This weekend came and went SO quickly! We didn't really do much. Saturday evening we went to a BBQ at a friend's home. Yummy burgers and veggies, and interesting conversation. Some of it was quite heavy, discussing the political situations in America and South Africa. But interesting nonetheless!
My little sister turned 22 over the weekend. Happy birthday, Bec!
Other news? Our tickets are bought, and the hostel is reserved; Beijing, here we come! Now we just have a little over a week to teach and wait. I suppose we can do that.
The weather is becoming much nicer. It's cooler, with a nice breeze. I can wear jeans now without being TOO uncomfortably hot. I'm hoping I can even wear a fleece in Beijing, since it's quite a bit north of here. I think I'm getting into that fall/winter holiday funk I fall into each year. I've got a craving for Woodland Mall. I love walking around the mall by myself around this time of year. I got into the habit when Matthew and I worked different schedules and only had one car. If I didn't feel like sitting at home for the evening, he would drop me off there. I would try on the pretty dresses at JC Penney, see a movie at Cinemark, walk laps around the mall, sit down with a new magazine and a salad from that yummy salad place. It was my "thing". It's so odd; I'm not missing THINGS so much now... it's more that I'm missing experiences. We won't be making our annual trip to Frankenmuth with Matthew's parents this October. We won't go apple picking together... we won't go to Battle Creek when it snows. I could get stuck on this, but...
Who knows what we WILL do! What is Fuyang like in the fall? The winter? What will people wear? Eat? Do? Will it snow? Sometimes it does. Last winter it didn't at all; but the winter before, there was a big snow. The whole city was at a stand-still. I would LOVE that! Michigan is trained. If the clouds dump on us, we push it out of the way and keep going. I would love for the world around me to actually pause; for people to look at the snow and go "Aw, crap. I guess we'll just wait." Here's to hoping!
This week not much is on the agenda. We are going to dinner with the Fuyangren (fuyang people)tonight for Larissa's birthday. I'm sure it will be a good time!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Construction, Construction, Everywhere!
Fuyang is growing... very quickly. The main road between Hangzhou and Fuyang has been torn up since we arrived, but now it's really bad. Even busses are finding ways around it.
Our apartment has overlooked new construction the whole time, too. There are buildings upon buildings of beautiful new apartments being constructed. We are pretty much on the outer edge of the "city" of Fuyang, so there were fields and such there before. Now, there are buildings. We've watched new solar water heaters being installed on the roofs (I have a desire to type ROOVES!), landscaping being planted, new guard shacks and gates being put in. It really is amazing to see. They are also building a road right next to our building that gives us a direct route to the Da Run Fa, our salvation/supermarket. We won't need to walk down the creepy-yet-endearing alley road anymore! I think the road should be finished in a month or so. That gives us three months of good use out of it.
There are also plans in progress for a train from Hangzhou to Fuyang. Oh, my, GOSH. I would LOVE to be here when that was here! Hangzhou is so close... a 45 minute drive by private car. But taking a hot, bumpy, smelly public bus takes `1 1/2 hours (sometimes 2!) and it makes it frustrating. Hop on a train and be there in 20 minutes? Wow. We'd blow ALL our money at the movie theater and Carrefour!
It's wierd. The friends we've made here all have different goals and plans for their lives. Some plan on staying in Fuyang forever. Some plan on traveling through China and living in different places. None of them have a date set to return home besides us. It definitely makes me feel a little out of place. We've had this wonderful experience, but it's very likely that once we leave in January, we will never see Fuyang again. We won't see the city grow. We won't see the new schools being built, or the train coming in.
Fuyang is a silly, wierd little city. We've had our share of frustrations... but it's home. Sure, maybe not as "home" as Grand Rapids, but I feel a connection with this city. I couldn't ever be one of those people who will stay here forever. I miss blue sky. I miss family. I miss Target. I miss Michigan weather. The list goes on. But what will I be saying in a year? "I miss Fuyang. I miss the Music House. I miss my friends. I miss the smell of BBQ on the street. I miss the Chinese songs I love so much".
Yeah, this post is a little bittersweet. But hey, sometimes you need that. Today is 9/15. On 1/20, our contract ends. That means, that in a week, the countdown will be "three months and some-odd-days". Jeesh.
Our apartment has overlooked new construction the whole time, too. There are buildings upon buildings of beautiful new apartments being constructed. We are pretty much on the outer edge of the "city" of Fuyang, so there were fields and such there before. Now, there are buildings. We've watched new solar water heaters being installed on the roofs (I have a desire to type ROOVES!), landscaping being planted, new guard shacks and gates being put in. It really is amazing to see. They are also building a road right next to our building that gives us a direct route to the Da Run Fa, our salvation/supermarket. We won't need to walk down the creepy-yet-endearing alley road anymore! I think the road should be finished in a month or so. That gives us three months of good use out of it.
There are also plans in progress for a train from Hangzhou to Fuyang. Oh, my, GOSH. I would LOVE to be here when that was here! Hangzhou is so close... a 45 minute drive by private car. But taking a hot, bumpy, smelly public bus takes `1 1/2 hours (sometimes 2!) and it makes it frustrating. Hop on a train and be there in 20 minutes? Wow. We'd blow ALL our money at the movie theater and Carrefour!
It's wierd. The friends we've made here all have different goals and plans for their lives. Some plan on staying in Fuyang forever. Some plan on traveling through China and living in different places. None of them have a date set to return home besides us. It definitely makes me feel a little out of place. We've had this wonderful experience, but it's very likely that once we leave in January, we will never see Fuyang again. We won't see the city grow. We won't see the new schools being built, or the train coming in.
Fuyang is a silly, wierd little city. We've had our share of frustrations... but it's home. Sure, maybe not as "home" as Grand Rapids, but I feel a connection with this city. I couldn't ever be one of those people who will stay here forever. I miss blue sky. I miss family. I miss Target. I miss Michigan weather. The list goes on. But what will I be saying in a year? "I miss Fuyang. I miss the Music House. I miss my friends. I miss the smell of BBQ on the street. I miss the Chinese songs I love so much".
Yeah, this post is a little bittersweet. But hey, sometimes you need that. Today is 9/15. On 1/20, our contract ends. That means, that in a week, the countdown will be "three months and some-odd-days". Jeesh.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Beijing, anyone?
Does anyone read this anymore? I think we may have killed the blog by being blocked for so long. But hey, what can ya do?
We might be traveling to Beijing in October! We're trying to get the trip figured out (which mainly means, how can we do it dirt cheap?). We'd be going with our two good friends here, Jarvis and Larissa. A couples' trip to Beijing definitely sounds like fun to me. We'd take an overnight sleeper train round trip, and stay in hostels in the city. Visit all the tourist traps... the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, all that. Oh, and definitely eat us some Peking duck! We'll see. It's in the beginning stages. And traveling during the October holiday (Oct 1-7th) is a NIGHTMARE in China. Pretty much everyone gets the week off. That's a lot of people. So streets, trains, taxis, planes, busses... they are all packed (even more than Chinese stuff usually is). It'd be an experience, huh?
In other news, we recieved a care package today from family. I've never been so happy to see dryer sheets, deoderant, american gum, and KRAFT MAC & CHEESE!
Yeah, we've already torn into our Razzles. Thank you, McDonalds and Shaheens. You've sent smiles all the way across the world :)
We might be traveling to Beijing in October! We're trying to get the trip figured out (which mainly means, how can we do it dirt cheap?). We'd be going with our two good friends here, Jarvis and Larissa. A couples' trip to Beijing definitely sounds like fun to me. We'd take an overnight sleeper train round trip, and stay in hostels in the city. Visit all the tourist traps... the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, all that. Oh, and definitely eat us some Peking duck! We'll see. It's in the beginning stages. And traveling during the October holiday (Oct 1-7th) is a NIGHTMARE in China. Pretty much everyone gets the week off. That's a lot of people. So streets, trains, taxis, planes, busses... they are all packed (even more than Chinese stuff usually is). It'd be an experience, huh?
