Having visitors only leaves me sad.

A few months ago my sister and I discussed traveling together. My whole family has the travel bug, so naturally she planned on making a trip out here while I’m living here. More than anything, I would have loved to do a month long backpacking trip with her, but with our work schedules it just wasn’t realistic. She is a school counselor with summers off. I work at an after school-tutoring center, so summers are our busiest time. Luckily for my sister Anna, her best friend is a schoolteacher. Lindsey lived down the street from us growing up. Anna and Lindz have been friends for most of their lives. Lindsey’s next-door neighbor Jenna is my best friend. It’s a very darling Leave it to Beaver scenario, so I was pumped to hear that I would get to see the both of them.

Dragon Boat Festival races.

Anna and Lindz started their journey in Beijing. They hiked the wall, saw some stuff (the ushe) then flew into Hangzhou. They got in June 11^th, it was a Tuesday evening. There was a bit of a mix up regarding when their flight would arrive and how they would get to my apartment. Keep in mind, no phones or Internet upon arrival. So coordinating this kind of stuff is old school. Unfortunately, just as I arrived at the airport I got a phone call from Anna. They were at the front gate of my apartment using the guards phone to call me. Wednesday was Dragon Boat festival, a national Chinese holiday. Hangzhou has beautiful canals running through the city that all stem from the Granfd Canal. A massive manmade canal used to ship cargo to Beijing. We met up with some friends to partake in the boat races. It’s fun to see the traditional culture and I’m so happy Anna and Lindz got to experience it. We then walked to a nearby park. The girls were a bit jetlagged so we went back to my apartment to get some grub. There is this whole in the wall restaurant just outside my building. It’s fantastic. We had some eggplant, dumplings, and fried rice. We had a rest then went out to dinner with my friends were they were able to try more authentic Chinese food. I had no idea Anna was a fan of bullfrog?

The following day we planned to bike around Westlake. There really aren’t a whole lot of “sights’ here, but the lake is always fun to explore. Plus biking here is an experience of its own. And I’m happy to report that no one was seriously injured on their bike. We had a great lunch and made some friends! These darling Chinese boys wrote us a note in English asking to take a photo with us. Dancing is very popular here. It is so common to see large groups of women dancing in public squares, as well as men and women practicing their ballroom dancing. It's like a flashmob every few hours. Anna and Lindz having both been dancers were pumped to get in on the dancing! And the Chinese women standing by me loved it too. We continued to bike around the whole lake. The west edge of that lake is much quieter, little traffic, and very serene. As we made it back to civilization I took them to a really popular Shao cow, or street food. The first day they were continually asking me “do you use the water to brush your teeth” and sanitary questions of the sort. Either I’m naïve or just really brave…. I rarely worry about any of that. Seeing them eat the street food was quite the juxtaposition to their original concerns. China has the largest population in the world, if they are all surviving off the food and water, I assume I will too.

That night we stayed in painted our nails and watched The Bachelorette. The next morning they headed off to Shanghai and I went to work. I worked Friday and Saturday. On Saturday I went straight from work to Shanghai to meet them at their hostel. I have the luxury of always staying with a friend in Shanghai, but this hostel was great! Hostels are always a great place to meet interesting people. We relaxed in the lobby and had a couple beers before heading to the Airport. Our flight to Manila was at 12:40am. We left the hostel around 9pm (it takes an hour and a half to get to the airport by subway). Once on the subway you have to transfer to another line that continues on the airport. Yelp, that second line stops running at 10. Wasn’t aware of that. Standing on the platform with that “oh shit” look on our faces we were immediately approached by a woman who offered to drive us to the terminal. Worried about the time a bus would take we took here up on her offer. Luckily we made it to the airport in plenty of time. We arrived at Manila airport just before 5am and was greeted by my dear friend Arz. We headed back to her apartment to get a little more sleep. We then went to a delicious “Father’s Day” brunch.

She is her mothers daughter.

