A Metal Ball And Lots Of Ponds

As I near the end of my journey here in China, I'm set on getting to see a few of the things I've been meaning to here in Changzhou.

Every time I hop on the bus to head down town I pass this:

I've always wondered about it and about what else was in the area. From the bus it looks like a cool place to walk around. So I woke Kareena up early one morning and drug her out on the town to do some exploring before we had to teach. I think the pictures can explain themselves ;D

Behind the reflection pod with the statue we found.....

This big metal ball.....

with a bunch of mathematical and scientific equations on it.

And predictably what followed were....

JUMPING.....

PICTURES!!

A little further down we found

some cool rocks in the water, which btw there was a gap in the fence around the pond that clearly would lead anyone to believe it was ok to follow these rocks onto the water ;)

Then there was this cool little spot right before...

A cool ampitheatre in the middle of a roundabout with a stage and fountains.

I'm sure you're wondering where the picture is ;) but alas my camera was on the fritz at this point and decided to stop working. After which we headed down a side road.

Yah that's right.....

we're that cool ;)

and when we popped out the other end we found ourselves across from the noodle shop right down the road from our school. Turns out we had been wandering around the campus of the Changzhou Science and Technology College.

(Guess that explains the metal ball ;D)

Coming Home!

I will officially be home from my trip to China on Dec 25th! I'll be leaving my dear Changzhou on the 18th to take an 18 hour train ride almost 2000 km south along the coast to Hong Kong where I'll spend about a week in the city before getting on a plane to come home! What I'm excited about most is getting to go to the Hong Kong temple while I'm there! We officially have our reservations made for the morning of the 20th and we're all extremely excited to go! One more stepping stone on my path to visiting every temple in the world! Wish me luck and I'll see you all soon! :D

In The Hills

Our second day in Beijing was a day filled with beauty and nature. Heading an hour out of the city center we began our journey at the expansive grounds of the Summer Palace. Here is where the Emperors and their family and servants would retire to when they wanted a summer respite from the confines of the Forbidden City Palace. I wish I could have had more time in Beijing so that we could have spent longer at the Summer Palace, but I think you could spend a couple days there and still not see all there is to see. Pagodas, temples, statues, courtyards, living quarters and a huge lake are scattered across the 2.9 square kilometers that make up the palace grounds.

Wandering through woods and grass and along dirt paths we were able to find countless numbers of these hidden treasures. It was like being in a storybook or a movie. It really was beautiful.

Nearing the lake from the north end we came to the long corridor; a wooden walkway stretching the length of that section of the lake. The ceiling was painted with countless murals each unique. We found a lot more people nearby the corridor than we had the wooded hills northward.

Dragon boats floated along the lake, taking passengers to various docks.

Walking along the edge we found the seventeen-arch-bridge. Made of marble and spanning the distance to a nearby island, it was a sight to be seen It was decorated with numerous Chinese lions each one unique from the rest.

We also came across a man playing with some toys that I recognized from home. I can't remember what they're called, but I had played with them before, and attempted to again.

I think my skills may have dwindled however haha ;)

Every building we found was so colorful and decorative. It really showed how much more open and relaxed the Summer Palace was.

It's a place to wander among the trees and feel a cool breeze. A place to sit and paint or write. To just enjoy life.

After leaving the Summer Palace we went trekking through the street looking for a bus stop to catch to our next destination. We got a little turned around and couldn't figure out where it was. We ended up standing there for a few minutes wondering what to do until we finally saw the bus we needed go by. We began following it, hoping that it would lead us to the stop. However, when we were still walking a few minutes later we realized that we probably should have gone the other way. However, we ended up being pretty content with our choice since we eventually did find a bus stop and along the way we got to see a lot of cool things.

It was kind of a run down area with people mulling around doing odd jobs. Children were playing in doorways, and each place we passed we got quick glances from the people inside. It was a different side than most tourists get to see.

After riding the bus for about half an hour we were dropped off a short walk from Xiangshan Park. One of the reasons I really wanted to see this place was because I heard it was one of the best places to see the fall red leaves. It was something I really missed about home. As we walked into the park it did not disappoint.

It was a sea of red, yellow and orange. As we walked along the trail, for the first time I almost felt at home. It was eerily similar to walking through the mountains back home and it brought a smile to my face to know that my two worlds could be connected by something so simple and beautiful.

One tip when it comes to names in China if the park has the word "Shan" in it you can count on there being a mountain to climb since Shan in fact means mountain. So I was expecting it when we came to a trail map that showed how far it was to the peak. From where we were to the top it was about a mile and we had to get back down as well. We needed to get back to our hostel by 6:30 to get our ride to an opera show we were going to so we only had about an hour and half left in the park. Nick, Kareena, and I looked at each other, smiled and knew that a challenge had been issued that must be taken. So we left the others to explore at the base of the mountain while we began our sprint for the top. Now normally walking two miles in an hour is easy to do, but you have to understand exactly what we were up against. Not only were we going up a mountain, we were going almost STRAIGHT up a mountain. It seems the Chinese have an affinity for stairs taller than they are. The majority of the hike was spent climbing as quickly as we could (and as quickly as we dared) up stairs that at some points I had to practically use my hands to get up.

Eventually Kareena and I had Nick go on ahead while he kept working our way upwards. We weren't sure if we'd have time to make it up before we had to begin heading down and we wanted him to at least make it. But don't worry, Kareena and I are a couple of stubborn headed girls who would not be denied. When we got to the point where we could see the top within reach, we just started scrambling as fast as we could. I startled a couple of Chinese coming down, with my monkey like climbing up those ridiculous stairs.

All our hard work paid off when we were standing on that precipice looking down over that sea of trees. Nothing has ever made me so happy as knowing that I had made it up that mountain.

At the top almost every tree and railing had red ribbons tied around them with names and messages from Chinese who had been up there.

It reminded me of the locks on all of the chains on Huangshan. I wish I had had time to put one of my own on but alas we had to get back down that mountain and time was ticking. Getting down was almost as hard as getting up. Especially since we were in a hurry.

I was basically clutching the cold metal railing with both hands as I ran/jumped down those same stupidly steep steps that I had just been clambering up, while Chinese yelled at me (probably to slow down and stop trying to get myself killed). It was kind of scary, but I think that made it even more fun for me. Kareena was behind me attempting not to roll her bad ankle.

Finally we made it back down to the relatively flat area and we had about 10 minutes left and a good half-mile to go. So the two of us put our heels to the wind and started running. With the steep stairs behind us we were really able to get some speed up. I'm pretty sure some of the people we passed must have thought we were a little cuckoo. It was the first time I had had a good run in a while and it felt so good! As we rounded the last corner and met back up with Nick and the others we were elated. We had made it!!

Basically we were the coolest people ever and we so knew it ;)

Leaving the park we attempted to get on a bus back to the metro, but for some reason the one we wanted to take wasn't working so we went sprinting down the road further to a different bus stop where we hopped on and immediately got stuck in a horrendous traffic jam. We hadn't accounted for something like that happening and it took far too long to get back to the metro. Then it still took us a good 40 minutes to get back to the hostel and by that time it was already after 7. We had missed our show but the hostel was really cool and said that we could go the next day instead, but they warned us if we didn't make it back this time they would only refund part of our money (although honestly I'm surprised they would refund us at all!)

With the show out of our minds we all immediately realized how hungry we were. A couple girls we met in the lobby told us to go next door where there was a restaurant with an English menu and really good fried rice. So we followed their advice and ate some super yummy food. Afterwards a few of us decided to go get some ice cream and began wandering down the street when we ran into some of our other teachers. About half of us were in my group who decided to do things on our own, while the other half had decided to do a three-day guided tour of Beijing instead. They told us of a cool street not to far away and so we followed them and explored around the city for awhile before ending up at a McDonalds where we got our delicious ice cream.

On the way back to the hostel an epic idea was formed. Earlier the previous day Ashley and I had both proven that we could piggy-back Nick and walk with him (we are the two shortest girls in the group). So we decided to have a piggy-back race!!! With Nick poised to jump on my back and Louis ready to hop on Ashley I was confident in my abilities to win. I had done this a million times and had no problems carrying around big guys. So Kelly ran ahead and counted us off.

Tragedy struck when, as soon as he hopped on, my legs crumpled beneath me. I hadn't exactly accounted for the physical feat I had accomplished earlier that day, and I hadn't realized just how tired my poor legs were. Laughing hysterically we reorganized and decided to try it a way that made more sense. With me and Ashley on the boys backs. Now I had complete faith in Nick. He was a solid , strong guy and should have no problems carrying me. So as Kelly counted off once again I knew we had it in the bag.

#3.....I was poised ready to jump on 2.....I crouched ready to spring up....3! I jumped on Nick's back, he took a step and suddenly I was falling head first toward the ground. I managed to tuck and roll rather than slam my head into the ground and ended up face down on the ground laughing so hard I couldn't breath. Nick jumped up quickly convinced he had killed me. As soon as he knew I was all right we were surrounded by people and all of us just sat and laughed for a good while until we could compose ourselves.

Due to extenuating circumstances we decided to reconvene the match when Nick and I were in a proper physical state to compete. Our beds were more comfortable than ever before that night.

The Heart of China

As I sit at my computer to begin work on this post I can't even think how to start. I am made speechless by the countless memories that are wiggling through my mind. I spent four amazing days in the beautiful and awe-inspiring city of Beijing and I can't imagine ever being able to truly convey what I saw and felt and experienced while I was there. Hopefully I'll be able to do it some justice as I try to recreate that phenomenal weekend for you.

As with all vacations here in China it starts with a train ride. This particular train ride however, was....... unique :) The trip from Changzhou to Beijing is a good 10 hrs long. Now even in the softest of seats, I would not want to ride one of our normal trains all that way. So instead we opted to go a different way. Normally we would take either a G train (the fast ones) or a K/no letter train (the slow ones); this time we took a D train. We didn't know quite what to expect, but from what we were told it wasn't supposed to be seats like we were used to. So as we boarded the train we all had our fingers crossed that we'd be able to find some way to sleep that night.

As it turns out the arrangements were a whole lot better than we were expecting. We were split up into six person compartments that had four "beds". Technically I think there were two beds and two benches for seats, but they worked just as well as beds. Now most of you can probably do the math, but for those who may be a little impaired: six people + four beds = uh.........

