Let me give you a little insight as to the differences between a "regular" massage, often found in the States..and a Chinese massage. A Chinese massage is very different and not so...relaxing. The other day, I went with a couple of friends to get a foot massage. My first one! A 60 min. foot massage averages out to be about $10.25 USD over here. Hey, not bad!
FYI - a regular massage is with all your clothes on and where they rub you down through the material. If you want a more "traditional" massage, you need to request an OIL massage or I have seen some places advertise it as a "Hong Kong" type massage.
My foot massage. First, they give you a 15 min neck and shoulder massage and THEN begin your foot massage. Well, it turns out that you have to specify to NOT beat you. You think I'm kidding, right? I'm not. One of my girlfriends still had bruises on her shins from her last pedicure. Yikes!
The little 15 min massage prior to our foot massage turned out to be a full chiropractic treatment. My torso was twisted, my arms pulled back and cross ways, my vertebrae sufficiently rubbed raw and cracked. I didn't realize I could move in so many ways. Truly! Ok, I'll know better next time to specify...NO BEATINGS PLEASE!
I have mentioned I live in a little more rural area with a higher number of Chinese than some of the other expat communities in Shanghai. So, I started to look around for something closer to home. I visited a [relatively] nice Chinese massage place and decided to give it a try. Nobody spoke a word of English. My driver helped me figure out what I would be paying for exactly and I figured we could stumble through the rest. For a 90 minute massage, it costs about $25 USD.
I was taken immediately back to a room. It was clean, but not as posh as an expat massage parlor. It was a little unclear as to how much I was to disrobe and where I should put my stuff. So, I did what any other westerner would do, I stood there and stared until someone made it clear to me what the next step should be.
I thought it was a nice gesture...they brought me COLD water to drink and turned up the AC for me. Alright, now what? One lady left, another came in with a towel and some oil. She "helped" me disrobe by waiting for me to strip my clothes and she hung them up across the room. I can't say THAT was very comfortable...especially since she stood and watched me (naked!) get on the table where she then proceeded to cover me up.
My first thought as she began was, "Please don't hurt me." I had tried to make it clear I wanted a SWEDISH massage, a nice, smooth, gentle massage. Everyone shook their heads as if they knew exactly what I was talking about. They seemed to understand I didn't want a Chinese massage and they seemed to know the difference. Okay, here we go...
She proceeded to rub me down like I was the next meal she was seasoning for supper. Super fast and vigorous strokes, all over. First the back part of my body. Rub, rub, rub. Let's just say I have the same knots I had when we started plus some new ones.
She asked me to turn over (without the benefit of a towel to cover me). Once I did, she put the towel over me again and did my shins. Once she was finished, I felt the towel come off my upper body. Now, what does she think she'll be massaging? I didn't need to wonder for long...
She rubbed my intestines and stomach region. Nothing like a vigorous abdominal rub to get things movin'! It works better than Metamucil! And what woman wouldn't LOVE her fat to be rubbed vigorously across her stomach, making the table shake from the force of it? Verry relaaxxxing! My eyes flew open when she proceeded to massage my entire breasts...EXXCUUSE ME!? Don't we want to get to know each other a little better first??? Really!
So, here's the crux of it. I had a few choices. I COULD tell her what was on my mind at that very moment. However, she couldn't understand a word I said and wouldn't understand why I wanted her to stop. Then she would go get someone else and they wouldn't understand and I would have to try and explain it over again...all while naked with no towel! Or I could walk out. However, there would still need to be some explanations and a lot of "face" would be damaged, which is a #1 big no-no over here. It's all about saving face and she would have thought she did something very wrong if I just walked out. Or I could just let her finish since, at her pace, she would be done very soon.
I let her finish. Hey, what are you going to do?! Anything else seemed too exhausting and the whole point of being there in the first place was to try and relax. BREATHE DEEPLY! One thing I learned, is that the muscles beneath the fatty part of a women's breast holds tension. That actual muscle is rarely massaged in a professional manner, if ever. What am I saying? It's NEVER massaged that way! I was experiencing a total "Joey and his tailor" moment there, from the show Friends!
I think I'll stick to the more expat friendly massage parlors from now on. I'm sure I'll feel less...violated! haha Don't worry...I'll know all the GOOD places to go get cheap massages by the time any of you come to visit. Count on it! The things I'm willing to do in the name of research. Ha! :)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Olympic SOCCER Game!
Many of the Olympic soccer games are being held here in Shanghai, including the quarter-finals and the finals. In the spirit of being here for this historical event (the Olympics), we decided to take Brandon to see a real soccer game at the Shanghai Stadium! There were two games tonight, Korea vs. Honduras and Belgium vs. New Zealand...the ticket price included both games! :) Allen left work early and we headed to the Stadium...
It was a GREAT night to go to a soccer game. The Stadium is not a covered building, thus with air conditioning (like in Phoenix). But, we had a summer storm passing through today and the sky had been overcast all day. By the time we got to the games, it was late afternoon. Our driver dropped us off where all the action was and we proceeded to the gates of the Stadium. There were TONS of people, but absolutely NO STRESS. Everyone moved to where they needed to be pretty efficiently.