Manila was much different than I expected. The city is quite polluted with a lot of litter on the streets and shanty houses/communities all over. The area we went to was a recently developed commercial neighborhood. It was very modern and felt as if it had been designed by the Irvine Company.  With the warm tropical weather It felt like Honolulu. We wandered around the shops and markets all afternoon.  For lunch we ate at CPK. You have no idea how great it is to see American chains!. The only chains in Hangzhou are McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC, and I don’t eat at any of them!

The restaurant we ate at two nights in a row.

The following day we headed out to Boracay, one of the most popular and beautiful islands in the Philippines. From the airport we took a two our bus that took us through the provinces and farms, then a small boat took us to the island, then a trike (like a motorcycle with a side car for multiple passangers) took us to our hotel. The bus was actually really nice in that we were able to see what most of the land in the Philippines looks like. When traveling you often see the larger cities. I love to see the more rural/common lifestyle. We settled into our hotel then headed down to the beach to find a restaurant for dinner.

Pre-Storm

We woke up the next morning and headed back to the beach. The weather was a little dodgy and looked as if a storm was coming in. We found a resort and laid out hoping to get as much sun as possible before the storm came in. I hadn’t been in the sun in 8 months and in fear of not getting any color didn’t use any sunscreen. It was rather overcast, yet still warm. I think this trip has finally taught me to use sunscreen no matter what! The Irish blood in me just can’t handle the sun. I don’t think I’ve ever been burned that bad. Almost three weeks later I’m still peeling. I like to think of it as new skin. Shedding the old, a rebirth if you will. After a few hours on the beach it began to rain and get a bit chilly. We headed to the Jacuzzi. After about an hour of enjoying the pool the storm really came in. In a matter of minutes the rain and wind were so aggressive water was seeping into the lobby. We sat in the lobby to wait it out, staff constantly trying to sweep out the water. The hotel had a shuttle service that was kind enough to drive us back to our hotel. Later that evening, when the weather had settled down we went back to the restaurant we ate at the first night. Filipino food is amazing!!  

The next morning we wandered around the little town and did some shopping before heading back to the airport. We had lunch at a small open air restaurant/bar playing game 6 of the NBA finals. We showed up just in time to watch the end of the 4^th quarter and OT. Asian cultures love the NBA. Arz and I continued to shout “Lakers” to the locals who asked where we were from.

Her backpack is bigger than she is.

We shared a van with a really nice group of friends also from Manila. They were so talkative and friendly, very unlike the Chinese. The fact that almost everyone in the Philippines speaks English is a huge plus, but also, I have never met friendlier people. It was unreal, or maybe I’ve just been in China too long. Customer service in this country was fantastic, so many smiles. In China, any store/restaurant/office you’re at, you will rarely get a smile or any kind of greeting; just blank stares. It’s quite irritating.

We got back to Manila and had dinner, then Anna and Lindz headed to Bangkok. I stayed one more night and got to meet a bunch of Arz’s friends and coworkers at a birthday party. It was great to get a feel for her daily life (not that she’s going to birthday parties everyday or anything). I headed back to China the following morning.

Leaving paradise.

The vacation and break from China was much needed. It was amazing to get to spend time with my sister and Lindsey as well as Arz! Also the Western culture in the Philippines was wonderful… CPK for lunch, come ooonnnn.

Next family member visit: My brother and sister-in-law in August!!!

Happy 4th of July

In years past the 4th of July was more of a superficial holiday for me. It was just beach, booze, and bikinis. And I am not happy nor comfortable in a bikini, so it was more of a holiday I dreaded a bit.

Fast forward to having been in China for almost 9 months... oh what I would give to be in the U.S. And not just because I miss the beach (though I really do!) but because I miss the culture of a country that is truly free. I mean, yeah the government is tapping your phone calls and what not... but as Americans we are so blessed. No, our government isn't perfect. No government is. Until someone figures it out and reaches utopia, I'll settle for the life of an American.

