So I just wanted to mention that I'm learning to accept my new alarm clock in the mornings here.
It's a man raking rocks outside.
It would be a nice Zen Buddhist activity if the rocks were a bit smaller and made less of a jarring sound. I appreciate the amount of work he puts into this activity-he seems to be re-leveling the gravel parking lot along the alleyway after cars having driven through it the day before.
It's hard work and he does it from about 8:30 until 10 some days.
I'm yet to see him in action, but when I do I'll take a photo.
Also I thought I should note where family members are. This could be interesting to keep track of for once, since the manns move around a lot.
Justin-Seattle
Sebrina, Madison, and I-Beijing
Alisha-Monterey
Tom, Sharon-Utah, on their way to New Mexico
Shaun, Leila-Seattle
Just a month ago though Justin was here, Leila was in Australia, and Mom and Dad were in Seattle. Last year Everyone but Alisha and I were in Seattle. Year before that Justin and Sebrina were in China, Shaun and Leila were in Israel, mom and dad in Port Townsend, Alisha in California somewhere.
I'm honestly not even sure if I've got that all right and I'm not writing the year before that because I don't remember where everyone was. The point is, we move around a lot. And because my memory is so poor, I'll try to write an updated list every once in a while for record-keeping.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
798 art district
I completed a really long blog, detailing our entire day-long trip to this art district, then as I was finishing my computer died. In the last seconds before the battery failed, I tried saving the blog, but alas, was not fast enough. So this time I'm not going to say so much...
This was my favorite piece of the day. It was entirely sewn together, even the objects sewn onto the spread of collaged shirts, were made out of clothing. It was titled something like 'Dangerous things for Traveling' and those objects are scissors, a gun, shampoo, a machete, fire extinguisher, switchblade, grenade, and other things you are ordered not to bring on a plane.
Sebrina liked these last three a lot. She said they reminded her of fabric. I agree. They look a lot like tapestries.
Yesterday Sebrina, Madison and I went on a trip to the 798 art district, a former colony of factories remodeled into art galleries, studios, book stores, and cafes. It was incredibly difficult to navigate because we didn't find a map with labeled galleries until about 4 hours into our time there. Nevertheless it was an awesome day and we saw a lot of interesting art. The volume of art was incredible. China is spending more money on the contemporary art field, and Beijing is a major city, so we're able to benefit from those things and see free displays of an enormous amount of art here.
This was my favorite piece of the day. It was entirely sewn together, even the objects sewn onto the spread of collaged shirts, were made out of clothing. It was titled something like 'Dangerous things for Traveling' and those objects are scissors, a gun, shampoo, a machete, fire extinguisher, switchblade, grenade, and other things you are ordered not to bring on a plane.
Sebrina liked these last three a lot. She said they reminded her of fabric. I agree. They look a lot like tapestries.
Yesterday Sebrina, Madison and I went on a trip to the 798 art district, a former colony of factories remodeled into art galleries, studios, book stores, and cafes. It was incredibly difficult to navigate because we didn't find a map with labeled galleries until about 4 hours into our time there. Nevertheless it was an awesome day and we saw a lot of interesting art. The volume of art was incredible. China is spending more money on the contemporary art field, and Beijing is a major city, so we're able to benefit from those things and see free displays of an enormous amount of art here.
In another gallery we saw these two famous Chinese artists. This first is by Zhang XiaoGang. He paints figures that allude to communist comrades in their uniformity (usually a composition would have more than one figure) and his bleak color use.
The other was Yue MinJun, who always depicts himself in his work as multiple men with exaggeratedly wide mouths, laughing. This is a silkscreen print.
(sorry my reflection is in these photographs. It’s distracting, but the glass was shiny.)
Turns out Yayoi Kusama was also at 798, which was an awesome surprise for me. I looked at her art a lot over the last quarter at Western. She became one of my favorite artists. This picture is bad because of the angle and the glare, but I guess it still communicates what was at the show.
In another area there was a video installation I really enjoyed. It was called ‘Finding a Space.’ I took a series of photos trying to capture the action of this one figure in the video. I have no idea what happened to the colors in the photo...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Our little expedition
Yesterday we went on a 4 hr. walk around town exploring and shopping. We went to get Justin's fixed computer from the electronics center, then to a bakery, Starbucks, an art store!, stopped in a Church bookstore, and a fruit stand. (Along the way there was a small bike stand. Katie will appreciate this photo.)
Fancy Facials:
On the way out we saw a place that looked like they gave facials. Justin and Sebrina have been looking around for a place like that, so we stopped in. It turned out to be extremely fancy. They took us to a room with marble floor tiles and red velvet chairs, served us some really sugary tea, and told Sebrina about their services. Apparently, as she explained to me later, they charge 10,000 RMB for membership, then more for each visit. One of the treatments they offer, as we saw on an enlarged photo of a woman's face under procedure on the wall, is a kind of electric shock therapy. Crazy stuff. They also had a machine they use to electrify your fat off.