Don't get me wrong...it was STILL HOT as sin with the extra humidity of the passing storm. It looked like you really COULD cut it with a knife...I swear (see night picture above)! But, at least we didn't have to deal with the blaring sun in addition to the humidity. Since Korea was playing in the first game, the Stadium was packed with fans rooting for their "brothers". I thought it was great, because Brandon picked "red" as the team he wanted to root for, which was Korea. So, while he was rooting for the "red" team, he could follow the game and his "team" with an extra bundle of exuberance from the thousands of fans sitting around us. It was GREAT! Korea won, 1-0.
We got GREAT seats too! It turns out that when you purchase the tickets, the computer does a "lottery" as to where you will sit in the Stadium...you just have to specify how many seats you want together. We got great seats...high above the field, so we could see absolutely everything with zero obstacles in front of us. We definitely got lucky!
The actual official Olympic employees were so helpful the entire way, often stopping us to say "hello" in English to Brandon. They were SO pleased when he responded by saying "hello" in Chinese, "Ni Hao". They would exclaim and laugh and encourage him to say other words. They loved it! Again, people wanted to take his picture and they wanted to hang around him, just looking and smiling. Both our boys have NO IDEA what to do with all this extra attention.
As you can imagine, Ryan didn't come with us. But, it will be exciting when both boys will get to do stuff like this with us! Brandon was sooooooooo good tonight! An angel! He was interested in the game, a little surprised by all the enthusiasm around him, curious about the "wave" and just happy to be there. However, by the end of the first game, he requested to go home (I'm not kidding, he actually requested). He said he was tired. So, we headed towards the souvenir stand, had him pick out something he wanted, bought shirts for all of us and Brandon and I proceeded towards Mr. Chen's car to go home. Allen was thrilled to be at an Olympic men's soccer game and stayed for the last game. After dropping us off at home, Mr. Chen went to go pick him up as well.
It was a GREAT night and something we will remember for our lifetime! :)
Shedding some light...
If you read yesterday's blog, you know I had a rough day and was feeling overwhelmed by the images I had seen. Those images swirled around my head no matter how much I tried to push them out. Needless to say, I got a very poor night's sleep.
Referring to yesterday's blog, I would like to shed some light on a few things from some information I received today. This information will most particularly pertain to those of you who plan to move to China. After this, I really want to move on from this topic. Moving here, you can't expect every day to be so rosy, so be prepared.
Today, I had lunch with the only two women I know here, at the restaurant in their mutual compound. I was telling them of my day yesterday and coincidentally, one of them had a similar experience the day before and the other one had taken some classes about how to survive living in Shanghai, compliments of her husband's work. Both of them could shed some light about my events yesterday.
One girlfriend had been driving home with her family and saw an accident. A foreigner was sitting on the ground, with his motorcycle not too far from him. There was a group of people standing near him, but they were obviously not trying to help...even to get up. She insisted that her driver pull over and she and her husband got out to see if he was ok. She described him to be about 50-ish years old. He explained that he had been driving his Harley, gotten up to a decent speed, when a dog darted across the road...he swerved and fell over. He thanked them profusely for stopping as nobody else was offering to do the same. He happened to live in the same community as them, explained he is American and has lived in China for about a year and my friend and her family dropped him off at his front door. He asked them for their last name...and since they lived nearby, they didn't see the harm in giving it to him. After all this happened, my friend told me that her driver WARNED her not to stop or assist anyone in an accident again. What? Why? It turns out that many people who are hurt and have had an accident over here in China, will often blame the person who helps them so that they can get their medical bills paid, etc. Unfortunately, the person blamed also usually goes to jail. In this instance, both my friend and I feel that nothing will come of it. However, she will definitely be careful in the future. As will I.
Also, my other friend told me a few things she learned in her class. She explained that if you need medical assistance, you can never rely on ambulances to offer assistance. You need to flag a taxi, a person...ANYBODY...to help drive you to a hospital. She relayed instances of people (kids included) who had died because they had been waiting for over 2.5 hours for an ambulance, obviously assuming that since they had been called, they will come relatively quickly. Mistake #1 for a western expat. This is NOT like home. It was also explained to her that there are two different kinds of hospitals...International ones and Chinese run hospitals. There is only ONE Int'l hospital in Pudong (Shanghai East) and TWO on the Puxi side. The rest of them, no matter how good, are Chinese run. The REASON this is important is because only an International Hospital will treat you as a triage situation in an emergency. Any hospital run by Chinese will NOT triage you in the same way you are used to back home. So, if you have a true emergency and you run into a Chinese run hospital, you will be last in a long line of other people there to see a doctor...you are just a number. Also, it was explained to her that China, in general, can rarely offer you medicine with the same strength you are use to back home. She, herself, was told she will need to take 8 aspirin for her migraine headaches to get the same effect as 2-3 back home. Remember my Desitin problem?? THAT is what I'm talking about! I can't find ANY rash cream here that is remotely as effective as Desitin.
I know many of you think and verbalize that by the end of two years, I may want to stay here...that a lot can happen in two years. Hmmm...I guess that might true for some. But, I think that may be TRUER of someone with the Chinese personality of water..able to shift and change direction easily.
I'm like...wood...in mud. C'mon, you really see me staying?
Referring to yesterday's blog, I would like to shed some light on a few things from some information I received today. This information will most particularly pertain to those of you who plan to move to China. After this, I really want to move on from this topic. Moving here, you can't expect every day to be so rosy, so be prepared.
