Green Dragon in Red China

I'm Still Here! - Packing and Getting Ready to Go

2008-08-18T03:09:00.000-07:00

The Bird's Nest Stadium!

I recently just returned from an incredible trip to Beijing, full of friends, Olympic games and adventures of Olympic proportions.

The Men's 100m final where Jamaica took the gold - I was there!

For anyone checking into this or sending me emails, I may not be posting or replying for up to a week. This is because I am in a frenzy of packing and sorting out last minute details before my return to Canada. When I return, I have to practice for a driving test and start getting ready for University once more. Keep checking back as I will continue posting during the school year and will start a photo album that spans the three months that I was in China. In the meantime, do send post requests and opinions so that I know what to focus on writing when I get a spare moment. And of course, do try to keep things green, and if you would like tips for that, I could most certainly post some up here as well!

Fun at the art gallery in an old factory district

Photo Studios – There is a Little Bit of Celebrity in Everyone

2008-08-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

Though photo studies may exist back home, they certainly don’t exist in as great a variety as they do in Tianjin. Such studios can be found in almost every major shopping area which I have stumbled across so far. Their staff are talented in photography, photoshop, photographic printing and of course, customer service. Many of such shops specialize in wedding photography but not the same kind of wedding photography that one is used to back in the west. Couples come to the studio and purchase photo packages which specify the types of prints which will be made after their photo session. After the arrangements are sorted out, multiple costumes are donned and the couple visits various locales or sets in the studio to have a professional photographer snap shots of them while they pose. The costumes range from traditional asian clothing styles (Chinese, Korean, Indian and etc) to modern, funky and eccentric. These photos are enhanced using photoshop and are then transformed to fit various print formats. Some can be printed on rug-like wall-hangings, large format glossy prints on wood, inset in glass ornaments and countless other presentation styles. A very popular medium is to arrange photos artistically against a backdrop and to print them out in a large format hard-cover book with rigid cardboard pages. I have yet to see photos taken by professional photographers at actual wedding events! Even at the wedding I attended, such a photo studio book was passed around during the ceremony and there were no professional photographers in attendance.

Similar photo studies exist for people who just want to dress up, try a few poses and create albums to help them commemorate their younger years. These studious are capable of churning out final products that are worthy of the glossy pages of fashion magazines. My colleague Yolanda took me to a photo studio which specialized in such albums. Here, she showed me the photos they took – the effects that were applied to them were simply breathtaking! The photo studio was quite an eclectic place. It was located near a major shopping area in a former concession building that had been converted to suite the studio’s purposes. There were even two greyhound dogs that lived in the studio who were often featured in many of the studio’s works to add variety. When we visited, one was away at the at a beach locale for one of the studio’s photography expeditions. The decorations inside were a mix of both the modern and the antiquated with some unique Victorian features that were retained from the original building. Here, Yolanda browsed her album on one of the studio’s computers and recommended some changes to be made. Meanwhile, two employees staffed the computers around us and continued with their work. Here, I was given the chance to see them in action as they enhanced the original photographs. Fingers flew and mouse clicks were abundant as pictures were refined, clipped, shifted and placed into their final artistic templates. After Yolanda was satisfied with her recommendations, I got the chance to chip in an opinion or two before we left the studio. It would take two weeks to make the changes requested and get the final copy printed. In the meantime, Yolanda was given the electronic versions of the photograph which you see up on the blog. The prices of these albums were quite reasonable as well, it seems that looking like a celebrity is not confined only to the realms of the super-rich and famous.

Beach Expedition - The Final Hours

2008-08-14T03:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up for yet another early morning as my instinctive alarm clock kicked in, casting slumber out the door. I was the first one to awake and decided to travel to both ends of the beach for a walk. I passed by familiar sights that I had seen while on the ATV before. However, I never realized how strenuous walking on sand is until that morning!

After my stroll, I sat on some of our borrowed chairs. Soon, I was approached by two beach resort staffers who started talking in very rapid Chinese to me. I managed to explain to them that I could not speak Chinese and roused one of the men from his slumber to help address their concerns. It turns out that they just wanted to take the borrowed beach furniture back. I was very surprised when they brought up garbage bags and started to clean up our mess from the night before. I pitched in where I could but they were more than content to clean up on their own. In no time at all, the beach furniture was packed away once more in storage and I took a seat in the sand.

In no time at all as the sun rose higher in the sky, our group woke, packed up our tents, picked up our garbage and helped the women get the bunkhouse ready for departure. In the bunkhouse, we swept up the nutshells on the floor and filled a water jug with tap water to give the floor a good scrub. I was surprised by the lengths our group went to clean up after itself! There were no regulations that stipulated that we have to clean our areas before departure. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised with how scrupulously clean our group left both the beach and the bunkhouse.

We bade goodbye to the beach as we packed up our cars and drove out into the horizon. Soon, I was napping in the back and casting occasional glances outside as the various scenes of China rolled past. It was incredible how much I had missed out on during the night time journey. We passed farms of verdant green, mechanized harbours, power plants, factories, apartment complexes and bubbling fish farms. As the countryside rolled by, I played out the memories of the weekend in my head. Recently, my head has begun swim from too many experiences to be had in such a short period of time! I’m still trying to piece together my experiences here, all of the places, people, discoveries, landmarks and culture. My trip to China has been a full sensory overload, but oh what fun it has been!

THE END

P.S. I dedicate this blog entry to Darleen and Mr. Luo! Without them, this Beach Trip Would not have been Possible!

Beach Expedition Day 2 – Afternoon Activities

2008-08-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

As we distanced ourselves from the beach area, the scenery changed quite drastically. The beach and barren salt flats were soon replaced by immaculate asphalt, gleaming white street lamps and verdant boulevards as we drove into the city nearby. Though relatively quiet, the place was not lacking in any of the amenities of a modern city. We soon stopped at a Chinese restaurant where we were led upstairs to a private room with two large tables. The place was well decorated, spacious, air conditioned and comfortable. In our private room, we designated one table for the men and one for the women.

There was as much merriment to be had as there was food! I’ll try and list the foods we ate but as often is the case in China, the dishes consumed were to numerous for all to be remembered. We dined on fried corn, spicy fish, spicy bacon, agaric, roast duck, roast pig, vegetable assortment, spicy chicken and vegetable mix, mushroom soup and the list goes on. As usual, a sizeable amount of the food was left uneaten. However, the food that is left uneaten at dining establishments is seldom wasted. At the PPG cafeteria and the many restaurants I have visited, uneaten food is placed into a separate food collection bin and which is carted away daily to pig farms. This certainly puts my heart more at ease as there is nothing I find harder to stomach than wasted food. I find it incredibly unfortunate that, although good food such as this is put to use in China, back home, such food is destined only for landfills. Of course at the landfill, its only future is to become a sodden methane-emitting mess. There certainly is a lot we can learn from the most common practices in place here in the orient. The same goes for the CFL’s as noted in a previous entry, when one is pressed to save money and resources, they can often be very innovative in an unintentionally green way.

After our lavish lunch, we returned to the beachside resort. This time, I was able to see the surrounding sights that were covered by a cloak of darkness the night before. We passed a variety of restaurants with open aquariums out front which displayed a live menu of fresh seafood. We also passed countless beach shops which sold swimsuits, swimgear and beach toys. Upon reaching the parking lot, I was surprised to find the place significantly more crowded than it was when we had left that morning. We had to circle the area for a little while before finding parking spots. As we neared the beach, it appeared to my untrained eyes that large crowds of people had materialized out of the sea – the beach was positively packed! Fortunately, the crowd was confined primarily to the shade afforded by the umbrellas that were close to the water. Our tent encampment had been left abandoned since the morning, but it remained standing – untouched by the bustling crowds. All of the women retreated to their air conditioned bunkhouse, most likely to watch television or play with their handheld videogame systems. I was surprised that only one of them made use of the sea! Meanwhile, I went with the men to lounge in the sand once more.

Soon, I was invited to play a casual game of beach volleyball. Someone had found a ball somewhere and it was soon bouncing back and forward above one of the nets that was randomly on the beach for the enjoyment of beachgoers. None of us were any good at volleyball so I was thankful that there was no serious element of competition to the game at all. No score was kept as we laughed, tumbled and dived, doing our best to keep the ball from touching the heated sand. I was the only foreigner present at the crowded beach of at least 1 000 people, it was a good thing that I did not look fully foreign otherwise I certainly would have stood out like a sore thumb. I was relieved to note that the beach attire is significantly more conservative for women (since I’m just so conservative as you may know by now) than similarly sandy places back home. However, for men, I was the only one wearing baggy, western style swim shorts. The men present wore very tight, spandex speedos or shorts – most of which must have been purchased from the abundant beach supplies shops. There was a certain openness and tolerance at the beach which is absent in similar environments back home. No matter how unattractive one may be swimming clothing, they are not ridiculed, stared or jeered at ,nor discouraged from joining in with the fun. There are also very few if no people tanning as dark skin is considered less desirable than being paler skinned in China. Because of this cultural freedom, self-consciousness is almost absent. Although I am completely averse to beaches at home due to a different beach culture, my aversion to swimming faded and I too joined in being free from self-consciousness.

I joined my companions with gusto when invited to head into the deep. In the water, the waves were large and the swimming area was crowded, but there was still a great deal of fun to be had. The volleyball had made its way over into the surf as well and was soon flying high above the waves. In the water people splashed, chased each other and rode inflatable boats on waves that were large enough to knock one over. I think that this must have been the second time I’ve swam in the sea in my lifetime. I was soon disoriented and was stumbling as if drunk, unfamiliar with the buffeting effect of the waves. The sand under my feet was fine and smooth, sharp stones and shells were completely absent which made the experience a safe one as well!

After the swim, more volleyball was played until we were completely exhausted and famished. My group of male companions and I made our way to the women’s bunkhouse for another shower session. It was a luxury that we had a private washroom available. Outside the bunkhouse, a good number of people were lining up to use the toilet or to shower in facilities that were considerably less clean than our own. I waited at the end of the line once more, to enable the designated male cooks to get the barbeque ready as early as possible. I couldn’t complain though as some of the men took showers two at a time, while I was afforded the luxury of showering alone.

This time around, the barbequing party included the whole car club. Some of the members prepared chicken legs and shrimp in addition to the lamb kebabs which we enjoyed the night before. By the time I had showered, the food was cooked and ready for consumption. There were outdoor tables and chairs for our use that some of the members pulled out of one of the public storage sheds. The kebabs and other meats were passed around liberally in addition to Chinese beer. Midway through my meal, I was called by one of the women (please excuse my inability to name my Chinese friends, remembering Chinese names is still incredibly difficult for me) to ride the ATVs which were available for rent. She pulled me over with another man to the vendor and started haggling over the rental price. Soon, three ATVS appeared out of nowhere and I found myself seated on one while the vendor was pointing at the various levers and throttles. Though unfamiliar with the controls, his jabbing fingers soon gave me an idea of what was the brake and the gas – all I needed really! No money exchanged hands but I was off and away on the noisy ATV leaving the other two riders behind. I was the most adventurous driver that sailed the sands that day, with my throttle on full almost the entire time. My other two companions drove significantly slower and were less adventurous in their voyages away from the barbeque site. In fact, one of the members just drove in circles near our barbeque site over, and over and over again. I used this opportunity to drive to both ends of the beach. On one side, where there were no people camped, large, wet areas were present. As I drove here, countless swallows materialized. It was almost as if they emerged from the ground. I drove away from these wet areas as soon as this occurred, I was terrified that I was driving on precious swallow habitat. Fortunately, upon later inspection this was not the case as these wet areas were completely devoid of any visible life. I returned the ATV back to the barbeque site and allowed other members of our group give it a ride. I never saw any money exchange hands nor see when the vehicles were returned to the vendor, but in the end it was all taken care of somehow. Sometimes, things fail to make sense to foreign eyes but often, that is half the fun of it all!

After the ATV ride, I resumed my dinner, this time dining on shrimp with shells and barbequed chicken. Note that I had not washed my hands with soap for the entire day. I had to clean my hands with sand before riding the ATV as they were sticky from the barbeque. I copied the hygiene habits of the other ATV riders by dipping my hands into the sand and giving them a good rub with the coarse, and hopefully clean grains. After my ride, the sand became my washing sink once more. Note that I was a little bit nervous to be eating the shrimp using my bare hands after the ATV ride. However, I had no choice really and despite that I’m still fine after the fact! For those with weaker immune systems, or a deep fear of bacteria, as you can see, liquid hand sanitizers are a must have!

The barbeque lasted well into the night as a cloak of darkness fell. Soon, the women all headed back to the bunkhouse and only the men remained, sipping their beer while sitting around the barbeque and slapping away the mosquitoes. Soon, personal fireworks shows began as the groups of beach visitors showcased their pyrotechnic skills for everyone’s amusement. These fireworks were not like the small-scale legal substitutes we are used to back home – rather they were closer to professional pyrotechnics likes the ones witnessed at the Independence Day celebration back in Tianjin!

The fireworks used had many varieties. There were ones that exploded in multicoloured showers, some that existed only to make deafening explosions and generate a blinding white light, others which cast a glittering stream as they rose into the heavens and some ones which were simply beyond description. I headed to sleep earlier that night as the men played a game of cards by the dying embers of the barbeque.

Beach Expedition Day 2 – The Morning Fishing Frolic!

2008-08-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

I cannot quite comprehend how my tired self managed it, but I woke up at 8 am the next day amidst a symphony of snores and the sound of waves breaking on the beach. I was not the only one awake though as I spied at least a few pairs of feet padding around outside as I peeped underneath the tent flaps. I scrambled out from my plastic cocoon, careful not to trample any of my tent buddies. I joined those outside and lounged in the sand with the other male members of our tent group. I had a decent conversation with the few souls that were conscious using a combination of my limited Chinese and sign language. We sat there just watching the world go by and waited for yet another wild expedition to commence. There were countless interesting sights to behold – a pair of horses for rent, couples both young an elderly enjoying strolls on the wet sand, Chinese dogs and their owners out for a morning prance about and large tanker ships forming a backdrop in the distance in addition to an oil rig. Along the beach, an endless army of umbrellas had been unfurled for as far as the eye could see. Their ends billowed in the luxurious sea breeze that was refreshing to both body and soul. There were large green fences of nets set up enclosing the swimming areas. As I surveyed the scene, it was apparent that the beach area on which I sat was the place to be for tent camping, there was a mosaic of tents present that featured military styles, tent antiques and modern camping tents. Further away from the water, there was a built up area which consisted of the bunkhouses, restaurants and other warehouse sized buildings of undetermined purposes.

Soon, we were invited into the women’s bunkhouse to freshen up and have a snack-sized breakfast that consisted of packaged bread and sausage. I was last in line for the showers, and unfortunately for me, the hot water had already run out by then. I couldn’t care less though. For me, the experience of being at the beach was enough. As person familiar with camping, I was grateful that I even got the opportunity to have a shower!