I put on my red, white and blue this morning and contemplated what I would do in my classes today. I thought "oh, we can talk about freedom!"  But then it hit me, my students wouldn't have much to say on the topic. I don't think it's a topic that would build a rousing discussion amongst my students. Does the idea of freedom (and their lack of) make them bitter or resentful. Or is it a concept they can't even wrap their heads around? I've decided not to get into the topic, because I would feel guilty, as if rubbing it in their face what freedoms Americans are privileged with. Maybe we'll talk about movies? Oh wait, those are censored here. 

Living outside of the U.S. bubble as given me the opportunity to learn so much about the differences around the world. I have a dear friend from Turkey, my roommates classmate was just murdered in a protest in Egypt (innocent bystander), and I'm living in a communist country with a cat resembling Hitler holding my purse captive. It makes me extremely proud and grateful to be an American.

Happy Independence Day to you all! 

Go BBQ and drink a beer for me. And be safe!

Parents.

I have been getting exponentially worse and worse about updating the blog. I guess it’s because China has lost its luster. I don’t necessarily mean that in a negative way, but my everyday experiences have become “the norm.” When you move to a new city or even country the beginning is so exciting. Everything is new and interesting.  After six months or so it is no longer intriguing, and in the case of China it’s actually just rather annoying. I remember my first few bus experiences here. I was laughing to myself all the time. The pushing, shoving, yelling and staring; it was all so amusing. Now it’s straight up obnoxious! In fact, I convinced my parents to get on a city bus with me. At first I thought this was a great idea; cheap and convenient travel. But when about 30 people piled in at the first stop I instantly regretted the decision. I didn’t feel right subjecting them to that kind of situation. I only wish I had gotten a picture.

“You’re parents” you ask? Why yes, I am so lucky to have parents that wanted to come visit me half way around the world! Let alone parents that booked the trip before I even had my flights booked. My parents spent the first leg of their trip in Hong Kong. I thought this was great warmer before they crossed into mainland China (that’s where shit gets real). I have a dear friend from High School that lives in HK, and they were lucky enough to get together with her. They really enjoyed Hong Kong, though it’s pretty hard not to enjoy HK.

From Hong Kong they flew into Shanghai on a Monday morning. I took the train into Shanghai and stayed with a friend Sunday night so that I could pick them up at the airport on Monday. The International Arrivals area at the Airport is easily one of my favorite places in China. Seeing them just filled my heart with joy. We had four whole days together in Shanghai. We had a two-bedroom apartment in an area I’m quite familiar with, so it was just perfect. Us Clark’s aren’t necessarily the earliest worms though; we didn’t start our day before noon most days. But when you are with family I guess it doesn’t matter what we are doing, as long as we are together.  I know…. How sweet am I.

Shanghai offers those double decker sightseeing buses around the city, which I think are just fantastic! You are given a tour of everything you want to see in a comfortable bus with an audio guide. It’s the best way to see a city. We had a 48-hour pass on the bus. It was fun to see my parent’s reaction to things that have become standard to me. I think the biggest shock to them was the lack of rights pedestrians have here. When you have the “green” to cross the street, cars will still be making right hand turns. In China cars always have the right of way. As an American, the green light gives you power, not here. Dan kicked a few cars as they nearly ran him over.

My other favorite experience with them was our family massage. I’ve grown accustomed to a cheap massage weekly here. The hour long Chinese massage costs me about ten US dollars. There was a massage parlor right across from our apartment so we decided to get a massage one night. Don’t worry y’all, it wasn’t one of those “happy ending” kind of places (sicko, get your head out of the gutter). I actually still have yet to see one of those places. We upped for the oil massage (Dan’s a big spender). It was just funny that we were all in the same room. Family bonding at it’s finest.

We took a day trip to a neighboring city on Thursday. This region of China has many rivers, and many “water towns.” The one we chose is called Suzhou. It’s the only water town with a train station. Train being the most convenient form of travel we went to Suzhou. The weather was a little crummy and this “Venice of China” probably shouldn’t be compared to Venice.