Bakery:
We kept walking, arrived at the electronics center and easily picked up the fixed lap top. Then we went to the bakery where I took photos of the beautiful baked goods. A woman eventually told me to stop, for fear of losing their competitive edge in the baked goods market. (This is why I'm not posting the name of the place) Fortunately, she asked me to stop after I had taken enough pictures to satiate my interest. We bought a couple scones, and some Milk Bread...the other options included Fresh Cream Bread and Corn Bread (White bread with kernels of corn throughout.)
Art Magazine:
Then we went to the Starbucks across the road. We picked up some magazines to read from the rack. I found one about art across Asia. It has information on gallery shows in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and some other cities. Sebrina encouraged me to take the magazine, justifying the theft by how soon it will be irrelevant since it was already the 26th day of the month. I made her stuff it in my bag. I'm just not good at being discrete.
Art Store
Then we walked to the art store, which was really exciting. I haven't opened the paints yet, so I'm not sure if the quality matches that of the brands I buy in the states, but it certainly was cheaper. What I would normally pay for just a jar of gesso is about the cost of gesso, 5 small tubs of acrylic paint, 3 sheets of prepped canvas, and 4 brushes. Kind of amazing. There were some wrapped Greek busts on a shelf in the store. They were a bit disconcerting.
I didn't buy oils because they're just a hassle sometimes, but I did notice that they had a funny translation error on their Paint Retardant...
Baby Bible:
Done with that, we walked over towards the massive Church to check it out. Sebrina wanted to go inside, but the only thing open was the bookstore. She bought a child's version of the Bible complete with full color animation and both Chinese and English. I might read it, since I still don't know the stories of the Bible. This would be an easy way to learn them.
The twins:
On the way back we came across a woman with twins. They were cute and I tried taking a good photo of them, but I wasn't swift enough so I lost the perfect shot. One of them was frightened by my camera (or me) so I didn't want to persist. I did get a photo though, and I think it still translates their cuteness.
oh and by the way, it must be mosquito season, because i woke up this morning with 24 bites on my arms and hands!
Fancy Facials:
On the way out we saw a place that looked like they gave facials. Justin and Sebrina have been looking around for a place like that, so we stopped in. It turned out to be extremely fancy. They took us to a room with marble floor tiles and red velvet chairs, served us some really sugary tea, and told Sebrina about their services. Apparently, as she explained to me later, they charge 10,000 RMB for membership, then more for each visit. One of the treatments they offer, as we saw on an enlarged photo of a woman's face under procedure on the wall, is a kind of electric shock therapy. Crazy stuff. They also had a machine they use to electrify your fat off.
Bakery:
We kept walking, arrived at the electronics center and easily picked up the fixed lap top. Then we went to the bakery where I took photos of the beautiful baked goods. A woman eventually told me to stop, for fear of losing their competitive edge in the baked goods market. (This is why I'm not posting the name of the place) Fortunately, she asked me to stop after I had taken enough pictures to satiate my interest. We bought a couple scones, and some Milk Bread...the other options included Fresh Cream Bread and Corn Bread (White bread with kernels of corn throughout.)
Art Magazine:
Then we went to the Starbucks across the road. We picked up some magazines to read from the rack. I found one about art across Asia. It has information on gallery shows in Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, and some other cities. Sebrina encouraged me to take the magazine, justifying the theft by how soon it will be irrelevant since it was already the 26th day of the month. I made her stuff it in my bag. I'm just not good at being discrete.
Art Store
Then we walked to the art store, which was really exciting. I haven't opened the paints yet, so I'm not sure if the quality matches that of the brands I buy in the states, but it certainly was cheaper. What I would normally pay for just a jar of gesso is about the cost of gesso, 5 small tubs of acrylic paint, 3 sheets of prepped canvas, and 4 brushes. Kind of amazing. There were some wrapped Greek busts on a shelf in the store. They were a bit disconcerting.
I didn't buy oils because they're just a hassle sometimes, but I did notice that they had a funny translation error on their Paint Retardant...
Baby Bible:
Done with that, we walked over towards the massive Church to check it out. Sebrina wanted to go inside, but the only thing open was the bookstore. She bought a child's version of the Bible complete with full color animation and both Chinese and English. I might read it, since I still don't know the stories of the Bible. This would be an easy way to learn them.
The twins:
On the way back we came across a woman with twins. They were cute and I tried taking a good photo of them, but I wasn't swift enough so I lost the perfect shot. One of them was frightened by my camera (or me) so I didn't want to persist. I did get a photo though, and I think it still translates their cuteness.
oh and by the way, it must be mosquito season, because i woke up this morning with 24 bites on my arms and hands!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Journey to the West
Today I came across the show Xi You Ji (Journey to the West) on CCTV.
I had seen it before, but can't remember where.
It's the coolest show ever. There's a monkey character, and a pig character, and a bunch of traditionally dressed Chinese people. I didn't know the premise until I just looked it up on the internet.
Apparently the show is based off of a story from the 16th century of the Ming Dynasty. It's about a Buddhist monk's trip to India in search of Buddhist texts called 'sutras.' The Boddhisattva Guanyin (physical form of Buddha) by direction from Buddha (spirit of Buddha/God) gave the task to that monk and his three disciples. Those three disciples and a dragon prince decide to help the monk find the sutras in order to atone for their past sins.
The story is an allegory where their search for sutras is like the individual's search for enlightenment.
The legend is considered one of the four great classical novels of China, and the tv series is really famous.
I had seen it before, but can't remember where.
It's the coolest show ever. There's a monkey character, and a pig character, and a bunch of traditionally dressed Chinese people. I didn't know the premise until I just looked it up on the internet.
Apparently the show is based off of a story from the 16th century of the Ming Dynasty. It's about a Buddhist monk's trip to India in search of Buddhist texts called 'sutras.' The Boddhisattva Guanyin (physical form of Buddha) by direction from Buddha (spirit of Buddha/God) gave the task to that monk and his three disciples. Those three disciples and a dragon prince decide to help the monk find the sutras in order to atone for their past sins.
The story is an allegory where their search for sutras is like the individual's search for enlightenment.
The legend is considered one of the four great classical novels of China, and the tv series is really famous.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Baby fat
We went to the 'gong yuan' park and saw one of those fat prosperous babies the Luo Brothers referenced...
'Hen ke'ai!' So cute!
'Hen ke'ai!' So cute!
Monday, June 23, 2008
The Luo Brothers
I'm going to do a few blogs about contemporary Chinese artists.
This first one is about the Luo brothers. There are three of them: Luo Wei Dong, Luo Wei Bing, and Luo Wei Guo. (In
They work with paper, lacquer, lacquer on wood panel, carved wood panels, and statues made of lacquered resin. (Lacquer can be a clear or colored varnish. It dries into a hard, durable surface that can be matte or glossy. It's traditionally made from the lacquer tree. In
The Luo Brothers make kitsch art that alludes to Chinese festivals, traditional crafts, and the symbolism of a fat baby representing prosperity. Their art is about the rapid changes
"In the span of thirty years since the death of Mao China has gone from a drab, uniformly colourless society that went to bed by 9 pm to one that makes the eyes and ears ache with the 24 hour assault of colours, lights and noise."
The images posted are of their series 'The World's Most Famous Brands'
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Lunch and Justin leaving
Lunch with Lori:
The other day we went out to lunch with a Chinese family Justin and Sebrina met here. The woman, Lori, is an English teacher and they just happened to meet in a cafe one day.
We ate in one of the private rooms of the restaurant, so it was banquet style which means a large round table with the lazy suzanne in the center. When we entered the room I was worried that this meant we had to sit in the culturally respectful spots in the room. During a banquet the person with the highest authority sits facing the door and all around the table the rank lowers person by person, though I'm not sure in what direction. If you sit in the wrong spot you could be trying to say you are higher up than them. But Sebrina told me it wasn't a real banquet so it wouldn't matter.
We ate some interesting dishes. The restaurant specialized in Sichzuan (sp?) province foods, which generally means a lot of bean curd and spice. One of them was a plate of thin slices of pork with a sweet brown sauce on top of flat folded squares of bean curd. You're meant to wrap the pork inside the bean curd and eat it like that. Another was a big bowl of opaque green liquid. After the server put the bowl down she opened up a tiny plastic bag of powder and poured that in. Over time the liquid became a gelatin. Apparently that too was bean curd, but made into jello. It came with little dishes of spices and nuts that you mix with it. The texture was so strange it was hard to eat without feeling queasy. (at least for me that was true. i looked around the room though and most of us hadn't finished our bowls of it.) They also ordered a fish and as some of the dishes were coming out a man walked in with a pink bucket, showing the contents to the woman who had ordered. She looked in and said it was okay. It's common here for people to look at the fish while it's still alive and make sure it's the one they want.
English Camp:
Lori runs a summer camp for students wanting to learn English. She has been looking to find foreignors who would help with the camp to make it more appealing for the students and her business. When she heard that I had studied some Chinese, she asked me if I liked to teach teenagers. I said 'I don't know. I've never taught teenagers.' I think she may have meant to ask if I wanted to teach, but I wanted to be a little stubborn at least at first. Sebrina had warned me she was looking for foreignors so I knew I would be badgered some. She talked to me about it for a while, and told me I would be paid. I said I would think about it, and she said 'just let me know quickly.' Before we left she whispered in my ear 'if you want to work at my summer camp I will pay you more.' I just said again 'I'll let you know.' I'm assuming that means she would pay me more than the other foreignors working there. I think I'm her top choice right now because of the connection through Justin and Sebrina, and that I'm young. I don't know, it made me uncomfortable because I felt bribed. But I'm trying to think of it more like it would be of help to her if I did this and it would look good on a resume later. I could run a little drawing class while I'm there, and say I taught an art class in China...because I did!
The only debate now is if Sebrina is planning to travel to Yunnan province during that time, then I would rather go with her because it's somewhere I've never been. I'm waiting to here when she plans to go, to decide.
Justin is headed for the U.S. of A.:
Justin is leaving today at noon. It's kind of sad to see him go, but it'll be fun with just the four of us girls here. (Sebrina, the ayi, madison, and I) I think I already said why he's going to the states. Hopefully it all works out smoothly and he doesn't have to wait on his visa for more than a week. I'm sure Shaun (my other brother) will have fun hanging out with him. Sebrina and I might go get facials and manicures. I would never do that in the states, but here apparently it's very cheap. Also, there's something about being in China that makes what's considered normal in another place feel like an adventure.
The heat:
Oh wow, Sebrina just came in the room to get something, and she told me I could put the AC on since it's so hot. She said it's 35 Celsius outside, which is 95 Fahrenheit. No wonder last night I woke up sweating. Also last night there was a thunder/lightning storm. I woke up a few times from the loudness of the thunder clapping and the brightness of the lightning. A few times I thought I was dreaming, but I'm pretty sure, reflecting on it now, that it was real.
Yunnan:
Last night I watched a documentary about Yunnan province and it really does look gorgeous. Since the last time I was in China we were in one of the poorest cities of Shandong province, I experienced a very polluted area and generally think of all of China looking that way. But Yunnan has clear skies. In the video there was footage of big snow-capped mountains with bright blue sky and white fluffy clouds. I'm yet to see that here, and am hoping to. They also have forests where things like the red panda and some weird button nosed monkey live.
The other day we went out to lunch with a Chinese family Justin and Sebrina met here. The woman, Lori, is an English teacher and they just happened to meet in a cafe one day.
We ate in one of the private rooms of the restaurant, so it was banquet style which means a large round table with the lazy suzanne in the center. When we entered the room I was worried that this meant we had to sit in the culturally respectful spots in the room. During a banquet the person with the highest authority sits facing the door and all around the table the rank lowers person by person, though I'm not sure in what direction. If you sit in the wrong spot you could be trying to say you are higher up than them. But Sebrina told me it wasn't a real banquet so it wouldn't matter.
We ate some interesting dishes. The restaurant specialized in Sichzuan (sp?) province foods, which generally means a lot of bean curd and spice. One of them was a plate of thin slices of pork with a sweet brown sauce on top of flat folded squares of bean curd. You're meant to wrap the pork inside the bean curd and eat it like that. Another was a big bowl of opaque green liquid. After the server put the bowl down she opened up a tiny plastic bag of powder and poured that in. Over time the liquid became a gelatin. Apparently that too was bean curd, but made into jello. It came with little dishes of spices and nuts that you mix with it. The texture was so strange it was hard to eat without feeling queasy. (at least for me that was true. i looked around the room though and most of us hadn't finished our bowls of it.) They also ordered a fish and as some of the dishes were coming out a man walked in with a pink bucket, showing the contents to the woman who had ordered. She looked in and said it was okay. It's common here for people to look at the fish while it's still alive and make sure it's the one they want.
English Camp:
Lori runs a summer camp for students wanting to learn English. She has been looking to find foreignors who would help with the camp to make it more appealing for the students and her business. When she heard that I had studied some Chinese, she asked me if I liked to teach teenagers. I said 'I don't know. I've never taught teenagers.' I think she may have meant to ask if I wanted to teach, but I wanted to be a little stubborn at least at first. Sebrina had warned me she was looking for foreignors so I knew I would be badgered some. She talked to me about it for a while, and told me I would be paid. I said I would think about it, and she said 'just let me know quickly.' Before we left she whispered in my ear 'if you want to work at my summer camp I will pay you more.' I just said again 'I'll let you know.' I'm assuming that means she would pay me more than the other foreignors working there. I think I'm her top choice right now because of the connection through Justin and Sebrina, and that I'm young. I don't know, it made me uncomfortable because I felt bribed. But I'm trying to think of it more like it would be of help to her if I did this and it would look good on a resume later. I could run a little drawing class while I'm there, and say I taught an art class in China...because I did!
