Hong Kong

Right before my birthday in September I had a work trip to Hong Kong. Since my meetings were on a Monday I decided to go Sunday morning to attempt a bit of tourism prior to my meetings. I went with a very vague idea of what to see with only my Lonely Planet as a guide.


Hong Kong and China have a strange relationship. A flight to Hong Kong is an international flight and Chinese citizens require a visa to visit. Hong Kong has its own currency, its own stock market, and a distinctly different culture than the mainland – for example most people speak Cantonese, not Mandarin. I knew Hong Kong was densely populated, on the coast with a series of islands, subject to typhoons and is supposedly an easy place to live as a foreigner.


After landing at the airport I took the train to the subway and then took a shuttle bus to my hotel. The first thing that struck me was how hilly it was – the bus kept going up and turning. Cars drive on the left side of the road – a hangover from the British colonial days which gave me the impression that we were going to crash periodically. There were “sky bridges” crosswalks connecting buildings and multiple layers with people everywhere. It was possible to cross huge distances without actually going outside, either underground or using the sky bridges.


After checking into my hotel I took the subway to the base of Victoria Peak and then hiked up to where the tram station was. The tram was really neat and went almost straight up to view of the harbor and a nice place to view the skyscrapers of the city. There was a pianist performing live music in the shopping mall at the top and I explored an English language bookstore there and people watched for an hour or so. Later that evening I went to dinner with a coworker and his wife in one of the bar areas of the city. People eat later in Hong Kong than Shanghai – we got there about 7:30 and no one was in the restaurant, but when we left at 9:30 it was packed – much more European than Shanghai.


My meetings went well on Monday and I took the train from Hong Kong to Guangzhou that evening. Before I left I wanted to buy some English magazines because they are easier to find in Hong Kong. While at a small convenience store I bought several magazines – they then had me push a button for a “lucky draw.” I won – a huge stuffed animal! I couldn't really tell if it was a dog, a horse or a cow, but I looped it over my suitcase and went off to Guangzhou.


Hong Kong intrigued me. I'll be back.
G

Wuxi photos - Tai Hu

The photos here took place during my second day in Wuxi. The nature was very refreshing and although there were people there were moments of solitude. We also almost got lost on our way back to the bus parking lot. While I have gotten lost in Shanghai it is a slightly different feeling.

Wuxi II - Tai Hu

That evening we went to a Wuxi show - unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but it was a type of variety show where there was singing, dancing, comedy, a magician and probably other things that I've since forgotten. While it was interesting, a large part of it occurred in Wuxi dialect instead of Mandarin. Humor is one of the most difficult things to translate in any language, but in Wuxi dialect I had no chance. Maybe someday.

Enjoy the shots!

G

Changzhou and Wuxi

At the end of August I was able to get away for a long weekend to Changzhou and Wuxi – my first real trip off the beaten tourist path. The Chinese government has invested lots of money in high speed rail – “dong che动车” – which is similar to the TGV in France or the bullet trains in Japan. Several lines have been completed and the one that we took was one of them.

Changzhou & Wuxi - I

The reason why we went to Changzhou was actually because of a poster in the elevator of my apartment building for a dinosaur theme park. After looking at the advertisement for several months we did some research and it was not expensive, on the high speed train line and easy to get to. Since it was still summer season the theme park was open until 11pm and it was a great experience. There was a water park and lots of rides – not quite Cedar Point, but still a lot of fun. Plus, because we went on a Thursday there weren’t that many people there! We could go down the slides in the water park without waiting and most rides had a wait of less than 30 minutes. Eating Chinese theme park food was a hoot too – fried noodles anyone?

We capped off the evening watching the big closing illuminated parade and were the last people to get on our bus before it pulled away.

The next day we took the high speed train another 20 minutes and went to Wuxi. Wuxi is known for a huge movie/television set where they have recreated ancient temples and cities as well as Tai Hu – a huge lake with an island in the middle. They are trying to position themselves like Hangzhou (where I visited with Marisha and Arnel the famous West Lake) as a tourist destination. The pollution in Wuxi is pretty bad – although I have heard it has improved, so it still has room for improvement. However, the people were very friendly and I can see how in the future tourism should increase there.

The first day we went to the three villages movie set. We explored through the fake forest (with plastic flowers on the trees), saw a very impressive horse show reenacting a battle that took place between warring factions and wandered through a replica of the forbidden city – all by ourselves. The horse battle must have had over 100 participants and even though the voice over was in Chinese I got a pretty good idea of what was going on. There was also a fake army training camp where you could test yourself against different obstacles. I did ok with a couple, but the net across the big hole finally got me and I ungracefully came down backwards. The more I learn about medical care in China, the fewer risks I realize that I should take!

The second day we took a bus to Tai Hu and then took a boat across the lake to the Turtle Head island in the center. It is a bit of a nature preserve, except there wasn’t really that much original to the island – most of the temples and sites have been reconstructed, but just the same it was nice to be out of the city and see green again. I sat for a long time on a rock listening to the waves and thinking about Lake Huron. After a full day on the island we crossed back and visited one last temple on the mainland before heading back to the hotel.

I enjoyed exploring these two new places. While they were still major cities in the US definition – each at least a million people, the vibe was different. Prices were lower and the standard of living is also lower. Plus, I saw maybe 3 foreigners the entire time – so these are areas that don’t have the comforts of Shanghai – I don’t think I could find a foreign supermarket or a place to buy large size clothes and that is reassuring (unless you need to live there). The photos here don't include the Tai Hu pictures - will post those under a separate post.

Cheers!

Dragons in the city

There are several elevated highways in Shanghai that provide faster access from north to south across the city. The major intersection of the north-south and east-west roads is visible from our office and I often pause for a second and view the lights and bustle as I refill my water cup throughout the day. Last week as I walked a client out, I showed him the view and he happened to have his camera.

This is what I can see everyday. The legend is that when they were trying to build the highways this interchange - which includes a pedestrian crossway and about eight layers of ramps and highways collapsed twice. They brought in a feng shui master who said that a dragon needed to be erected on the spot in the middle if they wanted to build the road. If you look at the pillar in the very center you can today see a beautifully carved dragon.

Not bad. 不错。

Phil Collins

Today I decided to take a late lunch and headed to one of the many restaurants in our building to satisfy a craving I had. I ordered a very traditional Chinese meal - rice gruel with pork, tripe, salted eggs and meatballs and a side of Chinese broccoli. Trust me - it is an extremely tasty dish! As I tucked into my lunch I started humming along with the music that was playing in the background.

This in itself was not strange - you know I like music and like to sing and I am getting to the point where I recognize the really popular songs here. However, as I kept humming I realized that it was Phil Collins - the greatest hits! I'm not quite sure why he was chosen, but song after song played as I finished my lunch.

It was another one of those - I'm in China - this is strange - why not? moments.

I apologize for the two month pause in my blog. I will blame it on the fact that in the last two months I have been in Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Paris (France), Hefei and another city in Anhui province. I was the MC and spoke at three seminars and added another speech two weeks ago. I have just managed to catch my breath from the whirlwind and try to resettle.

Two years ago on Sunday I arrived in Shanghai. What a two year period.

Cheers!

孩子 (Children)

At the end of July I was able to sneak home for a week where I spent two exhilarating days with Marisha, Arnel and their kids. One of the hardest things about living in China is missing Jadzia and Chie as they grow up. It had been almost a year since I had seen them and 5 and 3 year olds change every day. We had a wonderful visit that was too short as I didn't get my fill of sand castles, chalk drawings and "Tia" hugs.

When I returned to China within the next two weeks my good friends Ade and Nick celebrated the birth of their daughter, Adinda. I was the MC at the seven month ceremony back in June where Nick chose the "girl coconut" which turned out to be correct. :) I was privileged to visit them at the hospital and then last weekend at their house. Adinda's a beautiful baby with great skin and her father's ears! Congratulations to them.