One word of advice for travelling in China, you will almost always be guaranteed a culturally rich and unforgettable experience wherever you go. The one thing that you may have to look past though are the facilities which can be quite different from those we are accustomed to in the west. Don’t always expect to be greeted with luxury otherwise you will be sorely disappointed. If western facilities are a must for your comfort, I would recommend that you stick with main tourist sites and not stray far from the beaten path. To truly enjoy travelling in China, a great deal of openness for this unique and rich culture is a necessity. Simply put, if you go around expecting things to be exactly as they are back home, you may find that you are getting easily frustrated and your trip may be ruined by surprisingly small and insignificant things. In short, don’t dive into travel in China with rigid expectations. Rather, be open and savour just how different things are!

After our convoy group was awake and about, it was time to set off on a fishing expedition. We boarded our dustier convoy and rolled out to a fishing area. It was a good thing that all of the vehicles were fuel efficient, none of our cars had to fill up during the entirety of the trip. When we arrived at our fishing hole, the place was already crowded and bustling with cars. As we waiting by our vehicles for a purpose unknown, I pulled out a Chinese hackeysack which one of my colleagues had generously given me the day before. We did our best to keep it up in the air, but none of us were especially talented with this feathery contraption. Soon, nothing was safe from the wrath of the falling hackeysack. It rebounded off the cars in our convey, the occasional unsuspecting head and even hit a passing motorcyclist right in the face. Fortunately for the girl who kicked it at the unfortunate victim, he just kept driving onwards, unfazed, as if nothing had happened. Our games stopped only when the now battered hackeysack fell apart – I kept the feathers for good memories though.

Soon, I found myself walking with the crowd along the concrete pier. Fishing boats puttered off into the distance, and amateur fisherpeople from various walks of life crowded the edges of the pier. The pier was composed of large concrete blocks. One had to be careful as at the center of each concrete cube, a large hole was present and was at least one meter deep. An carelessly placed foot could result in a tragic fall! Nevertheless, people still rode motorized scooters and bicycles along the pier. The crowd of people fishing were infinitely varied. There were well-dressed men in polo shorts and spotless khakis, heavily tattooed teenagers with female friends, grandparents, babies, fashionable and fashionably clueless and just about anyone under the sun was out there casting their lines out into the deep. I saw an endless variety of fishing implements as I walked along – from simple long sticks with strings attached to circular nets suspended from the ends of extendible fishing rods. Our group walked for about fifteen minutes until we stopped by a seemingly random man who showed us a sizeable collection of fish and crabs in a cooler bag. To my surprise, some of the members of our group started picking up his spare equipment and used a collection of our own as we gave fishing a try. The man didn’t seem to mind though, and he was generous both with his advice and assistance as we blundered with the alien contraptions.

Since we had walked so far out, our group were the only fisher-people in the immediate vicinity. Unfortunately, this did not improve our luck though as our attempts at fishing resulted in us emerging empty-handed save a crab or two (and a few crab-pinched fingers). I gave crab fishing a try though when a friend surrendered his net in boredom. I used a contraption which consisted of two iron rings set parallel to each other with netting in the middle section around the outside of the iron rings. A dead fish was suspended at the center and there were four openings which the crabs could easily enter would inhibit their attempts to exit. There was not much magic to this style of fishing except for lucky guesswork as to where to cast the trap and plenty of patience to wait for a crab to crawl into the net and take a few bites at the fish. There were multiple times where the members of our group almost lost our borrowed crab nets as they became lodged underneath the concrete breakwater devices. When this happened, it took a lot of jimmying and patience to get them dislodged from a potentially watery but crab-rich grave.

Soon, our fishing team dwindled in number, as people tired of fishing and headed back our cars. I stayed until the very end, casting my crab net into the deep. Soon, it was past high noon and hunger compelled us straggler fishermen to make our way back to the convoy.

The Beach Expedition

2008-08-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

One weekend, my colleague generously invited me to go on a beach trip to 乐亭 (Le Ting) with her and the now infamous car club! A work week soon lay behind me and I anxiously waited in the office, aching to embark!

The long awaited moment soon arrived and I hopped in the car with her, her husband and a new friend. We drove into downtown TEDA to eat a quick dinner and pick up some drinks from the Tesco’s for the weekend. If I haven’t made it clear already, Chinese meals are some of the most incredible cultural experiences that one can have in China. Us four dined on an endless variety of food and sipped the sweet sugars of freshly squeezed juice of Papaya, Asian pear and Asian apples for a grand total of under $20 Canadian. I wonder if I’m dreaming at times like these… To pick the food for this meal, we had to head downstairs to a special room where all of the dishes (at least 50!) were on display, wrapped in plastic under the glow of fluorescent lightbulbs. For those who cannot read Chinese, these restaurants are a blessing! After, we returned to the PPG plant for reasons that were unknown to me at the moment. My colleague’s friend ran inside and later emerged with a gigantic Styrofoam cooler. This behemoth was full of lamb kebabs and other meats to tide our car club over for the weekend.

We began what turned out to be a long drive in the late afternoon as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The industrialized landscape of TEDA soon gave way to farmer’s fields and lush greenery as we drove into the distance. The areas surrounding Tianjin are salt flats, and the majority the earth is not arable. However, through cultivation by farmers, greenery can be coaxed from the saline earth. Thus, as one drives through Tianjin, they will stumble upon a checkerboard pattern consisting of miles of uncultivated wasteland that is interspersed with lush green oasis that have been carefully cultivated. Eventually, we reached a toll gate for one of the major highways where we waited for the other members of the car club to materialize out of the dark. Before long, a sizeable convoy of vehicles (at least seven) had pulled up at our meeting place. There were many faces, both those of old friends and new acquaintances at our toll gate gathering. Here, we pooled our money to pay for the accommodations and communal food and laughter was exchanged as our team readied itself for the uncertain journey ahead. My colleague’s car was chosen to be the flagship vehicle as it had a GPS unit and she has been to the beach before.

So off our convoy drove into the dark of night, traversing highways, winding our way through small distant towns and blazing a path into the night on some very very rocky country roads. It appears that a wrong turn was taken at some point along the way as we stopped at a gas station in the middle of endless miles of scrubland to reorient ourselves. We passed few vehicles, only a seldom few personal cars as well as hulking trucks carrying various types of cargo.

Soon after, we appeared to be on the right track as we arrived at our destination within an hour. We parked our cars by what looked like a covered market and discussed what would happen later that evening. It was here that the two way radio system proved invaluable to rally lost cars and make sure that no one strayed too far from the beaten path. Now, I originally thought that our group would be heading to a western style resort of sorts. Fortunately, the night would have some great surprises in store.

Soon I discovered that I would be sharing a tent with some of the other men on our trip, only the female members of the expedition would have a bunkhouse. My visions of decadent beach resorts soon faded, and I was excited to have a real Chinese beach experience. All of the women headed off to settle themselves into the bunkhouse while all of the men in the group marched off to the beach to stake our claim. We carried our belongings with us including the four tents which would house us for the entire weekend.

We started pitching our tents in the black of night, with only two pocket flashlights to illuminate our plight. There was much scrambling in the sand, but our spirits were high, delighted to finally be by the sea. It was a moment of bonding between the men in our group and I was honoured to be included. Using the limited Chinese in my repertoire I communicated what I knew of the topic of tent assembly from my camping experiences back home. It was quite the challenge as one could imagine, and sign language was used more often than words, but we struggled together and soon, the four tents were standing tall against the salt-rich sea breeze. By this time, our stomachs lapped at our consciousness as the sea waves lap the beach so we scrambled to get a portable coal-fired barbeque up and running. The coal bricks we had brought with us failed to light, even after exhausting a whole laundry list of lighting methods. Fortunately, a resourceful fellow paid a street vendor 5 RMB for a pile of burning embers. This helped our barbeque get off to a kick start and soon we were all munching on freshly barbequed lamb skewers. Some of us used the large Styrofoam coolers as makeshift benches. In addition to the meat cooler, another materialized which was full of Chinese beer. While one of the coolers was being used as a bench, it caved in and the poor fellow on top almost found himself skewered – literally!

By the time our bellies were full, sleep tugged hard at our weary eyelids, it was well past 6am and the sky started to lighten in the distance. In the tent, there were neither pillows, sleeping bags nor any forms of camping luxury but I couldn’t care less – all of this was superfluous compared to the experience. I fell fast asleep, with only a thin sheet of plastic between myself and the sand as a gentle see breeze lapped at the tent flaps – free air conditioning. Sometime, in roughing it, the beauty and the joys of the experience are made all the more vibrant!

THANK YOU!!! 谢谢！！！

2008-08-09T05:58:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful 2 months since this blog was born! So far, there have been over 1000 hits on this site, something that I never foresaw happening! Thank you for your readership, continued support and varied comments. Do continue voting in that poll to the left, it is useful for me so that I can gauge what you all would like to see! It is a little bit off that despite over 1000 hits there are only less than 20 votes. Don’t be shy, that poll won’t track your PC or do anything strange like that, I’m not a professional programmer!

I have made a lot of realizations since starting the blog, and over the course of the time that I have been writing this, I have most certainly been changed by my experiences. Know that I write this blog not only for my own purposes but to enrich you the reader. Because of this, please feel free to provide feedback on what more I can do to better serve your interests. That being said, I’m sorry if I cannot fulfill all of your curiosities, but I will do my best to leave no question unanswered.

As my time in China starts drawing to an end, I certainly hope that this blog will not. I will continue to write about China experiences in retrospect, dig through my journal to hash up new entries and start a photo album revealing more of my travels.

Though I soon return to my native land, I plan on coming back as soon as possible. I have fallen head over heels for China, and that is just for the tiny morsel which I have savoured for the past three months. There are a billion different Chinas I have still yet to see. Who knows where my path will soon take me, but I will do my best to write about it here. But once more, thank you, for giving me the support to continue my writing.

Cultural Surprises 1

2008-08-09T05:31:00.000-07:00

China is brimming with cultural surprises, I’ve done my best to list a few of the biggest and most significant ones that I can recall.

1. Can things this good possibly be this cheap? From mouth watering meals to off the runway fashions and unique souvenirs, some of the best things in China will not leave a hole in your wallet. Some of the best experiences I’ve had have also been free (eg. Public museums)!

2. Why is everyone looking at me? Don’t be put off, foreigners are a novel sight in many areas in China. Even in areas frequented by foreigners, inquisitive looks in your direction will be common. Don’t be put off, learn to enjoy it, there are few places where you can take center stage as easily as this!

3. How can I possibly eat that? Though I don’t have a problem with the exotic, some may. From scorpion to sow stomach, some things may be difficult to handle. You can be as adventurous or as conservative as you like. Sometimes, just looking is enough of a cultural experience!

4. Did that person just push me out of the way? If someone or something is in the path of another person, it is quite normal to give it/them a gentle brush out of the way. Don’t get flustered though as often it is nothing personal. Likewise, sometimes to get somewhere through a crowd, you’ll have to push a little bit too. Don’t be afraid to be polite though, it is appreciated increasingly more so as of late.

5. I’ve never seen this before! There are countless cultural performances/experiences to be had which you won’t find written about in National Geographic or online. Don’t be surprised if you come across something you’ve never seen or heard of before!

6. Why does everybody look so young? I’ve found that locals often look a lot younger than they actually are. So don’t underestimate the knowledge of the servers you have who don’t look a day past 15!

7. I am so lost… Even in Tianjin, the third largest city in China (over 10 Million people) there is surprisingly little information that exists on the internet. Even while I’m here, most of my experiences have been gained from asking my colleagues about good places to visit. There is still a lot to be translated and disseminated in English yet.

8. Oh my goodness… LOOK A FOREIGNER! After a while, you too will start to goggle at other foreigners you run across! I catch myself doing this all the time now that I’ve been here for a while.

Children of China - The Tianjin Institute of Children's Welfare

2008-08-07T04:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was given the opportunity to attend a show put on by the Tianjin Institute of Children's Welfare. This shelter provides a place of refuge for disabled orphans who were abandoned by their parents at birth. The orphans cared for by this shelter are afflicted by a range of severe disabilities - both physical and mental.

However, during the performances, the disabilities of these orphans were not what counted, it was their natural abilities and talents which were given center stage! This show was held one day before Children's Day on June 1st (the more auspicious day for a performance) due to a critical reason. One of the performers, a girl in a wheelchair, would be going for surgery on June 1st which would enable her to leave her wheelchair behind and stand on her own legs for the first time. The shelter is given the opportunity to send three of its children for operations such as this one every year.

The performances were endless in their variety and were a treat for the eye. There were comedic cross-talks, dances, and art shows which revealed the talents of the youth housed within these walls. There were also shows of patriotism that were focused especially only the Olympics. As the Chinese flags waved, the children joined in song and a recreation of the Olympic torch was run around the stage, I felt honoured to be there.

The people invited to the event were equally as varied as the performances. The fellow who sat next to me was Spanish, had been in China for 13 years and worked with a Spanish food company! There were other foreigners at the back who I did not get the chance to meet. The room was also filled with primarily Chinese guests who travelled in both locally and from afar just to see the show. Local media was also present to capture the unique event on film. The one thing that the members of the audience had in common was that they were involved in supporting the shelter in one way or another. PPG recently provided all of the interior and exterior paint for the shelter - a monumental gift! There were also plenty of stuffed toys present at the event which were donated by PPG as well.

After the performance, the guests were given a tour of the facilities. Here, I was shown the dormitory rooms, care rooms and play rooms. One room I found especially moving was a room full of at least 20 babies that were under the careful observation by 3 nurses. These babies all had severe cleft lip and this was the first time I had seen this physical condition in my life. These were all babies abandoned by their parents, thank goodness the Welfare Institute is able to support them due to the sponsorship of the central government and from generous corporate sponsors such as PPG.

Once in a Lifetime - Torch Rally 2008

2008-08-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

I woke bright and early on the morning of August 2nd. I had only one purpose in mind - to see the torch that represents the culmination of millions of efforts to prepare for the event the whole world has been holding its breath for - Olympics 2008.

I walked out of my building unsure of exactly where or how I was going to see the torch, and started walking towards the barricades set up around the torch route. The first barricade I reached was fairly far off from the barricade closest to the torch. Thus, I followed the crowds of locals to another, less crowded barricade which must have been only 100 meters away from the torch route.

Nothing could quite describe the energy to be felt by all of us spectators waiting under the beating sun to get a glimpse of the olympic flame. The people around me were from all walks of life - young students sitting atop the brick walls, elderly people waving their fans to keep the heat at bay, young couples holding hands and street cleaners standing atop their bicycles. Everyone seemed to be here at the barricade with me, holding our breaths in unison for the torch to blow past. People climbed lamp posts, flags waves and sun umbrellas fluttered as we waited...waited... waited...

There were multiple false alarms, causing excitement to ripple the crowd. Various vehicles went by in the distance, from coach buses to police cars and two open buses blasting music and featuring cheerleaders to lead in the crowd in the unified Olympic cheer!

When the anticipation became almost unbearable, FINALLY! A small orange flicker, flew past briefly in the distance, spotted in between the gaps in the crowd at the first barricade. Cries of excitement rippled through the group at the barricade I was at. Cameras flashed, children were lifted above the crowd and our voices joined in the Olympic cheer.

Soon after, the crowd broke up and we all headed our separate ways, a bit of that Olympic flame now burning within.

Its hard to see, but here, I
caught a bit of the Flame on Camera

Tips and Tricks 1

2008-08-01T02:26:00.000-07:00

I saw that there was a vote for hints and tricks for living/travelling in China. Similar to reflection section, I'll write out a list of the tips I think can help, with random fun photos in between.

