Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!

...Although you know how I feel about Halloween, right?  Like I said, babies in costumes are the only redeeming factor to this holiday. And that includes furry babies. Here's mine in her panda costume:
I think Shima probably likes Halloween as much as I do.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

A Day at the Temples

We woke up early Saturday (like 4:00 a.m. early) to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I had read that it was something to experience -- and a way to beat the crowds. We jumped in a tuk tuk with our guide for the day, Mr. Hong, and at the ticket booth, discovered that other tourists had apparently read the same thing. Thankfully, our guide took us to the back entrance of the temple where we were able to climb to the highest tower and watch the sun rise to the chanting of Buddhist monks. It was an experience I'll likely never forget.
We explored Angkor Wat, originally a Hindu temple built around the same time as Westminster Abbey. What boggled our mind the most: The sandstone blocks from which Angkor Wat was built were quarried more than 50km away. A mind-blowing feat and an amazing site. 

Next was Ta Nei Temple. Luckily for us, our guide hates crowds (ironic, no?) and took us to a secluded temple where we were the only ones walking around, awestruck. 

Then, Ta Keo Temple and Ta Prohm, nicknamed the Tomb Raider temple where ancient stones are cloaked in moss and smothered by tree roots  -- "There is a poetic cycle to this venerable ruin, with humanity first conquering nature to rapidly create, and nature once again conquering humanity to slowly destroy" (Lonely Planet). 
Our day ended at Angkor Thom, a large complex (10 sq km) home to the Bayon, famous for its 54 gothic towers and 216 smiling faces.  
What's amazing is that these temples have only recently been discovered -- and there's more. But land mines and a lack of funding leave ancient history in the past for now. 

More photos to come. In the meantime, fun fact: Mr. Hong was a clue-giver in Amazing Race 13.  

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Trip of a Lifetime

We had an amazing time in Cambodia. It is an incredible country, emerging out of a miserable history with grace and renewed hope, but not without an overlay of contradiction. I liked Lonely Planet's description:
"There are two faces to Cambodia: one shiny and happy, the other dark and complex. (...)  Such is the yin and yang of Cambodia, a country that both inspires and confounds. Like an onion, the more layers you unravel, the more it makes you want to cry, sometimes in sorrow, sometimes in joy." 
We landed late Thursday night and decided to check out Pub Street, crowded with young, drunk backpackers. We partook -- how could we not? Beers were $1. But being the old folks that we are, we tuk tuk'd home after just a few. (A quick note on tuk tuks: they are awesome and plentiful; after consenting to "lady, tuk tuk?", I enjoyed multiple rides in a small cabin on wheels attached to the back of a motorcycle for a buck.)

The next day, we rented bikes from our hotel and rode about 11km to the port of Chong Kneas outside Siem Reap. We passed by smiling children playing in dirty river water, emaciated animals finding refuge in the shade, workers welding on the side of the dusty gravel road. It's a life so different from our own; everyone should see how this part of the world lives.

After purchasing a $15 ticket at the port (down from $20), we took a boat to the village of Chong Kneas where big, empty barrels serve as floating devices for homes, shops, schools and even a church. This fisherman village is terribly poor and suffers great loss when storms hit. And with poverty comes desperation. Women with children practically chased us -- as much as one can in a rowboat -- offering up a photo opp for a dollar. (One woman had put a rather large snake (harmless but still) around her two-year-old daughter to get our attention.)

We're currently sifting through 200+ photos and I'll share them as soon as they're up. Day two in Siem Reap coming tomorrow...

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Zhoumo kuaile (early)!

"Angkor is one of the most impressive ancient sites on earth, with the epic proportions of the Great Wall of China, the detail and intricacy of the Taj Mahal and the symbolism and symmetry of the Egyptian pyramids all rolled into one." -- Lonely Planet, Cambodia
In a few hours, we're off to Siem Reap (finally). Photos and travel tales to come. I can't wait!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Chinglish Part IV

Part of what makes Chinglish so fantastic is the series of English words randomly placed one after another to make absolutely no sense.  Here some recent finds...

Seen outside of a men's clothing store at the airport:
"Leaves. Point a cigar stamped on the landing wilted under leaves, nothing more than this to let people comfortable of things." What would Wordsworth think?

In front of a fried chicken shop:
So many gems here: "Each product from our wisdom," "Make good food from materia," but one deserves a
 close-up... 
"Please look forward to chicken major suit the new season four release." Are we buying chicken or DVDs? 

Found in a menu of a Japanese restaurant:

Not so much a series of words, but a series of letters to create "asuparago" -- a new vegetable of the Latin variety?


And perhaps my favorite of the bunch:
"Please do not defecate indiscriminately." I'm not sure I have a comment smart enough for this one.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Five Questions

You know that when you attend a reunion or you run into an old acquaintance at the store, you most likely face some form of the following five questions:

Q. How have you been?
A. (But no one really wants you to delve into how awesome -- or how crappy -- life has been the last few years.)

Q. What have you been up to?
A. "Oh, you know, hanging out." 

Q. Where do you live now? 
A. Why do you really want to know? Are we going to be friends now?  Will you come visit? 

Q. What do you do?  
A. Perhaps given my current situation, I hate this one -- as if your whole existence is defined by your day job. 