Apologies for the delay in posting. I don't currently have internet at home due to a satellite TV snafu, but will try to be better going forward.

Cheers!

Black

Last week Shanghai experienced a once in 300 year event.  There was a full solar eclipse, best visible from China. Tours were booked to view this once in several lifetimes event and everyone from taxi drivers to hawkers in the subway were talking about it.

Unfortunately it rained in Shanghai on Wednesday morning, so I was unable to view the eclipse in its glory.  I took the subway to work because of the rain and when I came to the surface it was pitch black - midnight kind of black- definitely not a typical weekday morning.  I went up to my office building and slowly watched over the next ten minutes as it got lighter and lighter and then day continued.

I watched the news that evening and the city had taken unprecedented measures to control the effects of the eclipse.  Streetlights were turned on, thousands of extra police and crossing guards were stationed, at airports planes operated under night protocols.  All for an event that lasted in total about 30 minutes.  No major accidents were reported and all were safe.

After viewing the switch from light to darkness I understand why in ancient times people feared the world was ending. The total lack of control and disappearance of the sun reinforces for me that there is something greater and reminds me how little my troubles affect the movement of the earth around the sun.  A good lesson from the blackness.

G

An expert?

Over the last month or so I've had the opportunity to record two podcasts for Mercer on China's healthcare market. I got to choose my own questions but the interview process was quite thrilling. That was one of the reasons I took the chance to come work over here – new opportunities. The link below lets you hear one of them if you happen to be curious as to how employers are approaching health management in China, feel free.

http://select.mercer.com/podcast/blurb/154116/

The Chinese versions of these were recorded by my colleague Rebecca. Even though I am getting more comfortable I'm nowhere near ready to record something like this in Chinese.

Happy Listening and Happy Fourth of July!

Multiple Layers

At the end of June I had the opportunity to sit on a panel for Notre Dame Executive MBA students and serve as a resource as an expat who had relocated to Shanghai. I thought it was a panel anyway – the other individual canceled that morning so I was the sole representative for an hour of questions. After telling my story I was asked all kinds of things – some pertaining to my job in the employee benefits industry, some about pace of life, culture, differences, …

One of the comments I got was that things didn't seem that busy here – the restaurants are half empty and there weren't that many people. I tried to explain the levels here – that the best restaurant in the city isn't the one at ground level, but instead on the 6th floor of an office building or that in the subway there is a complete shopping mall that you'd never notice from the street level. I suggested that he come with me through the People's Square subway station at 5pm and see if he thought it wasn't crowded.

Today on my way to work I got another reminder of the layers in the city. I have walked to work almost every day for the past nine months (except for that month period with my knee), trying different routes but sticking mostly to the same way. As I looked up I realized that there was a complete set of bird cages on the second floor of a building looking kind of like they were for homing pigeons – with maybe 12 or 15 birds inside. There was a gentleman leaning out the window petting and feeding his birds. I never noticed that before even though I've eaten at the small restaurant just below.

It's a good reminder that it is possible to develop a comfort level and how normal changes over time. Any examples from you? Is there anything you don't notice now?

Summer musings

After my wonderful trip to Toronto and Chicago (where I saw weather in the 50s), I plunged directly into summer after my return. Highs the last week or so have been in upper 80s and last weekend the thermometer hit 97 degrees. Fun, fun, fun! Between my now twice or thrice daily showers, I have reverted to the simple pleasures you find when it's warm including:

- Dresses - nothing sets up a summer day like a dress - casual, formal, they're easy and breezy. I may boycott pants until October.

