tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6174130199291713792024-03-13T11:25:36.653-07:00China Travelscynicism, hilarity, photography, baconUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-35352041091678271332009-07-09T21:43:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:45:56.038-07:00Final Thoughts on China (Humorous version)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlbHYrx2pOI/AAAAAAAAATE/6x6R1MfoDgc/s1600-h/end18.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 330px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlbHYrx2pOI/AAAAAAAAATE/6x6R1MfoDgc/s400/end18.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356688033686398178" /></a><br /><br />Here are some final thoughts on my trip in Top Ten List format. Also find attached, photo of me at the Great Wall with some random family that asked me to be in their picture. Bye China!<br /><br />Most surprising discoveries about China:<br />1. Crotchless pants<br />2. Eggplant is the most delicious vegetable ever<br />3. Freedom of expression is more open than I thought<br />4. Access to information is more restricted than I thought<br />5. Beer in a bag<br />6. Yogurt in popsicle form<br />7. Its really easy to get past the Great Firewall<br />8. Its really hard to climb the Great Wall<br />9. I love shopping<br />10. No egg rolls, no fortune cookies, and very little dog on the menu<br /><br />Things I won’t miss about China:<br />1. Squatters<br />2. Smoking everywhere<br />3. Children using the sidewalk as a bathroom<br />4. The smells (see previous three items)<br />5. Crossing the street<br />6. Being stared at constantly<br />7. Accidentally ordering 4 of the same dish at restaurants<br />8. Rock hard beds<br />9. Overly attentive waitstaff<br />10. Lack of cheeseUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-49162858075314570922009-07-09T21:41:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:42:42.055-07:00Final Thoughts on China (Meaningful version)<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to London, and thinking about how far I’ve come on this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I grab a snack in an airport restaurant, and as a I eat my sticky rice (silently judging the quality and texture as less than exceptional), with my chopsticks (that I can hold at the very back like a pro) and count out my last few quai, I give a quiet thank you to China in my head. This trip definitely felt less like a vacation and more like an experience, and for that I’m very grateful. I’m going home with so much more knowledge than I had when I arrived, and at least an appreciation, if not yet a complete understanding, of what it means to be Chinese in an incredibly turbulent and significant time in this country. I will watch the news from China with a more critical eye, and notice the changes there with a personal attachment to the people that I’ve met and the places that I’ve seen. So thanks, China, for teaching me so much. I promise that the next time I order an egg roll, I will do so with an appropriately cynical look.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-5421844582267959142009-07-09T21:38:00.000-07:002009-07-09T21:41:38.479-07:00Final Thoughts on China (Journalistically worthy version)Here are the <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?p=2097">final thoughts</a> I wrote for class, looking at what I had learned about China. Its not nearly as long as that last story, so if you made it though that one, this one’s a breeze. Also, I wanted to refer you to (or reference) <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?p=1381">Caitlin’s story</a> about condoms in China. There’s a section that basically delineates how American women are sluttier than Chinese women. Thought some of you readers might appreciate that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-65411647786991648892009-07-09T01:23:00.000-07:002009-07-09T01:27:43.731-07:00Something is always under construction here.Here’s a look at the scene in front of the hostel where I’m staying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWpK7THkgI/AAAAAAAAAS0/bT3ieObiXYk/s1600-h/hostel16.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWpK7THkgI/AAAAAAAAAS0/bT3ieObiXYk/s400/hostel16.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356373337008738818" /></a><br />Its been under construction for 3 months according to the shop owner down the street (very bad for business, she said, and then talked me into buying some bags). What’s amazing is that enormous trenches and pipe work on a street does not slow anyone down. They just set up little ramps along the side of the trench and you wind your way along, climbing over metal pipes and trying to avoid getting tetanus until you get to the shop you want. It may look like chaos today, but probably in a week there will be a completely new street over all of it. Yesterday morning I walked out of the hostel and there was a huge hole where the front steps used to be, and within a few hours pipes had been installed and the hold refilled. