An Auspicious Day

Okay, so yesterday I went to sign my contract for my new place. For the most part, no major problems in signing it except for the unusual and surprising overblown ego of the wuye, or servicewoman, who I originally found and with whom I've been dealing for the past two weeks on relatively good terms considering she's a beijinger. Well, she was seriously boasting, taking credit--coming as a big surprise to me--for making the deal between my landlord and me, all of this in front of my landlord (I told her I would do it myself but she insisted from the outset on doing simple things. She wouldn't even give me his phone number). Well, I figured out why later. She was expecting a kickback from the landlord for being the middlewoman. Now everything makes sense. Is it me or does it just seem that anybody with even a little power just wants to abuse the shit out of it? Crazy. China.

I brought a baomu, or housemaid, down there with me (usually eight kuai ($1) an hour but I paid her ten and for her traveling time) since the landlord hadn't rented the place out for at the very least a year and the whole place was covered with a thick winter coat of dust. China has this backward policy that whoever rents cleans. So I can be as dirty and putrid as I want and as long as I don't break anything I can leave the place in a fetid disorder and coated with dirt while the next renter is responible for cleaning it. Terrible. Anyhow, AT LEAST it was just dust this time. So the housemaid spent six hours doing heavy-duty dusting while I went back home to bring all my stuff. I am officially moved down but of course, nothing ever goes perfectly on the mainland. China wouldn't be China if it did. So, currently I have no phone, no internet, no TV, no heating, and no hot water. The good news is, this isn't really that bad. Really!

What makes the day auspicious is that I got my LSAT score back and did better than I expected! So when I read the e-mail I screamed for joy, kicked my slipper off, and instead of going out, it went up and hit my light causing one of the glass frames around the bulb to fall and shatter! Speaking to a friend later, her mom (a Philipina) swears that broken glass is good luck. Well, let's hope she's right! Anyhow, my score at least makes me eligible to apply and have a good chance of being admitted to a school of law like UCLA, and doesn't cut out the possibility of Boalt, though unlikely. So it was a good day.

Time to Move On

The commute to work everyday is hell. I live about a ten minute bike ride to the rail, which then connects indirectly with the subway, then I have to transfer to a different line before I finally arrive at work an hour later after being squashed like the last unwelcome pea in one messed up pod. Add to this that everybody is tired and grumpy, probably didn't brush their teeth after eating loads of raw garlic the night before, and believe me, it is not the thing I most look forward to each day. At least the garlic gases act as a pungent ammonia-like substance and thus wake me up a bit. God, that is a sad rationalization! Anyhow, I figure I lose three hours each day living so far away (I live in Wudaokou and my work is at Wangfujing--for those of you familiar with Beijing), one hour being lost going to bed an hour early. Yes, I know, poor me!

Anyhow, I happened to stumble upon a wonderful place (thanks Julia!) to live near my work, a place called Nanchizi （南池子), which is located right near Tiananmen square and is a five minute walk away from work. So it is super centralized, close to work, and as peaceful and serene as one could ask for in almost the direct center of Beijing. Basically, it is in one of the few remaining enclaves of traditional Chinese homes near Tiananmen Square. By traditional I mean the rustic and rapidly disappearing siheyuan (四合院）, or Chinese courtyard, along with its unique beat and vibe stemming from the extreme community from living in such close quarters; in fact, the siheyuan was and still to some extent remains an integral part of the infamous hutongs (胡同）and its architectural layout is demonstrative of Chinese morality, ethics, and tradition. It's basically a sqaured enclosure with one entrance, inside of which usually in the middle is a nice garden (this one does indeed have a nice one) and in the past typically lived one big family of as many as four generations. Now, usually each room or one of the four sides inside is rented out. I got a nice place, two floors, one bedroom, overlooking the garden, and will be sharing the rest of the courtyard with a few Chinese families and a couple of foreigners. And I got super lucky finding this place for the price I did. They are in such high demand that finding a single room in a siheyuan is almost impossible, especially in this extremely well-located and coveted area. So, if everything works out this coming Saturday, I should be moved in by Sunday evening, right in time for my father and stepmother's arrival on Wednesday. May the gods be wonderful!

Congratulations Christina and Tristen!

This weekend my good friends Christina and Tristen had their wedding ceremony. It was totally unique in that almost everyone involved rode bicycles to the ceremony--a peaceful place near a temple about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from our starting point, in the deep suburbs of northwest beijing. Tristen in fact rode Christina (who is now about four months pregnant) all the way there! It was hilarious riding through the city, all the Chinese staring at us and smiling at our 20-strong bike parade, all of the bikes having ribbons and balloons attached to them. Tristen had a huge red bow strapped to his body while Christina was wearing a beautiful violet dress. Once there, we had a barbeque frenzy and played games like frisbee, badminton, and something similar to hackysack. And we happened to be near some beekeepers who sold me a whole hell of a lot of honey for cheap! And it is sooo good!

For Tristen, the ride was no problem, as he is a bicyclist par extreme, having ridden to Tibet and beyond with his best buds, as well as to many other rugged and extreme areas of China. Anyhow, he is a true gentlemen in every sense of the word and they are some of the kindest, most down to earth and purest people I have ever met. Christina and I met while I was teaching at Qinghua and we pretty much hit it off after we realized that we both served in Peace Corps; she served in Ghana. And I will be here to see their child when it's born! Can't wait!