- Ice pops – I have a set of the little pops like I did when I was a kid and I have been making them like a fiend – apple juice, grape juice and orange soda have all found their way in. Perfect on a hot day!
- Puddle jumping – I am now the proud owner of a pair of crocs which are perfect for stomping in puddles. When it’s 90 degrees outside who cares if you get wet!
- Out running thunderstorms – the other day I went to the supermarket in the evening and could smell the rain on the air but didn’t bring an umbrella. I hurried through my list and as I exited could feel the first drops starting to hit my cheeks as lightning cracked overhead. I hiked up my skirt, grabbed my bag in both hands and ran, the wind tousling my hair and pushing me. I made it in the door just as it started to pour.
- Lazy afternoons – I have spent several weekend days exploring – one weekend went to 上海文庙 (Shanghai Confucian Temple) in the late afternoon with the sun streaming down. It was almost deserted and so peaceful with a water garden and sheltered courtyards.

What do you like to do when the sun beats down? Do you venture outside or find things to keep you busy in the dark?

Happy Summer for the longest day of the year –

G

Seven month ceremony

This weekend my good friend Ade celebrated the seventh month of her pregnancy with a traditional Indonesian seven month ceremony. Or rather, semi-traditional as it occurred in Shanghai using certain foods that her mom had brought from Indonesia and the guests were a multinational crew from all corners of the earth. Ade had asked me over a month ago to be the master of ceremonies and so I was also an integral part of this happy event.

Prior to the party, Ade and Nick had prepared a one page “cheat sheet” for me so I could perform my duties. They involved getting people’s attention when the ceremony was supposed to begin, giving people clues as to the appropriate behavior and explaining the meaning and custom of each of the six separate steps. Seven is deemed the perfect number in Javanese culture and thus after seven months it is appropriate to welcome the baby into the world prior to birth. I won’t try to include the Indonesian words here, but please find the major rituals below:

1) Blessings – Ade asked for blessing from her mother and Nick to welcome the baby into the world. It was very emotional part of the ceremony.
2) Ritual bathing – Nick and Ade’s mother both had to pour water on Ade in seven key areas. This happened on the balcony and Ade got soaked – she had to change her clothes after that. After getting doused, Nick broke the clay pot used so that it could not be used again.
3) Symbolism of birth – an egg was dropped down the front of Ade’s gown to symbolize easy delivery, then a string tied around her waist was cut by Nick, finally two coconuts (only symbolizing a girl and the other a boy) were hidden in the fold of her garment and Nick had to chose one. He kept trying to choose both, but eventually he selected the girl. We’ll see if it’s right! After that Ade had to change her clothes seven times. This was where the audience participation started coming in. I prepped the group that we were not supposed to like the first six wraps. As her mother wrapped them around I would ask, “So, what do we think of this one?” It was great, the crowd really got into it, booing, groaning, etc. When she finally put on the seventh wrap she got a resounding round of applause (even though it was the ugliest).
4) Cutting the coconut – Nick had to prove his power and chop open a coconut. It took him five strokes. I hope that doesn’t mean Ade will have five hours of labor! This also happened outside and our timing was perfect because just when it finished it started pouring.
5) Buying blessings with fruit salad – After changing her clothes again, Ade and Nick had to serve us a traditional fruit salad, but we all had to pay for it. This symbolizes that we were hoping that all the good points of each of them were given to the child. I passed out ritual coins and everyone ate the salad which we had to say we liked or otherwise it would be bad luck. The salad was good – no need to fib.
6) Cutting the rice – the final event was Nick had to cut a traditional cone shaped rice dish in two to signify that he would be a good provider. We all watched and applauded then helped ourselves to rice, meatballs and other Indonesian specialties.

Afterwards several people recommended that I go on the Indonesian seven month ceremony MC circuit. I’m not sure what the demand is in Shanghai – but if anyone is looking for an MC….
I feel blessed to be included in such a special event. All the best to Ade, Nick and the little one on the way.

Cheers!

Stars

Chris came to visit this weekend. It was great to see him and hear how life in Yantai differs from life in Shanghai. Saturday night we went to dinner with friends in Pudong then walked along the Pudong side of the Bund. The weather was beautiful and the lights on the buildings sparkling and spinning. A man was singing and playing the guitar making our own soundtrack as we walked up and down talking about life and the changes that occur so quickly here.