Luckily, my compartment had all teachers in it (some others were sharing with strangers) so we could spread out however we liked. And as it may be, my compartment was lucky that I take up next to know space as I can sleep in any way on anything perfectly fine, and I am perfectly comfy sleeping curled into a tight ball. So we gave Nick (our resident tall man) his own bed, Katie got her own cause she has trouble sleeping, Rachelle and Kelly shared, and I curled up on one corner of a bed while Zack took the other side. It actually worked out quite perfectly.

Our train left around 10pm Wednesday night, so we were all already pretty tired when we got on the train. Somehow we managed to stay up for a couple hours anyways and goof off and chat. Zack and Katelin brought out a color code test book and like the young adults we are we got a kick out of it. Pretty soon we were all drifting off to lala land excited to wake up with a new place to explore.

As the sun rose the next morning so did my excitement. The train rolled into the station and before long we were on the subway speeding towards the center of the city where we would be staying at a hostel just a few minutes walk from Tiananmen square. One thing that was nice about the subway in Beijing was that it had a flat fare price unlike most cities that make you pay more the further you travel. We were thoroughly happy with this outcome since subway tends to be our preferred method of travel anywhere we visit.

As we exited the metro right at the southern end of the square, I was in awe. I don't know how to even describe that feeling to you. I had seen this place in books and pictures and on TV, I had read about it countless times, and dreamed about being here someday, and there I was. Little did I know that that moment, that incredible first moment, would almost pale in comparison to all the things I would see that weekend.

Our first order of business was to get rid of all our baggage at our hostel so we could travel the city unhindered. As it turned out, our hostel was more like a hotel than anything else. It didn't help that we had private rooms, so we had no strangers and no bunk beds, both of which I think I actually prefer to be honest. But, despite the bumpy nights sleep and the early hour, before long we were back out on the street wending our way back towards the heart of the city.

Tiananmen square was the perfect way to spend our first day in Beijing. Although still crowded with people, I imagine that us being there on a Thursday afternoon was a smart move. As we approached the square we noticed that it was entirely fenced off and guarded. We had to wander our way around the side until we came across one of the few entry points, where we had to go through a security screening before entering the actual square. You know what was the most strange about standing in that square and taking it all in? Thinking that a year ago, I would have never believed that I would be standing there at that moment.

At the southern end of the square you'll find the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. Everyday in the morning you can go into the Mausoleum and see the supposedly preserved body of the dear Chairman. It was definitely on our agenda. As we approached the mausoleum however, we were informed that we actually had to leave the square and go drop our bags off at a storage area across the street before we could enter the building. In hindsight, we really should have just left the bags with half the group and then switched after the first people went through, but 1) we hadn't realized how expensive the storage was and 2) we didn't know how little time it took to get through the mausoleum (especially since it was Thursday so there were not nearly as many people). However, the thing about hindsight is that you only have after the event has occurred so alas we paid for the overpriced rental storage and got in line to enter the mausoleum.

As with just about everything in Beijing we had to first make our way through various checkpoints and security screenings before being allowed into the building. Along the way we passed several stalls where the Chinese were buying bouquets of white flowers, and for the first time the owners made no attempt whatsoever to sell them to us, in fact they hardly even looked at us. As you enter the first doors, you are greeted with shrine to the Chairman overseen by a large painting of the man himself. While the Chinese lay their flowers at his feet, we were ushered quickly by to the next room. There we followed a line of people through a small walkway with thick glass walls to one side where several guards stood before another set of glass walls inside of which was a glass sarcophagus encasing what is purported to be the body of the dear late Mao. As to the authenticity of that claim I cannot say. Admittedly the body may have appeared a little waxy to me, but after all who am I to say anything about the long-term methods of preserving a dead body?

After retrieving our belongings, we headed towards the other end of the square. At the center we passed by the Monument to the People's Heroes. Set there to pay tribute to all those who had died in defense of their country, it stands alone as a sentinel watching over the people from above. Marble bas-relieves pay homage to the lives lost in the wars that had ravaged the country.

Further north you come to two giant screens that continuously play a video depicting all of the greatest sights of China. We paused a moment to watch as images flickered by of winding rivers, jagged mountains, and terraced rice fields. I even saw a few things I had already been able to witness, such as West Lake in Hangzhou, and the Pudong skyline at night. It was an incredible feeling to get to take a moment and look back on all I had done and accomplished since I've been here. Moving on we saw the flagpole, surrounded by guards, on which waved the Chinese flag.

After exiting we crossed the street on the north end of square, and headed towards the entrance of the Forbidden city. Before we went in Katelin, Zack, and Madelynn decided to go find food first, but the rest of us opted to head into the city right away, so we could make sure and not miss anything.

I think the best way for me to continue in my description of this amazing place is simply to show you :) along with a few words to bring them to life of course ;)

In order to enter the city from the south end you must first go through the Tianan gate, the front of which is adorned with the famous picture of the Chairman. As we entered the gate we found ourselves in a large courtyard where various vendors hawked their wares.

Further in, past all the stalls you'll find yourself at the Meridian gate. I could barely contain my excitement and awe as we purchased our entrance tickets and made our way through the gate.

The first courtyard was very large, very open, and for the most part bare. Until you cross it and reach the next gate, the only thing adorning the view is the Golden Water river (whose waters are not so golden) and the five spectacular marble bridges that span the river, representing the five Confucian virtues.

After crossing the river and the rest of the courtyard you enter the Gate of Supreme Harmony. It's the first of the gate's of the Outer Court. Inside red pillars hold up an intricately designed roof, and you really start to feel the emptiness that pervades the different rooms and halls despite the bustling crowd.