Today, I had lunch with the only two women I know here, at the restaurant in their mutual compound. I was telling them of my day yesterday and coincidentally, one of them had a similar experience the day before and the other one had taken some classes about how to survive living in Shanghai, compliments of her husband's work. Both of them could shed some light about my events yesterday.
One girlfriend had been driving home with her family and saw an accident. A foreigner was sitting on the ground, with his motorcycle not too far from him. There was a group of people standing near him, but they were obviously not trying to help...even to get up. She insisted that her driver pull over and she and her husband got out to see if he was ok. She described him to be about 50-ish years old. He explained that he had been driving his Harley, gotten up to a decent speed, when a dog darted across the road...he swerved and fell over. He thanked them profusely for stopping as nobody else was offering to do the same. He happened to live in the same community as them, explained he is American and has lived in China for about a year and my friend and her family dropped him off at his front door. He asked them for their last name...and since they lived nearby, they didn't see the harm in giving it to him. After all this happened, my friend told me that her driver WARNED her not to stop or assist anyone in an accident again. What? Why? It turns out that many people who are hurt and have had an accident over here in China, will often blame the person who helps them so that they can get their medical bills paid, etc. Unfortunately, the person blamed also usually goes to jail. In this instance, both my friend and I feel that nothing will come of it. However, she will definitely be careful in the future. As will I.
Also, my other friend told me a few things she learned in her class. She explained that if you need medical assistance, you can never rely on ambulances to offer assistance. You need to flag a taxi, a person...ANYBODY...to help drive you to a hospital. She relayed instances of people (kids included) who had died because they had been waiting for over 2.5 hours for an ambulance, obviously assuming that since they had been called, they will come relatively quickly. Mistake #1 for a western expat. This is NOT like home. It was also explained to her that there are two different kinds of hospitals...International ones and Chinese run hospitals. There is only ONE Int'l hospital in Pudong (Shanghai East) and TWO on the Puxi side. The rest of them, no matter how good, are Chinese run. The REASON this is important is because only an International Hospital will treat you as a triage situation in an emergency. Any hospital run by Chinese will NOT triage you in the same way you are used to back home. So, if you have a true emergency and you run into a Chinese run hospital, you will be last in a long line of other people there to see a doctor...you are just a number. Also, it was explained to her that China, in general, can rarely offer you medicine with the same strength you are use to back home. She, herself, was told she will need to take 8 aspirin for her migraine headaches to get the same effect as 2-3 back home. Remember my Desitin problem?? THAT is what I'm talking about! I can't find ANY rash cream here that is remotely as effective as Desitin.
I know many of you think and verbalize that by the end of two years, I may want to stay here...that a lot can happen in two years. Hmmm...I guess that might true for some. But, I think that may be TRUER of someone with the Chinese personality of water..able to shift and change direction easily.
I'm like...wood...in mud. C'mon, you really see me staying?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Human Condition
This blog, I'm afraid, isn't quite so reader friendly. So, please read it at your own risk. :(
"Life is cheap. Time is money."
I think it's time to talk about this. This is a phrase the Chinese have coined for their very own way of life over here. This is what the CHINESE will tell you. There are many things that we (Allen and I) see here everyday that bring this phrase to the fore front of our minds.
Recently, President Bush made some statements about China's LACK of Human Rights efforts. Regardless of my or anyone else's political beliefs or views about this subject, I think many people should understand that 1) there are always two sides to every story and 2) the President of the US (whomever he/she may be) sees a lot more than the average "Joe", thus establishing a thread of truth to what they say about it. NOT being President, I can't imagine what images the President has been shown in regards to this subject to spur him to even broach the topic in the public's eye. However, living here and just seeing what I have seen in the few weeks I have been here, I have to admit that the statements made by him (however ill timed), may have some thread of truth and even some genuine concern behind them. But, this really isn't about politics, as you will soon learn. It's just...food for thought for some of you and something that might come to mind in the next few paragraphs.
I understand that whatever I have to say in this blog is 100% skewed, as I'm NOT Chinese AND I come from a country that specifically designs, builds and thinks about how to make life easier in every way for us. One small and insignificant example would be aerosol cans. They are very hard to find over here, for many reasons. However, they are everywhere you look in the US. When I spray or rub on OFF! or sunscreen here, I curse how inconvenienced I am by the process. The aerosol cans make life SO much easier, regardless your views about their damage to the environment. It's a fact: they make life easier, thus their very existence. There are a ton of examples I could explain in detail, but I digress.
The POINT to the previous paragraph was that maybe because I AM American and used to the American way of life, I see and am especially affected by the differences between our cultures, especially in the everday way of life over here. There is a LARGE difference in the overall accommodations afforded to the Chinese versus what the expats have available to them. The apartment buildings are well past the point of disrepair, some even crumbling around the sides. Energy is a luxury and the malls, modes of transportation, shops and retail centers for the Chinese are either NOT air conditioned in this heat or are cooled, but to a minuscule amount. It's really barely tolerable..at least to foreigners. The smell emanating from these more "local" areas are also barely tolerable. This may be a contributing factor as to why you see trains, buildings, malls, hospitals, etc. segregated...Chinese vs. foreigners. I'm not sure. These establishments are much more comfortable if it is a well established expat venue. I'm not the only one who sees the difference. Many people have commented on China Eastern, a primarily Chinese airline. The differences between this airline and other airlines who cater to foreigners is immeasurable. Back to the buildings...if I see here in Shanghai, one of China's shining cities, so much ruin of the human condition, I can't imagine what I would see if I venture further inland, to the much more rural parts of China. A sad example would be the recent earthquakes. The building codes were grotesquely ignored or paid off to be ignored.