Walking back to my apartment after a great evening I looked up and realized that I could see stars. I think it is the first time I have noticed them here. The big dipper was twinkling down among the lights of Shanghai. Even in Shanghai the stars are the same.

Next time you look at the stars think of me on the other side of the world and smile.

G

Seeing red

It started with a pretty small comment a week or two before my mom came– “I think your eye looks swollen.”
Then at the beginning of April it progressed to – “Are you ok? Your eye is kind of red.”
I knew it was a major issue when the head of the Shanghai office walked up to me after mom left and out of the blue said, “你的眼睛怎么了？” (What's up with your eye?)

Thus began my third adventure with the Shanghai healthcare system.

As you know, my previous two experiences were not really planned – the knee happened at that party and the wrist as I tumbled to the ground after my client meeting. I used local hospitals and for the most part was satisfied with service and price. However, with my eye – I was a bit more skeptical and I had time to think about the process, procedure and potential problems. So, like many expats before me I made an appointment at Shanghai United Family Hospital.

My initial appointment was the Friday after my mom left. My Chinese teacher agreed to come with me and the two of us investigated the very western looking facility. I had made an appointment, got checked by a nurse, saw the doctor for a consultation; we determined I should come back next week for surgery and prepared to leave. I was starting to feel like Jasmine had come along for nothing until I tried to pay.

At the window they informed me that since I had direct billing, I did not need to pay anything. I accepted this and signed. Then I realized that I didn't have a receipt, a diagnosis form or any idea how much the cost was. Since I do have a deductible, I figured I should at least be aware of the cost. But when I asked for at least a receipt, no luck, they just kept repeating – “You have direct billing.” Jasmine and I pow-wowed in the lobby and finally she went back and said, “My friend needs a bill to show her company.” I got the receipt.

The following Friday (already feeling a bit under the weather due to a slight relapse from the flu I had in Sanya), I went back for my surgery appointment. Another friend went with me this time. We waited for a while and then I went in for the surgery. The procedure was very similar to one that I had in Chicago a couple of years ago, but took much longer due to the size of the bump. I exited wearing an eye patch, grasping some antibiotics but this time asked for the receipt for my company at the beginning instead of the end.

Almost three weeks later I am feeling much better. My eye is just about back to normal, I can wear my contact lenses again and I have now experienced another medical facility in Shanghai. Three times is enough. Let's hope this accident prone streak ends here.

Question – In my family we normally say things happen in threes – could be good things, bad things, funny things. This is my third experience. Have you had any threes happen to you lately?

Also - thank you to my loyal fans. I have had several comments and emails asking why I have not been posting as much lately. Work has been keeping me busy and with the eye issue looking at a computer for a while was pretty challenging. I pledge to do better moving forward.

G

15 seconds

Two weeks ago I went to the Shanghai motorshow with a friend. It was enormous - 11 huge areas full of cars, parts, models and people - over 500,000 attending the show over the course of the week. The highlight though was that I was interviewed by a local news station while we were there.

After 7 hours of looking at cars I made it home around 7pm to receive several text messages that I was on the 6:30 news! Luckily there was a repeat broadcast at 9:30 which we recorded in the below. If you're curious I'm saying that I am for electric cars and that I believe this year and next year we should all start using them.

The next day I was in the elevator and one of my colleagues said, "I saw you on TV in the subway!" It appears that this story was also played on the TVs in the subway during Monday morning rush hour.

I am famous - at least for a little while - maybe 15 seconds of my 15 minutes. No autographs, please.

Cheers!

G

A Guest Post

Written April 14, 2009

Greetings to those who follow The Shanghai Chronicle. Today I picked up the mantle of its first guest blogger. I am G's mother, and have been in China for two weeks and will leave tomorrow. We have had quite a time. I've decided to give a list of thoughts I've collected over the trip:

1. It's a very long flight when you add a five hour delay in Chicago. (From home to Shanghai took approximately 24 hours.)