1) Bring a friend or two - sometimes, travel is best experienced in a groups of 2+.

2) Make sure that friend you bring speaks Chinese/is a local/is experienced or that you are yourself! This can help you in your travels, dealings with purchases, sightseeing and all sorts of wonderful things.

3) Think carefully about that camera. What is best for you? Disposable batteries, rechargeable? Large, high detail or small and compact? The rechargeable batteries I have here won't charge, and I hate buying disposable.

4) Make sure you take that camera EVERYWHERE! I missed out on a lot of good opportunities on trips to and from work because I neglect to bring my big bulky camera with me. You just never know what you're going to see!

5) Bring business cards - even if you don't work. You'll meet a ton of new faces, make countless contacts and friends. Instead of scrabbling for pens and paper, business cards make things a TON easier. Prefereably, those business cards are printed on post-consumer recycled paper.

6) Make connections before you come. Having connections helps as if you're forging it out on your own, it can often be difficult. Thus, coming on business or with a local language school can help you get to where you need to go.

Photo credit: AmCham Tianjin

7) Bring a reusable bag. For carrying purchases, buying your groceries, it will save a lot of unecessary plastic and trouble if vendors don't give you a plastic bag!

8) Keep a journal - so much happens here that if you don't keep one, you'll most likely forget all of the things that you've gotten up to.

9) Pocket translators are invaluable - especially ones where you can scribble in Chinese characters and get a translation.

10) Bring pocket tissue with you everywhere - not all washrooms supply toilet paper for hygenic and other reasons!

Sea of CFLs

2008-08-01T02:19:00.000-07:00

This is a mall....

Lit by skylights and CFLs!

CFL – Compact Flourescent Lightbulb. These energy savers are touted as being far more cost effective than their incandescent counterparts. Thankfully Canada is phasing out incandescent, but it took a while for us to jump on the boat to ban the bad bulbs.

Though China does not seem to have incandescent bulbs banned yet (maybe soon! *fingers crossed*) I’m not sure If a ban is needed since CFL’s are ubiquitous already. From my friends’ apartments, to office buildings and restaurants alike, these bulbs are used en masse. An incandescent bulb is a rare sight as people are very familiar with how inefficient and costly incandescent bulbs can be.

Turning off lights when they are not in use is the normal practice and wasting any energy for whatever reason is frowned upon. I think this is a great part of the culture here as I don’t find myself turning off lights and asking for CFL’s like I have to do back home. China never fails to impress me with how energy environmentally conscious people are over here!

My New Haircut: Done the Chinese Way

2008-08-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

Before:

Photo credit: Jason

My hair was getting pretty lengthy as of late here. In addition to heat and discomfort, my colleagues took great pleasure in humouring me that I looked like a girl. I thought it time to do away with my long locks and to get a haircut the Chinese way!

Yolanda escorted me to a barbershop after work. The shop we visited looked quite fancy and it was immaculate. It had a distinct resemblance to the higher end hair salons in Canada, of course with much more reasonable prices! Yolanda informed me that the haircut would cost a grand total of 20 RMB ( less than $3 Canadian!!!). Now, the haircutting ritual in a Chinese barbershop is very different from those we are accustomed to back home.

First, you are direct to a reclining chair with a large sink at its head. Here, you recline and one of the barbers in training comes over and gives your hair a thorough washing in the basin. A towel is placed between you and the basin to make sure that your clothing does not get soaked in the process. The hair wash was very relaxing and also included a scalp massage. A towel was then wrapped turban style around my freshly washed head and I was lead to a barber’s chair.

Here, a stylishly dressed barber (Pink Jeans with large tears, coloured hair and a half-length tie) fashioned my hair with style. There was much scissor and comb flinging tricks to enjoy as my Canadian hairstyle gave way for a Chinese one. He used special scissors with a blade that looks like a comb which turned my normally flat hair, into a spiky, Chinese style hairdo. I was surprised that my hair could actually stand up straight like a local! The haircutting process took longer than those back home, but he put a lot of work into the cut, using at least 5 different scissors, a hair shaver and other implements I could not possibly name.

After I was satisfied with the cut, I was led back to the reclining chair to have my head washed again, before being led back to the barber who dried my hair and spiked it slightly with gel. Unfortunately, only my colleague had a camera at the time and she snapped some photos I hope to get sometime soon. I was informed that I was the first foreign customer at the shop which was quite an honour for me!

One notices that all of the barber shop employees have dyed and highly styled hair. This is because they offer their own hair up as an opportunity for budding barbers to practice. As these young attendants strutted about their shop doing their own things, I was continually kept in a state of awe – it was a very entertaining experience.

My barbershop experience was limited but at this link, you can read about a foreigner who worked in a local barbershop for a month. The barbershop itself packs a whole ton of culture, into a very reasonably priced salon environment!

After:Photo credit: Darleen

An American Independence Day - In China!

2008-08-01T01:30:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written one of these in a while, since moving to Tianjin, my outings have increased exponentially and I barely even have time for myself!

On Saturday, my friend David arrived from Korea. We planned to volunteer at the AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) Independence Day Celebration. From what I had been told that week, I would help organize kid’s activities (Bouncy castles and whatnot). Later, I was surprised to receive another call informing me that the original MC was sick and that David and I were more than welcome to become the new ones. I happily volunteered, eager for the opportunity to help out! If only I knew of all of the excitement that would soon be had, I would have brought some of my local colleagues along too!

At 11:45am that day, David arrived at my building after disembarking from his direct flight from Korea. It was a good thing that he had two black belts in Tae Kwon Do as all of that training and built up stamina would soon come in handy. He had less than an hour to get his stuff in order and get ready for the long evening ahead. I would later find out that he had less than 4 hours sleep that day, talk about stamina! We were to meet our AmCham contact in the Hyatt Hotel, a ten minute walk away.

You know you have become a 天津人(Tianjin Local) when your guest grabs your arm as you cross the road in fear for both of your lives. Wading through speeding traffic had become second nature than me, I hadn’t realized that David was not used to this crazy jaywalking phenomenon. I’m sure that soon he’ll be up to speed with hacking through the urban jungle given a week or two here.

We eventually arrived at the Hyatt Hotel and headed up to find the AmCham room. I was surprised to see that a permanent office was set up in a hotel room, complete with signs on the wall outside the door. From what I’ve experienced now, it seems that these hotel-offices a common practice for many organizations in China. The door was open for us and we entered to meet Anna. She provided us with a short a briefing and schedule detailing the evening’s events. She also outfitted us with some immaculate white AmCham golf shirts. Later we found that we were the only ones wearing such golf shirts which not even the organizers had! It certainly seemed like we were to take center stage at this event. We were surprised to find that we had less than half an hour to prepare our speeches for the evening’s events. David and I worked hurriedly on the computer writing a speech in English which was then translated to Chinese by an online dictionary. While we were in the process of doing this, 3 other young local Chinese AmCham members entered the room and Anna started planning something with them. I’m grateful that David had a Commerce background, I’m sure that many would have folded under the stress of delivering a severely under-prepared speech in a foreign language. I didn’t have a problem as my parts were in English. Back home, I speak with little to no preparation so I felt quite comfortable and ready – no stomach full of butterflies for me!

Soon, it was time to leave the hotel and travel to the venue and the introduction speech was not even finished yet! We panicked as the printer in the office ran out of ink. Luckily, I had brought my USB along. We uploaded the speech to the USB and Anna led us downstairs to the business office to have it printed. The service was prompt and professional, and soon David had his freshly printed speech in hand.

I must pause now to take note of how familiar we were with the event. So far this entire time, we were completely confused as to what was going on. We did not know where we were going, who we were speaking to, and what we were expected to say. This total void of information was a great excitement for me – I’m too used to knowing exactly what is going on in a predictable day of University classes! We eventually found ourselves in the lobby where quite a few other expatriates and AmCham members were congregating. We had a good time meeting and greeting some of the other guests. Soon, we boarded up on the waiting coach buses outside. I was thrilled to discover that the bus I was on was driven by the PPG driver that takes me to work in the morning! He was equally delighted to see me as well!

All of the guests boarded up on one bus while the organizers (David and I included) boarded another. The ride took nearly an hour but this was much needed. David caught up on his much needed sleep while I wrote down English speeches for the key parts of the program to be translated into Chinese for David. It was fortunate that Annie, one of AmCham’s organizers spoke excellent English and the speeches were translated without a hitch.

When we arrived at the venue, both David and I were completely floored – it was amazing. The Venue was called the Margaux Manor, and it looked like a little French village in the middle of the Chinese suburbs. There were no skyscrapers in sight, and though the sky looked ominous earlier, it began to clear. The decor on both the interior and exterior of the Manor was exquisite and there was ample greenery, water fixtures and authentic French decor. We found ourselves walking with the rest of the bus passengers to a large courtyard in the center of the villas. Here, the place was bustling with guests from all walks of life. Strangely enough, the demographics of those in attendance was 30% Foreign and 70% Chinese!

Anna sat us down with Hank Martin, the charismatic Chair of AmCham. He provided us with tips and key things to mention when making the speeches. There was a large stage set up in the courtyard, complete with a huge AmCham backdrop, lighting and a massive sound system.

David and I put the final touches on our speeches as a live band started to play. We also had the chance to meet some very friendly employees of a logistics company who sat at our table. Soon, the band’s performance was coming to an end and it was our time to get up and start talking. David and I took the stage, and I delivered a speech in English followed by the Chinese translations read by David. Everyone stood for the American National Anthem, which was sung by a governor of AmCham. She was extremely talented. I found it to be quite the phenomenon that two Canadians were leading the AmCham celebration. This was also the first time I have ever stood to join in the American Anthem!

Opening speeches were given by Hank and the Operation Director of the Margaux Manor Club and soon the banquet was opened to the guests. David and I stood in line, mingled with guests and learned a thing or two about business in China from some of the very knowledgeable expatriates in attendance. Fortunately, Annie picked up food for us as it was almost time to speak again and we weren’t even near the buffet yet!

First two pairs of very talented Chinese dancers performed a Cha-cha rendition. Both young women in the dancing pairs wore high heels that were at least two inches high. It was incredible that they could pull off such moves without even stumbling! David and I gave speeches for the first set of draws for the evening. The prizes up for grabs were incredible, ranging from a year’s membership at the Margaux Manor, to Digital Cameras and Barbeques!

After the first draw, some other MC’s took over for us giving David and I a chance to sit back and enjoy the show and mingle a bit more.

Kind hearted and friendly foreigners were in abundance here (unlike previous experiences!). We met a great variety of people from local Chinese employees in multinational companies, to English teachers, working expatriates and entrepreneurs. I was delighted as well to meet people of mixed heritage like myself!

There were two more lucky draws for the evening, with prizes that were equally incredible as the ones given out for the first one. The dancers performed two more numbers and there was a traditional Sichuan Face-Changing (Bian Lian) performer. As he walked the stage, changing his masks at lightning speed, I tried to piece together how he pulled it off. I was completely baffled though when he approached me to shake my hand and his mask changed right before my eyes at a rate too fast to even see. The great thing about this performance is only the performers know the trick, unlike so much of the well-known western magic. This is a closely guarded secret that only a few know, hopefully, I can learn a bit more about this in my lifetime! He ended his colourful performance by blowing fire across the stage - I was blown away.

To wrap up the night, one of the most incredible firework performances lit the night sky. This was on a scale equivalent to even the best Canada Day celebrations I am used to back home. It was INCREDIBLE.

Sadly, the night was coming to an end. David and I bid goodbye to our new friends, and with pockets full of business cards, we hopped on the bus which took us back to our building in Tianjin.

We went to one of the local Bars afterwards, but the story of that will come sometime soon!

The Busy Life

2008-07-29T08:00:00.001-07:00

Things have been insanely busy here in Tianjin. Most likely, I'll get back to blogging more consistently when I return to Canada. I will keep a journal though so the memories will be fresh and authentic. I'm still alive just in case there is any doubts out there!

Upcoming topics:
Beach Vacation,
American Independence Day in China,
The Show at the Orphanage

Aaaand oh so much more.

P.S. When living in China, there's not a dull moment!

Car Clubs - All the cool kids are doing it

2008-07-17T07:36:00.001-07:00

With China’s booming economy, the apple of everyone’s eyes seem to be cars. However, in China, car clubs take automobile appreciation to the next level. I have not heard of such clubs for “ordinary” cars in Canada though similar groups exist for antiques, hummers or other luxury vehicles.

My colleague Darleen and her husband are both members of a Tianjin car club. All of the members are fans of a certain Japanese car brand which we do not have in Canada. The logo of this car is a “1” and all of the models I have seen so far are very similar. Each member of the car club has exactly the same model of car, the only differences between member cars are colours and side decals.

The members of the car club (numbering over 1000) are from all walks of life. For example, at the wedding mentioned in an earlier post, the MC for the event was a member of the car club. Also, Darleen and her husband were invited because they are members of the car club. Thus, club thus works as a good guanxi network as exhibited by the MC who gave the wedding party a special discount price! Online, members discuss good travel and tourism areas, great restaurants within Tianjin and they frequently plan get together events at restaurants, badminton courts and KTV parlours.

Most of the cars belonging to this club have two-way radio systems installed in the dashboard. This allows members to communicate easily between all member cars when they go on an outing together. Thus, to facilitate this system, all or most of the cars have a large antenna which is affixed to the hood of the car magnetically.

From my outings with Darleen, the car club is like an extended family where all members initially share the same interests in the same model of car. This interest unites the group who find other similar interests together that go beyond the car. It seems like a lot of good friendships have blossomed out of the appreciation for cars. Thankfully, big SUVs are not as popular in China as they are back home. I have seen three hummers so far, and other big hunks. On the bright side, I’ve seen at least 3 Toyota Prius’ zipping around. Now, I just need to find the car club for Toyota Prius’!

My Big Fat "Chinese" Wedding

2008-07-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

I was given an amazing opportunity to attend a Chinese wedding recently. I found the event to be delightfully different from those back home in the west! This wedding also had a special Korean theme to it as the bride (who was Chinese) had worked in Korea for quite a few years.

The event begins with the bride and groom party culminating in the bride’s house. The bridal party hides in a room while the groom is kept at bay outside the door. As the groom pleads to be admitted, the bridal party demands money in red pockets or that the groom perform a dance to the delight of all onlookers. Eventually, the groom is allowed to enter the room and be reunited with the awaiting bride. The couple then walks hand in hand to the bride’s parents whom they kowtow to and make a speech of gratitude.

The wedding party then makes its way outside the home where everyone hops into the vehicles that have been specially arranged for the wedding. At least five cars follow the wedding vehicle driven by the groom. The motorcade makes its way through the streets towards the restaurant where the wedding ceremony is to be held. For this wedding, the members of the car club were invited. So, instead of a pricey motorcade of rented red cars, at least 20 car club vehicles formed the wedding procession.

When all the guests finally arrive at the restaurant, they gather around the entrance where confetti cannons, sparklers and other fanfare have been set up. Before the bride and groom arrive, firecrackers in the shape of two hearts are set off filling the air with loud popping noises and smoke. Soon, the bride and the groom roll up in the wedding car and enter the restaurant under a rainstorm of confetti.