Also, you can't ignore the pressure the Chinese government puts on the "stars" of their land. These Olympic players want to win gold medals, OF COURSE, for themselves... but you can't discount the amount of pressure they have on them to "perform" and "excel" in the eyes of the world for something as significant as this event here in China. Please read the following link for just one author's view:
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news?slug=aw-yaoteamusa081008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
The driving. *sigh* The driving. I know I have written to many of you about the driving over here. Many of you already know what it is like over here. A brief synopsis would be that the Chinese are masters negotiators, even on the road. It's a negotiation of road space, everyone giving and taking space all at the time, more often than not, barely missing each other in the process. It's a wonder to foreigners how anyone could survive driving the way that they do over here. Surprisingly, I, personally, have seen very few accidents. But, I HAVE seen them. Many of you also know that mothers will ride cradling their infants on the backs of scooters, children will hold on tight both in front and behind the parent on scooters, etc. Trucks will nudge their way along through pedestrians, buses will speed along their routes, only stopping or slowing if very necessary, pedestrians will stand very still between lanes while speeding cars zip by them, u-turns will be made - anywhere. Colored lights and stop signs don't mean a thing here. They are used for some guidance, but the rules never apply. Fend for yourself, is the general rule. According to the people who we know have driver's licenses in both China and the US say that the rules of the road are extremely similar in text. So why isn't there more enforcement to protect China's people from getting hurt while on the road?
All of the above topics pertaining to the "conditions" here in China lead me to remind everyone that the Chinese people are not treated as equals, whether by each other and especially not by the government. Life is cheap, time is money. Their very own Chinese philosophy. This country is unregulated on so many levels, and many of us expats are reminded everyday about the unforeseen as well as the apparent dangers while living here. Americans rely on the standards set by our government, federal, state, county and city wide, to protect us and our children from as much apparent harm as possible. I LOVE THE USA!!!! We tend to take it for granted.
Justification for a higher education. Education being the key word here. We, as Americans, are so educated about safety in general. Yeah, it's very inconvenient to climb in the back of our van to strap the kids into their seats. But, thank the heavens, I have the education AND the means to provide my children with that level of safety, ESPECIALLY here in China. As for all the other unforeseen items that are well beyond my control? Well, I hope that for the duration of our stay here in China, they remain just that...unforeseen. I hope there ISN'T an earthquake here in Shanghai to make me see that the building codes were not enforced while building the school our kids are attending. ALL of THAT kind of stuff...
*SIGH*
I had the extreme misfortune to witness something horrible today. :( An unfortunate, but entirely predictable end in regards to the way of life here in China. I had instructed our driver to move along the shoulder very slowly along a length of road, so that I could see all the little shops better from the car. I was sitting in the front seat where the windows are not tinted so I could see at a distance a little better. We were driving along for quite a while when we noticed a few pedestrians and a large truck in the lane on the other side of the road. No big deal. Big trucks stop all the time in the middle of their lanes. WHY, I don't know. Anyway, as we passed, the car immediately in front of us slowed way down, so we slowed way down, to a snail's crawl. As we passed the back end of the truck...it was horrible. The truck had apparently hit a scooter. The scooter was driven by an old man with his wife (I'm guessing) on the back of it. There were some people standing around, staring, but no one was hovering over them trying to help or assisting in any manner. Only one man was standing off to the side on his cell phone. There was no sense of "rush" among any of the people who stood, just staring and pointing. One guy even had a cigarette between his fingers!! The woman was on her back with streams of blood running down her face. There was a pool of bright red blood beneath her head that was spreading onto the asphalt at a very alarming rate. And she was...twitching. The old man (her husband?) sat staring at her. I think he may have been in shock. He was about a foot away from her and was just sitting and staring, with his elbow over one knee.
Life is cheap. Time is money. It's disturbing...this philosophy. Of course, things like this happen in the US. But, the overall general negligence of road rules is disturbing, especially when you see cars, buses, vans and trucks careening towards scooters, bicycles and pedestrians, all at the same time. And there isn't any law enforcement doing anything about it. No consequences...because, hey, what's one life when you have a billion other people to worry about, right?
It has taken many decades to be where the Chinese are and until recently, China was under a much stricter rule. The Romans didn't build Rome in a day. It starts with the government and who's to say how long it'll take the tides of change to reach all of China's people. Seeing just the few things I have in the short amount of time I have been here, I AM happy for China and their willingness to change with the world, albeit slowly. They are one of the oldest civilizations on the planet and it's culture is steeped in ancient tradition. Rome wasn't built in a day...
"Life is cheap. Time is money."
I think it's time to talk about this. This is a phrase the Chinese have coined for their very own way of life over here. This is what the CHINESE will tell you. There are many things that we (Allen and I) see here everyday that bring this phrase to the fore front of our minds.