We arrived at the train station and were hounded by drivers offering personal guides/tours. As we contemplated our day we finally accepted an offer by a nice man whose name I cannot pronounce. Tourism is a rather new industry in China, and isn’t really efficient or convenient. Our driver took us fist to a pagoda that if anything was worthwhile for this photo (inappropriate father!) From there we went to a garden. Suzhou has many gardens. Emporers liked building gardens. And our last stop was a quaint canal street. Again, I don’t think we can compare this area to Venice. The driver had offered to drop us off at the city center and complete the tour at 6:30. We would then have dinner and get back to the train station on our own. But after all we had seen we decided to just hop on the train and get dinner in Shanghai.

The following morning we took the train to Hangzhou (were I live). I would have to work Friday from 1-9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm. This was stressful for me. Having my parents so close and missing precious time with them because of work. I was even more worried about them because it was raining Saturday and Sunday! What would they do? I’ll tell you what they did: relaxed. MY roommate works at a five star Sheraton in an amazing and conveniently close area to where I live. The hotel is fantastic! I think my parents were quite happy to just relax and enjoy the luxury of the hotel especially after our somewhat janky apartment in Shanghai. My standards have definitely lowered when it comes to comfort and cleanliness here.

Saturday evening we went to dinner with my closest friends. My mom put it greatly in an email “Carrie is surrounding herself with great people.” I really do feel lucky to have such a great group of friends here. My levels of life satisfaction would be waayyyy lower if it weren’t for these people. Sunday after work the rain had finally subsided. I took them downtown to a very traditional/touristy area of town. We walked around the lake a bit and called it a night. Monday was my day off so we had a lot of time to explore more of Hangzhou. Though I realized after having my parents here, there really isn’t a whole lot to do in Hangzhou. It’s an absolutely beautiful city (mainly because of the lake), but once you’ve strolled around the lake for a few hours there really isn’t much else to see. It isn’t a big city like Shanghai, nor do we have a subway. Like I said, not much of a tourism infrastructure.

We parted ways around 5:30 as they had to fly to Beijing for the last leg of their trip. It was extremely hard/emotional to say goodbye to them. I have now been in China for eight months and though it hasn’t been that long I’m definitely learning a lot. There are a few ideas/questions/notions that have been resolved during my time here. One, I don’t enjoy teaching in China (I don’t think teaching at an English training center in China is comparable to teaching at a school in the US. Either way, glad I’ve had this experience to confirm things I don’t want to do). Two, California may be one of the greatest places to live. I’m living in a communist, collectivist society. It’s a lifestyle I do not find attractive. Three, I don’t see myself living the expat lifestyle much longer. When I moved here I was always being asked “how long will you live abroad?” My answer was “indefinitely” as I had no idea what the future would hold. I still don’t know what the future holds (if you do, please let me know!) but I do know I will be returning to the US sooner than I had expected.

The sadness of my parents leaving was quickly replaced by the excitement of my sister coming to China! Anna will be here on June 11^th! Hangzhou is just a short stop on her 5 weeks of backpacking in Southeast Asia. But I am so excited to be going to the Philippines with them and seeing one of my best friends in the whole world! I am also very excited to be getting a little break from China. Many expats will tell you “you need to get out of the country every few months, even if for just a few days” I’m overdue!

Tomb Sweeping and such...

The Chinese are extremely superstitious. I am constantly berating my adult students trying to get as much information on traditions as possible. It’s interesting to learn the history as to why they do so many things, and it is also quite entertaining. Tomorrow is a national holiday called Tomb Sweeping day. Yup, pretty much; Spring-cleaning for their cemeteries. 

