Day 99- working to find my happy place :)

As I left for the subway today, I saw this old fellow in the courtyard.
He was practicing his Chinese characters with a large 'paintbrush'.
If you look closely, at the top of the pole is an attached water
bottle.  It's kind of like playing with sidewalk chalk, only different.
No mess to clean up!

There are two things guaranteed to make me smile. Every time.
One is seeing the beautiful Chinese children, especially the
little Chinese girls with their lopsided pig tails.  The other one
is to see the elderly Chinese- whether they are gathered in the
courtyard of my apartment complex in the afternoon sun,
playing raucous card games on the stoop outside of Walmart,
or like this elderly couple, pedaling along in their three
wheeled bicycle across the crazy Beijing traffic.  I look at
this elderly couple and I see love, plain and simple. In my
mind, he has spent the better part of his adult life loving
this woman.  They looked like poor peasants, but rich in love.

I must admit, it was been a rough week for me.  It was my
first Thanksgiving that wasn't, and I was far, far from home,
my family, and all the traditions that began with Thanksgiving.
I've been fighting the blues, for sure.  Add to that, and I am now
back to being alone in my apartment again. After a twelve
hour sleep last night (I have been worn out- physically,
mentally, and emotionally), I woke up with the attitude
that I needed to change my attitude.  It was time to find my
happy place.  First, I had to find the salon I went to nearly
two months ago.  An hour subway ride and a twenty minute
walk (with only one time turning around!) I found my way
back to Ken who gave my dry, dry hair a deep conditioning
treatment.  Navigating my way across town once again
by myself, was a moral victory, and it had me smiling.
(And my hair feels fabulous :)

After my salon treatment, I treated myself with a trip to
Jenny Lous, a Western grocery store.  It's a bit pricey
for sure, and though it is small, I can get some of my
much missed comforts, like microwave popcorn,
brie, black beans, avocados, pickles, and corn meal
for making tortillas.  There was lots more I purchased,
and was I ever weighed down for the twenty minute
walk to the subway, an hour on the train, and another
twenty minute walk home.  Though it was cold, raining,
and the AQI was over 300, I worked up a sweat...

And an appetite :)  Dinner was my version of a Greek salad
(maybe?)  Tossed greens, carrots, cucumbers, salami,
black olives, feta cheese cubes, olive oil and balsamic
vinegar.  And not one, but two, pretzel rolls :)

While I should have been grading this evening, I worked on getting my flight home changed.  My flight back to Indiana was to leave late on January 30th, arriving on the 31st.  Now I am getting in on January 28th instead.  This will allow me two full weeks to visit the girls, see my mom, brother, and his family, visit a few friends, and get to Arkansas and back before I continue on to Florida. I leave for the Keys on February 12th, and will fly out of Miami to return to Beijing on February 28th.  We have the month of February off here in China.  Many are planning travel to warmer parts, but since I have already been to Thailand and the Philippines, it was more important for me to get back to the States.  With that settled, the countdown is on...60 days until I am back home in Indiana :)  Seeing my family again is sure to bring a smile to my face; even more so than little Chinese girls in lopsided pigtails.

G'nite, y'all!

Day 92- Beihai Park, Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and Fried Enema

We covered MILES on our feet all Saturday afternoon and evening.  It was a beautiful blue sky, clean air kind of day, and though it was chilly, we wanted to take advantage of seeing some of the more familiar sights in Beijing.

There are two hutongs we have found that have
one instrument store after another.  If you are
shopping for a guitar, a band instrument, or a traditional
Chinese instrument, this is the place to get a deal.
I am the proud owner of a new guitar, and his
name is Jackson, as in Randy Jackson, dawg :)

I would have loved to buy a trumpet, and pick it
up again, but practicing a trumpet in an apartment
building is less than ideal for everyone involved.
Who wants to hear me blast a clunker?!  I did enjoy
talking with this man who is a trumpet teacher. He
played a Sousa march and Jingle Bells for me. I couldn't
 help but smile :) Band memories are GREAT memories!