Through the gate is the second courtyard, as open and wide as the first. It was actually super empty compared to most of the pictures I've seen before.

The gates themselves are marvelous to behold. Intricately designed with colorful murals, they are guarded by numerous statues of Lions that adorn the grand staircases one must climb to get there.

After the second courtyard we came to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. It's where the throne of the emperor sits. I've never seen anything so...... splendid. Sure it was obviously old and dirty and worn, but you could really get a sense of the grandeur that once adorned those halls.

The next area was one of my favorites. Behind the emperor's throne room was the empresses and then the gate leading to the inner court. The reason it was my favorite part was because of what surrounded the Empress's throne. To each side were huge marble staircases with several levels, all leading down to small courtyards. I think the reason I loved it so much was that I was able to take a moment and really get carried away in how incredible it was. For a few minutes I was lost in a vision, imagining this wondrous place back at the peak of its life. When everything was alive and bustling and great people walked the halls. I thought about the fates that were sealed here, the decisions that were made, the lives that were lived. Being bale to walk those stairs that Emperors, Princes, and Princesses once traversed; it's something I would have never gotten from a page in a book.

The inner court was much like the first, but on a much smaller scale. There were no huge marble staircases this time, no show to put on. This time there was color, and warmth, and closeness. I think this is where I would have chosen to spend my time if I had lived in this palace. Especially with what we got to see next.

Behind the palaces of the inner court is the Imperial Garden. Anyone who knows me should know how much I love anything to do with nature and the outdoors. Now I've seen a fair share of garden's since I've been here, but nothing like this one. There were countless beautiful flowers and huge rockeries that held up some of the coolest pagoda's I've seen. Part of me longed to be able to climb up to them to see the view from above.

I even got to see one of the things I miss most about home: green grass! It was definitely a sight for sore eyes. Although I admit it wasn't quite as nice as the grass back home, but grass is grass haha. Seeing some of the empty fall bushes made me almost wish I could have been there earlier in the year when they were full and beautiful.

Ashley and Dayna decided to wend their way through one of the many dry canals that lined the pathways. Walking through that garden kind of made me long for my own garden to play with, although I may never have one quite that splendid, I think I may have gotten a few ideas ;)

There are three main areas in the Forbidden city. If you go straight up the center, you are seeing the main palace, however to each side are the Eastern and Western Palaces. You have to pay a little extra to go in and see them, but we decided to pay the 10 yuan more to go into the Eastern Palace, mainly to see this:

The Nine Dragon screen. It's a beautiful painted marbles mural depicting nine Chinese dragons of various colors. There are two like it in Beijing, and we knew we had to see it.

After walking among the various halls of the Eastern Palace we began our journey back towards the entrance of the city. While crossing one courtyard we decided to do a little experiment during which we discovered......

That a 4'11" girl really can cradle a 6'5" male if she has the will (and the incredibly attractive strength ;D) to do it.

My time in the Forbidden City was so incredible. To see that much history and beauty that was so unlike anything I've ever seen before....... I'll never forget it.

After we left the city we headed back to Tiananmen Square where we met up with the others in our group. We were there to see the daily flag lowering at the north end of the square. However, since we had spent so much time in the city, by the time we got there a huge rowd had already gathered and I,being of short stature, could not really see anything. I was able to watch some of it through the screen on the back of some guys camera, but I imagine it was quite lacking. It was fun to see though and I'm glad we made the stop.

By this time it was getting towards dinner time and most of us had not eaten anything since breakfast that morning. So we headed in the direction of a street I had heard about that was supposed to have good street food. Wanfujing road turned out to be very similar to Nanjing rd in Shanghai. Tall buildings, malls, and fancy name brand stores lined the street. This was also where we (surprisingly) seemed to see the most people we had up to that point. At the end of the pedestrian section we saw a huge line of stalls that, from a distance, looked just like our dear night market back home.

It didn't take long to realize that this particular market was VERY different from any we had seen before. Not only did it have an appearance of cleanliness and order (which actually is a bad sign when it comes to finding the good food) but the food selection available was somewhat pricey and somewhat...... well crazy! Walking along the stall we saw eel, shark, snake, tongue, beetles, sheep penis, larva, sea urchin, and......

STARFISH!!!!

Which was my selection of food to try. If I had had more money on me at the time (I had left most of it back in the hostel, thinking I wouldn't need it) I probably would have tried more. The starfish was kind of weird. It didn't taste bad, but it was grainy and made me think of chewing on sand, which actually makes sense if you think about it :)

After getting a taste of some of the "local cuisine" we decided to get something more filling in our bellies and went to Pizza Hut. After we were full and satisfied our exhaustion from the train and the long day kicked in so we headed back to the hostel and crashed for the night.......

Give It To Me Straight

Anyone who has known me for very long should know how much I value people who are honest and upfront with me. People who beat around the bush or try to "protect" me by keeping things from me are frankly put: annoying haha. So one thing I absolutely love about Chinese people is how down right blunt they can be. What I've grown to learn is that the more honest with you they are (sometimes even bordering on what we might consider rude in our culture) the more it shows they care about and love you. Now these are my kind of people.