In other news, we recieved a care package today from family. I've never been so happy to see dryer sheets, deoderant, american gum, and KRAFT MAC & CHEESE!
Yeah, we've already torn into our Razzles. Thank you, McDonalds and Shaheens. You've sent smiles all the way across the world :)
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Things I Love about China
So... I seem to rant a lot about what I DON'T like about China... either here, or in emails. Really, I do love it! So I'm taking today's post to think on the things that I love about this great country.
1. The people are so friendly.
-People in the U.S. are rude. Really - if you bump into someone at home, you get a dirty look. Here, sometimes they don't even turn around. Also, people are so accomodating. We don't speak the language, but they are patient and kind with us.
2. The food is amazing.
-I'm not talking about our cafeteria stuff. I'm talking restaurant food. Or, better yet, HOMEMADE Chinese food. The couple here that own the Music House had several of us over for dinner one night. The food was honestly some of the best food I've had in China. Vegetables here are amazing. I even like tofu here!
3. Friends.
-We've made some great friends here, both Chinese and foreign. It's amazing to be in a place where there's such a melting pot of people to spend time with. Chinese, American, English, South African, Canadian, German, Phillipino, Czech, Korean, among others. It certainly makes evenings interesting!
4. The language.
-Honestly, I still only know enough words to fill up my fingers (and maybe toes... if I stretched). So... I don't SPEAK the language, but I love listening to it! I had stereotypes about what Chinese sounded like. When you are surrounded by it day in and day out though, you realize it really is a beautiful language. If it's spoken softly, it's very melodic and flowy. Of course, any language turns ugly if it's spoken harshly or loudly (which many do here).
5. Our apartment.
-It's tiny. Probably about the same size as our studio was in Kentwood; but it's home. The water heater always work, the stove works, we don't have bugs, there's not much noise... and it's just so darn cozy. I was surprised by how much I was looking forward to being back in my "home" towards the end of our vacation.
6. The nature.
-There isn't much in Fuyang, besides a few really pretty parks. Once you drive out, though, the hills and mountains are stunning.
7. Hangzhou.
-I've fallen in love with this city. There is SO much history here. The West Lake is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen when the lotus flowers are blooming. There is beautiful stone work, willows around the lake, flowers, bamboo, Chinese architecture...*sigh of contentment*. Plus, I love the shopping, the movie theater, the restaurants, the bamboo forests. No wonder it's often considered one of the most beautiful cities in China.
8. I love myself... here.
-I'm freer here. I don't have to plan ahead, don't have to stress about school and work. I'm able to kick back and relax. Matthew and I can spend more time together. I can spend time with friends, or with the girls. I'm healthier... despite the ever-present cloud of smog. I'm more confident, which tends to happen when you become used to people watching every move you make. I'm realizing that life is so much more than growing old, working, having a home. I'm free to dream here.
9. I've gained a strong respect for the Asian culture.
-Yes, China is crowded. It's got a funky government, crazy cities... but somehow it works. They make jobs for their masses. All of the stores are ridiculously overstaffed, with a person in almost every isle just waiting to asist you. At McDonalds, people wait in the corner to come clear off your tray when you leave. The "lawnmowers" at our school are 7 middle-aged women who go out on the field with a stool to sit on and a basket for the grass. They pick at the grass all morning long. Sounds ridiculous; "just buy a mower", you might think. But then what would those 7 people do for a living? There isn't such an emphasis on "cutting corners". People need to work, so why not create the jobs? People can actually make a living off of a tiny storefront selling only ice cream bars, or a little cart selling ramen noodles and veggies to mix in. People adore their families. They see the importance of activity; every night parks are filled with free dance lessons. Every morning, people gather for Tai Chi. Public transport is amazing. You can pretty much go anywhere in the country you want by bus or train. Taxis are cheap. The list could go on and on!
10. The children are amazing.
-I LOVE teaching these kids. I don't always love TEACHING, because the content I'm giving is sometimes lacking; but I love the kids. They are so happy and bright. They are curious and (for the most part) well behaved. They are content to run around outside during their break time, or to play rock-paper-scissors. They don't seem to be consumed by TV, video games (although they do love them!), barbies, etc. They love exercise; they like aerobics and dancing.
So there it is... 10 things I love about China.
Matthew and I have both finished our classes for the day. We're sticking around awhile to do some internet stuff, then going home. One of two things is gonna happen tonight... either Matthew will go to Boy's Poker Night, or we're going to hang out with the neighbors. Nothing too crazy for us... we're feeling so tired and lazy this week!
1. The people are so friendly.
-People in the U.S. are rude. Really - if you bump into someone at home, you get a dirty look. Here, sometimes they don't even turn around. Also, people are so accomodating. We don't speak the language, but they are patient and kind with us.
2. The food is amazing.
-I'm not talking about our cafeteria stuff. I'm talking restaurant food. Or, better yet, HOMEMADE Chinese food. The couple here that own the Music House had several of us over for dinner one night. The food was honestly some of the best food I've had in China. Vegetables here are amazing. I even like tofu here!
3. Friends.
-We've made some great friends here, both Chinese and foreign. It's amazing to be in a place where there's such a melting pot of people to spend time with. Chinese, American, English, South African, Canadian, German, Phillipino, Czech, Korean, among others. It certainly makes evenings interesting!
4. The language.
-Honestly, I still only know enough words to fill up my fingers (and maybe toes... if I stretched). So... I don't SPEAK the language, but I love listening to it! I had stereotypes about what Chinese sounded like. When you are surrounded by it day in and day out though, you realize it really is a beautiful language. If it's spoken softly, it's very melodic and flowy. Of course, any language turns ugly if it's spoken harshly or loudly (which many do here).
5. Our apartment.
-It's tiny. Probably about the same size as our studio was in Kentwood; but it's home. The water heater always work, the stove works, we don't have bugs, there's not much noise... and it's just so darn cozy. I was surprised by how much I was looking forward to being back in my "home" towards the end of our vacation.
6. The nature.
-There isn't much in Fuyang, besides a few really pretty parks. Once you drive out, though, the hills and mountains are stunning.
7. Hangzhou.
-I've fallen in love with this city. There is SO much history here. The West Lake is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen when the lotus flowers are blooming. There is beautiful stone work, willows around the lake, flowers, bamboo, Chinese architecture...*sigh of contentment*. Plus, I love the shopping, the movie theater, the restaurants, the bamboo forests. No wonder it's often considered one of the most beautiful cities in China.
8. I love myself... here.
-I'm freer here. I don't have to plan ahead, don't have to stress about school and work. I'm able to kick back and relax. Matthew and I can spend more time together. I can spend time with friends, or with the girls. I'm healthier... despite the ever-present cloud of smog. I'm more confident, which tends to happen when you become used to people watching every move you make. I'm realizing that life is so much more than growing old, working, having a home. I'm free to dream here.
9. I've gained a strong respect for the Asian culture.
-Yes, China is crowded. It's got a funky government, crazy cities... but somehow it works. They make jobs for their masses. All of the stores are ridiculously overstaffed, with a person in almost every isle just waiting to asist you. At McDonalds, people wait in the corner to come clear off your tray when you leave. The "lawnmowers" at our school are 7 middle-aged women who go out on the field with a stool to sit on and a basket for the grass. They pick at the grass all morning long. Sounds ridiculous; "just buy a mower", you might think. But then what would those 7 people do for a living? There isn't such an emphasis on "cutting corners". People need to work, so why not create the jobs? People can actually make a living off of a tiny storefront selling only ice cream bars, or a little cart selling ramen noodles and veggies to mix in. People adore their families. They see the importance of activity; every night parks are filled with free dance lessons. Every morning, people gather for Tai Chi. Public transport is amazing. You can pretty much go anywhere in the country you want by bus or train. Taxis are cheap. The list could go on and on!
