CHINA
Country Overview:
"A land of contrasts, where ancient traditions meet rapid modernization, and delectable cuisine coexists with complex political realities."
My seven-year journey in China, from May 2013 to August 2020, was a whirlwind of experiences. I taught English, pursued my Master's in Politics & Foreign Policy at the prestigious Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the media landscape at China Today and Xinhua News Agency. Beijing was my home base, but my travels painted a vibrant tapestry of China's diverse landscapes and cultures: the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the historic city of Xi'an, the tropical paradise of Sanya, the unique blend of East and West in Macau and Hong Kong, and countless other destinations in between. From savoring the exquisite flavors of regional cuisines to navigating the intricacies of daily life under a distinct political system, China left an indelible mark on me.
Noodles for days
For the record, I prefer ‘Harbin’ beer to 'Yanjing’.
There was also a long aisle of candy with some interesting translations. At first I thought they were literally selling sex lube in bulk, but then realized that it’s merely candy with a poor translation.
Despite the fact that I don’t know what they are, these things are delicious.
There is like a cheese, scallion and egg (tofu?) mixture inside a doughy center and a fried outside
First few days in Beijing, China
Guy in my training class is from Cuba and of course, he only wants to speak Spanish with me. He’s been in and out of China for quite some time, speaks great Chinese and has taken it upon himself to be my official city guide. Rode a subway for the first time today after getting directions in Spanish from a girl from Spain. What are the odds? The Subway system here is phenomenal. I can get anywhere I want to go in a matter of minutes for around 30 cents. I don’t think I’ll ever take a taxi again.
I’m definitely spelling this wrong but Beijing has really old parts of the city called ‘Hu-toons’ (?) and they are exactly what you would imagine when China still had emperors. It was cool to see a different side of Beijing rather than giant skyscrapers and loud streets.
1st picture was my first dinner here in China
The guy who picked me up at the airport got me settled in at the hotel, then left. Great. I was starving and had no way to communicate. So I went back to the school and asked if he could help me out. He took me to this giant place in the basement of a mall that has tons of Chinese food. You load up money on a card, then when you want something, you just tap the card against the machine and it deducts the costs and they serve you your food. Besides the sweet/sour chicken with rice, I had no idea what the other 3 bowls were.
Sometimes I know what I’m getting, and other times, I don’t. For example, the yellow stuff in the bottom picture came with what I ordered and it was like a gelatinous tapioca pudding without any flavor. After struggling with chopsticks and rice, I asked my buddy what the Chinese word for ‘fork’ was and he said, “They’ll just give you chopsticks anyway”.
This is the view from one of the treadmills
After asking around and a lot of hand motions, I found a legit gym with an underground Muay Thai area, ring included. Now if learning how to count in Chinese were only this easy.
Good morning from Beijing, China!
Nothing like opening my door to these. Went out in search for a gym by doing exercise motions in front of the valet of hotels. Luckily, one guy said, “Hey man, I speak English, Gym is on the 4th floor.” Although expensive, it’ll do for now.
First day in China
So it’s 6am and I’m up. My internal clock is still not used to the time difference and I have just managed to steal somebody’s wifi because my hotel has “No no no, no wifi”. 20 minutes after landing I find myself inside of a bank, signing endless amounts of paperwork after which my Chinese companion tells me, “Now, you have bank account”.
After having spent 15 hours on airplanes yesterday, I thought to myself, “What could be worse than that?” THE CHINESE LANGUAGE. I will never again say anything about how tricky Spanish can be. It’s going to be a long year in China, that’s for sure, but I’m quite excited.
Goals for the day:
1. Find a gym
2. Learn to count to 10
Yep, 2 just of them. I’m sure they’ll be challenging enough.
Whatup Widdit..
It’s that time again. I’m off to a foreign country in 2 days and as always, to those who send me their address, I will send you something authentically “MADE IN CHINA”. E-mail me at: Degenh@outlook.com.
It’s going to be a busy year for me whilst in Beijing. Not only will I be teaching English, I’ll also be working on grad school applications along with Muay Thai training, in which I plan to take some fights. So stay posted and let the adventures begin.
So close...
Leaving for China early Sunday morning. Working and training until then. Boise is a boring place when transitioning between 2 countries.
After complaining repeatedly about the lack of beer choices in Arequipa, Peru, I suppose I should show what I was comparing it to. This is part of the beer aisle in a Fred Meyer in Boise, Idaho. Choices for days.