I also learned about a couple of Chinese traditions during weddings, one being the groom, when he goes to pick up the bride, must first find her hidden shoes in her home before they leave together. And before that he is locked out and must slip some cash under the door in a red envelope as a sort of bribe to unlock the door! What a spot to be in! I wonder if the bride can bargain?

May You Be Forewarned....

I am going to go out on a limb here and offer this link for those of you interested in seeing some of the inner thoughts of some foreigners and Chinese. May you be forewarned however that there will be some inappropriate and highly provocative content. In any case, the website is one where foreigners who have lived in China for a substantial period of time can vent their frustrations, which I have to admit are not few. I don't claim I agree or disagree with the content, but damn is it hillarious sometimes! And it will give you a small peek into the best and worst of Chinese and foreigners living in China....Don't say I didn't warn you.

And I Thought I Was Hardcore!

A good friend of mine, Laura, is currently serving in Peace Corps Togo in West Africa. She's been there for about a year now (in fact, I am about to send a package to her of goodies) and has really been do some amazing things in her community. She's spirited, courageous, candid, fortified in character, and just a naturally sweet person. You can visit her link in my sidebar if you are interested in reading about her humorous and riveting experience. One particular of which is her battle with nature! Here is an excerpt:

"So, that's a summary of some of the major stuff going on currently. That oughtta hold ya for a month. ooooh, but I forgot also to tell you about the creepiest bug yet I've had to deal with: I think I had a Tumbu fly! They lay their eggs in wet laundry drying in the sun, and if you wear it within the first 3 days of said drying (I forgot just once!), the eggs will hatch and burrow into your skin, and then the larva matures 8-9days later, forming this huge and very painful boil, then wriggles out as a fly -- leaving a big hole (well, size of my pinky nail), and a traumatized host. It was a very painful few days, but it got better immediately after the hole finally appeared, and I didn't have to see it come out, thank god."

Now ain't that a treat! And I thought I was hardcore in Mongolia fending off the seven-month subzero temperatures. Think again...:) I'd choose weather versus bugs any day! Keep at it Laura!!

Back in Beijing For Better or Worse :)

It is FINALLY over! Yep, the LSAT stress, studying, assiduous perusing, stultifying anxiety-- all over baby! I feel pretty good about the exam. The part I worried about most was the games section, which though during the practice tests I didn't do badly on, nevertheless was my worst section in terms of overall performance. But on this test either they were easier than usual or I just happen to be in moment of great clarity. I feel I got them all right and I even finished early. However, the reading comprehension section was much more difficult than usual so I suppose the testmakers did this on purpose? Anyhow, I get my results in exactly three weeks--the same day my father and Paige come. Can't wait....!

<--Looks fake doesn't it? Hong Kong

Is it good to be back? Not really. It's funny how you don't really know what you are missing until you've walked right into the middle of it! Though I was only in Shenzhen and Hong Kong each for two days, it was like "one taste of the lavish life always leaves you longing for more." The differences between Beijing and Shenzhen, not to mention Hong Kong, are dramatic. And I was constanly asking myself, what the hell am I doing living in Beijing?! I realized just how rude Beijingers are and how bad the pollution weighs on one's sanity. Shenzhen and Hong Kong are much cleaner, especially Hong Kong, which has a high population density but somehow manages to keep extremely tidy and clean. I was shocked at the contrast with Beijing. And the people in Hong Kong, especially Shenzhen, are just plain nice! That was a very welcome surprise. I met more people in five days than I meet in Beijing in three weeks! There was no friction in conversations and people actually smiled! Holy crap! Couldn't believe it. And imagine this: when I had to exchange renminbi for HK dollars in Shenzhen the woman at the bank told me the formalities are formidable for foreigners; and then she said, "forget it, just use my id number and information"! My god! That would NEVER happen in Beijing! And by far the most eerie thing was absolutely no bicycles in either cities! Seems like they're as taboo or faux pas as rabid dogs or something. Another thing about Hong Kong is that it has a vibrance and ambiance that is unique and addictive, a pace of life that calls for more and faster, more and faster.... Not sure if I could live with this for an extended period. But case in point, sometimes I couldn't even slow down on the street or stop to look at some stores! I had to move to the side! The opposite in Beijing. Usually I am passing people wondering how they can walk and move so slowly. Futher, the whole time I never saw anyone spit, litter, yell, or argue. I heard just one car honk and, believe me, I was in a bustling little place of Hong Kong, called Yau Ma Tei (油麻地）。 A great place to stay that was introduced to me by Wang Wei--my Chinese friend who hooked me up a place to stay in Shenzhen. Amazing array of little shops, myriad small quaint restaurants, and a lot of small labrynth-like alleyways to explore. Thank you Wang Wei! She is soo cool! And very courageous following her heart's desire down to Shenzhen. Former teacher, now friend, I am happy we met again. She almost convinced me to move down there too! If it weren't for that internship, I probably would have given it some serious consideration. All in all, everything worked out without a hitch. And it's good to be back, for now...