This hutong was one of the cooler ones we have found.  We even discovered
a new Mexican restaurant, and got a personal tour from the owner.
I will be back for certain to sample their margaritas and guacamole :)

There was no room for chips and salsa, as I discovered
a new found love from 85 Bakery- chocolate buns!
Oh. My. Goodness. Gracious :)

I had to stop and snap a picture of the flowers.  I had
gerbera daisies around my koi pond at home, and the
beautiful tiger lily reminded me of my beautiful momma.
I miss you, Mom.  

I had to stop and snap this shot- two old Chinese men shooting the breeze
in the late afternoon sun.  It made me smile :)  

As usual, I get a chuckle over Chinglish signs, though
this one reminded me of my Dad.  I don't see his name
very often, and it gave me one of the better memories of
seeing him in the backyard, fishing along the Elkhart River.
My mood is tending towards melancholy as my thoughts carry
me home to the holidays which are beginning this next week.

My dad would have had a fishing pole in one hand, a PBR beer can in the other
hand, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth- except not here- NO SMOCKING!

I'm not even sure what this sign means...is there welfare in China?  Do they
they have a lottery that supports the welfare system?  I have not seen lottery
tickets anywhere in this country.  It's also quite possible that this is just another
sign lost in translation...it may have nothing to do with the lottery or welfare!

Now this sign outside a restaurant was just plain disturbing.  I don't know
what to make of Fried Enema...I can't make this s**t up, people!  I want
no part of any creature's fried a**hole.  Just as disturbing is the one above-
'Fried Slightly Squeak.'  What the he** is that supposed to mean???
The fried sewer rat may not be entirely dead and is still slightly squeaking?!
Still, worse yet is the thought of my dog Simon, whom we called
Pippy Squeak.  His favorite game is to 'kill the squeak'.  So
maybe one Fried Slightly Squeak is one of Simon's chew toys
that is not all the way 'killed' and is still slightly squeaking.
SO. CONFUSING. I just had to simply walk away.

There was a tour bus of Chinese getting ready to cross the
road to Beihai Park. I wanted to snap a photo of this little
old man that was wearing his hat like Gilligan, but he
would have none of it.  Instead, this lady jumped right in
for a selfie, and we were photo bombed by another woman, lol.

I have wanted to visit Beihai Park since I first arrived here.  There are
boats for rent to travel about the lakes and canals, but they were no longer available
as it is too late in the season.  Still, it was a perfect afternoon for a stroll in the park.

The male Mandarin duck's markings are beautiful.  Lucky for this guy....

...that he doesn't end up like these guys...Peking duck!
I have yet to try Peking duck, though I really do want to.

Somebody snapped a picture of me snapping pictures, lol.

Next stop was an island in the lake with Bai Ta,
also known as the White Pagoda.

It was worth the climb up, as the architecture against the
pretty blue sky was incredible. The White Pagoda was
built in 1651, but was shaken badly in two different earthquakes
in 1679 and again in 1730.  The upper part of the pagoda is
said to represent the 'thirteen heavens', but it was closed that day.

Though I couldn't go on up and into the White Pagoda to see the Buddha, when
I turned around, I was greeted by a beautiful view of the lake, the park, and the
city in the background.  The sky was turning pink in the late afternoon sun.

Next stop was through another hutong and street market
to climb up the hill at the back of the Forbidden City.

My eye was caught by this woman's beloved dog
who was sound asleep on the bottom shelf of her cart.
She was doing a brisk business selling fried
flat bread, but her buddy was not the least bit bothered
by all the people, noise, and confusion.  So cute.

I was simply looking for a quiet place to take in the
view of Forbidden City.  I was first at the Forbidden City
not long after arriving in Beijing.  I was told later
by a colleague to walk straight through the Forbidden
City, and then climb the hill to the pagoda at the back
of the walled city.  From up there, you'll find the best views
of the Beijing- only visible on a clean air day.  Today was IT :)

More steps to climb, but still smiling!