The wedding party floods into a special reserved room which is bright and colourful, filled with many wedding decorations. As the guests tuck into appetizers, the ceremony begins. The master of ceremony makes many speeches and the bride and groom perform multiple acts that are symbolic of marriage.

Soon, the wedding banquet begins and is consumed with gusto by the now hungry guests. During the feast, it is customary for the bride to changes dresses at least once. At the wedding I attended, the bride wore three different dresses of very different styles! When everyone is full and the banquet almost finished, the bride and groom visit each table to share a drink and cigarettes with their guests. The bride lights cigarettes for the men, using a special red lighter bought especially for the occasion. To add to the fun, the male guests who are having their cigarettes lit play tricks on the bride. This includes blowing out the lighter or flicking their cigarettes from side to side in their mouth, making it next to impossible for the poor bride to light.

After the merriment of the meal is finished, it is time for the younger guests to visit the newlyweds’ house. Here, they watch the newlyweds play Chinese wedding games. These games are intended to help the bride and groom get to know each other even better! One of the games, for example, involved the groom sitting in a chair while the bride tried to feed him cake. The catch of this was the bride was blindfolded! The wedding guests had fun making her task more difficult by directing her spoon in ways that soon caused the groom to be covered in cake. After all the fun and games, it is now late at night and the bride and groom bid their guests farewell. My first Chinese wedding was certainly an experience to remember! I hope there will be opportunities for me to attend other such events which celebrate life in the culturally rich milieu of China!

Reflection Section 1

2008-07-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wow - half of the summer gone just like that, in less time than it takes to blink. From what I've found, it seems that many things are plentiful in China, except for time. In just the past weekend, I've been overwhelmed with a wealth of new experiences, new friends and unforgettable moments.

I'll try and come up with a bullet list of what I find to be the most interesting things I've realized. Random pictures from my travels will be included for your browsing pleasure.

China is not uniform - there are more sides to China than there are inhabitants. From walking down the road to touring the countryside, there is something new around every corner and under every roof, catching your eye after every blink and on every face that you come across. You could spend an entire lifetime here exploring, and still barely scratch the surface.

Life goes at a breakneck speed. Things that take weeks to be done back home, take only days or hours in China time. I'm still learning more of the mechanics behind all of this. The cities are like rolling seas of development. The new rises, the old falls and soon the new becomes old which falls once more. Don't plan, don't wait for expectations to be met, and don't even blink - you've already missed out on something.
There are great people here. From the locals I've met at work, to the foreign community I just met over the past weekend, you won't be alone. China offers you an endless selection of companionship, open ears and sources of advice.
Opportunity is everywhere. For travel, work, fun, romance, shopping, helping, developing and the list goes on. It seems that no matter what interest brought you here, you can find yourself a cozy niche.
The person you were before going to China will not be the same person who returns. Living here, your view of the world will change, your initial interests will be transformed and you will find yourself immersed in a rich new world. China seems to be like a crucible of creation, taking raw input and forging it into something new with every second breath.

You can live well without knowing any Chinese, but it really really helps if you do. I've heard of people living 8+ years in China and learning only a word or two of the local languages. They get by perfectly fine provided they make the right connections which can help their wishes be translated. Learning the language will greatly help one to gain a great deal of independence which is an incredible experience - but it is not a must.

If you want to make a difference on the world stage - come to China. From shaping the world of business, realizing your dreams of fame, waging a war against cancer or helping China to tackle the world's environmental woes, all roads lead to China.

One should approach China with an open mind and not make comments on China until visiting. Even then, wait until you have enough knowledge before doing so (I'm not there yet but I'm trying my best)! The China viewed externally and internally are completely different. Sometimes, coming in as an outsider your opinions and attempts to do good may create more trouble than the good that was initially intended. It's easy to think you know China when you are on a roll,and it may be very difficult to humble yourself and realize that no matter what, there is always a thousand more things to learn. But to do so, will open up new worlds of possibilities and, hopefully, continuous excitement.

China Wonderland - People's Park Tianjin

2008-07-03T21:35:00.002-07:00

When Michael was visiting in June we stumbled across a very traditional Chinese park while on a walking tour. This brought back nostalgic memories of his past in China and we decided to head inside.

We paid for tickets then headed in the main gate which was near to a very large artificial lake. Nearby, there was a strategically placed docks with animal-shaped peddle and paddle boats for rent. We decided to give one a spin. We paid the 30 RMB for a one-hour rental and put down a 100 deposit which I'm guessing is to prevent us stealing the boat (If that's humanly possible) or deciding to try and sink it in the middle of the lake! Such things were not in our intentions, of course. We hopped on board and paddled the animal shaped contraption to lands unknown. We followed the lake's perimeter and found some channels off to other areas of the park. Unfortunately, they were all blocked off, this was likely because they were too narrow to accommodate two ships going abreast. I'm sure that in the past, many boat jams must have occurred in these channels to merit the present blocades. As we followed the outer edges, we noticed that the outer rims of the lake were inhabited almost exclusively by young couples. As they were clearly demonstrating by their behavior, the Chinese attitudes towards public displays of affection have been changed from conservative to far more liberal. I suppose thatis likely due to the influx of western media! We passed other peddle and paddle boats as well which were making their own way leisurely across the jade-green lake.

We took the time to unfold our map in the boat, unafraid to look like tourists in the secluded cabin. As we plotted out our next destination, we took turns paddling around individually to keep the boat in motion. Through some strange magic, if we ceased paddling, there was a current in the lake which would carry us around at random. Eventually, we abandoned ship (at the dock of course, so I could get my 100RMB back!) and went on a leisurely stroll in the park. We passed many cages which look liked they belonged to a small zoo. One could only imagine which animals once lived behind these bars.

One large cage was still in use though and housed a good variety of strutting roosters, sleeping pigeons and geese which waddled around making strange noises. We passed gigantic plastic cacti and other plants in addition to a people-powered roller coaster where young children and a parent pedalled around the track in open helicopter-shaped carts. The park featured Chinese pagodas, walking paths and authentic looking Chinese trees and shrubs. There were elderly couples strolling in the park as well, but surprisingly, the place was not too busy. Soon, it was time to head elsewhere and we left the park behind with fond memories in our hearts.

China shopping: A cultural experience in itself

2008-07-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

Here in China, an infinite amount of things can be bought. Whether you are in the market for clothing, art, souvenirs, books, anime stuff, calligraphy supplies, keepsakes or just about anything under the sun, I would venture a guess that it can be found in China. Despite many rumors spread out west, I find the quality of many goods here to be excellent, even better than some of the stuff in Canada! I think this is because that the importers in Canada desire a high markup profit and thus by cheap products which we lap up since there are no good alternatives. But in China, there are countless alternatives so the quality must be high otherwise the Chinese locals with cash will not buy it. As a result of this, you can find many things of high quality here that can be found at prices unheard of in Canada.

There are quite a few places where on can shop: Malls, small street side shops, markets Friendship malls and street vendors of all sorts.

I'll first start things off with the familiar: The friendship mall and other malls filled almost exclusively with only western brand clothing. Here, you can find western goods at western prices. As you can probably guess, I've bought nothing from a friendship mall. However, quite a good selection of quality Chinese ornaments and handicrafts can be found here as well as Chinese made-watches. Despite selling western-brand goods, the selection of these malls are infinitely better than any North American one. I think that the Chinese have a very discriminating fashion sense as most of the clothing here is not ugly nor boring (a common sight back home). There are whole floors of clothing for men, unlike the small sections that men are used to back in the western world. In these malls, there are also a great variety of women's clothes for all ages.

The Chinese malls are quite a different story and they come in all shapes and sizes. From mall to mall, selection varies even in the same brands of stores. The general selection includes sports goods floors, young women's clothing floors, older women's clothing floors, men's clothing floors, and miscellaneous goods floors. If you buy anything, the store clerk issues you a receipt which you take to a payment booth. Here, you are given a receipt which is stamped which you must return to the booth you bought from in order to claim your goods. In these malls, most credit cards are accepted no problem. You'll see all sorts of interesting brands, some familiar but most of them will be Chinese or Hong Kong brands. There are also unlikely clothing manufacturers such as Caterpillar (heavy machinery) and Jeep! Perhaps these are spin-off companies as if Caterpillar and Jeep do not register their trademark for clothing, an entrepreneur can use their logos and start a store under their name, this is fair game over here! At malls like these, attendants are always available. As you walk by they will talk to you about the sales in place. I half feel like responding back, but this is not required. It is perfectly acceptable to walk right past them even if they are talking to you! If you walk into the shop, the server will often follow right in your footsteps offering advice and suggestions frequently. Service is of excellent quality here and the salespeople will go out of their way to enhance your shopping experience. An example of this is when I went to a mall with two of my colleagues. One wanted to try out some hair accessories. The attendants styled her hair for free in multiple professoinal ways and applied the hair accessories at her request. Though she did not buy, if she did they attendants told her that they style her hair for free whenever she dropped by. Such is the service over here! The malls I've seen like these are abundant on very famous streets. In Tangu, there is the gorgeous and very famous Golden Street and there is an equivalent in Tianjin where about 8 of these malls in a row are situated. All are air conditioned and to save energy, they have plastic flaps hanging down in the entranceway. This acts like a moveable plastic curtain which traps the cool air inside. One merely pushes the curtain aside to gain entry into an air conditioned shopping paradise.

Near to the Tianjin Golden Street, there is a street full of multiple small shops. I took a browse here with my colleague Yolanda. The majority (95%) of the shops here were women's clothing from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and local products. Each shop was completely different and had an incredible varieties of style I've never seen before. China is lightyears ahead of Canada in terms of fashion sense and variety, I would expect some of these fresh styles to make their way back home in maybe 5 years or so (ayah!). As expected in China, where the shop's owner is the one selling you goods, you can bargain as much or as little as you like. Often, the price their give is high, but it is still quite a good deal compared to Canadian clothing standards. Of course if you want to buy the real Chinese way, make sure to brush up on an arsenal of bargaining tactics to get yourself a sweet deal.

In Tangu there is a Foreign goods market which is quite famous in China. I took a look myself and found it to be fascinating. There were two large storehouse areas which were positively teeming with booths. The selection seemed focused primarily on fake watches, belts and sunglasses but there were a good variety of clothing shops thrown into the mix. One could also find army surplus stores selling American army surplus equipment and also some toy stores and purse/murse stores. The selection was quite good but I was just looking for a cultural experience and not a browse. There was also a pet store with adorable fuzzy bunnies in tiny cages as well as a selection of other popular pets.

The street vendors can be found just about anywhere in China. They either set out a cloth with their goods on top, have a booth set up or have their goods on display on the backs of their bikes. Their goods vary ranging from women's underwear to fake Dolce and Gabanna belts.

The aggressiveness of vendors varies across China. For all of the places I have been in Tianjin, the vendors keep to themselves, and only talk quietly to you about bargains they may have on at the time. In Beijing they are more aggressive in that they call out loudly to you and may make a grab at your hand to pull you closer. I haven't run into a situation I couldn't handle though and have always managed to get away unscathed. Here we see a street vendor selling barbequed goods - the specialty being barbequed seahorses and scorpions which were still wriggling on the skewer! In short, the shopping experience is a deeply ingrained and highly valuable show of the incredible culture that China has on offer to the world.

I must be in Heaven

2008-07-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

As for that short post yesterday, the excitement I had was overwhelming. I moved from a great place in TEDA to Tianjin where I will be staying in an amazing new place.

TEDA is a great section of Tianjin. It was comfortable, easy to navigate and had a good variety of things to do. It is a fresh new face that China presents to the world, all built in the last 10 - 20 years which is quite a feat of rapid development! It was a perfect environment for business as proven by the multiple foreign-owned companies that had set up shop there. There was also the large Tesco's right next to TEDA international hotel which I will surely miss for its convenience. What I miss most of all are the friends I made at the won-ton restaurant. I enjoyed being greeted by extra large smiles daily, choosing from the English menu they always had ready for me and talking to them in a mix of Chinese and English. Through this, I hope their English improved because my Chinese certainly did! I ate there nearly every day during the week.

I first became fond of this place on a bright and sunny Saturday a month ago. I was going to go out soon but wanted to grab some lunch quickly. I wanted an authentic Chinese experience so I wandered down an alley next to Tesco where I found the won top shop. The menu was all in Chinese but somehow, they had a translated English menu that was worn from many years of use but still legible (I don't know who would use it other than me though, I was the only Laowai I ever saw there!). I ordered two large bowls of won tons by mistake thinking they were dumplings. I ate them anyway and found them to be more than delicious. After my meal, an attendant who I had not seen on the way in came up and started talking to me in fairly good English. His name was Cooper and he welcomed me back again! I did return diligently and saw him three times after that. I think he's moved on since because I stopped seeing him after a while. However, I started seeing one of the Kitchen staff who's English was just as good as Cooper's. Another funny young man in the kitchen would always cry out "HellooOOoOH!" with a huge smile and an incredibly funny accent that would make everyone laugh, myself included!

I got off topic, sorry about that! So yesterday, my EHS Colleague Yolanda helped me load up all of my huge ( and very Canadian) Roots bags (go Canada!) into a taxi cab which we had taken from work to the hotel. We had enlisted a nice bellboy to help us. I made sure to tip him as I realized TEDA International Hotel was used to the western tipping customs. Yolanda and I rode the cab from TEDA to Tianjin. We arrived at our new building which was a bit confusing because it offered both hotel accomodations and service apartments. Yolanda went inside to check at the desk as to which entrance we have to drive to for unloading. After getting lost a few times and heading the wrong way, we eventually found it. We pulled up a baggage cart, loaded it up, paid the friendly taxi driver and headed into the service apartment lobby.

If TEDA hotel was five star, the place (Tianjin International Building) must have been a ten star. The lobby was gorgeously decorated, with marble, mirrors and vases. We talked to the attendants who took my passport and sorted out the room key which turned out to be a swipe card. One of the attendants then accompanied us up to the service apartment. When I reached my room up high on the 29th floor, I was absolutely floored. The apartment was as big as a house. There was a full kitchen, bike storage closet, a large connected dining and living room, a guest bathroom, an office, a bedroom and a walk in closet. It was a luxury suite! The floor was rich hardwood, the lobby was marble, a massive widescreen tv in the living room, the office desk was made of glass and the master bedroom had a toilet with a Japanese bidet (heated seat and all which I turned off to save electricity) and a shower and bath fully enclosed by glass. What really got me the most was the amazing views offered by the huge windows in the living room, office and the smaller ones in the bedroom. It was the nicest apartment I have ever seen in my life - hands down. Such is the business life in China, those doing business are treated like Kings. I was completely surprised by this, I was expecting a traditional Chinese apartment like the wonderful one I stayed in while I was in Beijing. I'm not sure if any foreigners my age are as lucky to have such an experience. I'm was thrilled again to wake up this morning in the same apartment and realizing that I was not dreaming.

Yolanda and I then went out for dinner, there was an amazing Korean restaurant right outside of the building. I helped her choose some very Chinese food (I have Chinese food tastes). We had liver and bone marrow which was cooked on a Korean barbeque (which used live, red hot charcoal) right in front of us. As side dishes, we had some spicy vegetable which looked like asparagus, some vegetables that were fried Korean style and a bowl of cold noodes each. It was one of the best meals in my life, which further added to the excitement of my new living quarters.