The only debate now is if Sebrina is planning to travel to Yunnan province during that time, then I would rather go with her because it's somewhere I've never been. I'm waiting to here when she plans to go, to decide.
Justin is headed for the U.S. of A.:
Justin is leaving today at noon. It's kind of sad to see him go, but it'll be fun with just the four of us girls here. (Sebrina, the ayi, madison, and I) I think I already said why he's going to the states. Hopefully it all works out smoothly and he doesn't have to wait on his visa for more than a week. I'm sure Shaun (my other brother) will have fun hanging out with him. Sebrina and I might go get facials and manicures. I would never do that in the states, but here apparently it's very cheap. Also, there's something about being in China that makes what's considered normal in another place feel like an adventure.
The heat:
Oh wow, Sebrina just came in the room to get something, and she told me I could put the AC on since it's so hot. She said it's 35 Celsius outside, which is 95 Fahrenheit. No wonder last night I woke up sweating. Also last night there was a thunder/lightning storm. I woke up a few times from the loudness of the thunder clapping and the brightness of the lightning. A few times I thought I was dreaming, but I'm pretty sure, reflecting on it now, that it was real.
Yunnan:
Last night I watched a documentary about Yunnan province and it really does look gorgeous. Since the last time I was in China we were in one of the poorest cities of Shandong province, I experienced a very polluted area and generally think of all of China looking that way. But Yunnan has clear skies. In the video there was footage of big snow-capped mountains with bright blue sky and white fluffy clouds. I'm yet to see that here, and am hoping to. They also have forests where things like the red panda and some weird button nosed monkey live.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
letters
In case you want to send a letter, here's my address:
205 Kenan (Kernei) Center, Building A20, Shuangyushu East,
Haidian district,
Beijing, China 100086
I'll probably send back things I find or packaging materials, because, well, things are always cooler in other countries.
205 Kenan (Kernei) Center, Building A20, Shuangyushu East,
Haidian district,
Beijing, China 100086
I'll probably send back things I find or packaging materials, because, well, things are always cooler in other countries.
Friday, June 20, 2008
We climbed the Smelly Hill
The Ayi and I try to communicate:
Yesterday morning I was sitting in bed reading and the ayi knocked at my door. She came in and said something I couldn't decipher, pointing at the floor, holding a broom. I gestured no with my head, thinking maybe she was asking if I wanted her to clean the floor. She came in and cleaned so I definitely misunderstood. I decided to try saying something to her, because the whole-having someone who I don't/can't speak with clean up after me-thing makes me very uncomfortable.
So, I said 'Jin tian ni hui jia ma?' 'Are you going home today?' and she nodded yes and smiled.
A little bit later she said 'Jin Tian ni men something something gongyuan ma?' 'Are you guys going to the park today?' and I said 'shi' 'we are.' Then she left and came back in to mop. When she was done she showed me a picture of her and Madison on her phone and said she wanted to take a picture of me with her. I nodded yes, so she sat on my bed and handed me the phone to take the pictures. I couldn't get the angle right so every picture came out oddly, one with her entire face, and a sliver of mine, one the opposite, one we're both crammed down in the corner of the frame, and one too close up. I made silly faces for most of the pictures and she made a calm closed-mouth smile. Then she took her phone and took a picture of just me, and I've always been weird about pictures. I generally don't like them to be taken of me, so when she did it, I looked at it and said I didn't like the photo-or tried to. She told me I was so happy and that was good, then before she left she said 'I'm sorry.' That left me baffled. I sat there trying to figure out why she was sorry for half-an-hour, then decided to drop it.
I told Justin about it later and he said, 'Yeah, she's weird isn't she?'....that's typical Justin.
Bob comes over:
Justin invited his friend and helper/translator for lunch and to go to a park. He's a Chinese guy who studies Finance and English at a university here. When he came over he brought flowers for me, because he knew Justin's little sister was in town. I was thoroughly embarrassed, not being accustomed to the Chinese ways-like bringing gifts when you visit someone or welcome them. We talked for a little bit about school and whether or not this was my first time in China. We had lunch.
Then we went to XiangShan 'Fragrant Mountain,' which was beautiful. Justin and Sebrina were calling it a hike that we were about to go on, but of course it was a Chinese hike. The paths were stone and most of it was steps up the hill. There were intercoms on the way up playing relaxing chinese tunes, and poster boards along the sides of the path with information on environment and specific plants and animals (they were in Chinese, but that's what Bob said they were.)
The walk got progressively more difficult until we reached the peak where another building was. The whole time I was thinking we were on our way to the incense-burning temple, or a pagoda, but it ended up being a beautiful building with shops inside. The view was really nice though. I've got pictures, but they're on Sebrina's camera, so I'll upload them later when she's awake.