To demonstrate what I'm talking about I want to share a fond memory of mine with you:

Not too long ago I was sitting in one of my ELE classes waiting for the bell to ring so I could start. I usually like to arrive a little early so I can say hi to the kids and just get a chance to play and chat with them a little before we start. In this particular class there is a girl named Cindy who I love dearly. She is ridiculously smart, spunky, active, and sassy. She came up to me and silently looked at me for a moment before saying in the sweetest little voice, "Teacher, I think maybe you are a little bit fat... but I like a little bit fat!" Then she gave me the biggest hug, kissed me on the cheek and sporting that adorable smile I love so much skipped back to her desk.

It was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me :D

Government Calling

A little fact you may not know about the school I teach at here in Changzhou is that it is in fact an experimental school. In being so they are allowed to branch out beyond the strict guidelines set for other schools and kind of do their own thing. However, in order to gain such a standing they have to submit to a yearly inspection to check up on their progress. It was our luck that this years inspection happened to be this last week. As part of the inspection we ILP teachers were asked to be part of a performance that many of the teachers and students would be putting together for the government officials who would be coming.

On previous occasions we had performed a "fashion show" for the kids to the popular Lady Gaga song Bad Romance. It basically consists of us strutting our stuff across the stage dressed in wild attire and then doing a little dance number. It's definitely a crowd pleaser especially since LG is kind of a big deal around here. They also wanted to take 8 of us and teach us an extra dance to a Chinese song that is very well known called Mo Li Hua. It's a love song that they say every Chinese child knows. It was a couple dance so our four boys participated and then four girls one of which was me.

One of my favorite things about our performance this last Wednesday was waiting down below the stage with the kids. They asked us to be down there right after lunch but as it turned out we had a good while until the show actually started. So to pass the time we played with all of the kids who would be doing their own numbers for the show. Now surprisingly enough one of the favorite pastimes of the children here is getting into pretend "gun fights" with us foriegn teachers. They consist of each side dipping into their personal arsenal of rifles, grenades, rocket launchers, and pretty much any other conceivable weapon, and shooting deadly missiles at each other while dodging behind pretend fortifications, dying multiple times and occasionally coming back as brain eating zombies to chase down the offending party. Yeah, you can say it, we have the coolest kids ever I know ;)

We also played a fun version of rock, paper, scissors that the kids taught us which involves attempting to stomp on the losers feet, and we taught a group of them how to play ninja which they very much got in to. The show itself was fun and it went well, but my favorite memories will forever be of those two hours just goofing off with those sweet kids.

In addition to the performance the school requested that three of us ELE teachers teach a lesson in front of the officials. Previously I was asked to teach a lesson in front of a bunch of the school's teachers as an example of how ELE works so I was not surprised when they asked me to be one of the teachers for the visit. I love my ELE classes so I wasn't too nervous, but the class I was going to teach was not one of my regular classes and the teacher over them told me that they tended to be more quiet and shy, so that made me a little more apprehensive. Luckily, the Chinese teacher for the class asked me to come the night before to meet the kids and introduce myself so that they would know me when I came to teach the next day. It was the best thing they could have done. I had a ton of fun just goofing off with the kids and talking to them for a good half hour. Turns out they are hilarious kids and one boy turned out to be a kid I had seen around campus who always tries to break your hand when he high-fives you. He's my favorite ;)

The next morning I arrived just before 9 o'clock and all the kids got super excited when I walked in the door. They kind of made me feel like a celebrity. Since I was already so at ease with them the lesson went super well. I went around and high-fived kids who were doing really well so they all participated and weren't nervous at all. It was one of my favorite lessons I've ever taught. Afterwards one of the lady's from the government came up to me with a big snile on her face and started talking to me in Chinese which another teacher quickly translated for me. The lady said that she though I was an amazing teacher and that it was obvious that the kids really loved me. She said she recognized me from the performance the night before and thought I was a very happy and upbeat person. She even asked if she could take a picture with me.

The next day at lunch one of the school coordinators who works with us named Anna came up to me and told me that everyone was talking about how amazing my lesson was and how all the kids loved me. She told me that I should consider coming back to China to be a paid teacher someday. Later the Chinese teacher over the class I had taught (April) told me that her kids had told her that they thought I was crazy and that they absolutely loved me. It was kind of a really good week :D

And you know, when Anna was talking to me about being a teacher someday I told her I might just have to consider it ;)

Beauty All Around

A few weeks ago I was sitting in the supply room with my head teacher Brittany when she suddenly gasped, squealed, and started bouncing up and down with excitement. The cause of her sudden outburst you might ask? She had discovered that in a couple weekends they would have the premiere of the Chinese version of Sweeney Todd in Shanghai. Now for those of you who may not know this, I happen to dearly love that musical and was equally ecstatic to hear about her discovery. After some minor discussion we decided to get a group together to go down to Shanghai to see the show. We ended up with a decent size group to go into the city although only 4 of us would actually be going to the show. We decided to head out Friday night and come back Sunday night.

Getting into Shanghai, my excitement was tremendous. I love Shanghai! It is one of the coolest cities I’ve been in and I was excited to go on a vacation where I already knew how to get around really well. Plus I was going with some of my favorite people: Kareena, Louis, Zak, Nick, and our dear head teachers. The next best part was that we were staying at a hostel this time which was about a 3 min walk to Nanjing Rd so it was in an excellent location!!