10. The children are amazing.
-I LOVE teaching these kids. I don't always love TEACHING, because the content I'm giving is sometimes lacking; but I love the kids. They are so happy and bright. They are curious and (for the most part) well behaved. They are content to run around outside during their break time, or to play rock-paper-scissors. They don't seem to be consumed by TV, video games (although they do love them!), barbies, etc. They love exercise; they like aerobics and dancing.
So there it is... 10 things I love about China.
Matthew and I have both finished our classes for the day. We're sticking around awhile to do some internet stuff, then going home. One of two things is gonna happen tonight... either Matthew will go to Boy's Poker Night, or we're going to hang out with the neighbors. Nothing too crazy for us... we're feeling so tired and lazy this week!
Monday, August 31, 2009
FINALLY!!!
We can get in through a proxy again... even this site was being blocked at the office. So anyway, we are in. But still can't post pictures. At least we can tell you that we're alive, though! We're in the process of finding an online photo album site that will let us post from China. Most say that we can't from our location.
So... what have we been up to in the past couple months? We finished the summer school, and then sat around for two weeks doing nothing. It was wonderful. After that, we jetted off to Malaysia for two and a half weeks! At the risk of being long winded, I'm going to make a list of highlights.
1. Visited a couple malls in Kuala Lumpur that were 6 stories tall. And HUGE.
2. Felt almost at "home" because of the western comforts. Ate at Burger King. A & W. Outback Steakhouse.
3. Took bus through the mountains. One mountain was so big we had to back down in reverse and try again.
4. Took a boat 3 hours down the river to the entrance of the national park, Taman Negara
5. Spent a couple days in the rainforest. Saw many hugemongous insects, spiders, lizards.
6. Visited the Orang Asli, the native people of the area. Matthew blew a blow dart better than anyone else in our group. That's my hubby!
7. Went "rapid shooting" Which pretty much meant splashing the boat next to us. One grumpy man in front plugged his ears and pouted the whole way.
8. Ate chicken and rice for every meal there.
9. Took a bus to the ferry station for the Perhentian Islands.
10. Took a boat ride to the islands.
11. Sat on the beach for a week and a half doing nothing but sleeping, reading, swimming, and eating. Well, pretty much nothing else.
12. Snorkeled with sea turtles, huge fish, and SHARKS! Well, we snorkeled. They just swam around.
13. Matthew ate stingray, barracuda, and shark. I just ate chicken.
14. Met up with our good friend Larissa from China, and did more sitting, sunning, reading, sleeping. swimming!
15. Took an 8 hour bus ride back to KL. Did more shopping, more eating, more flying.
Now we are home, and school has once again started! It feels wierd to be back... and to know that our time here is over half done. We're settling back in, teaching classes today, and enjoying cooler weather.
More will be written later this week. For now, just know that we are safe, happy, tan, and looking forward to a Chinese autumn!
So... what have we been up to in the past couple months? We finished the summer school, and then sat around for two weeks doing nothing. It was wonderful. After that, we jetted off to Malaysia for two and a half weeks! At the risk of being long winded, I'm going to make a list of highlights.
1. Visited a couple malls in Kuala Lumpur that were 6 stories tall. And HUGE.
2. Felt almost at "home" because of the western comforts. Ate at Burger King. A & W. Outback Steakhouse.
3. Took bus through the mountains. One mountain was so big we had to back down in reverse and try again.
4. Took a boat 3 hours down the river to the entrance of the national park, Taman Negara
5. Spent a couple days in the rainforest. Saw many hugemongous insects, spiders, lizards.
6. Visited the Orang Asli, the native people of the area. Matthew blew a blow dart better than anyone else in our group. That's my hubby!
7. Went "rapid shooting" Which pretty much meant splashing the boat next to us. One grumpy man in front plugged his ears and pouted the whole way.
8. Ate chicken and rice for every meal there.
9. Took a bus to the ferry station for the Perhentian Islands.
10. Took a boat ride to the islands.
11. Sat on the beach for a week and a half doing nothing but sleeping, reading, swimming, and eating. Well, pretty much nothing else.
12. Snorkeled with sea turtles, huge fish, and SHARKS! Well, we snorkeled. They just swam around.
13. Matthew ate stingray, barracuda, and shark. I just ate chicken.
14. Met up with our good friend Larissa from China, and did more sitting, sunning, reading, sleeping. swimming!
15. Took an 8 hour bus ride back to KL. Did more shopping, more eating, more flying.
Now we are home, and school has once again started! It feels wierd to be back... and to know that our time here is over half done. We're settling back in, teaching classes today, and enjoying cooler weather.
More will be written later this week. For now, just know that we are safe, happy, tan, and looking forward to a Chinese autumn!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Summer Plans
Summer is here... we have a month or less left of school. We can't seem to get a "for sure" date from anyone. What we DO know is that we will be teaching a summer English school here at Yongxing. It will be from June 10-25th... no days off. BUT, the good thing is that we will have no morning classes... just afternoon stuff for a couple hours a day. It'll make us a wee bit o'money, and let us get to know some more kids. Why not, eh? Apparently there will also be 4 canadians and an american coming to teach with us. So... the 6 of us already here, plus 5... 11 foreign teachers! Unheard of here. :)
We're learning more about it this afternoon. Beyond that, who knows. We are both procrastinators... we want to see Beijing at some point this summer. We'd also like to go out west, into the more undeveloped, deserty-ness of China. There are lots of trains that go out that way. We'll see... we want to find out when we can go, how much money we'll have, etc. We can also get into most countries around us (Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, the Phillipines, etc) without a visa if we are there 15 days or less... so maybe we'll add another country or two to our "where we've been" map. One thing I do know is that we'll be online much less frequently.
It's been a good week. Not much goin' on... our internet at home is on the fritz. We got to talk to the Matthew's parents on Skype yesterday. That was fabulous! It was great to see familiar faces on the webcam and get to talk to them. Love you guys! I hope more of our family can get some webcams and chat with us!
Anyway, I never thought I'd say this... but there's nothing interesting to report. We're alive, we're a little cooler (the weather's been cooler and rainier this week) and dragging a bit. I think it's just the hot summer blahs. Nothing like a fantastic watermelon to cure that! We bought one yesterday for 5 rmb... can't beat that!
We're learning more about it this afternoon. Beyond that, who knows. We are both procrastinators... we want to see Beijing at some point this summer. We'd also like to go out west, into the more undeveloped, deserty-ness of China. There are lots of trains that go out that way. We'll see... we want to find out when we can go, how much money we'll have, etc. We can also get into most countries around us (Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, the Phillipines, etc) without a visa if we are there 15 days or less... so maybe we'll add another country or two to our "where we've been" map. One thing I do know is that we'll be online much less frequently.
It's been a good week. Not much goin' on... our internet at home is on the fritz. We got to talk to the Matthew's parents on Skype yesterday. That was fabulous! It was great to see familiar faces on the webcam and get to talk to them. Love you guys! I hope more of our family can get some webcams and chat with us!
Anyway, I never thought I'd say this... but there's nothing interesting to report. We're alive, we're a little cooler (the weather's been cooler and rainier this week) and dragging a bit. I think it's just the hot summer blahs. Nothing like a fantastic watermelon to cure that! We bought one yesterday for 5 rmb... can't beat that!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Summer in Zhejiang Province
It's hot. Very hot. Some days it's not so bad, but others are miserable. Luckily, we have great air conditioning in our little apartment/cubbie. At school, though, everything is open. Windows, halls, etc. There are a/c units in the classrooms, but they don't seem to use them... too much power maybe? Sometimes they use the ceiling fans. Mostly, we just sweat through it. The poor students come in pouring sweat, and heaving from gym class outside. How can you expect them to TRULY absorb the intricacies of trick-or-treat and jack-o-lanterns when they are so hot?
Most of my family knows that I do NOT do well in the heat. Actually, I'm doing much better than I thought! Sure, it's hot... but I'm not really having the terrible headaches I had back home. My headaches are mostly gone. Honestly, I think staring at a computer screen 8-10 hours a day was my biggest issue. So the heat doesn't HURT...it's just HOT!