We made it- along with a few hundred other people
waiting to capture the setting sun on the cityscape.

The Forbidden City is behind 10m high walls, and it is surrounded by a moat.
  Every tile roof you see is a part of the original fortress, nearly 9000 palaces
 and halls in all. It has since been renamed the Palace Museum.

I don't even know what to say about this one, lol.

Inside the pagoda, high upon the hill top, was another
golden Buddha....I have seen a lot of golden Buddhas
in my travels already!

This one had a creepy golden cat that waved to passersby.

The ceiling and beams of the pagoda temple were painted beautifully, 

As we came down from the pagoda and stepped out on the street, (in search of
 a Western toilet and some food), we followed the moat around the Forbidden City.
Not at all interested in the fried enema or fried slightly squeak, we kept walking.

We made our way around the Forbidden City to Tian'anmen Square.  This is
Tian'anmen Gate, which is located across from the Square.  It is the only place
in Beijing where a picture of Mao Zedong is openly displayed. The Chinese
characters to the left says, "Long live the People's Republic of China."  The
characters on the right says, "Long live the great unity of all the peoples of
the world."  It was from this spot that Mao proclaimed the People's Republic
of China on October 1, 1949, in front of millions of Red Guards during
the Cultural Revolution.  Yeah, Mao and I are on a first name basis :)

There are two of these white marble columns on either side
of Tian'anmen Gate.  They date from 1420, during the Ming Dynasty.
Tian'anmen Gate is also known as the Gate of Heavenly Peace.
That's hardly the image that comes to mind when I recall the
events on Tian'anmen Square the spring of 1989.
Interestingly, China is decidedly amnestic of that 'event'.

Next to the two giant columns are these marble lions,
which are on either side of the bridge that goes over the moat.
They are also from 1420, and are very impressive.

For his brother- yep, that's Len with Mao Zedong :)

Behind us is the actual Tian'anmen Square, marked by the
lighted monument in the center.  It is called the Monument
to the People's Heroes, dedicated to the fallen soldiers of
the Revolution.  The Square can hold over one million people,
and it is kept spotlessly clean.  It is flanked by several important
buildings; The Great Hall of the People (the Chinese Parliament),
the Mao Mausoleum (where he lies in state for viewing), the
National Museum of China, the Museum of the Chinese Revolution,
and the Museum of Chinese History.  This area reminds me a lot
of the trips I've made to our Nation's Capital to visit the many museums.

We continued on our trek in search of a German restaurant
that several colleagues have been to.  We passed this fancy
bakery with even more fancy wedding cakes on display.
The cake above was a $5,000 cake, and the one to the left
was 599,000 RMB, which is a $100,000 cake. Who does this?!

We also passed by some very serious looking police tanks and armored police vehicles.

At long last, we found the place- thanks to Google maps!  Len got
a much deserved German beer, as we had walked for MILES today. 

I enjoyed a delicious cup of hot mulled wine :)

The brats, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut never tasted so good!

It made for a long afternoon and evening of touring, but we saw some incredible things along the way.  I also found some places I'd like to go back and explore some more when I have the time.
One thing is for certain, I will pass on the fried enema and fried slightly squeak!  G'nite, y'all :)

Day 88 It all seems to work here, except the public squatty potties ;)

After having survived the total chaos, disorganization, and dirtiness of Manila last week, I find myself taking stock of my surroundings here.  I think I am past the 'honeymoon phase' with China. Going on three months here, I no longer find it 'cute' to see kids in split pants squatting and peeing in the street.  And the men who hock and spit a huge, disgusting lugie on the sidewalk?  Well, it's just disgusting.  Spitting has always been a pet peeve of mine, but this goes way beyond that.  You should hear the guttural noises and hacking that comes before their prized snotty nastiness nearly hits my shoes.  I have to fight back saying bad words.