The excitement alone is not just for the apartment, it was also primarily for being part of the life of the big city Tianjin. As I arranged things before going to bed, I played Chinese music (traditional and revolutionary on some speakers that were for my use in the apartment). As I looked out my window before falling asleep, it was clear that this city had a different vibe than those back home. Though the third largest city in China (10 Million people I believe) there were less lights to be seen than Toronto. Power saving seems to be huge in China as all of the office towers were completely black, which is unheard of back home! There was significantly less light pollution as well and the sky was nice and black as it should be. The sky was not filled by high rises and office towers and things had a unique Chinese flavour to them as I looked out the window. I adore it here, and being a bit more part of the Chinese culture. TEDA was business culture but Tianjin is more real life culture. Before you leap on how western my living quarters are, I know and accept that they are not the true Chinese living experience. However, when I leave that apartment, the experience is genuine.

Today, I took the PPG coach bus with my fellow employees. It was a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and something that I'm sure not many foreigners get the chance to experience. The employees at PPG really are like a large family. They take the same bus (like a large family minivan), work together, eat together, play games together (PPG runs soccer tournaments between working groups and labs, and also rents out badminton courts on the weekends for employees) and share their all aspects of their lives with each other (Weddings, birthdays and etc). This Chinese family-work environment is a delight to be part of. I think that now I am in a more convenient location, I will be attending more after work experiences with my Chinese colleagues. From all of my experiences so far, it is the Chinese people, especially my colleagues who make me feel at home, and so welcomed to wonderful China. I definitely feel we share a lot in common which helps bridge and break down the language barier brick by brick. We share laughs, experiences and many many good times the Chinese way. These common ties draw me closer to China and are helping me too become one its very own. Day by day, moment by moment and joy after joy I am becoming more Chinese inside.

Stowaways on a Russian Aircraft Carrier

2008-07-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

While Michael was visiting from Shanghai in June, one of the things we decided to check out for kicks was the Binhai Aircraft Carrier Amusement Park. Sounds bizarre? Well, I'm just getting started. We spotted this in a tourist map which Michael bought showing the best attractions for the Tianjin area. Upon further investigation of online materials, we were surprised to see the description clearly stating that simulated battles take place at the ship and visitors can fire missile launchers. We just had to see these missile launches and battles for ourselves didn't we?

We boarded a taxi cab in TEDA and drove for at least half an hour. Leaving the city outskirts, we passed by massive buildings such as the TEDA soccer stadium and an international meeting center. Soon, the greenery and buildings of TEDA gave way to barren, dusty empty land which was crawling with countless construction machines. We predicted that soon, these miles of empty space will become filled with new development as TEDA grows to become a bustling hub of economic activity. Along the way, we passed what appeared to be a shipbreaking yard as well as a huge storage space for shipping containers. There were large shipping crates piled up as tall as mid-sized buildings! There was also a verdant green golf course-community set right in the middle of nowhere! Right before the park, we passed a large school for nautical studies which had a massive anchor set out right in front of it.

We passed an equally enormous sign advertising the park (maybe it could be seen via Google Earth) and the driver swerved into a grass and tree lined boulevard. This road went on for about a kilometer passing empty buildings and old military hardware along the roadside which was on display. There were MiG fighter jets, various mobile artillery units and some large tanks. Soon, the massive aircraft carrier loomed into sight and signs of other human life was abundant. We were worried that there would be no cabs ferry us back, but to our relief, there was an abundance of cabs in the parking lot that were ready to take customers back to TEDA.

The aircraft carrier named, Kiev (written on the side of the ship in Cyrilic) is Russian made and was bought by the TEDA development group some time ago. Though TEDA is very close to the sea, I have no idea how this hulk of Russian engineering was brought to this location. The basin that it sat in was far too shallow for sailing the juggernaught and it was closed off on all sides. Either this ship was driven here when there was more water or it was airlifted by some miracle of science. Though called an amusement park, there was only the ship there present in the park area. Perhaps more rides and other items of interest will pop up soon as TEDA expands. Near the ship, there were amphibious military vehicles one could pay to take a ride in around the ship or some speed boats which would give you a thrill in the shallow basin.

Michael and I paid for tickets to the ship then headed into the looming hulk of steel. Inside, things were heavily renovated and very Chinese-tourist friendly. I could tell that this was not an attraction for foreigners (Who goes to China to see a Russian Aircraft Carrier, really now?) due to the absence of English. Michael and I toured the ship, making our way through anchor rooms, ammunition storage rooms, crew living quarters, aircraft storage hangers, on the flight deck, the control deck and we also toured the bow where the heavy missile launchers were. There were huge replica plastic missiles in all of the right locations. The areas open for tourists were well renovated and pleasing to the eye. We could tell that these areas were renovated because we stumbled across a section that had been left in its original state. It was heavily rusted, dark and ominous and was barred off by a gate. We discovered that the gate could be forced open. Michael courageously stepped inside while I looked was on the lookout for guards. He dropped his cellphone in the dark area while browsing, and it almost fell down a deep, dark hatch. We both wondered that if it did fall down the hole (it was only a foot away from doing so) if it would be lost forever. At this point, both him and I decided that further exploration in the abandoned section would not be a good idea. There were a countless number of military fatigue-clad ship personnel around for helping visitors and making sure that people kept out of trouble. However, unlike many people's experiences, these guards were not intrusive at all. They did not follow us, cast angry glances our way or berate us during our visit. I was terrified that one of these nice individuals would come around the corner any second as Michael groped around in the dark assembling the cellphone after its fall. Some footsteps I heard though were only another park visitor as we were relieved to discover.

One could pay to stay on the ship overnight in the officer's quarters. We had the chance to look at one of such genuine rooms. It reminded me a lot of my room in University residence in first year! It wasn't all that bad, it was well furnished with a single bed, desk and plush chair. It also had a TV in it that definitely was not from the cold-war era unlike the rest of the ship's authentic technology. All of the essential wiring had been completely destroyed as we could see what used to be thick stands of wires that were cut and missing large sections. I suppose this was just to ensure that no one in China decides to start sailing the ship around again. While on the flight deck, we had the treat of watching a performance. The performers were certainly not Han-Chinese and looked more like Russian-Chinese mixes. Michael informed me that they were Uygers who were likely brought to the ship especially for performances. They performed a comic military-style marching show. All of the performers were female except for two men. One of them was there for comic relief and the other performed spectacular feats with his ear. He twirled a heavy bucket full off water using a strange pulley-like device he attached to his ear. He also pulled one of the military planes on deck using this strange device! It was a memorable show and seeing some more mixed-chinese-ish people helped me feel more at home. These people were not exploited nor sad in any way, the smiled genuinely during the show and performed in a natural way. I can usually tell when a smile or actions are forced but these people seemed very happy and quite comfortable with their environment.

We took plenty of photos with various random things, striking poses just like the local Chinese. This posing at every occasion for a photo is a very foreign concept to me, but I'm slowly but surely getting more comfortable with it. There were no live battles on display yet as school was still in session at the time in China. Apparently, during peak season the park gets 3 -4 thousand visitors dialy. We passed the missile launchers four visitor use, they were inside and certainly not what we expected. They were electronic ones set up in front of a huge video screen. One could pay 10 RMB to blow up a digitally generated tank as it rolled across the battlefield on the screen. I half expected to see giant nerf-guns instead of these high-tech contraptions! There were also abundant galleries on the inside which presented information and pictures on Chinese military history, aircraft carrier development through the ages and put various military hardware both ancient and modern on display. Soon enough, after at least 3 hours on ship, it was time to castoff. Michael had to catch his train back to Shanghai and I had some email checking to get to. We boarded up one of the taxis in the parking lot who drove us back at an incredibly fast (and very exciting pace). We saluted the ship goodbye as it disappeared into the distance, our trip to a modern amusement park for new age Chinese was one to remember. Dasvidania Comrade Kiev!

Workday in my (safety) shoes

2008-06-30T01:35:00.000-07:00

I noticed that there was a vote for real-life experiences, so I thought I should mention what its like living for me here in TEDA. I'll get to all of you culture folk next!

At the moment, I live at the TEDA International Hotel, a picture of this is to the left.

I wake up at 6:50 am, get dressed and head downstairs to the lobby. I eat breakfast at a place called the "California Grill" which offers a western continental breakfast or a Chinese style breakfast selection. I find the food to be both enjoyable and filling there. The walls are decorated with commemorative plaques of random movies. You can find romance posters (Titanic) random ones (Terminator) new ones (Spider man 3??) and bizare ones (Harry Potter???) the posters follow no theme except for the fact that they are all western films. I then pocket an apple or pear and make my way out on my walk to the PPG plant. For the first few days here, I took a cab until I got my bearings strait. After I tried walking to the plant one weekend, I've been walking ever since.

My walk begins by jaywalking across a busy street, cutting a parking lot in front of the Friendship Mall (sells foreign goods), Tesco's and KFC and then walking for 40 minutes strait North to the plant. Along the way I pass many industrial facilities, some of which I am not able to guess the purpose of! I pass a pharmaceuticals factory, traffic police station a car repair shop, a Tianjin car factory, KRAFT foods, dormitory for the workers of the factory, a food plant which smells delicious, another car garages, the agricultural bank and finally a coal power plant before I reach the PPG doorstep. The entire 40 minute walk is on a street that is lined on both sides by trees. I have never seen so much urban greenery before and its great! It shades me from the morning sun and keeps my walk cool at all times.

I then start work at the plant where I job-shadow my various colleagues and work on my own environmental strategies on how to make PPG's operations greener (they were already quite green before I even got here!). I don my safety shoes issued by the plant (steel toed - non-stick, and tough shoes for entering the factories) so that I am ready for whenever a plant tour invitation pops up. PPG is great in that it provides a shuttle bus service for all employees living in Tianjin. This is because the majority of the plant's workforce lives in Tianjin like many of the factories around here. A free lunch for all employees is also provided. It is served in compartmentalized metals trays and features different selections every day. What I really appreciate is the ample white rice and absence of western food. I swear that I can barely survive without rice! I resume work in the afternoon and by 4:30 its time to go.

Occasionally, I carpool with a colleague back to my hotel but most often I prefer to walk. I pass all sorts of interesting places and people. For example, there are mobile bicycle repair shops set up by people who pedal around on large three wheeled bikes. These three wheelers with a huge box on the back are a mobile garages for bicycles with problems. They can patch popped tires in minutes and also sell you a decent selection of bicycle wares. Their services are popular as I see at least 5x more cyclists than cars on my way to work. There are HUGE cycle lanes here which makes China seem far more advanced in cycling culture than Canada. I've had my fair share of cycling in Canada, weaving in and out of cars and risking one's life daily. These lane-wide cycle areas are a far safer way for the cyclists to travel. They are also separated from the cars by a divider of trees. When I'm back in the friendship mall area, I duck into a side alley for dinner. I found a Chinese restaurant which has a printed English menu which you have to ask for. Its great as there is not a single laowai in sight, the food is authentic and not to mention very well-priced! I used to eat dinners for 30 RMB a day ($4) but this place helped me get it down to 10RMB or Less. My record was a 3 RMB dinner, let's see if I can beat that someday!

I then head back to my hotel room where I have a flexible schedule. Some days I go the gym and do some exercise while watching Chinese television. I also watch Chinese cartoons with Chinese subtitles to help my reading speed. Of course, I blog and check emails as well. I've been trying to teach myself Chinese as well via web-links and a book I brought from Canada. The progress is slow but its getting there! Today I'll be leaving this place behind though as I am moving to a new place in Tianjin city. Soon, I too will be taking that big blue PPG shuttle bus.

Photo source:
http://www.holidaycity.com/teda-international-tianjin/index.htm

Name Change!

2008-06-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

My colleague just informed me that, apparently, green dragons have very very scary connotations in China. I trust her judgement, she's lived here her whole life! Hopefully the new name flies with all of you readers. For anyone coming on board late, the name of this blog went from "Green Dragon in Red China" to "Golden Dragon - Red China - Green Life". Sadly, the url is set in stone, but I guess that is something we will all have to live with (don't be scared).

My mom gave me the name Golden Dragon as apparently, I was born in the year of the golden dragon (1988). Much to my amusement, golden dragon is also a coach bus manufacturer. Some of my colleagues thought that I gave myself the name golden dragon because I liked the coach buses! From what I've heard, a mayor of Beijing also has the same name as me. I hope this name sticks, is culturally sensitive and doesn't ruffle any feathers (or scales) the wrong way.

**UPDATE** Sooo something was lost in translation. Apparently green dragons are not evil, they are just less common than black, silver and golden dragons. Thus, I am happy to announce that it is now safe to return to the old name - Green Dragon in Red China lives again!

Photo source:
http://www.core77.com/blog/images/chinese-dragon-red.jpg

PPG and Me - My work in China

2008-06-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, actually, I am doing work here other than blogging. As you might have gotten a gist of, I work with the Environmental Health and Safety team with PPG. PPG is an American multinational firm, but the plant itself is run by Chinese nationals. That's me on the left in front of the PPG facilities.

My experiences working here have been very uplifting and revealing as to how socially responsible industry in China can be. Working with EHS, I've been seeing firsthand the rigorous training procedures all employees must go through before being allowed to start work. I also had the chance to attend a training seminar for EHS managers. There were PPG EHS employees from all over China and we were taught by a fine fellow from America. It turns out as well that the young lady who was invited to translate was a Queen's Graduate (Wohooo Queen's Pride)! When work begins, there is a strict adherence to wearing the proper personal protective equipment. This means safety goggles, hard hats, lab coats and gas masks and chemical suits when needed. The generalization that China has low environmental and safety standards is quite an unfair stamp from what I've seen so far. Both American and other international firms are working hard to ensure that the same safety standards they use back home are followed here in China too. At the plant I work at, the international EHS procedures are followed to the letter.

In terms of the work I do, I'm trying my best to gain experience of the PPG life and assist the EHS crew whenever possible. I help the EHS team by translating Chinglish to English and also work on reviewing some of the EHS policies in place here. Often, I get the chance to tour the facilities here with my colleagues for spot safety checks or to assist government inspectors. You read that right - government inspectors. Environmental protection in TEDA is not lax from what I've seen. A government inspector comes quite often to check air and water emissions to make sure this factory and many others adhere to government regulations. This is why I've been saying, the environmental situation in China is brighter than it seems from the outside! I also get the chance to travel to banks, police stations, government bureaus and insurance offices as I shadow my colleagues from different departments working to file work visas, sort out bank anccounts and perform the other essential tasks that keeps a company running.

In terms of the work culture itself, this is what I've learned so far from my experiences. The Chinese people are very hard and diligent workers. It is not uncommon for people to work seven days a week in fact. My work day starts at 8 am and ends at 4:30 but many people arrive early for work and also work well into the night in overtime. My colleagues are committed to their efforts and the company, which makes for a very strong, inspiring and successful workplace. They have their cellphones on nearly 24/7 and are always prepared to take work related calls or to return to the factory for some quality overtime. There is a distinct family culture here at the PPG facility. Celebrations are held quite often to note recent successes and there is a PPG "Family" publication for China. As a foreigner, this really helps me to feel part of something much greater. Despite a minor language barrier at work, most of my colleagues can speak excellent English. They are always eager to talk to me and I do my best to help them transform that Chinglish to English! Sometimes though, its hard to correct them as some of the Chinglish sayings are either incredibly funny, unique or both and I think its a shame to lose that! My colleagues have been incredibly kind to me, I have a collection of gifts from them and countless memories of weekends and weeknights they took me to a restaurant, to a wedding or for a new cultural experience of China.