People here deal with the heat in a few different ways. One is naps. The school schedule changed once summer started, and now we have a 2 hour gap for lunch/naps at the hottest part of the day. If we stay in the office to do work, you will see teachers with their heads on their desks, or laying down on a reclining deck chair. People in the canteen sleep at the tables. Also, men hike up their shirts. When you walk down the street, it's common to see men with their shirts bunched up around their armpits, and their bellies showing. Girls just wear short, flowy dresses or shorts. I haven't actually seen any naked babies yet... it seems like even in this heat, they like to bundle!
Enough of that...
I've had a few people ask for a "care package list". So, here it is... the "I wants" And "I needs"....
-deodorant (you can't find it here!)
-cheesy skeezy tabloid weekly magazines for Amy(oh, how I miss my weekly dose of gossip)
-National Geographic for Matthew
-Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, People Magazine...
-mac n' cheese (you can NEVER have enough!)
-dryer sheets (most people don't have dryers... so no dryer sheets here. We have CLING!)
-gum (we've got a small hoard thanks to my uncle, but it'll only last so long! Chinese gum loses flavor really fast)
-letters from home... these are the best!
-DVDs
-Spam (ooooooohhh I miss spam)
-pictures of home... people... we wanna see your faces!
-Women's shoes size 9.5... CANNOT FIND here. Dressy sandals. They are all teeny here!!!
That's all I can think of for now. The address is in a past post... and we know it works. We've gotten a letter and postcard already!
Anyway, have a fabulous weekend. We plan on staying out of the heat, watching some horror movies borrowed from the neighbors, and just relaxing. As all the little ones here say,
"BYE BYE!"
Most of my family knows that I do NOT do well in the heat. Actually, I'm doing much better than I thought! Sure, it's hot... but I'm not really having the terrible headaches I had back home. My headaches are mostly gone. Honestly, I think staring at a computer screen 8-10 hours a day was my biggest issue. So the heat doesn't HURT...it's just HOT!
People here deal with the heat in a few different ways. One is naps. The school schedule changed once summer started, and now we have a 2 hour gap for lunch/naps at the hottest part of the day. If we stay in the office to do work, you will see teachers with their heads on their desks, or laying down on a reclining deck chair. People in the canteen sleep at the tables. Also, men hike up their shirts. When you walk down the street, it's common to see men with their shirts bunched up around their armpits, and their bellies showing. Girls just wear short, flowy dresses or shorts. I haven't actually seen any naked babies yet... it seems like even in this heat, they like to bundle!
Enough of that...
I've had a few people ask for a "care package list". So, here it is... the "I wants" And "I needs"....
-deodorant (you can't find it here!)
-cheesy skeezy tabloid weekly magazines for Amy(oh, how I miss my weekly dose of gossip)
-National Geographic for Matthew
-Self Magazine, Shape Magazine, People Magazine...
-mac n' cheese (you can NEVER have enough!)
-dryer sheets (most people don't have dryers... so no dryer sheets here. We have CLING!)
-gum (we've got a small hoard thanks to my uncle, but it'll only last so long! Chinese gum loses flavor really fast)
-letters from home... these are the best!
-DVDs
-Spam (ooooooohhh I miss spam)
-pictures of home... people... we wanna see your faces!
-Women's shoes size 9.5... CANNOT FIND here. Dressy sandals. They are all teeny here!!!
That's all I can think of for now. The address is in a past post... and we know it works. We've gotten a letter and postcard already!
Anyway, have a fabulous weekend. We plan on staying out of the heat, watching some horror movies borrowed from the neighbors, and just relaxing. As all the little ones here say,
"BYE BYE!"
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Family Weekend
What a great weekend! We spent friday evening-sunday afternoon with Uncle Roy, his Chinese worker/friend Robert, and Carey (my cousin Kelly's new hubby, for those on Matthew's side of the family :) ). It was so much fun, and it was so great to see them! I wish I could post pictures. They will be on Facebook sometime in the next week or so. As soon as I can find a way, I'll post them here.
Friday we spent the day at home... cleaning a bit, doing some laundry, relaxing. We knew we were going to have a really busy weekend. Friday night once they arrived from the airport, we met them at their hotel. They stayed at the nicest hotel in Fuyang... it also happens to be the hotel with the sushi restaurant in it, and the Music House is located on the back of the building. Anyway, we went to dinner at a local restaurant. We had a great time! Lots of chatting, catching up, talking about China, and EATING (and a little Chinese liquor). At about 9:30, when we left, we realized the restaurant was empty. We had been in a private room with a big round table. Outside the room, the place was locked up. They had to open a gate and let us out the back way into an alley. At least they didn't rush us!!
Saturday morning we met them at the hotel again and we were off for a day of driving and shopping. We drove for hours through the mountains and small towns in Zhejiang. We got a taste of what it's like to drive on your own... lots of stopping and asking for directions! We first stopped in Zhuji, a city that has more freshwater pearls than almost anywhere else in the world! We saw lots of pearl farms on the way. We walked into a huge building and we were greated with shop after shop filled with pearls. Black pearls, pink pearls, white pearls. Round pearls, flat pearls... big pearls, small pearls, PEARLS!!! Many of them were sold in strings that weren't made into anything yet. You could buy a string and they would make a necklace right there. We spent a lot of time and money there, but came away with some great treasures. It's fun to go when all the men have women they need to buy for *wink*
After that, we drove to YiWu to visit Yiwu International Trade City. It's a HUGE place filled with toys, electronics, home decorations, etc. There are buildings everywhere. I think they mostly sell wholesale to businesses. There were many foreigners there buying things in the booths. We wandered and looked at all the various toys, gadgets, and art. Most of them don't sell just one of anything, so we didn't really spend money.. we just looked, which was interesting too. One floor was almost ALL Christmas decorations. YAY!!! I may not see Bronner's this year, but at least I saw hundreds of Santas anyway!
When we returned home, we went to dinner at a BBQ place Matthew loves. We got a table outside and got food on skewers, traditional Chinese dishes, some beers, and Chinese liquer. Beef, Chicken, peppers.... good skewers.. The wierdest one? GOAT TESTICLES. Yeah... there were definitely many jokes made. They didn't TASTE bad... just really spongy. I ate one segment of one and that was enough for me.
Could any trip to Fuyang be complete without a visit to "The House"? I think not. We walked back along the river and went to the Music House. Dice was played, beers and Jack Daniels for the guys, Vodka and tonic and beer for the lady. We watched some live music and had lots of laughs. Maybe a little TOO many... but a fun experience nonetheless! The only thing missing from the House was OTHER FOREIGNERS! What's up with that? None! My guess is that it was a holiday weekend and they were all travelling.. or maybe since most people had friday off, they all spent a little too much time there on Friday, and weren't up to another night in a row :)
Sunday morning after coffee was drunk and sunglasses were donned, we piled back into the jeep for a trip to Longmen. Longmen is a village about 45 minutes from Fuyang. What an amazing city. It's a preserved, traditional Chinese city. According to the pamphlets (I LOVE PAMPHLETS)there are about 7000 people living there. They are mostly all decendants of Sun Quan, a warlord during the Three Kingdoms period. Over 90% of the people living in Longmen have the surname Sun. Anyway, the city was full of winding streets and alleyways. The ground was "paved" in stones. There were small shops and homes everywhere. It was such an interesting place. There were lots of pet dogs running around, and they all looked pretty much alike. Same litters maybe? Anyway, we saw some amazing old buildings, bridges, and woodwork. It's definitely been one of my favorite places in China so far.
We drove back to Fuyang and ate lunch at KFC... gotta try it! Afterwards, we went to our school and apartment for a little show-and-tell. I'm happy to say that they were pleasantly surprised by both. The school is new, HUGE, and really nice. It was fun to show it off. Our office was even unlocked, so they met one of the Chinese English teachers, Annie, and saw our workspace. At about 3:00, it was time for them to leave. We said our goodbyes, recieved some genuine American gum (WOOT WOOT!) and watched them go.
