expressions, humor, body language, and emotions. There was one named Yoda who's big thrill was just get on tree limbs and just swing and generate momentum. He would often crash into branches but you'd find him a few minutes later doing the same thing a few trees over. They stayed mostly above our viewing platform, well aware they were on show. The tour guide for this adventure works with them on a regular basis and so one particular ham stayed close to him, hugged him, and climbed over him as he held on like she was a baby. I got the "mommies" for sure as their faces are like infants. Oh those eyes....
Often, orphaned Orang Utans (wow, that's some good alliteration) will overly show their affection by clinging to each other as they would their mother (sometimes for up to 7 years). Here are two babies trying to get the upper hand in grabbing and holding on to each other.
Look closely, yogis, the Orang Utan is in Yogi Nidrasana!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Pictures of the clouds
Here are some pictures of the clouds I talked about the other day. The sun was behind a set of clouds and somehow the rays were angled to make these beautiful neon streaks. The camera doesn't quite capture the light, but it's still just so remarkable that these colors are found in nature.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Flora and Fauna
Yesterday we decided to go on an organized tour of Mount Kinabalu Park (where the tallest mountain in Southeast Asia is) and to Poring Hot Springs for a dip in hot springs and a rainforest canopy tour.
First off, I'm sick. I got Chase's cold and so I slept almost all of the 2 hour journey to the Hot Springs. We first stopped off at a village. And here's a cool pic from the village market. They love their salted fish.
Next we arrived at the hot springs only to find it super packed with Malays on vacation. It's the end of Ramadan and a couple of nights ago was Eid-Il-fitr so there's no school for a week. There was no way to even maneuvre around to get in. So we hiked to the canopy tour which was packed as well. We waiting in line to get on the bridges you walk across for almost 1 hour!
Here's Chase and I on the first leg of the canopy.
It was beautiful but we didn't see any wildlife except for butterflies and insects. At the end of our hike we were told that some Raffelsias were blooming near by. The Raffelsia is the world's largest single flower (it can be up to 1 meter in diameter) that grows primarily in Borneo and some parts of Indonesia, the Phillipines, and sometimes in Thailand. We paid a hefty fee to enter this family's "private land" and we saw these two beauties.
The Raffelsia is actually a parasitic flower. It gets its energy from the decaying matter on the rainforest floor. And supposedly it's supposed to smell like rotting flesh. The two we saw were only 40-50 cm in diameter but still the largest flower I've ever seen.
We stopped by the Kinabalu Park and got a tour of some of the rare flora of Borneo including rare orchids. This one pops up on the illegal flower market for 1500 Ringits a plant.
Then we saw the Santa Claus orchid, known for it's uncanny resemblance to St. Nick's beard. Here's a picture of me with the orchid. Chase says I look like one of Santa's elves.
On the way home we saw some great rainbow streaks in the clouds. I have never seen anything so beautiful, reds, greens, neon colors, purples, blues, and yellow. We have no idea what caused this strange phenomenon, but I hope you can get an idea of how spectacular it was through these pictures.
Today we are going to the Nature Reserve at the hotel to view the Orang Utans. I am thrilled!
First off, I'm sick. I got Chase's cold and so I slept almost all of the 2 hour journey to the Hot Springs. We first stopped off at a village. And here's a cool pic from the village market. They love their salted fish.
Next we arrived at the hot springs only to find it super packed with Malays on vacation. It's the end of Ramadan and a couple of nights ago was Eid-Il-fitr so there's no school for a week. There was no way to even maneuvre around to get in. So we hiked to the canopy tour which was packed as well. We waiting in line to get on the bridges you walk across for almost 1 hour!
Here's Chase and I on the first leg of the canopy.
It was beautiful but we didn't see any wildlife except for butterflies and insects. At the end of our hike we were told that some Raffelsias were blooming near by. The Raffelsia is the world's largest single flower (it can be up to 1 meter in diameter) that grows primarily in Borneo and some parts of Indonesia, the Phillipines, and sometimes in Thailand. We paid a hefty fee to enter this family's "private land" and we saw these two beauties.
The Raffelsia is actually a parasitic flower. It gets its energy from the decaying matter on the rainforest floor. And supposedly it's supposed to smell like rotting flesh. The two we saw were only 40-50 cm in diameter but still the largest flower I've ever seen.
We stopped by the Kinabalu Park and got a tour of some of the rare flora of Borneo including rare orchids. This one pops up on the illegal flower market for 1500 Ringits a plant.
Then we saw the Santa Claus orchid, known for it's uncanny resemblance to St. Nick's beard. Here's a picture of me with the orchid. Chase says I look like one of Santa's elves.
On the way home we saw some great rainbow streaks in the clouds. I have never seen anything so beautiful, reds, greens, neon colors, purples, blues, and yellow. We have no idea what caused this strange phenomenon, but I hope you can get an idea of how spectacular it was through these pictures.
Today we are going to the Nature Reserve at the hotel to view the Orang Utans. I am thrilled!
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