Recently, President Bush made some statements about China's LACK of Human Rights efforts. Regardless of my or anyone else's political beliefs or views about this subject, I think many people should understand that 1) there are always two sides to every story and 2) the President of the US (whomever he/she may be) sees a lot more than the average "Joe", thus establishing a thread of truth to what they say about it. NOT being President, I can't imagine what images the President has been shown in regards to this subject to spur him to even broach the topic in the public's eye. However, living here and just seeing what I have seen in the few weeks I have been here, I have to admit that the statements made by him (however ill timed), may have some thread of truth and even some genuine concern behind them. But, this really isn't about politics, as you will soon learn. It's just...food for thought for some of you and something that might come to mind in the next few paragraphs.
I understand that whatever I have to say in this blog is 100% skewed, as I'm NOT Chinese AND I come from a country that specifically designs, builds and thinks about how to make life easier in every way for us. One small and insignificant example would be aerosol cans. They are very hard to find over here, for many reasons. However, they are everywhere you look in the US. When I spray or rub on OFF! or sunscreen here, I curse how inconvenienced I am by the process. The aerosol cans make life SO much easier, regardless your views about their damage to the environment. It's a fact: they make life easier, thus their very existence. There are a ton of examples I could explain in detail, but I digress.
The POINT to the previous paragraph was that maybe because I AM American and used to the American way of life, I see and am especially affected by the differences between our cultures, especially in the everday way of life over here. There is a LARGE difference in the overall accommodations afforded to the Chinese versus what the expats have available to them. The apartment buildings are well past the point of disrepair, some even crumbling around the sides. Energy is a luxury and the malls, modes of transportation, shops and retail centers for the Chinese are either NOT air conditioned in this heat or are cooled, but to a minuscule amount. It's really barely tolerable..at least to foreigners. The smell emanating from these more "local" areas are also barely tolerable. This may be a contributing factor as to why you see trains, buildings, malls, hospitals, etc. segregated...Chinese vs. foreigners. I'm not sure. These establishments are much more comfortable if it is a well established expat venue. I'm not the only one who sees the difference. Many people have commented on China Eastern, a primarily Chinese airline. The differences between this airline and other airlines who cater to foreigners is immeasurable. Back to the buildings...if I see here in Shanghai, one of China's shining cities, so much ruin of the human condition, I can't imagine what I would see if I venture further inland, to the much more rural parts of China. A sad example would be the recent earthquakes. The building codes were grotesquely ignored or paid off to be ignored.
Also, you can't ignore the pressure the Chinese government puts on the "stars" of their land. These Olympic players want to win gold medals, OF COURSE, for themselves... but you can't discount the amount of pressure they have on them to "perform" and "excel" in the eyes of the world for something as significant as this event here in China. Please read the following link for just one author's view:
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news?slug=aw-yaoteamusa081008&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
The driving. *sigh* The driving. I know I have written to many of you about the driving over here. Many of you already know what it is like over here. A brief synopsis would be that the Chinese are masters negotiators, even on the road. It's a negotiation of road space, everyone giving and taking space all at the time, more often than not, barely missing each other in the process. It's a wonder to foreigners how anyone could survive driving the way that they do over here. Surprisingly, I, personally, have seen very few accidents. But, I HAVE seen them. Many of you also know that mothers will ride cradling their infants on the backs of scooters, children will hold on tight both in front and behind the parent on scooters, etc. Trucks will nudge their way along through pedestrians, buses will speed along their routes, only stopping or slowing if very necessary, pedestrians will stand very still between lanes while speeding cars zip by them, u-turns will be made - anywhere. Colored lights and stop signs don't mean a thing here. They are used for some guidance, but the rules never apply. Fend for yourself, is the general rule. According to the people who we know have driver's licenses in both China and the US say that the rules of the road are extremely similar in text. So why isn't there more enforcement to protect China's people from getting hurt while on the road?
All of the above topics pertaining to the "conditions" here in China lead me to remind everyone that the Chinese people are not treated as equals, whether by each other and especially not by the government. Life is cheap, time is money. Their very own Chinese philosophy. This country is unregulated on so many levels, and many of us expats are reminded everyday about the unforeseen as well as the apparent dangers while living here. Americans rely on the standards set by our government, federal, state, county and city wide, to protect us and our children from as much apparent harm as possible. I LOVE THE USA!!!! We tend to take it for granted.
Justification for a higher education. Education being the key word here. We, as Americans, are so educated about safety in general. Yeah, it's very inconvenient to climb in the back of our van to strap the kids into their seats. But, thank the heavens, I have the education AND the means to provide my children with that level of safety, ESPECIALLY here in China. As for all the other unforeseen items that are well beyond my control? Well, I hope that for the duration of our stay here in China, they remain just that...unforeseen. I hope there ISN'T an earthquake here in Shanghai to make me see that the building codes were not enforced while building the school our kids are attending. ALL of THAT kind of stuff...