All in all, it was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Thank you, Aunt Sherry, for sending the Mac n' cheese and taco seasoning. If I said that we didn't eat some that very night for dinner, I'd be lying :) Thank you also to Aunt Sherry and Kelly for parting with their hubbies and sharing them with us. And to Uncle Roy, Carey, and Robert for a great weekend full of new experiences, great laughs, and great conversation. The homesickness is starting to wear off, but I still miss home and family very much. It was so nice to see some!!!
Today is back to real life (crazy how this is real life now). Today is Children's Day. Oddly, that means the kids still have to be in school... but there is a show tonight put on by the students. Singing and dancing! I'm excited to see it. These kids are amazing. They make me smile just thinking about them. Who'da thunk?
Have a great monday. This was quite long.... but necessary! It gave you a small look at what things were like on our visit... but some things will always remain our little secret.. *evil laugh*
Friday we spent the day at home... cleaning a bit, doing some laundry, relaxing. We knew we were going to have a really busy weekend. Friday night once they arrived from the airport, we met them at their hotel. They stayed at the nicest hotel in Fuyang... it also happens to be the hotel with the sushi restaurant in it, and the Music House is located on the back of the building. Anyway, we went to dinner at a local restaurant. We had a great time! Lots of chatting, catching up, talking about China, and EATING (and a little Chinese liquor). At about 9:30, when we left, we realized the restaurant was empty. We had been in a private room with a big round table. Outside the room, the place was locked up. They had to open a gate and let us out the back way into an alley. At least they didn't rush us!!
Saturday morning we met them at the hotel again and we were off for a day of driving and shopping. We drove for hours through the mountains and small towns in Zhejiang. We got a taste of what it's like to drive on your own... lots of stopping and asking for directions! We first stopped in Zhuji, a city that has more freshwater pearls than almost anywhere else in the world! We saw lots of pearl farms on the way. We walked into a huge building and we were greated with shop after shop filled with pearls. Black pearls, pink pearls, white pearls. Round pearls, flat pearls... big pearls, small pearls, PEARLS!!! Many of them were sold in strings that weren't made into anything yet. You could buy a string and they would make a necklace right there. We spent a lot of time and money there, but came away with some great treasures. It's fun to go when all the men have women they need to buy for *wink*
After that, we drove to YiWu to visit Yiwu International Trade City. It's a HUGE place filled with toys, electronics, home decorations, etc. There are buildings everywhere. I think they mostly sell wholesale to businesses. There were many foreigners there buying things in the booths. We wandered and looked at all the various toys, gadgets, and art. Most of them don't sell just one of anything, so we didn't really spend money.. we just looked, which was interesting too. One floor was almost ALL Christmas decorations. YAY!!! I may not see Bronner's this year, but at least I saw hundreds of Santas anyway!
When we returned home, we went to dinner at a BBQ place Matthew loves. We got a table outside and got food on skewers, traditional Chinese dishes, some beers, and Chinese liquer. Beef, Chicken, peppers.... good skewers.. The wierdest one? GOAT TESTICLES. Yeah... there were definitely many jokes made. They didn't TASTE bad... just really spongy. I ate one segment of one and that was enough for me.
Could any trip to Fuyang be complete without a visit to "The House"? I think not. We walked back along the river and went to the Music House. Dice was played, beers and Jack Daniels for the guys, Vodka and tonic and beer for the lady. We watched some live music and had lots of laughs. Maybe a little TOO many... but a fun experience nonetheless! The only thing missing from the House was OTHER FOREIGNERS! What's up with that? None! My guess is that it was a holiday weekend and they were all travelling.. or maybe since most people had friday off, they all spent a little too much time there on Friday, and weren't up to another night in a row :)
Sunday morning after coffee was drunk and sunglasses were donned, we piled back into the jeep for a trip to Longmen. Longmen is a village about 45 minutes from Fuyang. What an amazing city. It's a preserved, traditional Chinese city. According to the pamphlets (I LOVE PAMPHLETS)there are about 7000 people living there. They are mostly all decendants of Sun Quan, a warlord during the Three Kingdoms period. Over 90% of the people living in Longmen have the surname Sun. Anyway, the city was full of winding streets and alleyways. The ground was "paved" in stones. There were small shops and homes everywhere. It was such an interesting place. There were lots of pet dogs running around, and they all looked pretty much alike. Same litters maybe? Anyway, we saw some amazing old buildings, bridges, and woodwork. It's definitely been one of my favorite places in China so far.
We drove back to Fuyang and ate lunch at KFC... gotta try it! Afterwards, we went to our school and apartment for a little show-and-tell. I'm happy to say that they were pleasantly surprised by both. The school is new, HUGE, and really nice. It was fun to show it off. Our office was even unlocked, so they met one of the Chinese English teachers, Annie, and saw our workspace. At about 3:00, it was time for them to leave. We said our goodbyes, recieved some genuine American gum (WOOT WOOT!) and watched them go.
All in all, it was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. Thank you, Aunt Sherry, for sending the Mac n' cheese and taco seasoning. If I said that we didn't eat some that very night for dinner, I'd be lying :) Thank you also to Aunt Sherry and Kelly for parting with their hubbies and sharing them with us. And to Uncle Roy, Carey, and Robert for a great weekend full of new experiences, great laughs, and great conversation. The homesickness is starting to wear off, but I still miss home and family very much. It was so nice to see some!!!
Today is back to real life (crazy how this is real life now). Today is Children's Day. Oddly, that means the kids still have to be in school... but there is a show tonight put on by the students. Singing and dancing! I'm excited to see it. These kids are amazing. They make me smile just thinking about them. Who'da thunk?
Have a great monday. This was quite long.... but necessary! It gave you a small look at what things were like on our visit... but some things will always remain our little secret.. *evil laugh*
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Busy Weekend
So we were very busy this weekend; doing nothing.
Really, we didn't do anything.
Really.
We walked to the market a couple times. Other than that, we cooked, read, wrote, played video games, watched tv, a couple movies. It was rainy most of the weekend, and hot and sticky. So we holed up! We've been busy most weekends lately, so it was nice to just relax. I tried some new dishes for our meals... yay for omelets and cheeseburgers!
We also fell in love... with Walnut Oatmeal. They are these little singles packets at the market. They smell like heaven. It's a packet with oats, sugar, powdered milk, and walnut powder. It is seriously heaven in package form.
We've had a mosquito problem. 'Tis the season! So we decided to buy a zapper. It's a racket (like a tennis racket) that you plug in. When you wanna do some damage, you just turn it on and swat. It fries the little buggers! It's a bit disturbing how fun it is. After hearing them buzz around your head for hours, it is very satisfying. And it works really well - not a single mosquito woke me up last night!
Happy Memorial Day for those of you in the states. Life goes on as usual for us here; class is back for the week. We only have about a month left before the summer break; maybe a bit more. It's odd. What will we do with ourselves? We won't have to wake up early, or spend time in class, or the office. We'll be able to just sit around, or explore, or travel. I haven't actually had a summer off since about freshman year of high school! Sure, I only worked 20 hours a week some summers... but 20 hours still constitutes "NOT a summer off".
Really, we didn't do anything.
Really.
We walked to the market a couple times. Other than that, we cooked, read, wrote, played video games, watched tv, a couple movies. It was rainy most of the weekend, and hot and sticky. So we holed up! We've been busy most weekends lately, so it was nice to just relax. I tried some new dishes for our meals... yay for omelets and cheeseburgers!
We also fell in love... with Walnut Oatmeal. They are these little singles packets at the market. They smell like heaven. It's a packet with oats, sugar, powdered milk, and walnut powder. It is seriously heaven in package form.
We've had a mosquito problem. 'Tis the season! So we decided to buy a zapper. It's a racket (like a tennis racket) that you plug in. When you wanna do some damage, you just turn it on and swat. It fries the little buggers! It's a bit disturbing how fun it is. After hearing them buzz around your head for hours, it is very satisfying. And it works really well - not a single mosquito woke me up last night!
