What is in a neighborhood? Well, get away from American suburbia and you will find a totally different lifestyle.
At first, when the eggs, the milk, and the fruits and vegetables - yes, a few fruits and vegetables did exist in my fridge before Lara came - went bad after 3 days, I was super frustrated. Of course on the one hand that means there aren't so many preservatives and other stuff in my food, but on the other hand I have to go to the store every 3 days, which I find to be very annoying and time consuming. It's just not the American way. Americans go to the store for real grocery shopping once every week or two.
But eating food without preservatives has more than one healthy benefit. It develops relationships. While living in Li Ren, I got to know my local fruit lady, water lady, electronics guy, coffee shop (of course), pet store, and noodle restaurant. Typically there is a one on every block for every neighborhood.
Relationships are SO important in China, and I think many other countries that don't have suburban sprawl. It is easy to be frustrated especially in China I think, because there is no courtesy, no sense of caring, especially on the streets. I think it's because there are SO many people, the Chinese are very cold towards anyone who is not an immediate friend. But take the time to get to know your local block, and you will have instant friendly faces to enjoy on the way to work. I imagine myself like Belle in Beauty and the Beast during the opening song, greeting each shop owner as I walk by.
I've been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance to do the extra trips around my neighborhood, and of course now that I have moved, I live in a new neighborhood. I was becoming quite frustrated with the rudeness of China, so I took a jaunt in my old neighborhood after I got hit by the car. The electronics guy took my computer to a friend and had it back in less than 24 hours. The owner of the pet store knows I can read and write better than I can speak Mandarin, so while I talked to one of his assistants, he sat next to me as a scribe and wrote down everything that was said, to make sure I understood. The fruit lady likes to follow me around the store and make sure that I pick unbruised fruit. And the water lady is a little grouchy, but she still knows me :) China is so much more welcoming when I am waved at and greeted. Instead of the typical staring, glaring, sometimes even backing away, or even the guards not permitting me into my new apartment complex because "no foreigners have ever lived here".
This is one thing that was not even on our school board's radar I think when they had us all moved. The sense of community that the foreign teachers have developed on that block around the school.Maybe if I were staying an extra year, I would make the extra effort on my new block to meet the new fruit lady, the new water guy, and the new coffee shop. But that is the evil of traveling. All good relationships must come to an end. It's already heartbreaking to say goodbye to the community, even adopted family that I have made here. It's like the long goodbye. I do not want to get to know the new ones, and I am not yet ready to say goodbye to the old ones. Stuck in limbo here in Beilun ...
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
To Stick Out .. Or Not to Stick Out
It's obvious that I stick out in China. Any foreigner does, really. And the daily reaction to us foreigners can definitely go to your head. Lara and I have perfected our princess waves as we ride our bikes with Jett, and the Chinese stop to stare in awe. It really does feel like you are a celebrity. People stop me in the grocery store and ask for my picture. I like to be friendly, but then that girl runs and grabs all her friends, and suddenly I'm taking ten individual pictures with people, followed by several versions of a group photo!
I'm still trying to figure what they end up doing with the photos. Is there some hashtag on Chinese Twitter for, @sawaforeignertoday!
Here is one example: We were hiking at a local park with our friends Lisa and Fan (on the right). We decided to take a picture with the statute that has been dubbed "Mulan's Father". We waited for our turn, and then posed with the statue At the last second, several more Chinese people excitedly ran into the photo. No idea who they are.
The following weekend we went to the beach, laid out our towels and just relaxed. A group of maybe 12 Chinese walked by and just stared. Two minutes later one finally had the courage to come back and ask for a photo. We nodded, and she signalled the whole group to come over.
Sometimes I have zero patience for it, like when I was on the field trip this last Friday. Those five Chinese people who individually put their arms around me and took turns flashing their peace signs at the camera definitely had a very stony-faced, red headed laowai in their photo. I mean, it's obvious I'm teaching when we all have our school uniforms on! And I'm not really sure the point of the photos. But for the most part, I invite them all over and smile for the camera. I figure that a more positive interaction with a foreigner is better than a grumpy one, right? Especially when I could be their only interaction with a foreigner, I want to give a good impression.
The one time I actually didn't stick out happened to be on my way home from school. I had my books and computer in the front basket, my soccer bag clipped on the back, my purse was over my shoulder, and I was carrying a culligan-like water dispenser on my handle bars. My bike was loaded! And I felt very talented that day as I got home without crashing. That was also the least I had ever been stared at in China. I guess the more things I am capable of piling on my bike, the more I blend in? I looked just like everyone else on the street for once.
But I guess that wasn't the only time I didn't stick out ... As many of you know that I was hit by a car last week. Always have to be careful and watching out there! Now that Lara and I live a 20 minute walk from the school, we are having a lot more daily interaction with culture, and traffic. Even though I've been here a year and a half now, I've had a lot more "firsts" in China lately, since Lara and I are the only laowai who live in our complex. For better or for worse, hopefully a lot more new cultural experiences to come! Just today, a man in our building communicated using charades signals to Lara in the elevator that he was very excited to meet the second foreigner. Should be an interesting last few months!
I'm still trying to figure what they end up doing with the photos. Is there some hashtag on Chinese Twitter for, @sawaforeignertoday!
Here is one example: We were hiking at a local park with our friends Lisa and Fan (on the right). We decided to take a picture with the statute that has been dubbed "Mulan's Father". We waited for our turn, and then posed with the statue At the last second, several more Chinese people excitedly ran into the photo. No idea who they are.
The following weekend we went to the beach, laid out our towels and just relaxed. A group of maybe 12 Chinese walked by and just stared. Two minutes later one finally had the courage to come back and ask for a photo. We nodded, and she signalled the whole group to come over.