Short Snipets:
Today the sky is actually almost blue! (usually it's smoggy from maybe a combination of fog and pollution)
Bob is finding me a calligraphy class.
Last night we went to a Haagen-Dazs cafe and it was the fanciest, strangest place.
Yesterday morning I was sitting in bed reading and the ayi knocked at my door. She came in and said something I couldn't decipher, pointing at the floor, holding a broom. I gestured no with my head, thinking maybe she was asking if I wanted her to clean the floor. She came in and cleaned so I definitely misunderstood. I decided to try saying something to her, because the whole-having someone who I don't/can't speak with clean up after me-thing makes me very uncomfortable.
So, I said 'Jin tian ni hui jia ma?' 'Are you going home today?' and she nodded yes and smiled.
A little bit later she said 'Jin Tian ni men something something gongyuan ma?' 'Are you guys going to the park today?' and I said 'shi' 'we are.' Then she left and came back in to mop. When she was done she showed me a picture of her and Madison on her phone and said she wanted to take a picture of me with her. I nodded yes, so she sat on my bed and handed me the phone to take the pictures. I couldn't get the angle right so every picture came out oddly, one with her entire face, and a sliver of mine, one the opposite, one we're both crammed down in the corner of the frame, and one too close up. I made silly faces for most of the pictures and she made a calm closed-mouth smile. Then she took her phone and took a picture of just me, and I've always been weird about pictures. I generally don't like them to be taken of me, so when she did it, I looked at it and said I didn't like the photo-or tried to. She told me I was so happy and that was good, then before she left she said 'I'm sorry.' That left me baffled. I sat there trying to figure out why she was sorry for half-an-hour, then decided to drop it.
I told Justin about it later and he said, 'Yeah, she's weird isn't she?'....that's typical Justin.
Bob comes over:
Justin invited his friend and helper/translator for lunch and to go to a park. He's a Chinese guy who studies Finance and English at a university here. When he came over he brought flowers for me, because he knew Justin's little sister was in town. I was thoroughly embarrassed, not being accustomed to the Chinese ways-like bringing gifts when you visit someone or welcome them. We talked for a little bit about school and whether or not this was my first time in China. We had lunch.
Then we went to XiangShan 'Fragrant Mountain,' which was beautiful. Justin and Sebrina were calling it a hike that we were about to go on, but of course it was a Chinese hike. The paths were stone and most of it was steps up the hill. There were intercoms on the way up playing relaxing chinese tunes, and poster boards along the sides of the path with information on environment and specific plants and animals (they were in Chinese, but that's what Bob said they were.)
The walk got progressively more difficult until we reached the peak where another building was. The whole time I was thinking we were on our way to the incense-burning temple, or a pagoda, but it ended up being a beautiful building with shops inside. The view was really nice though. I've got pictures, but they're on Sebrina's camera, so I'll upload them later when she's awake.
Short Snipets:
Today the sky is actually almost blue! (usually it's smoggy from maybe a combination of fog and pollution)
Bob is finding me a calligraphy class.
Last night we went to a Haagen-Dazs cafe and it was the fanciest, strangest place.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
For anyone who is reading these blogs, I've noticed that I ramble a lot. I'm sort of detailing my days, so it is probably boring. I'm going to try to label the short paragraphs so that you can choose to read ones that interest you.
Electronics Center:
Yesterday Sebrina and I went to the Huge electronics center, which I would call more of a region, to get their camera lense, and power cord fixed. Sebrina was fully succesful in figuring things out with the store clerks there. We ended up needing to go over to another building where there are offices to talk about the computer cord's warranty.
The whole time Madison was living it up with all the attention. I think she's going to be an actress one day, because even as an infant she puts on a little show for people. When she's not getting enough attention she starts yelling and waving her arms around until somebody looks.
French Grocery Store:
We also went to the Carrefour which was nearby. It's a French based grocery store that had everything you could want or need. We bought some veggies, a long-desired basil plant for Sebrina, frozen baozi and jiaozi (two different kinds of dumplings. Baozi are more bready) and I bought yoghurt! and nescafe! Really the nescafe was just for old times sake. When I imagined China, one of the few things I paired with it clearly was individual packets of Nescafe. I'm drinking one now. In Linyi, when I was 12, we lived in a rural part of China, and drank that pretty often. It was the most American thing they had around, even though most Americans would never drink it...