After dropping our stuff off in our room we went out on the town to breath in the delicious atmosphere of Shanghai. A stroll down Nanjing Rd brought us to our favorite little potsticker stand after which we wended our way to the bund where we got to see the beautiful Pudong at night. A special surprise was the low smog in the air on this particular trip which allowed us to really appreciate the gorgeous lights. We took a stroll down the riverbank a ways and then turned back towards the city, exploring little side streets, and finding yummy street food as we made or way back in the general direction of our hostel. As it grew late we decided to head in so we could be ready for the busy day to come.

Waking up, we were greeted with a wonderful surprise: a bright blue sky!! Even better was the absence of Shanghai’s typical thick coating of haze. It was a wonderful start to our day as we headed towards our first destination: the south bund fabric market. It was a place I had heard about from a few sources and that we had all been looking forward to going to. At the fabric market you can go and meander through a building full of different vendor’s stalls selling tailor made clothes. You can get anything from jackets to suits to dresses, and you can find fabrics ranging from wool to cashmere to silk. I had my eye on getting a tailor made silk dress. The boys were all looking to get three piece suits. It was hard to choose from so many different options as we strolled through the three floors of shops. Eventually Kareena and I found a shop we liked and we began the exciting process of haggling with the feisty shop people for a good price. The lady we talked with was super hilarious, and gave us a pretty good deal. I ended up buying a pure silk dress made out of this beautiful deep purple fabric with dragons on it. I gave her my down payment and made arrangements to pick up the dress a few weeks later.

After the boys were done getting their suits we left the market and began wandering in the general direction of Nanjing road. The side alleys of Shanghai are really fun to meander through. Mostly pedestrians are to be found, along with the various stray animals that seem to be everywhere in China. Smoke rises from doorways were people clean and cook and sell their wares from behind dirty windows and small rented stalls. Tarps line the roadway, covered in numerous cheap souvenirs, clothes, shoes and other random assortments, as the owners call out to you in Chinese and broken English. You try to avoid the occasional biker or moped bent on running you down if you don’t get out of the way. People stare at you with expressions ranging from excited, to curious, to suspicious. If you ever come to China, don’t spend all your time going where every tourist goes, make sure and take a tour of what’s really going on, and you’ll be better off for it.

I just want to take a moment and mention one other thing we found on our wanderings. Now I've seen quite a few 7-Eleven's since I've been here but sadly they lack true 7-Eleven authenticity as they all lack Slurpees; the crowning jewel of the 7-Eleven enterprise. However, as we strolled through Shanghai we passed by one such 7-Eleven and as I gazed forlornly through the window I was stopped dead in my tracks by the glorious sight of that beautiful luscious frozen drink before my eyes!! As we ran inside I'm pretty sure the store attendant must have thought we were crazy, especially when Zac got down on his knees in front of the machine.

Before long, we found ourselves at the river once again, as we looked across the water we decided it was about time that we cross it and explore the Pudong up close. We were heading in the direction of the subway when we came across a ferry terminal. Upon discovering that it only cost 5 jiao (the equivalent of about 8 cents) it didn’t take long to change our minds and hop on. Before that moment I had never been on a ferry before (within my memory I might add). It was pretty cool if I do say so myself.

We skedaddled up to the top floor and gazed at the approaching skyline looming before us. Stepping out of the ferry terminal we were greeted by gleaming skyscrapers that would make anyone feel like a spec of sand. We did have one building in particular we were desirous of seeing up close, we lovingly call it the bottle opener, but to the business world it is known as the Shanghai World Financial Center.
It’s currently the tallest building in Shanghai (when it comes to actually used space, if you count its large needle the Pearl Tower is technically taller) and we wanted to get up close and personal.

It was with amazement that I gazed upward at that gleaming glass and metal rising spearing the sky. As we walked around the base we came upon a large sign advertising the SWFC observatory. Upon closer inspection we saw that with our student ID’s we could go up to the top of the building for only 100 yuan. Seeing as it was a beautifully clear day, we all knew we had to do it, so we bought our tickets and hopped in line. First we were taken through a room where they had a scale model of central Shanghai. What was cool about this particular model was that it had a screen behind it that would become light and then dark as the clock on it ran through the hours of the day.

In response the building would light up at night and then turn off during the day as lamps turned on to simulate the sun. Once while we watched the screen lit up with a thunderstorm that filled the room with loud booming as lightening flashed across the screen.

Afterwards we walked through a hallway where one wall would flash boxes across a backdrop of the Bund with tidbits of information about the city (only a few of which were in English). Next we were ushered into a room where we watched a video describing different features about the building and it’s history. From there we got in line to get on an elevator that would speed us upwards to the 95^th floor in just 3 minutes. The elevator was white walls and glass with a screen above your head that showed rippling circles that flashed as you rushed into the sky. At the top we hopped on an escalator that took us to the 97^th floor. There we got to walk through a hall with all glass windows that gave a spectacular view of the city below. The journey wasn’t over however as we waited to get into another elevator that would wisk us up even higher to the 104^th floor. As we chilled in line we noticed a sign saying that if we so desired we could skip the line and take a set of 199 stairs up to the next viewing area. After a moment’s debate we headed for the stairwell. You may call us crazy but I’m actually really happy we took those stairs. It really wasn’t all that difficult and it was pretty entertaining to run up a good portion of them while laughing along with my friends. One interesting thing was that on the front of each step was a number that counted down from 199 as you headed up each flight. I never quite decided whether or not that made the journey easier for me