I think a lot of my students forget that I’m not Chinese. And although I did grow up in Irvine, there is still a lot about the culture that I don’t know. When I inquire about their culture they give me a sliver of the Cliffs Notes. I often have to remind them that what they are telling me is brand new information to me and not common in the U.S. In one of my earlier classes today I asked my students what Tomb Sweeping day was all about and they didn’t really say much. Most of them were just excited they didn’t have work. But the main gist of the holiday is to pay respect to ancestors. In my last class I had a group of very talkative girls. I love when my students do all the talking for me! Especially when I have three canker sores on my tongue! Yes, that’s what I get for eating three pineapples in three days. It’s just so hard to resist when a pineapple is a dollar and they skin it and slice it for you on the street.

Anyways, the girls were really chatty and told me all about this holiday and the customs that go along with it.  Many families return to their hometown and visit the graves of their loved ones. They cut the grass and place flowers on the tomb. They can also give gifts to their loved ones on the other side. You just burn a picture of what you want to give to them and they will receive it in a matter of minutes. The examples I was given: “you can burn a photo of a refrigerator, phone, television, games, house, anything you want.” I think this is hilarious and darling. Why they’d need a refrigerator? Not sure. Another custom I thought was lovely was cooking a meal for the departed. Families will cook something special for their ancestors and leave it outside with a candle. In a few hours you can retrieve the food and eat it yourself. I guess it’s rare that grandma or grandma are that hungry and eat the food, probably because they were given a refrigerator earlier in the day… One of my students said her grandfather told the family to give him an  iPhone when he dies (you know, burn a picture of an iPhone on his grave). Somebody in the family questioned him “do you even know how to work an iPhone?” he replied “No” but figured he’d have Steve Jobs help him out.

I guess it’s not that bizarre though, I wanted to take my grandma a bottle of two-buck chuck and dump it in the ocean with her ashes… The Chinese do have a lot of respect for their elders, which is quite lovely to see. So, if you don’t have much to do tomorrow, light a candle for a family member that has passed in honor of Tomb Sweeping day. I will celebrate the holiday in Shanghai with my friend Mecah. It is so wonderful to have such a dear friend so close! I sure did take it for granted when I lived in the states.

Next week I will be moving into a new apartment! I am beyond excited. As I have probably mentioned before, the area of town I live in is wonderful and has many great qualities. Unfortunately none of my friends live in this area. Think of it in an LA scale. All my friends are in Venice and I’m in East Hollywood. Technically it isn’t that far, but with traffic (and traffic in China is worse than LA) and all it just isn’t convenient. It’s not worth the cab fare to go to a friends for dinner or to watch a movie. One of my best friends roommates moved back to the states last month, so I am moving in! I’m breaking my lease at my current apartment, which is unfortunate, but it will be so worth it to live with and be near to my friends. I am so excited! Living on this side of town has been a bit lonely at times.  The West is also cheaper and quieter! I often sleep with earplugs here. Margaret (on the right) will be my new roommate and Liz my close neighbor, we biked to the botanical garden last week. Huge garden full of tulips. The tulips are only in bloom for a month here. 

I just hope I will live to see next week. I’ve recently started riding my bike to work. The weather is shifting and it is glorious. I never knew how miserable being cold was until I moved here. The warmth makes all the difference. And I absolutely love riding my bike. I’m just a little concerned that I am going to get hit by a car. The roads are a brutal place here. Every man for himself. I think I’m counteracting the exercise endorphin rush with road rage. Luckily my brother taught me to “always keep my head on a swivel.” I’m not sure if that was advice he gave me on our three-month biking excursion in Europe, or just general advice. I try and use it in all contexts just in case.

My friends have a cat named Bo. He's famous on a website called 'Hitler Kitties'. He's nothing like Adolf though... he's quite sweet. Not that I know what Adolf was like first hand, but I have my assumptions.

Spring has sprung

Winter had its ups and downs. When I arrived in fall I was told on several occasions how miserable winter in Hangzhou was. I heard over and over how bone chilling cold it gets here. I began to prepare myself for the worst. Here's the lesson (wouldn't it be great if you always walk away from reading my blog a tad bit more enlightened); you
can't always trust someone else's perspective. It's cold here, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't make life here miserable. Living in the north, yeah that may be miserable, but this is just a winter. It's great that I experience this. That way when I raise a family in Southern California and my kids complain about weather ill hit em with "when I lived in China I had to walk to work in the snow, uphill both ways.”