2. Thrilled to see my daughter alive and well. (Deep down I knew she would be, but it's so good to touch!)

3. I met Ade, one of G's good friends. She's a lovely, happy person with a beautiful smile and sparkly eyes.

4. We had a wonderful Beijing hotpot dinner with Curt and Sara. I've decided Curt's a foodie. If you need a great place to eat in Shanghai, ask Curt.

5. I had my first pedicure and manicure at the same time... I felt like a kept woman with all that pampering. :)

6. Part of the program was a four night stay in Sanya, which is an island in the South China Sea. The resort and spa were wonderful. Thoughts about the stay:

- WILDLIFE - lots of dragonflies, butterflies, feral cats singing at 5am, the best was a Wall Tiger (壁虎 - a gecko) sitting next to G; she was not amused

- SPA - four hours of bliss, I know I'm a kept woman (thank you David)

- THE VIEW - a private coral bay, lovely mountains and a restful horizon line

- FOOD - simple and of course we ate too much

- PROBLEMS - Although covered and sunsprayed, I got sunburned. G on the other hand picked up some sort of "flu bug" (very nasty!)

We left Sanya whipped and spent the next few days recuperating. The apartment is great so we read lots, laid around and watched TV - she has English cable! There also were these wonderful peanuts with salt and sugar on them. I'll miss those (and my daughter) when I come home.

Today she went back to work [BOO HISS, but one must pay the bills]. My final test here in China is to walk by myself to her office. Map and cell phone in hand, I'm up for the adventure!

Signing off-

Mom

Hot Pot, Pedicures and Pools

As you know, my mom has been visiting for almost the last two weeks. We have been having a great time meeting my friends, shopping and then had our trip last week to Sanya. I am very lucky that she was able to come.

The night before we went to Sanya mom and I got the works - manicures and pedicures (mom's first) and then went to dinner with my friend Curt and his wife Sara for Beijing style hot pot. Hot pot is one of those meals that because you cook it yourself really allows you to linger - which we did.

In Sanya our hotel was beautiful (mom is going to be doing a guest post later), but the swimming pools were absolutely fantastic. I went swimming every day, only limited by the last day when I unfortunately came down with the flu. Don't get sick on a tropical island. Starting to feel better now, but still not 100%.

Happy Easter to you all.

G

Spring cleaning

We had a bit of a warm spell a couple of weeks ago, but the last two weeks have been on the chilly side with lows in the low 40s and highs in the mid 50s. Today was still chilly, but the sun peaked out and I finally took some "me time" for the afternoon. I headed up to my old neighborhood with the intent to get my hair cut and then possibly a massage and some window shopping.

The area where I got my haircut (Wujiang Lu) has had some pretty major changes happen and I knew that they were proceeding with knocking down some of the storefronts. Unfortunately, sometime since my last haircut my salon has also closed. I stood in front of the door forelornly for a while, then decided to try a new place. I had seen a sign for a salon close by and proceeded to find it. Alize Salon was on the second floor with a little boutique on the first. I paid considerably more (almost $12) for my wash, blow and cut, but James (or Jin) did a great job - putting shape back in my hair and awesome layers in the back. I am starting to be able to banter in Chinese and that made the afternoon even more enjoyable. Sunlight streamed into the pretty salon as we chatted and relaxed. I liked it so much that I bought a discount card. :)

I then walked home via one of the parks. The confidence that only comes from a great haircut added bounce to my step as I took in the city beauty surrounding me. The trees are in the "lace" stage and flowers are peeping up. I tried to take a picture, but my camera battery was dead. No matter - it was a great glimpse of spring. Dinner with a friend and then finishing up my taxes. Spring means April 15th is coming too.

Question - What do you consider your signs of spring? Baseball games? Twilight walks? Daffodils?

Mom comes on Wednesday. We head to Sanya on Monday, April 6th - Qing Ming Jie [Tomb sweeping day]. A week of rest. A week of family. Both much needed.

G

Americans shake hands

Today, like many days I had multiple meetings. It was the first time for a long time that I wished that I wasn't an American.