The view as we stepped out onto that floor was the most glorious thing I have ever beheld.
Miles of Shanghai lay at my feet as I was able to gaze all around me through the glass windows and even below me through the slightly eerie glass floor.
We spent a good while up at the top just taking it all in. As I gazed out over the concrete jungle of the Pudong, I could see the Bund in the distance, rows and rows of China’s endless apartment buildings, a couple of the river’s famous bridges, and a number of other things that I couldn’t even begin to describe to you. A memory comes to mind as I think back on that moment. I once stood at the top of a mountain at a place called Naomi’s peak in the Beaver Mountains near my home in Logan. It was the most beautiful view to gaze across that sea of wilderness. Standing at the top of that skyscraper I was able to gaze upon what could be seen as the technological and modernized version of that view. It reminds me of the endless capacity for human innovation that makes us the wondrous and terrible species that we are.

Leaving the bottle opener it was time for Kareena and I to be off. We needed to head back to the hostel to meet up with Brittney and Micaela to go see Sweeney Todd. As we got to our room however, we did not see them or any tickets left out for us. We went down to the front desk to see if any messages had been left and when we discovered that none had we grew slightly worried about the situation. Luckily, I had their cell number written down so I used the hostels phone to call them. Micaela informed me that when they had gone to the theatre earlier that day to get the tickets no one seemed to know what they were talking about and they didn’t see any signs for the show so they thought it must have been cancelled. It seemed odd to me that that would be the case so I hopped on the computer and looked up the address of the theatre. It turned out to be very close by so Kareena and I scurried over there to see for ourselves. I’m not sure where the head teachers had gone too before but they must not have been to the right theatre because the one I went to had posters for the show, a listing on the board and when I asked the man at the desk he knew exactly what I was talking about. Unfortunately by the time we had gotten there they only had the most expensive seats left so we couldn’t afford to see the show. It would be an understatement to say I was depressed by the whole situation.

Alas we would not be stopped so we headed out and began to venture through town looking for some dinner. Shortly after filling ourselves with delicious street food, potstickers, and ice cream we headed up to the hostel to look for Louis. The other guys were leaving that night, but Louis was staying til the next day with us so we wanted to make sure he didn’t get left alone. We found him there and drug him back out onto the street with us. Earlier during our venturing Kareena and I had gone back with some of the sketchy knock-off shop people and Louise wanted us to take him to one. Now pretty much everywhere you go in Shanghai there is one thing you will certainly see. That is random men and women coming up to you holding cards with pictures of purses and watches asking you to go with them to see their secret shops where they try to sell you fake designer brands.

On my first trip to Shanghai I never followed any of them but some of the other people did. This time I was determined to get my hands on a knock-off purse. The three of us went in search of one of the shop-keepers and soon enough one found us. We followed them down a side street off of Nanjing road and into what looked like a legitimate shop. However, they took us back behind a door and up a flight of stairs to another room where the walls were lines with everything from Prada to Coach to Gucci. Those of you who know about my slight addiction to purses will know just how glorious of a thing that was to see. We looked around but we didn’t want to buy anything just yet so we mostly waited while Louise tried to haggle with a guy over a fake IPod. They wanted far too much however, so Louise didn’t buy it and we left the shop and headed back out onto the street where we ran into a few of the coolest people I have ever met. Now Louis is Mexican and I don’t mean for that to sound racist haha it just that being so he has very dark skin which stands out a lot over here. So as we left the shop these two Indian (I’m talking from India not Native American haha) guys stopped us. One of them knew some Spanish and proceeded to talk excitedly to Louis who was happy to get to oblige. While they chatted I was approached by a Chinese guy who was with them named KG. Now KG is probably the Chinese guy I’ve met who spoke the best English. Not only because his vocabulary and grammar were great but because he had an amazing grasp of humor, sarcasm, and wit that you just don’t see in the English speakers here.

We chatted for a good little while and he showed me some things ha had bought around the city, including a little flashy toy that you can shoot into the air that he gave to me. After a little while we joined with the others and continued talking. Along with the two men and KG was a Chinese woman named Ling Ling. The story of how they all ended up together is one I will never forget and one I will tell you shortly. First however I will tell you this; after we had been talking for a good while one of the men invited all of us to have dinner at a fancy restaurant above Nanjing Rd. We were happy to consent and followed the group to one of the nicest places I have set foot into here. It was already after 11 and so there were not many people. As we exited the elevator we were greeted by a hostess who led us to a wide circular booth. Looking at the menu I had to swallow a lot of guilt when I saw the prices. That place was expensive even by American standards. I had never been to anything like it before. As it turns out however one of the men (we called him Malik although that wasn’t his real name) was actually a wealthy businessman who paid for all of it. None of us were hungry so we decided not to order food but Malik and Ling Ling ordered a bunch of food for everyone to share. They wanted to buy us drinks but we kindly refused. When Ling Ling heard that she said “but it is our first time here meeting together! You must drink for good luck!” We explained that we didn’t drink but I’ve found that usually most of the Chinese we meet take that as meaning “we don’t want a drink right now”. Despite the communication barriers we talked Ling Ling into only ordering us some herbal tea, which was quite yummy I might add.