Last week it was 80 degrees one day then it dropped to 50 degrees the next day.I'm so excited for spring! I know it will be a bit rainy for a couple of months. The other night I walked by a Chinese couple holding hands and couldn't help but notice that the young mans sweat pants had a "sad face" embroidered on the crotch. I'm going to assume the girl he was holding hands with was his girlfriend and I immediately felt bad for her. What a diss to her! Was he wearing the scarlet letter for "unsatisfied?" And if so, should we direct the blame for his unhappy privates on her. If they break up she may have a hard time finding another boyfriend.

I was once on a bus and the driver took a personal call. Obviously I don’t really know if it was a personal call because most of the Chinese I understand is classroom language. So hopefully it wasn’t a personal call, but it definitely seemed like it was a personal call. Which is so ridiculous that while he is responsible for the lives of everyone on the bus he’s chattin about who knows what. #noruleschina

I feel like the best things happen to me on the bus. The other day an old woman looked right at me and gave me this semi evil/knowing laugh. It was as if she knew something I didn’t. I wasn’t sure if I should be offended or a little more aware of what’s around the corner.

One of the other most interesting places is the gym. An older woman put her bra over her long sleeve top? I tried it.

I was walking to the gym two days ago and the backs of me legs felt super cold. I reached back and water was dripping out of my backpack. I opened it up and my iPhone was swimming in the little pool created in my backpack. The phone is resting in dry rice and I'm hoping for a recovery. Everyone please say a little prayer for my phone. It has forced me to read more so I guess there's the silver lining. I have become very dependent on the translator app in class though.

Xinnian Quaile (Happy New Year)

I am constantly experiencing “firsts” here. The most recent was a double whammy. It was my first Chinese New Year as well as my first visitor in China. My best friend contacted me a couple months and asked me when the best time to visit me would be. Chinese New Year is the most celebrated national holiday in China and longest vacation time of the year. This is when most foreigners book a trip to Thailand or some warm tropical place to escape the cold and China in general. I had suggested to Elizabeth that we meet in a place like Thailand during the Chinese New Year, but she being the awesome friend that she is wanted to come to China and see what my life is like here. As amazing as an escape from China would have been I am quite happy she was able to get a little taste of China, because honestly it is so hard to describe what life is like here, you really just have to see for yourself. I wasjust having lunch with friends and we were saying how you really cant complain about China to anyone in the US… they just can’t understand. Where as anyone here will give you that sympathy nod and head shake to reassure you that you’re not alone.

Elizabeth arrived in Shanghai on a Tuesday night. I had taken a shuttle from Hangzhou straight to the airport.  We got on the subway to make our way downtown. I blame the excitement of seeing/catching up with an old friend, but we missed our subway transfer and the metro started heading back to the airport. No big deal we thought, just a detour. When we got back to the airport the lights in the subway went out and we were asked to get off. That had been the last subway of he evening. Of course! We found the buses and were able to find the bus that would take us close to where we were staying. I feel like that was the best introduction to my life in China that I could have given her; getting lost and overcoming obstacles.

We spent four days in Shanghai, which I can now officially say is my favorite city in China. We stayed with my good friend Mecah and her boyfriend Eduardo. Eduardo was our tour guide and helped show us some really great places. We did a bit of exploring on our own as well. Shanghai just has so much to offer. We had a bit of snow one day, which was so fun. On our last night we went out to an authentic all you can eat and drink Teppanyaki restaurant with Mecah and Eduardo. We flew from Shanghai to Beijing on New Years Eve.

