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.
Smelly feet
I made a joke about a little girl’s feet smelling bad and of course, they thought it was hilarious so they all started raising their legs wanting me to smell their feet too.
Welp..
All moved into my 2nd place in a matter of 3 weeks here in Beijing. Currently trying to sublet my first place, but it’s a challenging process because no matter how much I pump it up, you can’t hide the location. My colleagues are getting a kick out of it though. Yuck it up clowns. On a lighter note, I had an 8 year old Chinese girl speak basic Spanish to me which was thoroughly, IMPRESSIVE. Ahhh China, you are full of surprises.
These are like big, fried versions of a potsticker, filled with either a chicken, beef, or vegetable mixture
They are .50 Yuan each and super delicious.
Currently budgeting out my salary to figure out when I can move closer to the school I work at. Word of advice for foreigners, ‘don’t be too anxious to move into an apartment’.
The next 3 days are the 'Dragon Boat Festival’ here in Beijing, so my plan is to find a pedal bike. Everyone keeps telling me where the bike market is, the problem is trying to figure out how to bike the 15 km on side streets back to my place. I’m sure there’s something closer and I intend to find it.
So the pin is where I’m at in Beijing. I live in ‘Sihui Dong’, which is a transfer station between Line 1 and the Batong Line. I work in 'Shuangjing’ which is on line 10. It’s about a half hour subway commute, which isn’t so bad, but it’s going to get boring real quick. Beijing is huge. I often look at the subway map and realize that between only 3-4 stations is a matter of 25-30 minutes. As soon as I get paid, I’m off to the motorcycle market.
Hold it...
I don’t know how to spell it in Chinese Characters nor Pinyin, but I learned ‘Go Pee’ today which means 'Bullshit’. It was quite usefull this morning after I saw a street merchant type in 10 yen for a kilo of bananas, look at me, then change it to 30. “Go Pee” I say as he soon changes it back to 10 yen and grudgingly hands me my banana. Served.
Chinese dumplings, from China. WHADUP?!
They’re probably the tastiest little things I have tried since being in Beijing.
These things were so good. He fries basically what I would call a ‘mini-tortilla’, cuts it open, then puts in the meat and veggies that you choose. #Iheartstreetfood
SMOOOOGG
People aren’t kidding when they talk about how dirty the air here is in Beijing, China. I am currently in a battle against nasal congestion, coughing, and a hoarse voice from singing ‘Old Macdonald had a farm’ 10 times a day. The other teachers are quite supportive saying, “Normal, everyone gets super sick, then they either adapt or continue being sick”. As I sit here with a runny nose, I’m certainly hoping my immune system steps it up a bit.
Beijing just keeps going and going until the skyline gets lost in the ‘clouds’ #it'srealdirty
This was a stir-fry type dish
Don’t ask me what’s in it, because half of it is either unrecognizable or unpronounceable
Lots of guys draw words in Chinese using water in the plaza where I work
There are also hundreds of people dancing. Each area has a little laptop hooked up to speakers blaring different kinds of music, Indian, American swing, classical Chinese, and people are dancing in unison. It is the strangest thing to see after I walk out of my school, but at the same time, it’s cool to see so many people actively engaged in the same thing.
It's 10pm, I just got home, and I'm eating donkey.
I know this because I asked some guy what kind of meat it was and he mumbled, “Chicken - no, beef - no, pork - no. Uuuuuhhhhh IT’S DONKEY!!! Yes yes, donkey!” He looked like I should have given him a gold star or something. #Iheartchina #it'sdelicious