Most certainly, the smog in Beijing can be a problem.  In Manila, though, the exhaust fumes and blue haze from the traffic congestion was choking.  Even the worst AQI days here in Beijing have not slowed me down.  I've survived a cold and sinus infection already, and I was able to get what I needed at the pharmacy (thank you, Google translate).  All in all, I am making it just fine here in Beijing.  In fact, there are many things I have come to really like and appreciate :)

Let's begin with the reason I was brought here- to teach AP Psychology to
Chinese National kids.  A fifteen hour work load?  With incredibly smart
and academically disciplined kids?  Let's be real; it is a DREAM job...
and I haven't included the ridiculous salary they are paying me and
the incredibly cheap cost of living here.  I AM SO BLESSED :)

Before coming to China, I thought I would have all noodles and rice, and
my beloved carb addiction for all things bread and pastry would suffer
without an oven or a culture that does not have bread.  I WAS MISINFORMED!
There's a bakery on nearly every corner, and I AM IN HEAVEN....
french baguettes, blueberry egg custard tarts, croissants, mango pastries...
Need I say more?!  In fact, I have put on weight here :/
 Seriously, how is it that the Chinese women are so freakin' tiny???

I love the commitment Chinese people have to the idea that 'strong bodies
help create strong minds.'  Every morning on my way to school, every afternoon
on my way home from school, I pass people of all ages out running, doing
stretching exercises, aerobics, playing badminton...

...or a rousing game of ping pong....

...or gathering outside a busy shopping mall for an impromptu
ballroom dancing lesson.  Though they are a quiet, reserved people
by nature, they dance with reckless abandon in public places, and not
a care in the world about who may be watching....I LOVE IT.
Last night, I saw couples disco dancing outside of Wanda Plaza :)

Passing the preschool every morning and
every afternoon on my walk to and from school
always brings a smile to my face.  They play
Western children's songs over the loud speaker
as all the children arrive to school.  Yesterday
I sang and danced to "If You're Happy and You
Know It, Clap You Hands!"  Today, I sang
and did the hand motions with a little girl and
her grandma to "Itsy Bitsy Spider." :)))
Seeing little Chinese girls in pigtails makes
me smile. Every. single. time.

In fact, seeing any little Chinese boy or girl makes me smile.  I think
the children here are beautiful...
Until they pop a squat in the street.  Meh. :/

Being able to find a decent margarita in Beijing has been a pleasant surprise!  A
good margarita, shared with new friends, will also make me smile. Every. single. time.

Discovering these garlicky, spicy green beans also makes me happy :)
It's one of my faves here, for sure.

Wandering through an old hutong neighborhood is one of my favorite
things to do, too.  Finding this little gem was a glorious moment for me...
the place is full of imported CHEESE!!!
Cheese is very hard to come by in China; it is not a part of their cuisine.
I love cheese just as much, if not more, than bread :)
Imported cheese on a fresh baguette?!  It's pure heaven, y'all!!!

Hutongs are very narrow pedestrian streets that have tiny
little specialty stores, boutiques, bars, coffee shops, hostels,
and interesting local wares.  Why there was a giant
dinosaur (?) saying MF on it, in a storefront window...
I. have. no. earthly. idea.
It wasn't a head shop; they sold sports wear.
Beats the heck outta me!

I am always running across 'Chinglish' signs that make me giggle. Sometimes
they make no sense whatsoever.  The same is true of the funny screen print T's I see
the Chinese wearing.  Some of the shirts are downright hysterical.  Clearly, something
gets seriously lost in translation, lol.  I went to a squatty potty at a restaurant,
and the yellow sign above was on the inside of the stall door. While I am squatting
there in my private moment, thinking about how stall doors open to the inside
 I can't help but chuckle. What other person could possibly be in the stall with me
that I might accidentally strike?!  Oh. my. life.