In short - the work at PPG is great and I adore it. Recently, some of those awesome Chinese exercise machines were installed at the plant for use by employees. This was an initiative proposed by EHS to help improve employee health. A lot of work went into finding the perfect machines to remedy hip, shoulder and neck ailments which appear to be prevalent in China from what I've been told. The cement is still drying for these incredible contraptions, but as soon as its all dry, you can be sure I'll be working out alongside my colleagues on-site!

Crazy awesome noisy stuff - Fireworks, Firecrackers and other pyrotecnics

2008-06-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

Right now, its high season for weddings and the sound of love is in the air - literally. One thing I've really enjoyed here is the cultural fondness for pyrotechnics to celebrate special occasions.

Just last night I was in my room typing up some new entries in this blog (I'm getting obsessed with this I know) and I heard some loud noises outside. It sounded like someone taking a hammer to a piece of metal. I thought that the culprit would let off after a while but for about 5 minutes, the hammering went on unrelented. Then I got suspicious - the next thing that hopped on my mind was fireworks! I tossed on some shoes and sprinted outside hoping to see a bit of the magic before it faded into thin air. Just outside right by my hotel - I saw a Canada day worthy fireworks display. As I neared the pyrotechnic launch location, I noticed a large crowd with firecrackers about to be set off. Soon, the cacophy from these also joined the mix and grey smoke filled the air. Yep - it was a wedding allright! I didn't feel like crashing the party so I kept a distance to enjoy the show.

In one weekend alone in China, I saw more weddings than I've spotted for my entire life in Canada - that's eight total, and to be more specific it was within one DAY. This year of 2008 with the Olympics, is an auspicious year so I am told, and couples are racing to tie the knot. I attended a Chinese wedding of my own which I hope to write about later. Up above, you see some firecrackers arranged in two hearts with an arrow through them. That fine chap is holding two confetti cannons which create an instant rainshower of glittery confetti.

Instant Audiences in China

2008-06-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

What's this you might ask? Those are two dogs enjoying a bit of a wrestle in the street... no big deal right?

Some people seemed to find it to be a big deal! A sizeable crowd started to gather around these two furry wrestlers. This was on the Tangu Golden street - a very popular shopping area in the TEDA region. This phenomenon is quite normal from what I've heard in China, if there is something interesting, people will stop and watch - a lot of people.

I haven't seen any street performers here other than these dogs, perhaps this is what makes people interested in pausing from their busy lives and just stopping for a bit to be entertained.

A friend told me that once he was in an argument on the street and a crowd gathered for him too. From this, we learn that one has to be careful of making themselves a spectacle in China. Good news is, maybe when I have something to say in perfect Chinese, (something about recycling or the environment) all I would need to do is start doing a jig, gather a crowd then give them a speech. Sounds a lot easier than what it takes to make people listen back home (One of my strategies was to dress up like a fairy - dress, wand and all) but I think that's enough about me for now.

Work It! - A guide to outdoor fitness in China

2008-06-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

A different kind of exercise phenomenon has taken hold here in China, its the outdoor exercise craze! In public parks, you can find machines such as these for public use. I gave them a go myself!

The parks I visited here are moderately busy during the daytime, however, during the night is when they truly shine! A friend took me on a tour of one during the night and it was a whole new world. Large groups practiced Taiji in Unison, sang songs in preparation for the Olympic games, or practiced ballroom dancing right in the open. The atmosphere was warm, friendly and highly enjoyable. We saw a few people hopping about in an amusing sort of aerobics exercise and we also saw quite a few working it on machines such as these. We gave the hip twisters and airwalker seen below a try. Though after a minute we failed to feel an exercise burn, it was a great deal of fun using these candy-coloured contraptions. We gave up our western self-concern and joined in with the public excitement. We were the only foreigners present, but I felt like I was a part of this great real-life mosaic of life in China. The communal spirit was clearly tangible and it was a wonderful feeling to be part of this fresh new atmosphere.

Though we were not practiced enough to give the taji a go nor sing an Olympic hymn, all was a great deal of fun to soak it. The enthusiasm of the people literally rippled through the air. Kids ran around or used their scooters happily and seas of evening walking folk enjoyed taking in the scenery. Youths our age were there too. I certainly hope that more westerners can give up evening TV Internet and indoor activities and can join in on this daily outdoor festival.

The people are always bustling about doing something interesting in the cities, there is a clear vibe that I'm beginning to feel and will hopefully join in with one day too. Oh, things are just so great here.

The TEDA Flood

2008-06-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

Although I did not take this photo, scenes such as the one to the right are quite common in the south of China where there have been horrible rains. This adds to the complications due to the earthquake recently. I do hope that everyone down south makes their way through all of these recent calamities.

I think the storm hitting the south came up North to this area in a less severe form. I was at work and the day seemed pretty normal, the sky was bright in the morning which persisted until about two in the afternoon. Suddenly the sky turned a very dark hue of grey, so dark that it was almost night. At first, the rain began to fall softly. This didn't last and as it grew in strength, the office which I worked in was filled with the drumming of a thousand raindrops falling on the roof. I checked outside about halfway through the storm (It lasted an hour) to find tiny chunks of ice on the ground about twice the size of peas. It was a truly bizarre occurrence. Luckily, the rain stopped just before it was time for me to leave work.

TEDA seemed to have weathered the storm fairly well, there were a few large puddles here and there but they were being drained away rapidly by the storm-drain system. During the rainstorm, from what I could see, some areas were flooded with water that was about calf high. This occurred even in places right above storm drains which speaks volumes about the amount of rain falling. There were a few scattered showers during the following few days but the storm seems to passed us by here in the most part.

Photo source:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/floods-prompt-mass-evacuation-in-china/2007/06/08/1181089306168.html

Get some culture in a bottle

2008-06-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

In China, there are an infinite number of different bottled drinks to sample. As some of you may or may not know, the tap-water infrastructure is under development and thus, it is not recommended that tap-water be consumed. As a result of this, potable water is bought in bulk or flavoured drinks can be bought just about anywhere.

At many tourist, shopping or public sites, there are countless drink vendors setting up shop. The vending premises can vary, from little grocery stores to vendors carrying around crates of water, you can be sure that your thirst can be satisfied.

There are all flavours of tea, milk drinks, mini-yogurts, soft drinks, fruit drinks, bottled water and countless others I might have missed trying. Personally, I try to keep my consumption of these delicious drinks to a minimum to conserve plastic. Though I carry my little thermos cup around filled with water, the general trend seems to be to buy these bottles of drinks wherever one goes. Thus, I think there is a lot of potential for advocating the use of refillable bottles.

However, I do see a good number of people carrying around Nalgene type bottles or thermoses of their own. At grocery stores, refillable water bottles fill many rows of shelves so its not like the refillable culture does not exist here. At work for example, thermoses and mugs are the norm.

A network of recycling collectors have sprung up around the ubiquitous nature of the disposable drink bottles. Basically, these immigrants from rural areas try to pick up as much of these plastic bottles and other recyclable materials as possible. This involves going around with a large bag, asking people, searching through garbage cans or picking up these discarded bottles. Because of their efforts, not many of these plastic bottles end up in the landfill but are given a new life. This is made possible by recycling centers offering to pay money for the plastic bottles. At the end of a hard-day's work, the bottle collectors take their treasure troves to be recycled. I would venture to guess that more plastic bottles are diverted in China than in Canada. Because, despite all of our environmental education, I always see people putting their recycling in the trash *cough* Vacouver airport *cough*. Often, these plastics are not recovered (but sometimes, I do a bit of trash diving because I can't bear to think of perfectly good bottles being junked for life) I admit that I'm a bit different in that respect. Thankfully, due to the street recyclers, I haven't had to make a trash diving expedition to ease my conscience yet!

Photo source: http://www.hongfk.net/yl/%E5%86%B0%E8%8C%B6%E7%B3%BB%E5%88%97.jpg

Leaving on the China Train (With pleasant surprises!)

2008-06-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

After a trip to Beijing for the long weekend, I had the opportunity to take a Chinese train back to Tianjin City. Compared to a 400 RMB car ride to Beijing from TEDA, the 40 RMB ticket was an incredible deal. Fortunately, when I bought the ticket (with Michael on standby to translate) the attendant spoke perfect English and I obtained my prize without a hitch.

However, I would strongly recommend that if you do not know Chinese that you go to the station with a fluent guide, a Chinese friend or have someone who speaks Chinese fluently on standby on the phone just in case.

When I arrived at the train station, I was very very lost. Though some English was present to help me find my way around, it wasn't of too much use for finding the right platform. I navigated the Beijing station by looking at the LED signs, eventually I found one that indicated that it was the right place to be for my train. The trouble was, down the correct hallway, there were about 10 different entrances for different trains. After trying to get help unsuccessfully, I called up my friend Michael on the phone. I flagged down an attendant, passed her the phone and Michael worked his magic. Like a charm, the attendant led me right where I needed to go.

The wait was not too long and soon a large crowd gathered in front of the entrance to the train platform. I too join the crowd. Soon, an attendant stamped by ticket and I was walking down to the platform trying to find my car and seat. This was an easy task as the ticket clearly marked the car and the seat. I made my way to the right place and sat in the large and luxurious cabin. This was the non-business class and it was spacious, immaculately clean and brand new. The train I was on looked much like the one above. Judging by the speed it reached on the trip, I would say it was not a bullet train but it was very close! It took me a 3 hour drive from TEDA to Beijing but the train took under and hour to get me to Tianjin.

A nice surprise was in store for me after the train ride. There was a young lady next to me who I did not talk to on the ride over. However, I brought out a piece of paper I planned to hand to the taxi driver informing him to take me to the light rail station between Tianjin and TEDA. As I left the train station and started walking, the young lady who was sitting next to me came up and told me that she saw my piece of paper. It turns out that she wanted to go to the light-rail station too. This was a huge help for me as gave the taxi driver instructions and generously paid for it as well (despite my insistence that I should pay). We took the light rail back to TEDA together and she disembarked one station before me. Experiences like this are not rare. Since I have been here, people have been extremely nice to me! Because of the generous spirit of people around, I always feel so welcome here.

Photo credit: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/29/eng20070129_345704.html

The Pet Department Store

2008-06-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen a PetsMart (Canadian Pet Store) here in China, but I will do my best to detail the Chinese equivalent. As seen to the left, pets of all sorts in China are rapidly gaining popularity!

My colleague brought me to this pet store when she was shopping to buy some treats for her darling Schnauzer. On the first floor, we first ran into a mini seaworld. This part of the department store was full of tanks full of fish of various shapes, sizes and colours. There were also more exotic creatures thrown into the mix - one could find baby ducks (seen below), frogs, strange fish and alien looking turtles in the various shops. This pet place felt more like a shopping mall as there were vendors who each had their own little shop full of whatever wares and creatures they have decided to sell.

Ascending up to the second floor, we left the land under the sea to the land of above-ground fuzzies. Everything in sight was fuzzy, from tiny siberian hamsters, to bunnies with extra long fur to the occasional dog or cat in a cage, there was an animal to meet your pet-craving needs. There were rows of stores especially for cats, dogs and multiple different kinds of rodents. There were both common and rare animals up there for perusal. The rarest ones I saw where snow white chinchillas as well as a snow white ferret. In some places, stores had a mascot cat or dog which sat in the doorway to attract customers. At one of the stands, about 8 puppies were running around on top of their cage and could be petted by passerbies. Surprisingly, they did not jump off of their cage and run away, maybe the two foot drop acted as a bit of a deterrence for them! The interaction concept was prevalent as quite a few places allowed you to pet and interact with the pets they had for sale. There was also a dog grooming salon set up in one of the small shop spaces. Here, a Schnauzer and a well groomed Bichon Frise sat on grooming tables advertising the grooming services. One could tel that these were some very pampered pets! Quite a few of these stores were well-kept and appeared to offer great services to customers. Of course, Chinese language skills are a must, thus I think I'll hold off on buying a pet in China for a loooong time.

There's a baby in the office

2008-06-27T04:51:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, the baby is me! Despite my 19 years of age (legal adult in Canada) my colleagues still find me to be quite young!

As a result of this, some of the pet names for me in the office are memorable ones like baby Mark, little Mark, or my favorite - Mini Mark. I'm didn't know I was that young looking.. really! These nicknames don't come from a rare few people, conversely they seem to be the predominant name for me in the office!

However, when most people try to find out what I'm doing they always ask first if I'm studying. When I reply that I'm working here, an instantaneous look of shock registers on their face, usually accompanied by the phrase "But you're so young!". I'm getting used to this happening, its usually a common conversation for any new people I meet while over here!

I don't mind the "babying" really, it gives me yet another kick in my adventures here in China!

Photos source: Abstract site, its really hard to find a picture of anime babies for some reason

Those Asian Cell Phones

2008-06-27T01:15:00.000-07:00

Though I have yet to see any like the ones on the right, Chinese cellphone technology is light years ahead of anything I've seen in Canada.

As soon as you get here, the ringtones are the first cue you'll hear that lets you know you are in Asia. The age old rings of Canadian cellphones are hardly heard here due to the preference for ringtones that are actually popular songs. One can hear a good variety of both Chinese and English songs blaring when someone gets a call. Unfortunately, some song ringtones get very old, very fast.

However, the main difference is found when you call someone else's cellphone. Instead of hearing a ringing noise (which has supposedly annoyed many people in China) music and advertisement messages are played instead. This is great, especially if that person you're calling is taking forever to pick up on the other end. Sometimes, the songs ringtones or the ones I hear while waiting for a call of mine are so good, I am loathe for the person to pick up the phone and start talking to me!

I don't hear too much about telephone service companies. Cellphones are run quite differently from in Canada judging from what I have seen. You can buy cellphones for a lot or a little depending on what you want. After you get the cell phone, it is easy to find a SIM card (provided you speak Chinese). You just plug this simcard into the phone and you're making calls and playing song ringtones within seconds.

Photo credit:http://modemlooper.com/transformer-cell-phone-madness/

The Water Cooler - Come and get some while its HOT

2008-06-26T05:24:00.001-07:00

You know, I haven't seen a water "cooler" in China yet, the cultural preference seems to be geared towards water boilers like the ones on the left! Contrary to Canadian water coolers that dispense cold or room-temperature water, their Chinese counterparts dispense lukewarm or boiling water.

I'm not sure how these things work exactly, but the water they provide is HOT and perfect for tea which most people seem to use them for! These can be found in public buildings, offices and just about everywhere working people are found. Thankfully, these encourage the use of mugs and thermoses instead of disposable cups. The reason for this is simple: Boiling water + thin paper cups with tea leaves = burnt fingers. There is a strong tea culture in the workplace where disposable Starbucks coffee cups have yet to penetrate.