(Ling Ling)

When the food came we were treated with delicious fruit, fried rice, and vegetables. Then they began telling us about how they had all ended up on that street earlier that night. As it turns out Malik and Anil (the other Indian man) were here in China doing a business seminar. They had met at one of the conferences and had decided to go out that night. While exploring the city they had been approached by KG who saw them having trouble trying to talk with a lady at a food stall. KG helped them out and then volunteered to show them around the city. He had been giving them a tour when… well I better use Malik’s words here since only they could do it justice:

“We were standing in the street when the crowd parted and I saw the most beautiful smile beaming at me from afar. Then I saw that it belonged to the most beautiful woman who was walking towards me. I couldn't help but introduce myself.”

OK so I admit that’s obviously paraphrased and it still doesn't do it justice but it’s the best I got. So they met Ling Ling who joined them in journeying around Shanghai. A while later they had been exploring the shop we were in and had left it shortly before us and that’s when we ran into them. A little hint of serendipity brought us all together and I will be forever grateful for that.

(Malik and Anil)

(Luis and Anil)

Now obviously Malik thought Ling Ling was beautiful and I could tell why he was interested. She had a bright bubbly flirty personality, she was obviously incredibly smart, and she was like a ray of sun. So as Malik jokingly flirted with her she flirted back in her own pretendingly coy manner. She would say things in Chinese or whisper and then I would jokingly translate them into English and say things like “oh she wants you to put your arm around her” or “yes of course you should kiss her”. I was totally playing on his side and he and I became conspirators. Funny enough Ling Ling loved it and by the end of the night her and I were the best of friends. I think being around them really brought out some of the best in me. I found myself making witty comments and adding melodic phrases to the scenes they described as they joked and told stories. More than once one of them commented on how they thought I had a gift with words.

Another interesting twist I came across that night was KG. The entire night he was mercilessly flirting with me, which I did not expect. He was sitting next to me at the table and was always nudging me and complimenting me, saying cheesy pick up lines and winking and smiling and basically just flirting up a storm. It was actually kind of fun, although I tried not to return his flirting too much since I as not interested in the slightest for numerous reasons not the least of which being the fact that he smoked and drank. He was a hilarious guy though and fun to be around. As the clock ticked towards 1 am Kareena decided she wanted to leave. Louis and I would have been happy to stay longer, but we knew we had to go with her so we said our goodbyes to them all. Ling Ling pouted at me when I told her I was leaving and begged me to stay. She gave me a huge hug and told me that we had to be best friends now and I gave her my QQ and she asked to take a picture with me.

As Louis and Kareena said their good-byes Anil pulled me aside for a brief moment. What came next took me completely off guard. He told me that he thought I was a brilliant person and gifted with words. He said I was obviously very charismatic and that people must surely like me. Most surprisingly he told me that he wanted me to go out and use my gifts, to write and to make a difference. He said that he hoped to see my name become famous and that he knew I had great potential. It was the most touching thing anyone has ever said to me. He wrote down his email for me and asked me to keep in touch. As I left my heart was full, and I knew that I had been a part of one of those magical moments when God blesses you by leading you to those people that you never knew you were looking for.

Sleep settled sweetly over me as I climbed into my bed that night and the morning came far too quickly. We woke up and packed our things before heading out into the city once again. We stopped down in the lobby to check out and ordered some delicious breakfast from the hostel café. The head teachers headed out on an early train, but Kareena Louis and I decided to spend the rest of the day there before heading back to good old Changzhou. Our first order of business brought us to the French concession where we spent the afternoon following the sketchy back alley shop people from store to store haggling over purses and watches. Kareena got her hands on a coach bag that they started at around 700 yuan for but she haggled them down to 120 I believe. I got myself a leather Prada bag for 110 that they originally asked 600 for. Yeah those guys will try to eat you alive. We only got the prices we did because we threatened to walk out numerous times and we knew from talking to others how much we should actually be paying. More or less it was a satisfying afternoon.

We grabbed a bight to eat at a local street food stand and decided to catch a subway across the river out past the Pudong to the other side of Shanghai. I had read about a shopping area there that was supposed to be pretty famous. Getting off the subway I realized that the shopping area was underground pretty much right out the exit gates. It consisted of crammed together rented stall jammed pack with just about anything you could imagine wanting to buy. Clothes, home decorations, books, CD’s, software; and that’s just scratching the surface. It was a good thing I had limited the funds I brought with me because I was almost out. I had just enough to snag an awesome black trench coat. After we finished up our shopping we headed out of the subway to see what was aboveground. What we found surprised us. We exited into a courtyard where there was a large statue and a fountain and people flying kites next to what we later found out was the Science and Technology Museum.

We followed some stairs out of the courtyard and walked along a path until we came to the most glorious sight; a park with real grass that we were actually allowed to step on!

I don’t think I had fully comprehended just how much I missed grass until that moment. So we all found a comfy patch and curled up on the grass for the most wonderful afternoon nap of my life.

We woke up a little while later, and still had some time before we had to head to the train station so we walked out where a bunch of people were flying kites and sat breathing in the sight.

It was one of those moments that reminded me that even a world away in one of the most alien places I’ve ever been; some things are still the same. A warm fall breeze will bring families outside and kites into the air in China just as much as it will in America.
Beauty lies all around us. In the wonder of a skyscraper piercing the clouds, in a newly made friend, in a mother showing her son how to fly a kite, in an unsuspected Slurpee encounter. From my little hometown in Utah to my new found home here in Changzhou, no matter where you are, you can see it, you can feel it, and it can change you.