*SIGH*
I had the extreme misfortune to witness something horrible today. :( An unfortunate, but entirely predictable end in regards to the way of life here in China. I had instructed our driver to move along the shoulder very slowly along a length of road, so that I could see all the little shops better from the car. I was sitting in the front seat where the windows are not tinted so I could see at a distance a little better. We were driving along for quite a while when we noticed a few pedestrians and a large truck in the lane on the other side of the road. No big deal. Big trucks stop all the time in the middle of their lanes. WHY, I don't know. Anyway, as we passed, the car immediately in front of us slowed way down, so we slowed way down, to a snail's crawl. As we passed the back end of the truck...it was horrible. The truck had apparently hit a scooter. The scooter was driven by an old man with his wife (I'm guessing) on the back of it. There were some people standing around, staring, but no one was hovering over them trying to help or assisting in any manner. Only one man was standing off to the side on his cell phone. There was no sense of "rush" among any of the people who stood, just staring and pointing. One guy even had a cigarette between his fingers!! The woman was on her back with streams of blood running down her face. There was a pool of bright red blood beneath her head that was spreading onto the asphalt at a very alarming rate. And she was...twitching. The old man (her husband?) sat staring at her. I think he may have been in shock. He was about a foot away from her and was just sitting and staring, with his elbow over one knee.
Life is cheap. Time is money. It's disturbing...this philosophy. Of course, things like this happen in the US. But, the overall general negligence of road rules is disturbing, especially when you see cars, buses, vans and trucks careening towards scooters, bicycles and pedestrians, all at the same time. And there isn't any law enforcement doing anything about it. No consequences...because, hey, what's one life when you have a billion other people to worry about, right?
It has taken many decades to be where the Chinese are and until recently, China was under a much stricter rule. The Romans didn't build Rome in a day. It starts with the government and who's to say how long it'll take the tides of change to reach all of China's people. Seeing just the few things I have in the short amount of time I have been here, I AM happy for China and their willingness to change with the world, albeit slowly. They are one of the oldest civilizations on the planet and it's culture is steeped in ancient tradition. Rome wasn't built in a day...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Summer Fashion
Just like the food, I do have people asking me what the weather is like in Shanghai right now as well as what are people wearing around town. Right now, it's summer and it's hot.
The weather mimics Arizona weather. They have two seasons here as well...hot and cold. But because of the high humidity (around 85%), it's REALLY hot and it gets REALLY cold. I don't relish the summers and Allen really isn't looking forward to the winters here. Also, because of the extra moisture, ie, humidity, water ALL over town, close to the ocean, and this area being a swampland of sorts for centuries on end, there are a TON of mozzies (mosquitos)! Ack!
Allen was here in June and he said there was not one bright and sunny day - not one. He mentioned the temperature was warm and the sky was overcast all of the time, with some rainstorms. It sounded similar to our Arizona monsoon season. However, July and August, there have been plenty of bright, sunny days with the occasional passing thunderstorm. We have gotten mild to very loud thunder overhead. These past couple of months remind both of us more of Hawaii...it's amazing how quickly the dense overcast skies lighten and move on, leaving lots of sunshine. It's amazingly hot here. I honestly couldn't think of any place hotter than Arizona..until I moved here. I miss Arizona. Here, it feels like you could cut the heat with a knife every time you step outside. You sweat just standing outside for more than a minute. Ack!
I already mentioned in another blog how the Chinese people, especially women, are adverse to sun exposure. Since many of the Chinese people transport themselves by bicycle, scooter or walking, they have designed some clever clothing to cover up while on the aforementioned modes of transportation.
I see women (everywhere) wearing a shawl of sorts across their shoulders. It is shaped like a shawl, with arm holes (and a finger band) and a tie in the front to hold it in place. The entire garment is made of very thin material as to keep them cool, but ward off the sun as well. It is also loose and can often be seen billowing out around them while they are scooting around town. The collar often has some kind of lace to also help ward off the sun from the neck area. The women also use arm sleeves while riding in the sun, which cover from wrist to mid-upper arm. I have also seen the po' woman version...a kitchen towel wrapped around their entire face, head and neck. The shawls I mentioned are not available in western stores. You have to walk the back alleyways and more "local" shopping areas to find them.
Also, the women have many clothes that have a layer of sheer material on top with an underlining opaque piece closer to their skin. the sheer layer is often seen on the upper chest, down the sides and the arms. I imagine these shirts help to keep them cooler. I have even sometimes seen JUST the sheer piece with the bra underneath showing. I figure these women feel the bra itself is a layer of clothing. Hey! It's so hot here...who am I to judge when I desperately want to shed all my own clothing just to cool down!
I once read a blogger's point of view and she had mentioned that every summer, out come the little nylon socks and she wasn't quite sure why the women wore them in the summer since it's so hot here. I completely understand the little sockies. It turns out that it is sooooo hot here, your feet sweat like little piggies in your sandals. The sockies are to prevent you from sweating in your shoes, even your sandals. But Chinese women don't often wear sandals. You will see many of them wearing pumps while walking, bicycling and on their scooters. I can't believe how far these women walk in pumps all day long! Ouch! It's looks very uncomfortable. These women here have calves of steel...I'm not kidding!
Umbrellas are the season's biggest hit in the summertime! Out comes the sun...out come the umbrellas! Since the umbrellas are used for both the sunny AND rainy seasons here, almost every store or restaurant have umbrella stands next to their entrances.
The little tykes don their split pants all year round, even in the summer. I see little boys walking around town with little board shorts or denim shorts with pockets (like you would see at Old Navy), but sure enough, as they walk by, you can see their little tushies. I have seen many little girls wearing both traditional silk dresses (with Chinese design and embroidery) AND more contemporary dresses and clothing as well. Many of the International Schools require uniforms, so I imagine that I will see many kids in their school uniforms once school starts.
