When Panic Sets In......

There are hardly two weeks left in this country, and naturally I have started panicking. NOT ENOUGH TIME! TOO MANY THINGS TO DO! It seems only a fool would waste his precious remaining time on sleep. This past week and weekend has been a flurry of dim sum, Chinese flashcards, shopping, canyons, soy milk, and waterfalls. I have also noticed even though my Chinese is far from ideal, I sometimes have urges to blurt out Chinese phrases here and there whenever I am conversing in Korean or English with my family or friends. It is a miracle! Never thought I could become so familiar with the Chinese language to even unwittingly mutter to myself in Chinese. But enough with the language! Let me share few things that have immensely impressed me these past few weeks.

Crocs: You see them everywhere.Selling them on the street side. Wearing them to class, to mountains, and to movies. I admit I am no particular fan of this type of shoes, but the Chinese disagrees with my preferences. When I asked one of our teachers why so many wear Cros so often, she told me it is because not only are they reasonably priced but also they are very comfortable. PRACTICALITY! The Chinese seems to value practicality. In comparison to such way of thinking, I am not sure if I will be able to get used to the Korean’s way of doing things after this program: Wearing high heels and makeup just to push a cart around at a supermarket.

Fashion: Chinese girls love ruffles and frills. They also love lace. Chinese boys love basketball and soccer jerseys. It is a rare day for me not to encounter one guy wearing a Brazilian or Argentinean soccer jersey on the street. Everyone loves shirts with endearingly cute designs featuring monkeys or rabbits! Or even better, those that bear nonsensical English phrases that often have conspicuous grammar mistakes. One cannot deny the Chinese has its own unique style of clothing. However, my language partner surprisingly seemed offended when I expressed such thoughts. She quickly retorted in Beijing, the style of clothing is similar to that of any other metropolitan city in the world. I dared not pursue the matter further, and I have yet to figure out why this is such a sensitive subject.

Digestion: Speaking of my language partner’s dissatisfaction, she has lightly reprimanded me when I told her I like to watch or read something while eating. I muttered that my mother says the same exact thing because it is such an unsociable habit. But, my language partner told me that more importantly, such habit is bad for digestion of the food. If I read while I eat, then the blood from my head will not be as clean as it should be, and the circulation will also be disrupted. Or something like that. I can never be too sure when discussing difficult subjects in Chinese. I found such logic to be somewhat doubtful, but it is a given that Chinese are much healthier than Americans. So, in the present, I am attempting to drop this habit.

Motorcycles: One sees carts. One sees bikes. One sees cars. In fact, the Chinese owns some of the best cars I have seen in my life. But the motorcycles one sees on the street are of the old. The styles of these motorcycles are those of about ten years ago. This is because motorcycles are still considered a mark of “laborers.” At least Chinese parents have one less worry: their children will not die riding motorcycles recklessly on the streets of Beijing.

Tuition: On average, a year of tuition at a Chinese college is 5,000 RMB (about $735 U.S. dollars). WHAT?! Thank god my mother does not know of this, otherwise she would begrudge me “the American education” she unselfishly provides for me.

Boy and Girl: In China, the stick figures for a boy and a girl are on the left. In America, the stick figures for a boy and a girl are on the right. I was so awestruck when one of the teachers drew this on the board to explain a term for “a husband and a wife.” Does anyone notice the Chinese girl has horns? They could be chopsticks though.

Two nights ago, I got my first good solid night of eight-hour-sleep in awhile. But, I find it increasingly difficult to foresee such indulgence happening before I leave China. If only I could buy time . . . . .

Those Little Things.....

Every time I go for a run whether it is 5am or 8am in the morning, or 5pm or 8pm at night, I often come across my “running partner” – the title I have fondly given to this peculiar man. He is bent over with age, and “runs” with a heavy limp on the innermost lane of the track. After few encounters, we have become somewhat familiar with each other. He never fails to give me a toothy grin and a thumbs-up upon every encounter. When I first laid my eyes on him, I quietly realized the sight of him on the track will be one of those silent pictures in your mind that never would be forgotten.