Q. And if they're especially nosy -- Single, married, kids? Do you rent or did you buy? 
A. Have you walked away yet?  

Sorry for being cynical, but I can't help but comment on this redundancy (and the inauthenticity that tends to permeate these chats), which also exists among the expat community, though the questions vary:

Q. Where are you from?
A. First, I respond with, "the U.S." as I don't want to be an obnoxious American and assume that all other world citizens know the fifty states when I don't even know the different provinces of the current country in which I reside. But then, that question is usually followed by...

Q. Where in the U.S.? 
A. I usually get great feedback on my response, like: "It's so beautiful there," or, "What a great city!" or, "How did you move here from there?" 

Q. How long have you been here?
A. A year and a half.  

Q. How long will you stay?
A. Technically, until the end of May 2014, but our contract could get extended. 

Q. What are you doing here? 
A. Here's the kicker -- 'cause this inevitably leads to questions about my husband's job (which is usually followed by a "Wow!"), and then maybe about how I spend my time (my answer to which is just never cool enough). 

Don't get me wrong; I too am curious about my fellow expats and ask the same questions. It's just funny that we end up falling in the same (but different) five-question trap with the same ending -- "We should get together!" And how often does that happen? 

Friday, October 18, 2013

Zhoumo kuaile!

Remember how we became such huge tennis fans last year? And we vowed to go again this year 'cause we had so much fun? Well, we dropped the ball (pun intended) and tickets sold out too quickly -- as did tickets for this match-up. I guess we'll just have to drink.

Here's your round-up of fun, interesting, or eye-roll-worthy China stories:
  • The Chinese can not only knock off designer bags and sunglasses, but they've also come up with  a fake gas station and a faux Paris
  • Cockroach farms are multiplying in China. Ew. But for good (or interesting, at least) reason: "Research is underway in China (and South Korea) on the use of pulverized cockroaches for treating baldness, AIDS and cancer and as a vitamin supplement." 

Thursday, October 17, 2013

I've been busy

Last week, I signed up for a web design course; the second class is tomorrow.  I'm excited! Hopefully I'll learn a few tricks and bring home a new skill -- that and (very basic) Mandarin. Yes, I'm still taking classes and even though there are some days I feel as if I've absorbed nothing and I understand nobody, I'm enjoying the challenge.

The magazine has also been keeping me busy -- I reviewed three restaurants and proofread the next issue this week.  If interested, you can click here to read my reviews.

(Will I really have to go back to a 9-5 when I go home?!)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Fun for Everyone


We discovered a magical place last weekend, where dogs can run wild and adults can act like children.
See that white dot in the middle of the last shot? That's me on top of that thing. 

We ventured to the Shanghai Sculpture Park, a good hour from our home, but well worth the trip, especially when the weather is lovely and ticket prices ($20 for adults, $5 for pets) keep the crowds at bay.  

Friday, October 11, 2013

Zhoumo kuaile!

What's everyone up to this weekend? We'll continue with our Shanghai explorations, but with a focus on Shima: finding a kennel (we have our trip to Cambodia and our travel home for the holidays looming) and trekking out to a dog park/sculpture garden.

This weekend is also a warm-up for next week's Shanghai International Beer Festival (there are a lot of beer events around here; the last one wasn't even that long ago!), and apparently, it's also Oktoberfest. Good thing I (kinda) like beer; Mike's happy.

But before I leave you...

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Discovery Shanghai

What made last week especially fun was a few new discoveries we made around town. The first may not be that exciting to those of you who have easy access to cheap but quality wines (I'm looking at you, California friends). This may not come as a surprise, but Chinese wine is not good, and other countries' wines are terribly pricey here. So when we walked up to the fourth floor of Marks & Spencer (yes, the wonderful British retailer has made its way to China!), and found deals on reds, whites, and sparklings, we left with one (or two) bottles of each. And next to the wine cellar, the grocer had all kinds of goodies, including beloved chai tea bags and sinfully delicious biscuits. We left with some of those too. 

The second discovery was a flower market in Pudong (across the river). And by market, I mean warehouse. And by flowers, I mean all kinds, in arrangements and in pots, plants and bonsai trees too. Prices were remarkably cheap, and we came home with two orchids and three succulents for a total of $20. 


M&S
Nanjing Xi Lu, near Shimen Lu

The Flower Market
Pujian Lu, Lancun subway stop

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I love technology

I've been really missing my friends lately, and it's not just because they're awesome. It's been difficult to make meaningful relationships here. I've explored this before (click here), when we had been here for just three months; it's kinda sad to think that we're more than a year in and the situation hasn't changed much. But there's another reason to add to the list I created last September. Expats are transients. And it's not only because assignments have an end date; time spent here is often filled with business trips and exotic vacations (and man, do those Europeans have vacation time!). It just seems as if everyone is coming and going before they end up gone from China for good.

So when I was able to have a three-way conversation with my friends from home -- Pammie in Albany, New York and Lauren in Berkeley, Calif. -- it did my heart some good.

(Pammie, bottom right, looks great -- at 8 months pregnant nonetheless; I think I caught Lauren mid-sentence; and I have a goofy look on my face as I try to listen and take a screen shot at the same time.)


Sunday, October 6, 2013

Insanity

And this is why Mike and I stayed in town during this holiday rather than travel somewhere within China.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Zhoumo kuaile!

We've had a very lazy week in Shanghai, breaking up our Breaking Bad marathon with bike rides and bonding with Shima. Below are a few recent pics of the pup who, without bias or exaggeration, is the best dog in the world.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

At the Mall

Let's play... guess the trademark violation victim!
Edwin's 505s
Buy one, give one? Doubtful. 
A woman in particular? Whose name starts with V, perhaps?