Another reason a lot of foreigners leave China during the holiday is because CNY creates the largest annual migration anywhere in the world. It is custom to celebrate the New Year with your family in your hometown. This makes for a lot of Chinese traveling by train and bus. Many had warned me that traveling this time of year was a bad idea. I was so apprehensive that Liz and I would be stuck in a train station lost, trampled, and crying. I warned Liz and told her that I would keep a flask on hand at all times in case the situation was too overwhelming. I am no longer trusting anything anyone ever tells me. All of our travels went off without a hitch (well except for the missed flight, that was our fault!)

We arrived in Beijing around 9pm. We went straight to our hostel and dropped of our bags then went out to explore the area surrounding our hostel. My coworker had mentioned this quaint little bar area close to the hotel. We it found just as we were about to give up and head back to the hostel (it was 20degrees and we’re from southern California… it’s just not our thang). I’m so happy we toughed it out! The bars and restaurants were all surrounding this small lake that was frozen and used as an ice skating rink in the winter. This was the absolute best place to be. I have to explain one thing about China and Chinese New Year (which from now on will be referred to as CNY, keep up) first. You will never hear or see more fireworks in your life than you will witness in China during CNY. The Chinese invented gunpowder, so maybe that is why they love fireworks so much. Regardless, there are also absolutely no restrictions when it comes to fireworks. And I’m not talking about the amateur stuff you used to light in you street on the fourth of July as a kid; I’m talking about Disneyland fireworks. It is almost impossible for me to describe the number of fireworks going off throughout the night, and especially from 11:30 to 12:30, too many as a matter of fact. At one point they were being set off so close to us that we were hiding behind a trash can; one misfire and you’re toast. Something else to think about; fireworks are often set off in a very safe and regulated field with precaution by professionals. These were all being set off in a crowded street with tons of trees, light posts, and cable wires. There had to have been thousands of fingerless Chinese at the emergency room…

Anyways… unbelievable evening. The following day was New Years day, which means most families will stay in the house and eat and watch TV. The concierge at the hostel repeatedly told us that everything would be closed for the next few days. “It’s New Years” he told us. Oh really? Thanks for nothing Jerry. Another example as to why I don't believe anything anyone ever tells me. Especially Chinese people; they do this annoying thing where they give you an answer even if they don't know the correct answer. Instead of saying “I don't know” they’ll just say, “yeah take a left.” NO! Wrong it’s a right. Don't lead me in the wrong direction just because you don't want to admit you don't know. We proved Jerry wrong. There was a lot open on New Years day. The following day we went to The Great Wall of China even though Jerry said it was closed. We’re so lucky too because going without a tour set up by a hotel is so difficult! We were the only foreigners on the bus; it was the equivalent of getting there he way the locals would. There was luckily a man on the bus who spoke a little English and told us to follow him. I wish I remembered his name! It was something along the lines of Rotor. The Great Wall as you can guess was pretty great. We got a Chinese woman to take pictures of us doing handstands. I felt pretty satisfied with the experience. We saw everything we needed to see there, and honestly I don't think I’ll go back. The city itself wasn't that impressive. Maybe it’s a little more enjoyable in the spring, but in the winter; cold and gray. We missed our flight out of Beijing by 10 minutes. Our fault, we should have allotted more time to get to the airport. Also, we had found the fake market… it’s hard to turn your back on tons of cheap crap you don't need! Because I had bought the tickets online at a discounted price we could not transfer the tickets or get a refund. So we paid to get on the next flight. The only upside of missing the flight was we were upgraded to first class.

We had two days in Hangzhou. The first day was a total lazy day, actually they both were. We just walked around the city a little, ate out, and watched movies in bed. It was great. On Friday we went to Mount Huangshan with my friend Margaret. Mount Huangshan is on of the most famous mountains in China. Apparently it is the inspiration behind Avatar. This was another “Great Wall” situation that is just boggling. It’s a huge tourist attraction and rather well known in China, however getting there is so confusing! If it weren’t for Margaret we would not have gotten there. It was a four-hour bus ride then another bus transfer to the mountain. It took us four hours to hike to our hotel. We got to the top just in time for the sunset. We dropped off our backpacks in our room then got dinner. We were like zombies at the dinner table: so physically exhausted. We woke up at five to watch the sunrise, and then took the cable car to the bottom of he mountain. It was so beautiful and such a great experience. The following day I went back to work and Elizabeth went back to the US. I’m so lucky to have such an amazing friend that would travel half way across the world to spend time with me (seeing China, meh… visiting Carrie, hell yes!)