I understood Chinese is very conscientious about exercising. In fact, exercising is a social activity. There are many laughs, shouts, and conversations to be heard all around me as I run alone. Exercise facilities such as the track, outdoor weight room, dance studio, and basketball, tennis, and badminton courts are a singular world of its own that I fail to stop marveling in. Grandmothers take young children and dogs to the track to walk around. Some rollerblade on the track. There’s always a huge crowd on the basketball court with girls cheering from the side. Sometimes on the bleachers, sometimes on the soccer field, there are few that practice taiji. Few dance on the badminton court. At night, there are lovers on the grass.

I also notice that Chinese have a different way of stretching. I faithfully adhere to the stretch routine that was taught to me during my brief high school varsity soccer career: lean on your left leg, lean on your right, stretch your calves, do the butterfly, etc. After few minutes of observation, it dawned on me that the stretch routine the Chinese follows is very similar to the one I was taught when in Korean elementary school! Roll right ankle. Roll left ankle. Gyrate your hips. Roll your head. Make little circles with your arms, etc.

Aside from people of all ages exercising, it would be of much interest to many Americans that on the highest floor of a Chinese mall, there is a matchmaker shop. In that shop, a picture of a 22-year old girl could be seen in desperate hopes for a suitable husband. Only twenty-two! At that age, thoughts of marriage would still be light years away for me, especially since I plan to go on to graduate school. Apparently, there is much pressure for Chinese girls to get married early. Of course as the Chinese society receives more and more Western culture influence, nagging from parents becomes gradually subdues. Nonetheless, there are still some who regard women with Ph.D’s with much skepticism and disbelief. They often ask college females students what they are doing in school and remain unmarried. Also, according to my language partner, the Chinese consider dating in high school simply foolish. Too early, they say. The kids are not mature enough to appreciate being involved in such relationships. Of course, I could not help but notice there are very few years between high school graduation and the ideal age of twenty-four for marriage.

Another discovery that amazes me partly because it again contradicted my first-held belief that the Chinese culture and habits would not be too foreign since I lived my childhood in Korea, another East Asian country: When Chinese have guests over, they would rather overwhelm the guest with so-so food rather than enough of the best quality food. It’s all about “the face.” The bigger the quantity of food to present to the guest, the bigger your “face” is. Also, it is highly rude if you clean your plate in front of your Chinese hosts. The ability to finish the food provided for you implies that the hosts did not treat you properly by not providing enough food. Thus, they lose “face.” The concept of “face” is not altogether strange to me due to my Korean roots and common human dignity. But, it is still a curious aspect of the Chinese society.

Did you know that with more traditionally inclined Chinese, one cannot stop eating until the guest of honor stops eating? May the future company at (Chinese) dinner table never have the misfortune of having me in the seat of honor for I am a very slow eater.

Xi'an

. . . and there were trains. Before I divulge the past weekend spent in the hometown of Timmy Wangy’s mother and Jimbo, I must share what it is like to travel on a train in China – simply marvelous. At least for me. For those of us Yalies who live in D.C. metropolitan area, the best way to travel is by train, especially since New Haven has only one small airport. Needless to say, I often ride the train in America, and more often than my mother would like, I travel during the night desperately fighting off sleep. When I heard the overnight train ride to Xi’an from Beijing will be approximately twelve hours long, I could not help but panic a little (D.C. to New Haven takes about five and a half hours). Of course, the expected mass of people crowding about the biggest (surprisingly modern like an airport) train station I have been to did not help quell my concerns. But, when I laid my eyes on the “soft bunks” that the school has booked for us, my doubts about “beds” on train melted away. They are indeed beds on train in a cozy and pleasant “room.” The beds are bunk beds, and there are four of them in each “room” complete with curtains and a flower! The beds were so comfortable that I vastly prefer to take these trains than planes when traveling. No wonder why train is the main mode of long distance transportation in China! Even though the trains do not provide a complimentary so-so meal, they make up what they lack with their level of comfort.