Happy Memorial Day for those of you in the states. Life goes on as usual for us here; class is back for the week. We only have about a month left before the summer break; maybe a bit more. It's odd. What will we do with ourselves? We won't have to wake up early, or spend time in class, or the office. We'll be able to just sit around, or explore, or travel. I haven't actually had a summer off since about freshman year of high school! Sure, I only worked 20 hours a week some summers... but 20 hours still constitutes "NOT a summer off".
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Blogspot is blocked!
So... it's happened. They've blocked Blogspot. Luckily, one of my friends knew a way around it to post... but I can't post pictures! I'm hoping they will "unblock" it soon. Until then, if you want to see pics, you'll have to get a Facebook account!!! :)
You never know... I may not be able to access it this way for long, either. So if I fall off the face of the earth, don't worry too much! Now... onto the post I've been saving for about a week.
Signs I am acclimating to life in China:
-I've turned to the dark side. I have perfected the squat toilet; and I prefer them.
-The garbage truck in the morning no longer makes me want to throw things when it plays "Happy Birthday" at 5 am
-When people give me food to try, I don't ask what it is. I just eat it.
-I no longer think twice about spitting bones or grisly stuff on the table next to me. We all do it.
-When someone on the street plugs one nostril and blows who-knows-what out the other, I no longer cringe. Sometimes, I give a friendly smile.
-I don't feel TOO silly wearing tennis shoes with any outfit
-taking a taxi is more work than just walking
-I can eat plain, sticky white rice with nothing on it
-When a camera comes out, I have one major decision; to give a peace sign, or not to give a peace sign.
-I no longer feel the desire to go pet the cute doggies. I am content to ogle them from a safe distance.
-I no longer giggle at the "lawnmowers" on the school football field. They are very unique; they consist of 6 small wooden stools, 6 baskets, 6 sun hats, and 6 very hard working Chinese women. Yes, they sit there all morning "picking" the grass.
Those are just some of the things that make me realize... I'm adjusting!
Update on life in general? Things are good! We're falling into a routine. On tuesday nights Matthew plays b-ball with some other guys. I use this time for girliness :) This tuesday I went next door to watch Love Actually with Larissa, our neighbor. Good chick flick! This past weekend we were quite busy. Saturday Matthew went to Hangzhou to watch a rugby game. I watched Gilmore Girls and did some laundry. That night, we went to a BBQ - yay for cheeseburgers!
Sunday we spent the morning at home. That afternoon, Matthew went to play soccer (or FOOTBALL to almost everyone here... Chinese, South Africans, Brits...). I primped and pampered, then went to LADIES NIGHT!
It was a lot of fun. There were 6 of us. We went to Kim's house, who is a hilarious chick. SO much fun! We ate salsa and doritos (no corn chips here!) and drank gin and tonics. We listened to music, shared girl talk, and danced around a bit. We then packed up and headed to a sushi restaurant. Amy, eating sushi, you're asking? Yes. It was my second time ever - and it was decent! I liked the vegetarian stuff the best, though - sweet potato tempura and cucumber/apple california rolls. We filled up on fish, veggies, rice, and SAKE! Did the night end there? Nope! We took our craziness to the Music House, where we were soon greeted with the song "Oh, Yes, it's Ladie's Night". Good times. We danced, sang some karaoke, and had lots of laughs (and a few drinks). Larissa and I both had early classes the next day, so we made sure we were home by about 11:30. Monday was a bit painful, but it was worth it. I'm so glad to have some girls here (and awesome ones at that!).
Not much on the agenda for this week. Matthew might play poker tonight... I've got some cleaning to do. This weekend is WIDE OPEN!
I'm very excited for next weekend - Uncle Roy and Carey (cousin Kelly's new hubby) are visiting for the weekend, along with Uncle Roy's Chinese worker, Robert. It'll be great to see the area with someone who can speak the language, and to spend some time with some familiar faces. I'm stoked!
Anyway, this turned into a pretty lengthy post... I guess maybe I'm stocking up in case I can't get back for awhile.
One more thing:
As of today, we've been in China for 2 MONTHS!!!
You never know... I may not be able to access it this way for long, either. So if I fall off the face of the earth, don't worry too much! Now... onto the post I've been saving for about a week.
Signs I am acclimating to life in China:
-I've turned to the dark side. I have perfected the squat toilet; and I prefer them.
-The garbage truck in the morning no longer makes me want to throw things when it plays "Happy Birthday" at 5 am
-When people give me food to try, I don't ask what it is. I just eat it.
-I no longer think twice about spitting bones or grisly stuff on the table next to me. We all do it.
-When someone on the street plugs one nostril and blows who-knows-what out the other, I no longer cringe. Sometimes, I give a friendly smile.
-I don't feel TOO silly wearing tennis shoes with any outfit
-taking a taxi is more work than just walking
-I can eat plain, sticky white rice with nothing on it
-When a camera comes out, I have one major decision; to give a peace sign, or not to give a peace sign.
-I no longer feel the desire to go pet the cute doggies. I am content to ogle them from a safe distance.
-I no longer giggle at the "lawnmowers" on the school football field. They are very unique; they consist of 6 small wooden stools, 6 baskets, 6 sun hats, and 6 very hard working Chinese women. Yes, they sit there all morning "picking" the grass.
Those are just some of the things that make me realize... I'm adjusting!
Update on life in general? Things are good! We're falling into a routine. On tuesday nights Matthew plays b-ball with some other guys. I use this time for girliness :) This tuesday I went next door to watch Love Actually with Larissa, our neighbor. Good chick flick! This past weekend we were quite busy. Saturday Matthew went to Hangzhou to watch a rugby game. I watched Gilmore Girls and did some laundry. That night, we went to a BBQ - yay for cheeseburgers!
Sunday we spent the morning at home. That afternoon, Matthew went to play soccer (or FOOTBALL to almost everyone here... Chinese, South Africans, Brits...). I primped and pampered, then went to LADIES NIGHT!
It was a lot of fun. There were 6 of us. We went to Kim's house, who is a hilarious chick. SO much fun! We ate salsa and doritos (no corn chips here!) and drank gin and tonics. We listened to music, shared girl talk, and danced around a bit. We then packed up and headed to a sushi restaurant. Amy, eating sushi, you're asking? Yes. It was my second time ever - and it was decent! I liked the vegetarian stuff the best, though - sweet potato tempura and cucumber/apple california rolls. We filled up on fish, veggies, rice, and SAKE! Did the night end there? Nope! We took our craziness to the Music House, where we were soon greeted with the song "Oh, Yes, it's Ladie's Night". Good times. We danced, sang some karaoke, and had lots of laughs (and a few drinks). Larissa and I both had early classes the next day, so we made sure we were home by about 11:30. Monday was a bit painful, but it was worth it. I'm so glad to have some girls here (and awesome ones at that!).
Not much on the agenda for this week. Matthew might play poker tonight... I've got some cleaning to do. This weekend is WIDE OPEN!
I'm very excited for next weekend - Uncle Roy and Carey (cousin Kelly's new hubby) are visiting for the weekend, along with Uncle Roy's Chinese worker, Robert. It'll be great to see the area with someone who can speak the language, and to spend some time with some familiar faces. I'm stoked!
Anyway, this turned into a pretty lengthy post... I guess maybe I'm stocking up in case I can't get back for awhile.
One more thing:
As of today, we've been in China for 2 MONTHS!!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
What we've been up to the past week!
We spent our sunday afternoon sitting at the park reading and writing. These middle school kids came up to try to talk to us. We had a hard time... we understood that they wanted to "be our friends" and it seemed like they wanted us to come to their school... but alas, we had dinner plans. So we all settled for a fun picture together instead!
These are Matthew's Fanta flavors. They are peach (the pink one), orange (the... orange one) and apple (the green one). He loves the green one!
This picture is courtesy of Matthew. It's a Sweet Taro pie (oops.... I just spelled it tarot!) It was DELICIOUS!