 I am now accepting applications for my next visitor.

ni hao

I know, this took way too long! Sorry. Well, I am no longer a tourist in China. It’s official I have a category Z Chinese Visa (aka a working Visa). Pretty exciting. What’s even more exciting is that I had to fly to Hong Kong to get it. You must leave Mainland China to change your Visa category. My days off are Monday and Thursday, so my assistant just told me to take Monday to Friday to get everything taken care of. The flight to Hong Kong is about two hours and found a super cheap airline! From the airport I took the Airport Express (one of Hong Kong’s subway lines) to the Downtown/Central station of Hong Kong and was greeted by an old friend from High School. Katie and her fiancé have been living in Hong Kong for a couple of years now. Not only was it amazing to spend time with Katie and Kevin, but also to have two locals showing me around. Unfortunately I was there during the workweek, and they had to work. I guess I shouldn't say “unfortunately” I’m pretty happy they both have careers and are successful members of society.

I can only comparing my arrival to Hong Kong to arriving in Hawaii form the coldest, dumpiest, most miserable town in the Midwest. Hong Kong felt like paradise. Not that Hangzhou is a miserable hick town, but it is Mainland China. China can be very wearing. I was talking to my friend Mecah this morning; she just got back to Shanghai from Thailand. She said the people and life style in Thailand was so wonderful! And once she was back and at baggage claim she was getting bumped into and knocked around by Chinese people. Welcome back. Living here can make you so curt. I’m continually getting shoulder checked, and have no problem checking people right back, even if she’s 83. I miss strangers exchanging smiles… go smile at a stranger after you read this. It really means a lot.

Anyways… Hong Kong is nothing like Mainland China. In fact from now on, if you meet somebody that says they live in China, only to find out they live in Hong Kong you point a finger in their face and say “LIAR.” There is no need to speak Chinese when in Hong Kong. Speaking with a British accent would probably be more appropriate. It was so nice to have every label and menu in English. Oh my gosh, and to see a health food store! Now I miss Whole Foods like crazy, I really took them for granted.

Back to Katie and Kevin having to work during the week; It was totally fine by me. The first two days I had to go to the visa office in the morning. I would then spend the next few hours being a total tourist. Then back to their apartment to get ready for the evening. Every night Katie and Kevin had something planned. I men no concert tickets or anything, but they made a point to take me to a different part of town for dinner each night. Kevin even let Katie and I have a girl’s night one of the evenings. I miss having friends who already know everything about you! Not having to stop your story every few minutes to give a back-story on one of the characters. Katie already knows all the characters in my life! It was so much fun and a really enjoyable trip!

I got back to Hangzhou Friday morning and enjoyed the free day of no work (the school didn't need to know what time I got home; they said I could take Monday to Friday!). Saturday we threw a surprise party for a good friend. It totally worked; she was surprised.

I think I feel busier than I had been in the beginning because I am going to the gym more! I bought a membership and have been getting up every morning at 7:145. For the last 5 years my work schedule has created an unstable sleep schedule. When I was at Starbucks I was getting to work at 5am, and at my last job I was leaving work at 3am. Needles to say, I haven’t had a stable sleep pattern in years, and “they” say it is really important to have a consistent sleep schedule. And I always trust “they,” haven’t been let down once. I've also been planning the details for my best friends visit to China! Elizabeth will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow night. We've planned an awesome trip during Chinese New Year. It will be so great to travel and see some amazing places, but it will be just as great to just sit in and chat over a glass of wine for the evening. I miss that.