Many times, we will see older Chinese people in what looks like PJ's. They will be walking around very busy touristy shopping areas as well as more local areas, looking as if they don't have a care in the world...especially about their clothing. I assume they are out for comfort, not fashion. If you walk down the alleyways of the "local" residential areas, you will see...all kinds of things. *chuckle* Prepare yourself!
Generally, everyone here wears what they want...new or old clothing, bright or subdued colors, spots combined with stripes, very interesting color combinations, etc. The men and their business suits tend to be darker colors, which go better with darker skin and black hair. The younger crowd tend to be a little more conscientious of the latest fashion trends, ie, hair, clothes, style, etc.
The weather mimics Arizona weather. They have two seasons here as well...hot and cold. But because of the high humidity (around 85%), it's REALLY hot and it gets REALLY cold. I don't relish the summers and Allen really isn't looking forward to the winters here. Also, because of the extra moisture, ie, humidity, water ALL over town, close to the ocean, and this area being a swampland of sorts for centuries on end, there are a TON of mozzies (mosquitos)! Ack!
Allen was here in June and he said there was not one bright and sunny day - not one. He mentioned the temperature was warm and the sky was overcast all of the time, with some rainstorms. It sounded similar to our Arizona monsoon season. However, July and August, there have been plenty of bright, sunny days with the occasional passing thunderstorm. We have gotten mild to very loud thunder overhead. These past couple of months remind both of us more of Hawaii...it's amazing how quickly the dense overcast skies lighten and move on, leaving lots of sunshine. It's amazingly hot here. I honestly couldn't think of any place hotter than Arizona..until I moved here. I miss Arizona. Here, it feels like you could cut the heat with a knife every time you step outside. You sweat just standing outside for more than a minute. Ack!
I already mentioned in another blog how the Chinese people, especially women, are adverse to sun exposure. Since many of the Chinese people transport themselves by bicycle, scooter or walking, they have designed some clever clothing to cover up while on the aforementioned modes of transportation.
I see women (everywhere) wearing a shawl of sorts across their shoulders. It is shaped like a shawl, with arm holes (and a finger band) and a tie in the front to hold it in place. The entire garment is made of very thin material as to keep them cool, but ward off the sun as well. It is also loose and can often be seen billowing out around them while they are scooting around town. The collar often has some kind of lace to also help ward off the sun from the neck area. The women also use arm sleeves while riding in the sun, which cover from wrist to mid-upper arm. I have also seen the po' woman version...a kitchen towel wrapped around their entire face, head and neck. The shawls I mentioned are not available in western stores. You have to walk the back alleyways and more "local" shopping areas to find them.
Also, the women have many clothes that have a layer of sheer material on top with an underlining opaque piece closer to their skin. the sheer layer is often seen on the upper chest, down the sides and the arms. I imagine these shirts help to keep them cooler. I have even sometimes seen JUST the sheer piece with the bra underneath showing. I figure these women feel the bra itself is a layer of clothing. Hey! It's so hot here...who am I to judge when I desperately want to shed all my own clothing just to cool down!
I once read a blogger's point of view and she had mentioned that every summer, out come the little nylon socks and she wasn't quite sure why the women wore them in the summer since it's so hot here. I completely understand the little sockies. It turns out that it is sooooo hot here, your feet sweat like little piggies in your sandals. The sockies are to prevent you from sweating in your shoes, even your sandals. But Chinese women don't often wear sandals. You will see many of them wearing pumps while walking, bicycling and on their scooters. I can't believe how far these women walk in pumps all day long! Ouch! It's looks very uncomfortable. These women here have calves of steel...I'm not kidding!
Umbrellas are the season's biggest hit in the summertime! Out comes the sun...out come the umbrellas! Since the umbrellas are used for both the sunny AND rainy seasons here, almost every store or restaurant have umbrella stands next to their entrances.
The little tykes don their split pants all year round, even in the summer. I see little boys walking around town with little board shorts or denim shorts with pockets (like you would see at Old Navy), but sure enough, as they walk by, you can see their little tushies. I have seen many little girls wearing both traditional silk dresses (with Chinese design and embroidery) AND more contemporary dresses and clothing as well. Many of the International Schools require uniforms, so I imagine that I will see many kids in their school uniforms once school starts.
Many times, we will see older Chinese people in what looks like PJ's. They will be walking around very busy touristy shopping areas as well as more local areas, looking as if they don't have a care in the world...especially about their clothing. I assume they are out for comfort, not fashion. If you walk down the alleyways of the "local" residential areas, you will see...all kinds of things. *chuckle* Prepare yourself!
Generally, everyone here wears what they want...new or old clothing, bright or subdued colors, spots combined with stripes, very interesting color combinations, etc. The men and their business suits tend to be darker colors, which go better with darker skin and black hair. The younger crowd tend to be a little more conscientious of the latest fashion trends, ie, hair, clothes, style, etc.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
draft
I had drafted a post titled "Life", but blogspot posted it below my Beijing post..so please read below. Sorry!?
Friday, August 8, 2008
Beijing 2008!
08-08-08! Wow! Watching the Beijing 2008 Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics from my living room in CHINA, was...just amazing! Wow!