On that note, Michael and I went to a Tea shop in Beijing which was gorgeous on the inside. The decorations, seating and, of course, the tea reflected a true Chinese cultural experience. To our surprise, this splendidly decorate teashop was nearly deserted. Conversely, the Starbucks, and its "standard" decor a few stores away was packed full of local Chinese flocking to experience a bit of Western "high class" culture. I have no problem with the Chinese people and their fondness of new things, my only hope is that they will always have an inner fondness for their own culture, lest it be lost in favour of a more "western" one.

Image credit: http://www.filtersource.co.nz/popup_image.php?pID=95&osCsid=5e956329ef3259042b4d02aa449c981b

About that pollution now

2008-06-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

With my previous entries on how clean and green I find China, I think that some of my opinions were being misconstrued.

First off, I know that China has major pollution problems. I also realize that some of the cities here are rated the most polluted in the world (16 out of 20 of the world's cities with the worst air quality are in China). I'm not trying to deny this, I'm just trying to call attention to how much progress China is making towards cleaning things up. As I mentioned with the rapid rate of treeplanting and the institution of new, strict environmental laws, it is clear that the government of China and its people are aware of the environmental concerns they are facing. The efforts put forward by everyday citizens and the government are truly heroic and rival the western world in many of its environmental steps.

There have been western media releases of the governments shutting down chemical and coal plants that violate emissions standards so it is clear that China is starting to crack down hard on polluters. To put things in perspective, it is known that even though China is now the world's top CO2 emitter, per person, western nations emit far more CO2 than the average Chinese. I don't think its fair to outright blame China for its pollution issues - the Chinese people are not mini coal plants belching out fumes to power their appliances. To blacklist China as a nation is unfair to its people and damages the chances the west has to share its knowledge and experiences with China. I think that it is up to industry to help clean things up and soon I will write more examples about how industrial giants are now joining with the government to lead the way towards a greener China. In short, before calling China a polluter, read a little more and try to see what is happening on the ground and I think you will be surprised.

Cartoon source: http://www.sharearide.org/new%20web/gascap_body.htm

About Buses - People Mountain People Sea

2008-06-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

Now about that strange title, the translation for the word "crowded" in Chinese is 人山人海。 However, the literal translation of this is "people mountain people sea"! My colleague and I had a good laugh about this. Apparently, a misinformed store used the literal translation instead of the actual one!

I have had the chance to ride on a private Chinese bus twice. Because of its private nature, the bus driver tries to maximize ridership by stopping, yelling at people on the street to hop on, arguing with other bus drivers and is seen stepping out to generously help shove people inside to fill any spare space remaining. I didn't find the experience all that unpleasant but, of course, it was just a tad bit more of a people mountain than Canadian buses! I would not recommend these buses for those who become easily motion-sick as they are quite jerky and even had me (who has never gotten motion sickness before) feeling just a bit queasy! For the cost of only 2 RMB a ride, and provided that you can speak Chinese, these buses are quite the bargain for a real cultural experience!

I have recently been informed by a colleague that the private buses are a TEDA phenomenon. Apparently the buses in Beijing are public ones and will not stop if you try to flag them down. You can get on one of these at bus stations only. I hope to check one out sometimes, I wonder what they will be like!

I walk to work most days and I have to watch out for large vehicles such as these. I don't worry that they will hit me, I trust their driving skills which are quite good, but rather their extremely loud horns. The Chinese driving manner is to use the horn frequently to provide a gentle warning to other drivers and pedestrians that you are coming through. Because of this, the streets are often a cacophony of beeping of which, large trucks and buses such as these are the loudest. To give you an idea of how loud they are, take the loudest horn you have heard in Canada (mine was a firetruck which almost burst my ear drums) and multiply it by two! My worst experience was when I crossed the street once and one of these big guys came up behind me blaring. I think the passengers had a good laugh when I jumped at least two feet into the air before sprinting the rest of the way across the road. Now, whenever I cross the street, I make sure to stare at any vehicles coming my way. When I do this, the drivers never beep as they see that I know very well that they are coming and a curtesy honk is not needed. My strategy has worked as I have not had any other surprise horn experiences!

The Foreign Tourists Hate Me

2008-06-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

For some reason, my interaction with 95% of the foreigners I have met so far in China have been very negative.

My finest example is when I was in Beijing. I was taking a stroll down Wangfujing, a bustling shopping area with surprisingly few tourists. I noticed a boy about my age who was also alone and was walking in the opposite direction. When I passed him, I gave a bright smile and said hello in my best English (sarcasm). Strangely, the guy just stared back at me, stone cold. Perhaps he doesn't understand hello, but at least return the smile! The awkward thing was I passed him twice later, still alone. However it comes as no surprise to me that he's having trouble making a friend or two.

This experience is not all that unique. The foreigners I have come across are generally far older than me and look at me in a sort of condescending way. They strut around, going only to the western Coffe shops and restaurants, wearing a condescending look on their face that really shows that in their head, they think they own the place. They seldom embrace local cultures, and new tastes (eg. Teahouses), always opting instead for things that one can find back at home (*cough* Starbucks *cough*).

I have seen foreigners become impatient with Chinese clerks who try their best to help them, and swear rudely in the street. On that famous Wangfujing, I passed by a group of foreigners gawking at one of the new structures going up. One of them had the nerve to comment in a purely condescending manner "There is no way that is going to be finished before the Olympics". I wish that I could have stopped him right there and told him it will probably be finished in a week or two, a full month before the Olympics! Moments like these really reveal how little even foreigners inside China know about the place.

When in Tianjin, I was talking a leisurely walk with a colleague down a street when suddenly, a foreigner emerged from a barbershop swearing at the top of his voice about how they "messed up my [CENSORED] hair. What kind of cultural ambassadors are these foreigners being? This occured on a crowded street full of Chinese locals, this can't reflect well on western culture.

Don't get me wrong, I have met some very nice and extremely friendly foreigners while I have been here. Its just unfortunate that the nice ones seems to in a very small minority.

In short, all that I can hope is that foreigners will improve their politeness, demeanor and openness to the Chinese culture. It would be nice if they could start returning my hello's as well, but I'm willing to let that one slide.

Drawing credit: http://www.kimrichter.com/Blog/2006_12_01_archive.html

Green Olympics

2008-06-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Something great is happening in China for the upcoming Olympic games.

The central government has put its best foot forward in making the Olympics games as green as possible. As we see to the left, (picture from this article) the new athlete housing facility for the coaches, athletes and support team is green from penthouse to pavement. With solar panels and energy efficient features, it is an international role model on how apartments for athletes should be built.

In preparation for the Olympics, thousands of cars have been taken off of the road to ease both congestion and pollution. Large trucks are banned in certain areas due to their higher levels of emissions than cars. Leading up to the game, efforts such as this are in overdrive. China is certainly making an all out effort to lead by example in holding its world class Chinese edition of the Olympic games. These environmental measures can be found at all levels. In a souvenir store, I sighted an Olympic commemorative torch for sale which was made of the left-over metal from the Bird's Nest stadium. Bids will also be taken on items in the athlete's housing complex after the games. One of the items up for sale is Yao Ming's extra long bed! You can always count on China to take innovation to the next level! I certainly hope that the Vancouver 2010 Olympics can live up to these standards of going green.

Great Stuff at Unbelievable Prices

2008-06-25T06:05:00.000-07:00

In China it seems, just about everything with the exception of foreign goods are for sale at great prices. It makes me wonder at times - why in the world is Canada more expensive for stuff that is not quite as good? At right we see a souvenir and antiques market in Tianjin where good prices can be found on anything from the famous Erhu (Chinese musical instrument) to telescopic police batons.

For example, I eat a good meal at a local Chinese restaurant for 10 RMB. That is less than $2 for a meal! One can also feed two for a comfortable 30 RMB or about $4 Canadian! I know that I've definitely had worse meals in Canada at a price of $10+.

This trend does not apply to food alone but also for a variety of consumer goods. A set of two gorgeous T-shirts with Chinese logos emblazoned on the front cost 55 RMB for two, that is about $8 Canadian for the pair. Wheras the best t-shirts I see in Canada cost at least $30 or 310 RMB, absolutely ridiculous. There have been claims that when clothing is sold cheaply, its because someone is working like a slave in a third world country. From my experience, I would have to debate this.

This is because the cheap clothing and the expensive clothing can be of the same quality, the difference is the massive markup. For example, in a news article a sweatshop in India was examined. this T-shirt was renowned in England for being the Primark 2-pound ($4 Canadian dollar T-shirt). T-shirts like this and the one in China are about the same quality and style as the expensive $30 ones. I can attest to this because I've washed one of the T-shirts I bought here and it is in good stead. Thus, the difference is not that the 2-pound T shirt is made in the sweatshop and the expensive one is not, both are made in sweatshops in the same areas but one is sold at a much inflated price! Thus, for people back in the west who claim buying more expensive clothing avoids sweatshops, I don't think this is the answer. What really helps is buying fair trade, organic and all of that good stuff as it gets to the core issues. Also, it seems like industries in China are improving greatly due to stricter government regulations and new laws put in place.

Great prices can be found for just about everything, from souvenirs, to decorations to normal everyday goods. A good pair of shoes can cost 120 RMB which is less than $20. The only expensive things are the foreign brands. Despite the fact that they are made in China, in the same factories by likely the same people, their costs can be up to 100x high than the Chinese brand equivalent. Of course, the name must be a lot and those foreign brands are certainly trying to bulldoze over solid Chinese brands that are making the same things. Effective marketing is key and Chinese brands are putting up a good fight. There are Chinese equivalents of Nike and other sports firms which are fighting the good fight, making solid products and producing exceptional advertisements that rival the world giants we are so familiar with back home.

The price dichotomies between China and the west are a double edged sword. It makes it very cheap for foreigners to shop and live in China. Unfortunately, western prices make it very difficult for hardworking Chinese to travel overseas to vacation. Hopefully, this dichotomy will soon be evened out so more Chinese can get the chance to travel, and bring their learnings home for the enrichment of China! Likewise, I do hope that more foreigners will get the chance to travel to China and return with stories of the wonderful times to be had in China!

Taxi Experiences in China

2008-06-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

All of the taxis that I have taken in China so far have been clean, well-kept and notoriously efficient at getting me from point A to B. There are a good variety of options to choose from as well!

As you can see on the left, there are new cabs such as the one shown. This is a Beijing cab which has a different colour scheme from the ones in Tianjin (Which are brilliant sky blue) or any other city. There are many new taxis in the cities I have been so far, all with identical colour schemes. The only way to tell differences between taxi companies is via the Chinese writing on the front doors. There are older taxis as well which are obviously the older looking cars you see driving around. They come in solid beige or red hues and are not all that bad for a ride as well. Of course, they will be just a tad dirtier than the new ones. Both cabs go for the same transport price despite their age. Base price in Tianjin is 8 RMB or 10 RMB for Beijing to which expenses per kilometer are added. All of the seats are covered with a cloth cover of sorts and some even have fancy additions to the seat for your enjoyment. Knowing Chinese is a good idea for most cabs but some drivers I have come across speak excellent English.

In Tianjin, there are a great deal of female taxi drivers as well. To date, Tianjin is the only place in the world where I have seen so many female taxi drivers (With the exception of one I had a ride from in Kingston who drove a Toyota Prius!). Also, there is absolutely NO smoking in all cabs. This can explain why the cabs are all so clean here. Each cab also has a cage system to protect the driver and your safety. The cage is usually in the form of a grille between the front and back seat but some older cabs have a sort of cage enclosing the passenger side seat as well. One thing to note about driving in China is that almost nobody wears seatbelts. This is the same story for Japan as well. Taxis are no exception to the rule. Sometimes, there are no seatbelts, or the belt is present but the buckle is missing. Once, I tried to put on a seat belt for the front seat but the driver patted my hand until I eventually relinquished my efforts (I think that he took my desire to wear a seat belt as an insult to his driving!). Coming from Canada, you'll have to give up that seatbelt habit if you're going to fit in seamlessly in Asia's driving world!

The drivers are also quite adept at getting through tight spaces and getting you from point A to B fast. A friend of mine told me that one of the cabs she has taken drove up on the sidewalk to skirt a red light! There is also the potential to bargain with the drivers. They usually turn on the meter and give you a receipt but this money will go to the company. You can bargain by getting into a cab, telling the driver where you want to go and then naming your price. If they agree, they begin to drive, but if not, they look confused (if you are a foreigner) or get mad (if you look like you are from China). With me, I think they are so surprised that I speak chinese that they go a bit easier on me with deals! So far, my best deal is getting a 12 yuan trip for 10 yuan. I'm hesitant to go lower and risk getting a hard-working driver angry!

In larger cities there are also more amusing types of cabs for the enjoyment of locals and tourists. According to my colleague, pedicabs such as the one to the right are mainly a big hit with tourists! I had the priveledge of riding the one in the photo in Tianjin with my friend Michael. There are a good variety of pedicabs as well. There are the motorized type as seen here and also the pedal variety which of course I prefer due to their lack of carbon dioxide emissions (Not counting the cycling driver's breathing!). There are a range of seat configurations for the pedicab as well. From four seaters to single seaters, there is an ample range of configurations to meet your travel needs. However, like taxi cabs these pedicabs will not satisfly a seatbelt craving! The advantage of these smaller pedicabs is that they can go where no cab dares to venture. They can easily take you down crowded side streets or through popular shopping areas, weaving between people and honking to part the red sea of people between you and your destination.

Hospital of heaven - made in China

2008-06-25T04:04:00.001-07:00

On Monday this week, I had the misfortune of falling ill with a Chinese cold. I'm fairly sure that it is not one of its Canadian counterparts as it is quite a different sensation. Strangely enough, it is not quite as miserable as its Canadian cousins which are always far more severe and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it was significant enough that I decided not to head into work. One of my colleagues, who takes a great interest in my personal well being, insisted that I go to the hospital just in case my ailment was more than just a cold.

Thinking of hospitals back home, lengthy wait lines and more severe cases than my own, I insisted that I need not go. However, this was met with equal if not greater insistence and eventually agreed to go with her. We rode in a cab together to a large, marble clad edifice with a prominent sign with the inscription "TEDA Hospital". This building was certainly different from the hospitals one would initially expect to see in China. A large, artistic statue was outside, next to an expansive parking lot. Upon entering the facility, I observed that not a single surface was clad in a material inferior in quality to the marble that covered everything in sight. This had the effect making the entire inside area even fancier than even North America's top malls. The use of marble was not unusual. As its seems in China, most surfaces, from sidewalks to subways to bank headquarters are clad almost exclusively in marble. My colleague registered me with an efficient nurse in the reception lobby. This lobby was not like the ones I had become used to in Canadian hospitals. With its short lines and efficient service, it was far more like something one would expect to find in a hotel. My colleague then led me upstairs via an escalator which ascended to the second floor in front of a wall of glass that revealed a lush garden courtyard beyond the window. She led me to a room which consisted of an arcade of doorways. We tucked into one of these where a doctor attended to me right away. The doctor was a young woman, dressed in an immaculate lab coat. She gave my throat an examination and wrote some prescriptions for me on a sheet of paper. This paper we took downstairs back to the reception where a pharmacist attended to us immediately. While my medication was being gathered by the pharmacist, I noticed a very obvious foreigner behind me talking to one of the hospital staff. Fortunately for her, from what I could hear the staff member was speaking perfect english.