Sorry, I can't figure out how to flip this! It's us at the park :)
So what have we been up to? Hm... this past weekend we went to the foreigner's bar, The Music House, with our neighbors. It was a lot of fun.. maybe too much! The owner is Chinese, and speaks very little English. He doesn't let that stop him from getting all the foreigners to come to his bar! There is kareoke, and a small live band that sings songs in English. They serve many american drinks, and french fries. We met some new people, played dice, and drank too much. It's hard to say no when the owner is giving you free drinks and saying "Please, it will honor me!". So we were all pretty happy when we left. The four of us giggled the whole way home. I wonder what the taxi driver was thinking?
Saturday was a relaxing day... we stayed home. Sunday we went to the park, then dinner. This week has been pretty uneventful. Matthew played basketball with some guys last night. Tonight we're going to dinner with Jarvis and Larissa again (the neighbors) and some other friends. Should be a good time! We also started running with them in the mornings (at least... THIS morning we did it). I can't believe how out of shape I am! I was out of breath after half a lap around the track... but what I didn't run, I walked, and we got a good 6 or 7 laps in running/walking. Good times!
*note* the majority of this post was written yesterday. It is now thursday... so yes, we did end up going to dinner last night. It was a big group, again a fun mix of people. Chinese, English, South African, American (Seattle, Massechussetts, LA). We ate at a hunan restaurant. Hunan is a province in China. I have NEVER EATEN FOOD THAT HOT IN MY LIFE. It hurt. But what didn't hurt was yummy! From there we moved to the Music House for a couple hours. We sat, listened to music, and talked with people. So fun to make new friends! But alas, it was a school night; so like good little teachers, we hopped in a taxi and were home by about 11:00 pm. Tonight we're going to a Texas Hold'em tournament. Never a dull day in Fuyang!
Well... I have been lazy.
I haven't posted in awhile. I even wrote a post almost a week ago, and never posted it! So I'm pasting it below... remember that it's outdated. :)
Well, I'm finally getting around to giving some details about our trip this past week. We had friday-tuesday off due to the May Day holiday (it's like labor day here in China). We didn't have our passports until last minute, so we couldn't really make plans for a trip very far from home (you need your passport to book a hotel). We decided to spend our time in Hangzhou. For 5 yuan, we can take the bus from Fuyang to Hangzhou (about 1.5 hour ride if it's during peak hours). They leave Fuyang every 15 minutes or so. We packed our bags and hopped on! We had no hotel booked ahead of time. We figured if we couldn't find one, we could just take a bus home again. We found one pretty quickly. We booked 3 nights for about $100... which means it wasn't the prettiest hotel in the world! We had stains on the carpets and ants on the floor, but the beds were neat and clean, we had a western toilet, and 3 locks on the door. :) Most cheaper hotels have double rooms, but they have 2 single beds. You have to pay extra for a big bed. We didn't know how to ask for one, anyway.. it worked alright! One thing I've noticed here is that the beds seem shorter.
Over the weekend we did lots of stuff around the West Lake. We arrived saturday morning. Saturday was definitely an adventure. We walked to the West Lake and it starting sprinkling. It ended up raining all day long. We bought umbrellas and kept walking. We wanted to find the Hangzhou Zoo, which is on the west part of the lake. We didn't realize how far it was! We decided to take a taxi. The traffic was so bad that the taxi finally told us to get out... I think we were costing him a lot of money! He showed us a map of how to get there. We left thinking it'd be a mile or so (at least I did). We ended up walking for probably another 2 hours. We were soaked through and through! We finally got there at about 4:00 pm. We had time to see a couple things before it closed; some soggy deer, a cute red panda and a cuter panda, some giraffe, etc. We left, preparing ourselves for another long hike. There weren't really any taxis out that way, and we were hungry. We walked some more, and found an Indian restaurant at about 6:30. It was sooo nice to sit down and eat. We'd been walking steadily since about 11:00 that morning!
The food was amazing (as was the taxi that took us home from dinner). The rest of our time in Hangzhou was warm and sunny. We walked along the lake, took two trips to the island in the middle, sat at a couple tea houses, read, wrote, and cross-stitched. We went to a museum, ate good food, shopped for souveniers.
A big highlight of the trip? FOOD! We ate like royalty. One of the best things about Hangzhou? McDonalds!!! We ate there twice. Fast food restaurants in China have great service. They always have a lot of cashiers going. They have people specifically there to clean the tables, too. You just leave your tray. The second you scoot your chair out to leave, they are there. This is the way most stores are. At the supermarket, people are just standing by waiting to help. At restaurants where you have servers, they will bring the menu and just wait patiently until you are ready. This drives me insane, because I feel rushed; but really, it's what they are supposed to do. It takes some getting used to though!
We also ate at Lou Wai Lou, one of the famous restaurants in Hangzhou. We got one of the city's signature dishes, Beggar's Chicken. It's a whole chicken, stuffed with herbs and mushrooms and wrapped in lotus leaves. They bury it in the mud and bake it. It was the most tender chicken I've ever had; it just fell off the bone! We also got veggies (bok choy and mushrooms), sour fish soup (I actually LOVED it!) and lotus root. We also hit up a DQ, a Pizza Hut, and KFC. Ever since our trip, I've been feeling sick. I hate to say it, but I think it was all the american food! My stomach is getting used to the Chinese food; lots of veggies, oils, rice. It can't take deep fried greasiness anymore. Have I learned my lesson? Will I avoid McDonalds while in Hangzhou next time? No.
People have asked.. what do people eat for snacks here? So I'm going to share the most common...
-fruit: Lots of apples, bananas, fresh pineapple. Whatever is in season, I think.
-corn on the cob: They sell this all over. KFC. The street vendors. The zoo. Everywhere. You see people walking down the street all the time munching on it (they stick it on a long stick, so you can eat it easily).
-skewers (meat, cauliflower, lotus roots...) Street vendors have the raw stuff sitting out and you pick something. They throw it on the grill and viola!
-ice cream: There are ice cream freezers at almost every little shop around. They eat a lot of ice cream bars, since it gets so hot.
-sunflower seeds
Those are the main things I see. I'm partial to the corn and ice cream :) Anyway, the trip was great. The lake was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. Now we're gearing up for a weekend at home!
Well, I'm finally getting around to giving some details about our trip this past week. We had friday-tuesday off due to the May Day holiday (it's like labor day here in China). We didn't have our passports until last minute, so we couldn't really make plans for a trip very far from home (you need your passport to book a hotel). We decided to spend our time in Hangzhou. For 5 yuan, we can take the bus from Fuyang to Hangzhou (about 1.5 hour ride if it's during peak hours). They leave Fuyang every 15 minutes or so. We packed our bags and hopped on! We had no hotel booked ahead of time. We figured if we couldn't find one, we could just take a bus home again. We found one pretty quickly. We booked 3 nights for about $100... which means it wasn't the prettiest hotel in the world! We had stains on the carpets and ants on the floor, but the beds were neat and clean, we had a western toilet, and 3 locks on the door. :) Most cheaper hotels have double rooms, but they have 2 single beds. You have to pay extra for a big bed. We didn't know how to ask for one, anyway.. it worked alright! One thing I've noticed here is that the beds seem shorter.
Over the weekend we did lots of stuff around the West Lake. We arrived saturday morning. Saturday was definitely an adventure. We walked to the West Lake and it starting sprinkling. It ended up raining all day long. We bought umbrellas and kept walking. We wanted to find the Hangzhou Zoo, which is on the west part of the lake. We didn't realize how far it was! We decided to take a taxi. The traffic was so bad that the taxi finally told us to get out... I think we were costing him a lot of money! He showed us a map of how to get there. We left thinking it'd be a mile or so (at least I did). We ended up walking for probably another 2 hours. We were soaked through and through! We finally got there at about 4:00 pm. We had time to see a couple things before it closed; some soggy deer, a cute red panda and a cuter panda, some giraffe, etc. We left, preparing ourselves for another long hike. There weren't really any taxis out that way, and we were hungry. We walked some more, and found an Indian restaurant at about 6:30. It was sooo nice to sit down and eat. We'd been walking steadily since about 11:00 that morning!