History in the making! This is the first Olympics allowed to take place in China. I hope everyone back home had the chance to watch the ceremonies. Eight is a very lucky number here in China, thus the opening ceremonies being held on 08-08-08. If you were able to see the opening ceremonies, you will have to agree with me that China, BY FAR has some of the best pyrotechnic masters in the world. Also, their conceptual engineering and imagination, not to mention their attention to detail was absolutely amazing! I'm so proud of China. This was a momumental step for them and they accomplished it with grace and dignity. And I'm so happy to have been here for this historical event. Some of the soccer games are being held here in the Shanghai Stadium. So, Allen and I are planning to take Brandon to one of them. :) I think he'll love it!
And as proud as I am for China at this moment, I can't tell you how my heart swelled with pride at seeing our very large and [unusually] conservative USA team walk onto the track. At first I was stumped by the lack of red they wore in their uniforms...but then I was so proud of [us] when I realized it was a clear effort of respect for the Chinese team, knowing it is their color of choice, especially as they are hosting their very first Olympics. I realize this may NOT be the reason...however, that's MY story and I'm stickin' to it! Regardless, I'm so proud of the US team...how could I not be? :)
Since this IS such a historical event here in China, I thought I would write down some of the things going on around here leading up to this event...at least here in Shanghai and what I have heard about Beijing.
A few days prior to the ceremonies, Allen mentioned there were armed guards at all the toll road booths. Businesses here in Shanghai, located near the subway or other mass transportation stations, were closed for business. Beijing also had massive business closures all over the city. Today, the day of the ceremonies, very few people were on the road past 6 pm since they started at 8 pm. LOTS of people were at friends or families houses to watch the ceremonies on TV here in Shanghai. While driving during the day, several people were setting off fireworks near construction areas...some of it falling on top of our van (sounded like little rocks and other debris). There was a lot of excitement about the upcoming events and a lot of "buzz" around town. Lots of people were talking about which sport they were going to watch and why. The object of many people's affection...Yao Ming, of course. ;) A lot of stores are selling the little Olympic characters, even Toys-R-Us. We bought a Band-Aid canister with the little characters on it and all the band-aids inside were of the little Olympic characters. So, every billboard we pass that advertises the Olympics, Brandon exclaims, "Look Mom, just like my Band-Aids!" Yes dear, I know! haha
Just an FYI...the Chinese seem to celebrate EVERYTHING with fireworks. Our neighbor had a new balcony put in and the project lasted for about two weeks. When they were done with the work, the completion of the project was celebrated with very loud fireworks (which sounded just like popping gun fire) right outside our front door. Yah.
Anyway, I hope many of my friends and family caught the ceremonies on TV back home and thought of us. I was thinking of all of you! I miss you!
History in the making! This is the first Olympics allowed to take place in China. I hope everyone back home had the chance to watch the ceremonies. Eight is a very lucky number here in China, thus the opening ceremonies being held on 08-08-08. If you were able to see the opening ceremonies, you will have to agree with me that China, BY FAR has some of the best pyrotechnic masters in the world. Also, their conceptual engineering and imagination, not to mention their attention to detail was absolutely amazing! I'm so proud of China. This was a momumental step for them and they accomplished it with grace and dignity. And I'm so happy to have been here for this historical event. Some of the soccer games are being held here in the Shanghai Stadium. So, Allen and I are planning to take Brandon to one of them. :) I think he'll love it!
And as proud as I am for China at this moment, I can't tell you how my heart swelled with pride at seeing our very large and [unusually] conservative USA team walk onto the track. At first I was stumped by the lack of red they wore in their uniforms...but then I was so proud of [us] when I realized it was a clear effort of respect for the Chinese team, knowing it is their color of choice, especially as they are hosting their very first Olympics. I realize this may NOT be the reason...however, that's MY story and I'm stickin' to it! Regardless, I'm so proud of the US team...how could I not be? :)
Since this IS such a historical event here in China, I thought I would write down some of the things going on around here leading up to this event...at least here in Shanghai and what I have heard about Beijing.
A few days prior to the ceremonies, Allen mentioned there were armed guards at all the toll road booths. Businesses here in Shanghai, located near the subway or other mass transportation stations, were closed for business. Beijing also had massive business closures all over the city. Today, the day of the ceremonies, very few people were on the road past 6 pm since they started at 8 pm. LOTS of people were at friends or families houses to watch the ceremonies on TV here in Shanghai. While driving during the day, several people were setting off fireworks near construction areas...some of it falling on top of our van (sounded like little rocks and other debris). There was a lot of excitement about the upcoming events and a lot of "buzz" around town. Lots of people were talking about which sport they were going to watch and why. The object of many people's affection...Yao Ming, of course. ;) A lot of stores are selling the little Olympic characters, even Toys-R-Us. We bought a Band-Aid canister with the little characters on it and all the band-aids inside were of the little Olympic characters. So, every billboard we pass that advertises the Olympics, Brandon exclaims, "Look Mom, just like my Band-Aids!" Yes dear, I know! haha
Just an FYI...the Chinese seem to celebrate EVERYTHING with fireworks. Our neighbor had a new balcony put in and the project lasted for about two weeks. When they were done with the work, the completion of the project was celebrated with very loud fireworks (which sounded just like popping gun fire) right outside our front door. Yah.
Anyway, I hope many of my friends and family caught the ceremonies on TV back home and thought of us. I was thinking of all of you! I miss you!
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