The overall experience was pleasant, rapid and left me completly awe struck. I find it incredible that my common cold was attended to in less than ten minutes wheras when I had a fainting spell back in Ottawa it took nearly a five hours wait before I was given any service.

China - Green Roof Leader

2008-06-22T01:42:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? China is a world leader in green roofs! The photo on the right was taken from this article at treehugger.com which details China's green roof situation which is looking bright.

So far, I've seen two green roofs during my short stay. When I first arrived at the Beijing Airport, the largest green roof I have ever seen greeted me. This green roof is situated on top of the huge parking garage for this facility. The cover was lush, espansive and quite inspiring! The second time I ran across one of these spectacular green roofs was on top of a government building in TEDA. I was on the top floor and looking out, I was shocked to see a green roof stretching out as far as the eye could see, covering the entire roof of the building. It defintely seems that GROOF could get a lot of work here in China, I look forward to spotting some more of these green roofs done the Chinese way!

China Washrooms - A Cultural Experience

2008-06-22T01:11:00.001-07:00

One thing I find that not a lot of people know about are the major style differences between Western and Asian washrooms.

I'll start off with the essentials - the squatter toilet as seen here (image credit:http://www.relfe.com/toilet_ seat_constipation. html). That link also has a lot of information on how these toilets are healthier for you! Supposedly, they even reduce the risk of colon cancer, but I'll leave the physics of this to the article.

I prefer these toilets to the western style ones as I find them to be far more hygenic for obvious reasons, only your shoes are touching any washroom surface, nothing else! The ones I've come across in China have all been very clean (With the exception of one in a shady restaurant my colleague took me too, but that was a no brainer anyway) contrary to many rumors circulated (not by the media of course because washrooms are not big news). In public washrooms, you must bring your own toilet paper which you don't flush for some reason but drop in a bin next to the toilet. I still haven't figured out why you aren't supposed to flush it. Some toilets you supposedly flush yourself with a water bucket but all of the ones i've come across have an auto flush. That being said, western toilets do exist in hotels (my room has one) and in workplaces too for some variety I guess (my office has one two). Note, most asian western toilets have dual flush for water conservation. The dual flush feature is standard in Asia unlike in North America where politicians still don't take action on getting this feature standardized. That's it for potty talk for now though.

A very smart idea I've seen in China is having a shared sink and a mirror between the male and female washrooms. This saves constructing two sets of everything for both washrooms which is a pretty smart idea I think. The only downside is a lack of privacy if you want to put on makeup, wash your hands and etc. Since privacy isn't a huge concern for Chinese (myself included) this doesn't seem to be a problem as you can look at yourself all you want in the public mirror as long as you don't get too self conscious. Also, this sink is past the washroom doors so your hands are are cleaner when you leave the washroom. This is different from western washrooms where of course you wash your hands in your male/female section then get them dirty again by opening that pesky washroom door. Here, you open up the door before you wash your hands!

Dude, don't touch my fruit

2008-06-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

One thing I've liked greatly about Chinese people are that they are very open and upfront about their curiosities. I first noticed this when going places with my colleagues that if you are interesting to look at, people will look at you and, when I say look, I really mean Stare! When I would enter a restaurant, some people would begin to stare, others while others continue eating their food. However, when I start speaking English, then heads start to pop up and eyes swivel my way. This happens in the train and just about everywhere I go. Its great for kicks as you sort of become a mini-celebrity! Now by staring, I don't mean it in a rude way, people won't grimace, point or scowl, they will just politely stare at you in an interested way. If this happens, be flattered! This may happen more where I am in Tianjin and there are not many foreigners compared with Beijing or Shanghai. In Beijing, I didn't notice this happening quite as much.

I notice that the locals like to stare at me more than other foreigners and I think I have an inkling about why judging from the questions they ask my colleagues. (Note: Some people will talk to you or your Chinese counterpart and ask about you which shows that they are interested in you and not staring at an animal at the zoo). The common questions are "Where is he from?" or "What minority group is he?". The staring may be greater for me as locals are not sure if I am a foreigner or one of the minority groups in China. There are some minority groups along the Russian border who are mixed just like me, hence it is a good guess that Chinese guess that I am from that area (Hopefully you can add some more information on these minority groups Michael!). Seems like I'm just a walking Rubik's cube that the locals try to solve by staring!

Now onto the experience for the title of this article. I bought some fruit from Tesco's just the other day and was standing in the checkout line.

Sidenote:
[The fruit I bought is a Chinese delicacy called Mangosteen and is seen in the picture to the right (Image credit:http://www.foodsubs.com/ Fruittroex.html). To eat this fruit, you squeeze the hard other shell until it cracks and you pull it away to reveal a fruit inside that looks like soft garlic and is the sweetest thing you've ever tasted in your life!]

Two 20something men behind me started to stare not at me for a change but at the fruit I had in a bag and had placed on the checkout counter. I was surprised when the staring evolved to them actually starting to poke my fruit, talk about it and pull the bag closer to them so that they could look at the price tag. I didn't mind it really, I just found the "touching" experience interesting. Fortunately, I was not buying any underwear or other personal items for them to start poking and picking up as well!

Also, thought this may not apply to China, if someone wants to get by you, they will usually provide you with a gentle nudge with their hand or shoulder. If this happens don't take it as rude, you're just in the way! This happens to me all the time at work, at the grocery store and many other places. The upside is, you can do it too as I have discovered and nobody seems to mind. This works for me as it is far easier for me to give someone a gentle nudge out of the way than to try and ask them politely in Chinese and answer and risk facing any questions they may decide to ask of me!

Blue Sky?

2008-06-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Yea that's right! Whenever the western news presents an article on China, it never fails to mention insane amounts of pollution that essentially block out the sky. Inevitably, this makes China seem like a perpetually grey-skied verson of mordor.

Conversely, from my experiences I realize that the pollution (At least in my area) is not as bad as the media tries to depict in its smear attempts against China. As seen in the picture to the left, China too can enjoy the beauty of blue skies. The photos was taken at the large monument right outside of my hotel. This blue sky persisted for about 5 days. Other than that, China is a bit cloudy but this is not only because of pollution. In China, clouds and water vapour exists too (The BBC will be shocked to discover this!) which is also grey and can be mistaken for pollution.

Specifically, on the note of pollution, China is definitely trying to make a difference. New, present news and research articles are starting to emerge which describe Chinese municipalities instituteenvironmental measures so strict that whole coal power plants have to be shut down. Also, some very environmentally concerned industries are packing up to go an pollute Vietnam. These role model industries are just so concerned with environmental quality that they are moving to places with even lower pollution standards than the new China so they can continue with their profit and pollution making ways.

Now, I'm not saying that China doesn't have pollution problems, of course it does. But, so does Canada in industrial areas the United States and Europe as well. Maybe if these places had populations as large as China the pollution would be at the same level or even worse. Just remember, if you're trying to compare pollution between China and other developed nations, it is not a fair comparison due to historical, demographic and sheer population factors. Just try and get the inside story, China is a lot better than seen from the outside. Not only that, but China is moving forward thanks to the Olympics and government efforts. Auto, Industry and other emmission standards are improving to gradually bring China forward into a new era.

Big Bad BBC

2008-06-18T18:18:00.001-07:00

While writing my last entry I came across and article in the BBC that I find grossly misconstrues the state of China's media reporting. The original article may be found here. Essentially, this article is smearing the Chinese Government with a claim that it censors everything the media has to say. An article such as this is obviously meant to lead the reader to believe that as a result, nothing bad is said about China. I'd like to say that I find this article to be insulting to the quality of the Chinese media and also overtly biased. In fact, I've been browsing Chinese news websites for the past few days which openly report on the problems that led up to the quake or the aftermath. I read open reports from the Chinese media which acknowledged that building contractors were to blame for faulty construction and that corrupt officials which embezzled some money were found and punished. I also read a balanced report on how some party officials were caught embezzling relief money. This money was recovered fortunately and the officials suitably punished. I found an up to date example of such reporting here. Note: If China was anything like BBC claims it to be, any mention of quake relief embezzlement would not be mentioned because stuff like that is obviously not good for government appeal. Note as well, this is on CCTV, the news body that BBC claims to be so censored.

In short, I find the BBC to be a tad unreliable for honest information about China. This is because from its articles, I do not see much evidence of on the ground reporting on events such as the bag ban. I'm surprised that I can repudiate some of the claims of the BBC from just reading the Internet and Chinese newspapers which is the real groundwork required to write an article about China. I sincerely hope that the BBC, which I have loyally accepted as my source of news for at least five years now, reforms its way to become far more balanced and fair to the Chinese people, media and government.

Plastic Purgery – The true story of the ban on plastic bags

2008-06-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

On June 1st, 2008, China made history by banning plastic bags. Considering Ontario hasn't even done so yet, I think that one of the world's largest countries banning the near ubiquitous symbol of western consumerism – the plastic bag - to be an incredible impressive feat.

However, what many sources of western media fail to portray is the on-the-ground implications of the ban. Many sources I've seen make it seem like an all out ban on plastic bags. It is important to note that the BBC frequently takes an anti-China stance, which I'm not particularly fond of. This is far too draconian and it definitely is not the case. There are still plastic bags, but now they are thicker and you MUST pay for them when you buy something. Also, the ban seems to have affected grocery stores first but it does not apply to everything just yet. Note, these observations are made with reference to my travels with friends in China and my own visits to the Tesco's grocery store near to my hotel.

Here is how I see the ban actually working: Grocery stores are no longer allowed to hand out the free ultrathin bags with customer's purchases. At Tesco, thicker plastic bags must now be purchased from the teller which is a HUGE disincentive. I saw this in action with a man in the line in front of me. Like many people must be who either cannot read or do not have access to the new, he had no idea of the ban. He looked very surprised when the teller informed him that he must pay extra for the bag. He opted not to and instead, wrapped his arms around the crateloads of goods he had just bought. There we go, I saw first hand that the ban works! I just hope that the rest of the world can follow suite soon!

If there is a debate about affecting the plastic bag industries (Most of which are in China anyway) guess what – though some ran into difficulties some could adapt to the change and instead moved to making thicker plastic reuseable bags or focused on producing the cloth bags.

However, its not like ultrathin plastic bags have disappeared completely from China. Some places like a shoe store I went to or a street vegetable market I had the chance to visit still use the bag. In the shoe store, I was handed a bag when I bought a pair of shoes, and did not possess enough Chinese to inform the teller that I did not need it! Oh well.. Also, when I was in Beijing, I was with a friend as she bought eggs from the street vendor. The man informed her that bags were banned and was trying to convince her to carry her dozen eggs in her hand. However, due to the difficulty of this, she unfortunately opted to buy a bag instead which was charged extra. From this we see that the bag ban does not appear to apply to every single retail operation just yet (Such as that shoe store) but even street vendors are rallying behind the ban as well!

In the stores I visit, I see frequent advertisements for the newest cloth reusable bags. Thus, the ban doesn’t cripple retail, it offers new room to grow creatively and offer new options. I also see the bags becoming a fashion statement with girls carrying purse style bags emblazoned with the word “I'm not a plastic bag” or an occasional Chinglish one with the obvious mistake “I'm a plastic bag”.

I find this ban to be a microcosmical example of the versatility of the Chinese people. Whatever happens, retail and people find a way to adapt to the change, and live harmoniously in the new way. This is so different from the bull headed stubborn resistance to change I've so often encountered in my environmental pursuits back home!

**Update**
I'm proud to say that companies in China are taking the lead in reuseable bags. The company I work at PPG, recently created this bag which I helped hand out to employees. Though I can't read the Chinese (hopefully one of the readers can help me!) this bag was created to ensure that employees are well equipped to "survive" post plastic bag ban! I was given one myself which I enjoyed using at my local Tesco's! It certainly seems like innovation is around every corner everywhere in China.

***Update***
My colleague has just informed me that the bag reads "To lead the green age with innovation, and to support China in energy saving and emission reduction". That makes sense to me!

Trees in Revolution

2008-06-18T03:23:00.000-07:00

That's right, China is planting a nationwide army of trees in preparation not only for the Olympic games but a changing environment. I first came across this climate change combat force on my drive from the Beijing airport to TEDA (Technological Development Area). There were 5 meter wide bands of newly planted trees on either side of the highways as seen in the photo. I soon learned that these were all planted in a grand scheme initiated by the central government. Contrary to so many countries, China has gone far beyond empty talks by putting its shovels, workers and enthusiasm where its mouth is. On my two and a half hour drive from the airport, the highway was lined the WHOLE way by these trees. These were not the only trees to be seen as beyond the highway, forests stood waving in the breeze, undisturbed by the farms and industries nearby.

In my travels from TEDA to Tianjin, I see these swathes of newly planted trees in various stages of development. Be it new, mature or just getting there. I frequently see workers clad in army fatigues planting new trees, watering established ones or conducting maintenance. From what I've seen, these trees are not plonked into the middle of nowhere, they are cared for even better than the ones in some Canadian backyards!

This project does not extend only to national highways, I see such tree planting schemes all around me as I walk to work in TEDA and travel in Tianjin. Old concrete sidings, barren sidewalk and old walls are blasted away to make way for the vibrant, new green development of China. Tianjin and TEDA are both very green cities, teeming with more boulevards than I can count. There are wide canals in Tianjin and green parks in the most unexpected places. From what I've seen, there is a great diversity of wildlife. At the plant I work at, swallows frequently fly low over just about everything. Bugs buzz through the air and I see the occasional exotic looking bird diving into the lush green turf which is ubiquitous in TEDA.

Introduction

2008-06-18T03:16:00.000-07:00

Enter the Dragon – Cheesy title, real implications

China – does anyone really understand it completely? I had the opportunity to come to China in the summer of 2008 as an Environmental Health and Safety Intern at the PPG Tianjin facility. Despite my half-Chinese background, my knowledge of China was extremely limited and essentially composed of a mishmash of biased media presentations, angry derisions from classmates at my university and the disrespectful pot-shots from westerners who believe they know everything about this great, mysterious land. However, nothing could have prepared me for the real China. Upon arrival, my expectations were exceeded, ideas changed and admiration heightened. In this blog, I hope to paint you a picture of a real experience of China, without all of those condescending biases which seem to be so often applied. I just want to say it outright that I adore China, and hopefully you’re interested in finding out why this is the case.

As for the title of the blog, I came to China with an environmentalist’s background. I am currently studying Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston. As you might have guessed, my education and surroundings often convey the idea that corporations are large and evil polluters, and that China is a scourge upon the world’s environment. Those certainly are strong and overtly biased lessons, but they seem to be stamped in many people’s minds over in the west. Conversely, as a green leaf blowing in the great winds of China’s change, I am more than pleased with the progress over here! I believe that China is taking great strides to improve its ecological footprint and is quickly becoming a world leader of environmental conservation. In this blog, I hope to communicate my daily experiences and powerful moments which have helped convince me that this is the case. I hope that this blog can stimulate debate, change minds and open eyes to the place I’m now experiencing. There certainly is a smokescreen up around China. I’m not sure why it is there, but I certainly hope that this blog will change things. Hopefully, my experiences will help cast off the shadowy veil of groundless, negative opinions that so many have used over time to blanket China. Hopefully, this blog can be a step towards more mutual East - West cooperation and understanding.