Last Wednesday when exiting a client meeting I missed a step and fell flat on my face – or rather, flat on my hand. My shoe came off, my computer went one way, my purse the other and as I put my hand out to stop my fall my right side hit the pavement. I didn't know if my wrist was broken or not but after getting into a cab and talking with my colleagues I wound up going to the emergency room. It was the same place where I had the knee incident a few months ago – and I am much more familiar with the procedure now. Register, pay, see doctor who says get an X-Ray, pay for X Ray, get X-Ray, see doctor again, have him say it's not broken and I should take two weeks off work.

Right…

I took one day off work and have been typing with one hand for the last week. It slows down my speed considerably. Silly things like turning a door knob are difficult, which leads to my dilemma today. We had a meeting with a German client who stood up when he saw me and before I realized it grasped my hand with an incredibly firm grip. I nearly screamed in pain, but managed to choke it back and say, “How nice to meet you!” After finishing that meeting I had another, but this one was with a Chinese company (which normally means an exchange of business cards, but no handshakes). Lucky me, they all wanted to shake my hand. It was one of the limpest handshakes I have ever given. My father would not be proud.

Getting injured changes your point of view. Hurting my knee I learned that I typically put on my pants with my right leg first. Hurting my wrist I realized I typically put on shirts with my left arm in first. Who knew? It does feel much better over the last week, but I think I'm going to skip our team bowling outing this Friday. Just don't want to push it.

Hope you all are well. Those of you who know my mom please send her a safe travel shout out. She will be coming to visit me beginning April 1st and I am very excited.

Cheers!

One of those moments

The last week has been crazy busy. I had my first business trip to Beijing – actually my first two trips to Beijing. It was great to meet all of my Beijing colleagues and over the course of four days I also managed to meet with 6 clients and prospects. I was home for a very brief weekend, and then Sunday night headed back for a key meeting with a client Monday afternoon.

The client meeting finished around five and I took a cab directly to the airport. There was only one cab at the building and the vendor we had been meeting with and my boss all insisted that I take the cab. I got into the cab, told the driver – “I'm going to the airport.” He asked, “Which terminal?” “I said – Terminal 3.” Then I said, “I'm very lucky today – my colleagues are very polite and they insisted that I take the cab. Sometimes it's good to be a woman.”

My cab driver cracked up. He started laughing really hard. Then it hit me. I think that may be the first time I've told a joke in Chinese. Score!

There is a phrase in Chinese, “越来越好” It translates to “Getting better and better.” I am. Slowly. Just one of those moments…

G

Are you fluent in Mandarin?

This last week has been crazy for a lot of reasons - coordinating with some colleagues in the US has led to early mornings and late nights. I've also been called in to help manage a regional client, so getting up to speed has taken quite a bit of time. In the middle of all of this I had a client ask me straight out in an email, "Are you fluent in Mandarin?"

Although I have had friends ask the question, it's normally not direct like that and it took me aback. The first thought that flew through my mind was, "No way!" Then, though I took a step back and after a while composed the answer below:

“As far as my Mandarin, no, I'm not fluent. My listening skills are pretty good as I hear Chinese everyday, I can carry on a conversation, attend a meeting in Chinese and understand most of what is going on (60-80% normally depending on the topic and the speaker) although I normally use English when I need to clarify my points to make sure I am as clear as possible. I am still studying and continue to work on improving my overall communication skill in Mandarin.”

Initially I was embarrassed as I wrote the above, the perfectionist in me still has problems admitting shortcomings. Now, I'm not embarrassed at all. A year and a half ago I didn't speak any Chinese. Instead of looking at my faults, I'm going to focus on how far I've come.

Question - Any thing that you've done the same with? To looking forward...

Annual Dinner

At the end of November my assistant asked me if I'd be willing to participate in my department's program for the annual dinner. She said that we'd be singing. I said yes, not really understanding (like a lot of things) what I was getting into. She neglected to mention that I would be kicking it off acapella. We wound up singing a song "Mercer Welcomes You" that we adapted from "Beijing Welcomes You," one of the songs that was very popular here due to the Olympics. It was an experience and now every single person in the office knows exactly who I am. I did get a round of applause though.