I have to say, though, as least this potty had a stall door.  A few weeks ago, I found myself in a public squatty potty in an old hutong.  For the record, ladies, you must always carry tissues or baby wipes with you if you need a 'private moment' in a public restroom here in China. Toilet paper is almost never provided.  The public squatty potties in the old hutong neighborhoods are the worst.  They are beyond filthy dirty and disgusting, and you had better hold your breath when you enter.  What makes the whole experience even more disturbing is there are NO stall doors...just imagine four holes in the sticky, dirty, disgusting tile floor.  One evening, down in a cool hutong by Lama Temple, I was about to wet my tights. I went scrambling into the dirty, smelling public squatty potty with baby wipes in hand and holding my breath.  To my dismay, three of the four open holes were occupied.  It was a disturbing sight, that nearly took my breath away, except I was holding my breath already.  

Hole #1 had an old toothless Chinese woman (I mean OLD), squatting, doing her business, and smoking a cigarette.  Hole # 3 had a middle aged woman hovering high over the hole and talking on her cell phone.  Hole # 4 had a twenty something girl squatting and playing a video game on her cell phone.  I was about to seriously wet my tights, so I had no choice but to elbow my way in to Hole #2 and sandwich myself, bare a**ed between toothless and the hovering one, who was splashing everywhere.  I wanted to puke. and die. right there.  It sent my need for cleanliness into HIGH GEAR.  So incredibly gross, y'all.  Geesh.

I am happy to be making some really good friends here.  Jeanette, on the left,
is an AP Biology teacher from St. Louis.  She is my work out buddy, and at
Christmas she is going to be my travel and scuba diving beach in Sanya, South
 China. Kathy, on the right, is an English teacher that hails from Canada.
She is my office mate, and we both are mothers to grown children.  We have
 lots to talk about during the day, and I really enjoy her friendship.
How these two ladies ended up with matching outfits on the same day
of school, I have no idea- It's a woman thing ;)

Looking out my window, to my mountain view on the blue sky, clean air days,
always makes me smile.  I love my apartment.  It's cozy.  It's me.
and I feel very comfortable in that space :)
On the days I can't see the mountains, I still know they are there,
and eventually they will reappear when the gray skies clear.
It's kind of like God's promise in a rainbow after the storms (of life).
I remain hopeful, and that's a good thing,since I am halfway around the world.

Working in the field of psychology all my life, I am always intrigued
by people.  Observing people is a favorite past time of mine.
Watching people, in a culture still so new to me, is just fascinating.
I love that the older folks will gather on the stoop or stairs,
outside their apartments, in a park, or in front of Walmart, (as they
are here) to engage in a competitive game of playing cards in the sun.
I have yet to figure out the game they play, but they get so animated when
slamming down their cards and shouting.  I can't help but smile watching them.

All along the outside of the plaza, groups of men and women were playing
card games board games, mahjong tiles and such.  It seems to be a
ritual for them on the weekend afternoons.  They are serious about it, too!

After being in Manila last week, there are many things I appreciate about Beijing (in spite of the smog problem).  In Manila, there is no central mode of transportation- no subway (Ok, it's an island afterall), no organized public bus transport, no controlled or organized cab system.  Beijing manages to move 21+ million people with relative ease.  Even the morning and evening commute craziness on the streets or in the subways only lasts about two hours or less, and then it all clears up.  Though there are scooters and bikes here in Beijing, they have dedicated lanes to drive in, and almost all of them are electric powered, or old fashioned pedal power.  I have seen just one gas powered motorcycle here in three months.  In Manila, all modes of transportation are crammed in the streets with no rhyme or reason.  Jeepneys are the closest thing they have to busses, but there are no marked bus stops.  You can only tell where some of them are going, if they have their stops painted on the side panels. With out a city map, or signage posted in the streets, God only knows where you might end up if you hop on one- in the middle of the traffic.  Whether in a taxi, on a scooter, on foot, or sitting at an outdoor cafe, it is stressful to see and hear the chaos in the streets of Manila.  