In Xi’an, the city of 3100 years of history, I had the opportunity to see the eighth Wonder of the World – Terracotta Warriors – as well as the Mausoleum of Han Yang Ling princess and Wild Goose Pagoda. From these alone, a foreigner without much knowledge of Chinese history like me can get a grasp of how long and dense the history must be. Upon reflection, America surely seems like an infant who has yet to learn how to stand in comparison to China.

I have also the chance to visit the Great Mosque of Xi’an, which has long been a symbol of rich diversity of population inhabiting within the country. It was definitely interesting to see this mosque, especially since I was in Turkey right before coming to China. Therefore, it would not come as a surprise to the reader when I sighed, “Not another mosque!” But, I found myself very intrigued for this mosque was peculiar in that much of Arabic was written in Chinese style, and has kept much of Chinese royal building architecture.

The highlight of my stay in Xi’an? Riding bicycle on the City Wall (reconstructed in 1370)! Too long have I stayed in China without riding a bicycle – for many of Chinese still, a symbol of individual freedom! My only regret: I will have neither the resources nor the guts to ride a bicycle on the hazardous streets of Beijing like a native.

Where’s My Summer Palace?

Yesterday saw me at “recreational” places that the rich and powerful Chinese frequented in the past: Old Summer Palace and Summer Palace. These places I learned were of equal importance to the royal Chinese as the Forbidden City. Forbidden City may have been where all the formal ceremonies took place, but much governing took place at these summer abodes of the emperors and empresses.

Old Summer Palace: It was known for its extensive and diverse collection of gardens and architecture ranging from traditional Chinese style to that of Tibetan that mirrored the equally diverse population of the Chinese society during Qing Dynasty. Therefore, I was extremely disappointed to see that all that remains are few small

gardens, lakes full of lotus flowers, and European styled buildings in ruins. These ruins were so puzzling to me, because I felt I was no longer in China. I felt cheated out of another opportunity to witness Chinese buildings meticulously constructed with great care and innovation. It was only later on that I learned Old Summer Palace has been destroyed more than once by foreign forces, and to this day, its destruction remains an extremely sensitive subject for the Chinese.

Summer Palace: One would not believe that this entire “Palace” is

man-made from the 60-meter-hill to a lake, which covers three fourths of its great expanse. Temple of Buddhist Virtue was of

course revealed to be another breath-taking sight of a huge Buddha statue only after climbing long and steep flights of stairs (What is up with so many inclines to climb here in China? No wonder the elderly regularly exercise! Also, why are the floors, steps, and just about everything that we walk on so slippery? I found myself way too many times on my butt). Of course, to top another sweltering day of seven hours of tourism, I saw a boat made entirely of marble and rode on a boat fashioned after a dragon.

But, to be honest, I found my evening excursion with a fellow classmate to a public park more interesting. Already dark, we feared the park may be already empty. But, surprisingly, the park even in dark, was alive with quiet murmurs of lovers sitting on benches, friendly conversations of the elderly, unabashed snores of middle-aged men half-naked on benches, and heavy breathing of young men on their jogs. One elderly man was kind enough to talk to us about this “recreational place” for present-day Chinese. Early in the morning, many come to the park to practice their taijiquan and walk their caged birds. Later on in the afternoon, many come to play badminton. Towards dusk, many women come to dance (such as disco!) in unison. Many others come to the park to escape the heat, chat with their friends, and play chess. When night falls, the park becomes a cozy nest for lovers. Back at home, there are three parks near my house. I believe I have frequented these parks less than five times per year. I have always thought parks were where people went to occasionally play tennis and soccer, bum around, and smoke few joints. We, Americans, can definitely learn from Chinese about how to make best use of such public space.

Since coming to China, I’ve eaten McDonalds’s twice, which is two more times than I would have liked. Here in China, it is considered trendy to eat McDonald’s and KFC, unlike in America where it is considered a taboo to eat a Big Mac due to countless concerns the industry raised: health, animal treatment, environment, etc.

Also, especially younger generation of Chinese loves eating bread. At first, I believed Chinese diet consisted mainly of rice, noodle, and dumplings. Surprisingly, from what I hear from my language partner, many cannot go a day without eating some kind of bread. Of course, I cannot understand why one cannot since rice, noodle, and dumplings here are of heavenly taste.