Art plans:
We got back, had dinner, watched 30 days-Hunter with a Vegan family-and went out to Starbucks around 10. (A bunch of people were out chatting on benches, in the mall, and playing a basketball arcade game in the park.) On the way back Sebrina was trying to help me with plans for while I'm here. She was telling me if I want to make any type of contacts, she could probably find someone. So I said I'd like to talk with artists, Chinese or foreign. Justin and Sebrina were both trying to come up with project ideas for my art over the summer. I want to deal with the idea of vastness, as well as the oneness of existence. I'm not too worried about it now, because the real work doesn't need to be done until Fall quarter. Right now I need to take photos, see the art here, and sketch. I'd like the photos to show what a large scale things are in here-the numbers of people, the amount of windows in an apartment complex, the length of a corridor of store-fronts, the stretch of a building into the sky, maybe even the vastness of a factory interior. I'd also like to take many pictures of people's faces, but that will require me to become more comfortable speaking to strangers, and maybe asking a local what's the right way to go about doing that.
Also, one of the most interesting things about where we are is the sound. It would be great to find a way to record ambient noise in a park one day, or of the middle school out our window...and then play it back during an art exhibit next year. (i'm bolding so that I will remember to do these things.)
Electronics Center:
Yesterday Sebrina and I went to the Huge electronics center, which I would call more of a region, to get their camera lense, and power cord fixed. Sebrina was fully succesful in figuring things out with the store clerks there. We ended up needing to go over to another building where there are offices to talk about the computer cord's warranty.
The whole time Madison was living it up with all the attention. I think she's going to be an actress one day, because even as an infant she puts on a little show for people. When she's not getting enough attention she starts yelling and waving her arms around until somebody looks.
French Grocery Store:
We also went to the Carrefour which was nearby. It's a French based grocery store that had everything you could want or need. We bought some veggies, a long-desired basil plant for Sebrina, frozen baozi and jiaozi (two different kinds of dumplings. Baozi are more bready) and I bought yoghurt! and nescafe! Really the nescafe was just for old times sake. When I imagined China, one of the few things I paired with it clearly was individual packets of Nescafe. I'm drinking one now. In Linyi, when I was 12, we lived in a rural part of China, and drank that pretty often. It was the most American thing they had around, even though most Americans would never drink it...
Art plans:
We got back, had dinner, watched 30 days-Hunter with a Vegan family-and went out to Starbucks around 10. (A bunch of people were out chatting on benches, in the mall, and playing a basketball arcade game in the park.) On the way back Sebrina was trying to help me with plans for while I'm here. She was telling me if I want to make any type of contacts, she could probably find someone. So I said I'd like to talk with artists, Chinese or foreign. Justin and Sebrina were both trying to come up with project ideas for my art over the summer. I want to deal with the idea of vastness, as well as the oneness of existence. I'm not too worried about it now, because the real work doesn't need to be done until Fall quarter. Right now I need to take photos, see the art here, and sketch. I'd like the photos to show what a large scale things are in here-the numbers of people, the amount of windows in an apartment complex, the length of a corridor of store-fronts, the stretch of a building into the sky, maybe even the vastness of a factory interior. I'd also like to take many pictures of people's faces, but that will require me to become more comfortable speaking to strangers, and maybe asking a local what's the right way to go about doing that.
Also, one of the most interesting things about where we are is the sound. It would be great to find a way to record ambient noise in a park one day, or of the middle school out our window...and then play it back during an art exhibit next year. (i'm bolding so that I will remember to do these things.)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Han Zi and an unknown berry
Yesterday Justin's Chinese tutor, Wang Lao Shi, came over for his lesson. She invited me to join them, so I did and I understood a lot of it.
Justin and her were reading through a dialogue that only had the Chinese characters, Han Zi, and I asked if I could try. She had me read after her the first time through, then I said I wanted to read as much as I could by myself. A lot of the characters we had learned last year in my class, so they were familiar. I was able to read most of it, which was really exciting.
Lao Shi gave me some homework to do so I can catch up on some of the lessons I've missed and I'm going to join them in their classes.
It makes me so happy, because I was starting to worry I was forgetting all of what I worked hard to learn over that year at Western studying Chinese.
And by the way, Justin is surprisingly fluent in conversational Chinese. When we went to the store to buy a cell phone he was talking to the sales clerks easily and was bartering in another.
This is one of the dialogues we were reading.
Justin and Wang Lao Shi.
Wang Lao Shi
Yesterday we also bought some fruit. I picked up these berries that taste like bitter raspberries, have the texture of broccoli, and have big seeds in the middle. I'll ask someone what they're called.
Oh, Oh! And yesterday I looked up my grades for Spring Quarter at Western and I got a 3.90! I got all A's, which was suprising because one of my classes was hell to get through. Each two hour session was like wading through thick gelatin...but I don't mind that anymore.
