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.
3.9.15
The goal for today is to find a place that can frame pictures. I expect that dumb luck will play a big part in today’s adventure. Every person I’ve asked so far has either looked at me weird or recommended Taobao, the Amazon of China. Which leads me to think of China’s unofficial slogan, “When in doubt, just buy it online”. The blanket solution and always option C when people are curious where to buy certain things.
Today is Lantern Festival and it’s considered good luck to eat these things called “Yuan Xiao”
They are a rice dough with a filling inside, most popular is black sesame. They are then boiled and eagerly eaten with giggles and quips of “YUM!”
I’ve been going through this “phrase a day” thing and came across this entry
When asked “Are you married?” Chinese people don’t reply “No”, they say, “Not yet” which is such a Chinese thing to say. So many Chinese people have an expectation to get married. Notice the affirmative answer as well, “I’m already married”, as in “Yes I’ve already achieved this and don’t need to worry about it anymore”.
Perspective
After being in China for close to 2 years, my trip to Europe gave me some perspective. I spent 10 days in Paris, France and Munich, Germany and here’s what I noticed:
Style - In both France and Germany, everyone seemed to have a swagger about them. They were dressed nicely, things matched, swanky jackets were worn, and there were an abundance of scarves worn both in and outside. After my first trip to Spain in 2009, I’ve sworn that you can always pick a European out of a crowd based on how they dressed. I was also glad not to see anyone wearing black leggings with a black felt miniskirt (the latest in Beijing winter fashion)
Smoking - In France, a large number of people smoked but it seemed less dirty than those who smoke in Beijing. It reminded me of a movie; standing outside in the cold, in front of a cafe, smoking a cigarette with a cute French girl. I don’t know how to explain it. Go to Beijing and perhaps you’ll know what I mean
Language - My French isn’t great and I speak zero German, but being able to read and ‘somewhat’ pronounce words on signs, menus, and maps was so fulfilling. I can read some Chinese but 85% of the time, the “Chicken scribble” as a friend once put it, is foreign to me. In Beijing, there does seem to be an “ignorance is bliss” factor because I don’t feel so inundated with information & advertising. Then again, knowing how to read Chinese would make ordering at restaurants 100% less confusing.
Courtesy - Perhaps it’s part of the culture and the fact that 20 million people live in Beijing, but most Beijingers don’t have common courtesy. A French taxi driver talked with me in English, opened the trunk for my suitcase, and wished me a safe trip to Germany. That won’t happen in Beijing. A German guy bumped into me at the airport and apologized. That won’t happen in Beijing. People also didn’t stare at me in Europe. It was nice being part of the racial majority again. Going into restaurants, hostels or bars, both the French and German people seemed to have a genuine interest in serving me. Then again, perhaps it’s because they work in the hospitality industry. In Beijing, it’s not that they aren’t courteous, but it feels very cold. I go to a restaurant, with or without Chinese people, the waiter stands next to the table until we order, brings the food, and doesn’t come back until we yell at him to bring the check. Efficient? Sure. However, it feels very robotic. There’s no small talk, no smiling (to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Chinese waiter smile), and no courteous responses of “no problem, you got it, right away, just a couple of minutes, sure thing”. In China, a simple “hao” is the only assurance you’ll get from a waiter. Then again, I suppose that’s all you really need.
Newest installment in the Sanlitun Village
For those who can’t tell, it’s a giant lantern for Spring Festival. Headed to France tomorrow night and then Munich the day after. Happy holidays from China!
For Chinese New Year it’s common to give people red envelopes filled with money
As a joke for a friend, I filled one up with spare change that amounted to about ￥5。She was still pretty excited.
Chinese Proverb
Drinking with a dear friend, a thousand shots are too few; talking with a disagreeable person, half a sentence is too many
Shoutout today goes to Delph in London
She drew this picture and said she could notice all the flaws. I wish I could doodle half as well as she can. Miss you and keep doing your thing!
So let me break this down
Sichuan is a province in southwest China known for its spicy food. ‘Ren’ in chinese means people and it’s open 24 hours. This place was super good. Hot pot style, of course, with a multitude of dishes ranging from straight up meat, shrimp balls, an assortment of vegetables, and finished off with pickled cabbage and mushrooms. There was a spicy and non spicy broth with a mushroom soup in the circular middle bowl. Hot pot never fails to please.
Went to a restaurant that only served spicy food
The menu had pictures of chillies next to items based on the level of spiciness. Which wasn’t very useful because there was no baseline for comparison. So I figure that a 3 chili dish will be edible, and it was, along with copious amounts of rice, beer, and a giant glass of water. All in all, most dishes were pretty tasty. On the other hand, others scalded my entire mouth and left me wondering how people could rationally eat it, smile, and declare it “delicious”
Cantonese Food in Beijing, China
So my buddy says he knows a good Cantonese restaurant and to clarify, this place was beyond good. We get seated and they plop down a menu that’s about as big as a wallpaper binder that interior designers have you flip through. If that wasn’t enough, there was a lady with a cart full of food that came by every so often asking if we wanted anything.
After tearing through the encyclopedia sized menu, we finally order: “Sichuan style dumplings, steamed pork buns, spicy pork hot-pot style, dumplings with pork broth inside, fried shrimp in a buttery soy sauce, and a side dish of noodles”.
How would I describe this dinner? It was fucking delicious. Really tasty, flavorful, so many different textures, cold beer to wash down the Sichuan spice; it was the perfect meal for a windy December night in Beijing.