The one time I actually didn't stick out happened to be on my way home from school. I had my books and computer in the front basket, my soccer bag clipped on the back, my purse was over my shoulder, and I was carrying a culligan-like water dispenser on my handle bars. My bike was loaded! And I felt very talented that day as I got home without crashing. That was also the least I had ever been stared at in China. I guess the more things I am capable of piling on my bike, the more I blend in? I looked just like everyone else on the street for once.
But I guess that wasn't the only time I didn't stick out ... As many of you know that I was hit by a car last week. Always have to be careful and watching out there! Now that Lara and I live a 20 minute walk from the school, we are having a lot more daily interaction with culture, and traffic. Even though I've been here a year and a half now, I've had a lot more "firsts" in China lately, since Lara and I are the only laowai who live in our complex. For better or for worse, hopefully a lot more new cultural experiences to come! Just today, a man in our building communicated using charades signals to Lara in the elevator that he was very excited to meet the second foreigner. Should be an interesting last few months!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Apartment Woes
Well Lara and I have finally moved. Our lease was up on our apartment so the school had us move to a new apartment complex. I understand that moving is a lot of work to make the new place livable, but this has been ridiculous.
Our first week back form Cambodia/Thailand we were shown the apartment, and we refused to move until it actually had appliances and furniture. A week later we came back to have a look and thank goodness we did.
1. We have our own water heaters that we needed translation, and despite the translation I still didn't have hot water in my shower for 3 days.
2. Both showers leak into the other compartments of our bathrooms. And if you accidentally use full water pressure in Lara's shower, the hose kinks up and the water shuts off.
3. The washer would finish the load and still be half full of water.
4. We asked for curtains, which conveniently fluttered with the draft as the CLOSED windows weren't sealed around the edges.
5. Still no microwave or toaster oven ... no ovens in these apartments for baking! :((((( That's a really sad face.
6. No fresh water dispenser. We've been filling up jugs at school and hauling them back on our bikes.
As we are only here for 4 more months, we aren't financially prepared to furnish a new apartment, as we're both going to be doing it again in 3 months! I know I complain a lot, but it was a difficult move mid school year.
Now that we have moved:
1. The school agreed to reimburse us for the bikes we had to buy, since they won't provide a school bus for us (we're a 20 minute walk away) there is no public bus, taxis are infrequent, and the driver they hired to take us didn't show up on the first day.
2. Our Foreign Affairs Officer had to call the security at our complex since they refused me entrance TWICE. I just wanted to know if I needed ID or something since they kept stopping me. Apparently the guards said no foreigners lived in the complex. Lara and I are the first. And even more apparently, they only care about redheaded laowai since Lara had no issues, only me.
3. After 2 weeks, I have finally been able to do laundry. The hose for draining was built to drain UP and out of the washer, which obviously defies gravity, so we switched it to flow DOWN and out.
4. I've caulked both the showers (thank you daddy for sending me some of that last year).
5. I finally have hot water in my shower, but you can't turn on ANY water in the apartment or I will get a frozen blast of water.
6. We finally got a toaster oven yesterday, and Lara baked scones this morning! But we still don't have a fresh water dispense. More stealing water from the school, yay!
Alrighty, so here is the video. Keep in mind, everything in China is made to look nice. But it's usually just a temporary fix. I do not exaggerate when I say that if Lara and I haven't fixed it, it's probably still broken, and we just haven't had the time.
Our first week back form Cambodia/Thailand we were shown the apartment, and we refused to move until it actually had appliances and furniture. A week later we came back to have a look and thank goodness we did.
1. We have our own water heaters that we needed translation, and despite the translation I still didn't have hot water in my shower for 3 days.
2. Both showers leak into the other compartments of our bathrooms. And if you accidentally use full water pressure in Lara's shower, the hose kinks up and the water shuts off.
3. The washer would finish the load and still be half full of water.
4. We asked for curtains, which conveniently fluttered with the draft as the CLOSED windows weren't sealed around the edges.
5. Still no microwave or toaster oven ... no ovens in these apartments for baking! :((((( That's a really sad face.
6. No fresh water dispenser. We've been filling up jugs at school and hauling them back on our bikes.
As we are only here for 4 more months, we aren't financially prepared to furnish a new apartment, as we're both going to be doing it again in 3 months! I know I complain a lot, but it was a difficult move mid school year.
Now that we have moved:
1. The school agreed to reimburse us for the bikes we had to buy, since they won't provide a school bus for us (we're a 20 minute walk away) there is no public bus, taxis are infrequent, and the driver they hired to take us didn't show up on the first day.
2. Our Foreign Affairs Officer had to call the security at our complex since they refused me entrance TWICE. I just wanted to know if I needed ID or something since they kept stopping me. Apparently the guards said no foreigners lived in the complex. Lara and I are the first. And even more apparently, they only care about redheaded laowai since Lara had no issues, only me.
3. After 2 weeks, I have finally been able to do laundry. The hose for draining was built to drain UP and out of the washer, which obviously defies gravity, so we switched it to flow DOWN and out.
4. I've caulked both the showers (thank you daddy for sending me some of that last year).
5. I finally have hot water in my shower, but you can't turn on ANY water in the apartment or I will get a frozen blast of water.
6. We finally got a toaster oven yesterday, and Lara baked scones this morning! But we still don't have a fresh water dispense. More stealing water from the school, yay!
Alrighty, so here is the video. Keep in mind, everything in China is made to look nice. But it's usually just a temporary fix. I do not exaggerate when I say that if Lara and I haven't fixed it, it's probably still broken, and we just haven't had the time.
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