Justin and her were reading through a dialogue that only had the Chinese characters, Han Zi, and I asked if I could try. She had me read after her the first time through, then I said I wanted to read as much as I could by myself. A lot of the characters we had learned last year in my class, so they were familiar. I was able to read most of it, which was really exciting.
Lao Shi gave me some homework to do so I can catch up on some of the lessons I've missed and I'm going to join them in their classes.
It makes me so happy, because I was starting to worry I was forgetting all of what I worked hard to learn over that year at Western studying Chinese.
And by the way, Justin is surprisingly fluent in conversational Chinese. When we went to the store to buy a cell phone he was talking to the sales clerks easily and was bartering in another.
This is one of the dialogues we were reading.
Justin and Wang Lao Shi.
Wang Lao Shi
Yesterday we also bought some fruit. I picked up these berries that taste like bitter raspberries, have the texture of broccoli, and have big seeds in the middle. I'll ask someone what they're called.
Oh, Oh! And yesterday I looked up my grades for Spring Quarter at Western and I got a 3.90! I got all A's, which was suprising because one of my classes was hell to get through. Each two hour session was like wading through thick gelatin...but I don't mind that anymore.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
day 1
I've arrived in Beijing and i'm pretty spaced out from the jetlag.
Last night the first stop was Starbucks. It was great to be spoiled, but it made me feel like I stood out more...which
is not something I would go for in China.
In the taxi on the way to their place we chatted about justin's business prospects (he'll be working at the local
microsoft soon and otherwise is an entrepeaneur) , sebrina's plans (to find people to conduct surveys in Yunnan province
for her grant studies), and what exactly
i intend to do in China (check out the contemporary art scene, work on my independent study, learn more chinese, learn
more calligraphy, and figure out the rest as it comes.)
When we got to their place, stepping out the car, I smelled what I remember China to smell like.
Apparently dumpsters across China have a very particular smell, because justin said I was smelling their dumpster
we were let out next to. It was like being back in Linyi.
They live in an apartment complex around foreign things like McDonalds and Dairy Queen(Justin said there is one, but
I haven't seen it yet. That'll be a strange sight.) but they don't live around a lot of foreignors.
Walking into the buliding there were people hanging out in the hall, so justin introduced me as his 'mei mei',
little sister.
We got to the place and Sebrina and Madison/Sumaya/Hai Chi came to the door. Madison has grown curly blonde hair now
and she's even cuter. She's the perfect aryan baby, oddly enough.
We had dinner with the 'Aye'(literally translated as auntie, but she's a hired nanny/cook/maid), who made it. She
really is around 20 years old, like Justin said. She lives here, cooks
lunch and dinner, and occasionally watches Madison. The main dish last night had what is called 'ma,' commonly used
in Sizhuan province. It's a certain type of spice, in the form of a seed, that numbs your mouth. They said it's not
allowed into America because it's a narcotic...so you can imagine how intense the feeling of eating whole pods of it
might be.
Through dinner the three of them were speaking Chinese to one another, while Madison and I quietly listened. Fortunately
and to my suprise, I understood most of what they were saying! I didn't join in though, because I'm not confident
enough in my fluency, and I had the excuse of being exhausted from the trip.
My room is nice. It's completely furnished and well, it's my own room!
The city is so busy. I woke up around 5 am this morning and there were already kids yelling, horns honking, and a
variety of unfamiliar noises.
I dont' think I've got culture shock so far, but I am a little suprised by how much I'm looked at, and how blatantly
it's done. I forgot about that, or assumed in the city it would be different.
It'll take me a while to get used to that. I generally like to be in the background observing other people, so to get
forced into a different role is going to be hard to adjust to.
The picture is the view out my window. I'll take some pictures today if I go out and post them. I talked to Sebrina about the baby blog, and they'll let me post on there, and today one of them will post something of Madison.
Friday, June 13, 2008
baby mule to china
I forgot to explain the name of this blog.
I'm bringing a lot of goods for my infant niece Madison Summaya Somers Mann...about as many goods as her name might suit.
So the family was joking about how I'm a currier service for the baby, in a way, a mule...a baby mule.
I'm bringing a lot of goods for my infant niece Madison Summaya Somers Mann...about as many goods as her name might suit.
So the family was joking about how I'm a currier service for the baby, in a way, a mule...a baby mule.
Innagural Post means not much to say
So I'm off to Beijing on Monday, but I still haven't quite realized it.
I've got the suitcase packed and the tickets confirmed, but my mind is in limbo. Finals are all finished and most of my goodbyes have been said, but sitting in my parents' flat in Seattle, I feel like I'll just continue sitting here for the summer.
I've got the suitcase packed and the tickets confirmed, but my mind is in limbo. Finals are all finished and most of my goodbyes have been said, but sitting in my parents' flat in Seattle, I feel like I'll just continue sitting here for the summer.
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