We don't have any of those issues here in Beijing.  There is no bartering for cab fare here, unless you happen to get in a 'black market' cab.  (Those are clearly marked, by the way.)  Otherwise, the cab fare is metered, and it is ridiculously cheap.  Get on a bus or in the subway, and there's dual signage in Mandarin and English.  Recorded announcements at subway stops and on the buses are made in Mandarin and English as well.  You can also watch the lighted map on subways and in buses to see when your stop is coming up.  There's a system for getting on and off the subways and buses, and the people are really pretty good about following the painted lines on the floor or sidewalks. There's the occasional person pushing and shoving, but boorish behavior can happen anywhere in the world.  

In China, everybody has a job, no matter how menial the task may be.  Unlike Manila, you don't have hungry children begging in the streets.  There are no hawkers on the sidewalks or in the streets trying to get you to buy something.  I don't think I have seen a homeless person, yet.  Given that everyone has a job here, the subways and streets, for the most part, are kept pretty clean.  The subways are especially cleaner than any I have been in, including big cities in the US and throughout Europe.  I don't know how they do it all, managing a city of this size, but it really seems to work.  

Take for example, ordering things....whether it's merchandise from Amazon.cn.,
a Domino's Pizza, or McDonald's for lunch, anything and everything can be
delivered to you in Beijing.  These little pedal wagons are all over the city.
I don't know how it all works, but stuff will magically appear on the
sidewalk outside your apartment building within a matter of hours
(or less, if it's food!)

And as I have found with nearly every laborer here, whether its the cleaning
lady in my apartment building, or the guy delivering packages,
they almost all have a smile, a wave, and a friendly, "Ni hau!"

We have trash pickers in Beijing, and these are not dumpster divers, as we'd
think of in the states.  For these folks, it is their job to sort through the trash
that accumulates in the apartment complexes.  Daily they sort through the
trash, sorting recyclables from the rest.  They receive mere pennies on the
yuan, and it takes six yuan to make one US dollar. But again, they
do their job with an element of dignity and pride.  Their job is 'very
important' to the overall environment of their housing complex.
That point cannot be argued.  What trash truly remains is then bagged
and collected by the waste trucks.

And again, each time I pass the trash pickers, I am greeted with a smile, and
a wave and a "Zao shang hao!" (Good Morning!)  They smile even
brighter when I respond with "Zao shang hao!" in return.  I love it.
This man was loading up the cart to his bicycle with cardboard
to deliver to the recycling plant.  I don't think he makes more than a few
yuan a day (18 yuan is the equivalent of $3.00 USD).  Here's a link to
an article explaining why Chinese trash pickers are typically the elderly.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/140704/elderly-chinese-collecting-trash

Even the old guy that sweeps the school grounds with his broom of tree
branches always has a smile and a wave for me.  I never pass by without telling him what
a good job he does keeping our school look nice.  He doesn't understand my English
words, but a smile and a softness to your voice is universal.  Besides, I always tell him thank you, "xie xie."

So things seem to work here in China.  People go to work; people seem relatively happy.  Traffic moves,
the city is clean, for the most part.  Children play outdoors; and old folks gather to play games on the stoops.
People of all ages are seen exercising, playing sports, or dancing in the parks or in the courtyards of their apartments.
Even the dogs seem happy here; seldom do I even hear one bark, and dogs are everywhere!  Now, one could argue
about their political structure, the air quality, or that religion that is largely absent in their culture, but things
 do appear to work here.  I also am settling in and feeling my place here.  Soon I will have to decide if I want to
renew my contract for next year. It is a decision that is weighing heavily on my heart.  For now, though, when I look
 out my window at the beautiful setting sun, I feel my life coming together.  This new life is working
for me, and that has surprised me, for sure.  I have so much to be thankful for; I am one incredibly blessed girl.

G'nite y'all!