I hope you enjoy the attached video from the beginning of January. The actual song is quite a bit longer, but thought this gives you a feel for the event. One of my coworkers recorded it and it's not professional, but quite amusing.

Can you tell what languages my coworkers are singing in at the beginning?

Bored?

(Initially written on January 26th)

When I was arranging my trip to Hawaii the flights were complicated. I have a series of meetings in Singapore after Chinese New Year, so my flights turned out to be Shanghai -> Tokyo -> Honolulu -> Manila -> Singapore -> Shanghai. I'm flying on three different airlines and as I'm discovering now, have a couple of nasty layovers. Right now I'm stuck in the Tokyo, Narita airport. I've already waited two hours and have two more to go and I am extremely bored.

I can't remember the last time where I've had the opportunity to be bored. In the exhausting day-to-day world in Shanghai, I typically fall asleep whenever I sit down and I'm not eating or working. One of my friend jokes that every time I see him I start yawning. I did sleep on the flight from Shanghai to Tokyo and probably will fall asleep on the plane to Honolulu as well, but for now I'm up and restless. I have books to read and my ipod, but can't seem to focus on anything. I did some stretches in a corner, bought some weird dried fruit and water at the duty free store, explored the terminal and still have two hours!

When's the last time you were bored? Can you remember it? What did you do?

Happy Chinese New Year to all! Happy 牛 year! 新年快乐！

Class Reunion

While I was home for Christmas I got an email from my former Miracle Mandarin classmate Marina. She and her husband Marko (also a classmate) were back in Shanghai after a six month absence. We emailed back and forth for a while and then scheduled a brunch at my apartment for last Sunday. Attendees were Marina, Marko, Ade, Chris and me. Chris and Ade never took class at the same time but knew each other through me and both had taken classes with me, Marko and Marina.

It was a wonderful reunion, each of us with a significant life change since our initial meetings. I transferred to my new job in Shanghai, Marko and Marina got married in September, Chris will be moving to Yantai within the week and Ade is pregnant! We ate pancakes, eggs, bread (with nutella) and fruit and toasted the future with sparkling juice.

To the Chinese class which brought us together! To Shanghai! To Chen Zhuo(our old teacher)! To health! To good fortune! To being together now! To the future!

To all my readers - Happy Year of the Ox! May this year be the best year yet for all of us.

G

Proof

When we were waiting in the hospital the night that I hurt my knee Ade snapped a couple of pictures of me after the doctor had given his diagnosis. The look on my face is hilarious!

In a bit of a knee update - my knee is feeling much better. The only thing that is still difficult is stairs, but I have much better range of motion now and by the time I head to Hawaii for Chinese New Year I should be good to go!

Cheers!

老外用筷子

When I was taking Chinese lessons last spring we had to come up with an idea for a TV program. My idea was entitled “Laowai yong kuaizi” which roughly translates to “Foreigners Using Chopsticks.” It was to be a cooking show with different guests as they learned about Chinese cuisine. Maybe someday when my consulting career has ended I will invest some energy in developing this show.

I flashed back to that Chinese class one day this week while I was eating lunch. I had asked one of the interns to get me an order of Guilin rice noodles and was happily slurping them down in my office with bamboo shoots, mushrooms and little pieces of meat. Then I realized – hey, I’m doing all this using chopsticks. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even classify foods as “difficult to eat” with chopsticks – it’s just food. Something that was definitely a consideration 15 months ago no longer exists.

I crave noodles in the winter – the ultimate comfort food. There are so many kinds here – rice noodles, pulled noodles, Japanese style noodles (udon), spicy noodles… They’re good, filling and affordable - $3 is a very high price. I’ve even learned how to make beef and noodles myself at home.

So – I am a laowai yong kuaizi. :)

Question – What food or method of eating have you discovered? Eating with your hands? Using the spoon to twirl pasta? Anything that is fun or funny? Share!