The food was amazing (as was the taxi that took us home from dinner). The rest of our time in Hangzhou was warm and sunny. We walked along the lake, took two trips to the island in the middle, sat at a couple tea houses, read, wrote, and cross-stitched. We went to a museum, ate good food, shopped for souveniers.
A big highlight of the trip? FOOD! We ate like royalty. One of the best things about Hangzhou? McDonalds!!! We ate there twice. Fast food restaurants in China have great service. They always have a lot of cashiers going. They have people specifically there to clean the tables, too. You just leave your tray. The second you scoot your chair out to leave, they are there. This is the way most stores are. At the supermarket, people are just standing by waiting to help. At restaurants where you have servers, they will bring the menu and just wait patiently until you are ready. This drives me insane, because I feel rushed; but really, it's what they are supposed to do. It takes some getting used to though!
We also ate at Lou Wai Lou, one of the famous restaurants in Hangzhou. We got one of the city's signature dishes, Beggar's Chicken. It's a whole chicken, stuffed with herbs and mushrooms and wrapped in lotus leaves. They bury it in the mud and bake it. It was the most tender chicken I've ever had; it just fell off the bone! We also got veggies (bok choy and mushrooms), sour fish soup (I actually LOVED it!) and lotus root. We also hit up a DQ, a Pizza Hut, and KFC. Ever since our trip, I've been feeling sick. I hate to say it, but I think it was all the american food! My stomach is getting used to the Chinese food; lots of veggies, oils, rice. It can't take deep fried greasiness anymore. Have I learned my lesson? Will I avoid McDonalds while in Hangzhou next time? No.
People have asked.. what do people eat for snacks here? So I'm going to share the most common...
-fruit: Lots of apples, bananas, fresh pineapple. Whatever is in season, I think.
-corn on the cob: They sell this all over. KFC. The street vendors. The zoo. Everywhere. You see people walking down the street all the time munching on it (they stick it on a long stick, so you can eat it easily).
-skewers (meat, cauliflower, lotus roots...) Street vendors have the raw stuff sitting out and you pick something. They throw it on the grill and viola!
-ice cream: There are ice cream freezers at almost every little shop around. They eat a lot of ice cream bars, since it gets so hot.
-sunflower seeds
Those are the main things I see. I'm partial to the corn and ice cream :) Anyway, the trip was great. The lake was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. Now we're gearing up for a weekend at home!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Hangzhou part 8 - The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou is one of the oldest Catholic churches in China. It was built during the Ming Dynasty, about 400 years ago. We had quite a trip finding it though! On the internet it said that cab drivers know if simply by the name "The Catholic church" in chinese. So we showed the cab driver the Chinese characters. He got on the phone, then looked at us and did the sign of the cross. We laughed and nodded.
We drove all the way across town and ended at the big Protestant church in Hangzhou. It looked like any other church in America to me! He realized his mistake and we drove to the other side of town. We finally found it. We had a nice man unlock it so we could take a look and get pictures. We met some nice people. It was really interesting being in a place like that... here. They still have sunday services every week, along with other studies. The cathedral is located next to a convent.
We drove all the way across town and ended at the big Protestant church in Hangzhou. It looked like any other church in America to me! He realized his mistake and we drove to the other side of town. We finally found it. We had a nice man unlock it so we could take a look and get pictures. We met some nice people. It was really interesting being in a place like that... here. They still have sunday services every week, along with other studies. The cathedral is located next to a convent.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Hangzhou trip part 6... I told you I had a lot of pics!
On the island. Pretty pink flowers! There are 4 ponds on the island... soit's basically got a + in the middle, with an o around it. There are paths and teahouses, little shops, areas to sit, and boat docks to leave from.
This is the dock on the island.
We sat by these kids on the ride. They were so cute. They practiced their English with us, and shared their Koala Yummies!!!
Soakin' up the sun.
These private boats can be rented out... I don't know how much you pay though.
Hangzhou trip part 5
Awwww.... yet another pic snapped by Matthew!
These girls asked if I would be in a picture with them. I said sure... if I could get one too!! :)
Whoops... I was looking at the wrong camera!
Hangzhou trip part 4
The West Lake is considered one of the most beautiful places in China. There are paths all the way around it. We walked around quite a bit of it, and did many other things as well. We took a ferry to the island in the middle, and spent a lot of time relaxing (drinking tea, sitting in the grass, reading, writing, cross-stitching, kite-flying, and strolling around). Matthew bought a small butterfly kite that is the coolest kite ever! It's about 4 inches across. He drew some pretty interested observers while he was flying it :) We also did other things around the West Lake. We visited a museum called "7000 Years in Zhejiang". There was some really cool old stuff. It's so interesting to be in a place with such a long history. Unfortunately, we didn't have the camera that day!
This is a view from the island.
One of the more crowded areas around the lake. Our first day was insane, because it was a holiday and tourists from all over the country was there. It was insane!
These first pictures were taken on a rainy day. Later this weekend it was beautiful and sunny.
Cool boat. Even cooler PERSON.
This is a view from the island.
One of the more crowded areas around the lake. Our first day was insane, because it was a holiday and tourists from all over the country was there. It was insane!
These first pictures were taken on a rainy day. Later this weekend it was beautiful and sunny.
Cool boat. Even cooler PERSON.
Hangzhou trip part 3
This is us on the edge of the West Lake. Google it; its one of the prettiest places on earth!
Matthew at the teahouse... sipping Dragon Well tea and writing up a storm.
These ferries took you out to an island in the middle of the lake. We went there twice.
Hangzhou trip part 2
The signs in China crack me up. This one isn't that funny by itself... but if you look at it's "companion sign" below, you see why it's funny.
If you care for life, DO NOT CLIMB!!! :) This was on the boat we took out to an island on the West Lake.
This sign cracked me up too.
"Hey, man, where are you going friday night?"
"I think I'm gonna go to the Sexy 007 Club. Are you in?"
Clockwise from top: "Man Lotion", "Woman Lotion", "Standard Sized Condom". The lotions prevented... infections they said. We would have taken them home as souveniers, but they cost 10 yuan a piece. Try explaining that to the front desk when you check out of your hotel!There was also a little "store" on our counter that offered various things for 10 yuan a piece. Socks, a razor, or underwear (again, his and hers).
It's so nice of them to warn us. Those bookstore thieves... they are terrible.
Berare.
Hangzhou Trip part one
The Hangzhou Zoo.... but it was rainy, and the camera was having issues. We only got a couple pics!!
This is the Red Panda... soo cute!
This panda was a ham... he was drinking, then he leaned back and sat with his belly facing us and he ate bamboo.
The smart one on the right (with his head on the left :) ) was drinking water that dripped off of the roof.
We ate at an Indian restaurant. It was the best indian food I've ever had. We both got naan bread and spinach soup. I got Beef Masala (mmmmmm) and Matthew got Mutter Paneer. Later, I ordered some rice to go with it.
Not pictured: Our drinks. Igot Indian Masala tea. Matthew got Rose Lassi, a yogurt drink that tasted like rose/lychee.
Our side of the restaurant was pretty empty; but we did sit right next to a table with two food critics! They had the camera and tripod and everything. When something was good, I tried to say it loudly :)
This is the Red Panda... soo cute!
This panda was a ham... he was drinking, then he leaned back and sat with his belly facing us and he ate bamboo.
The smart one on the right (with his head on the left :) ) was drinking water that dripped off of the roof.
We ate at an Indian restaurant. It was the best indian food I've ever had. We both got naan bread and spinach soup. I got Beef Masala (mmmmmm) and Matthew got Mutter Paneer. Later, I ordered some rice to go with it.Not pictured: Our drinks. Igot Indian Masala tea. Matthew got Rose Lassi, a yogurt drink that tasted like rose/lychee.
Our side of the restaurant was pretty empty; but we did sit right next to a table with two food critics! They had the camera and tripod and everything. When something was good, I tried to say it loudly :)
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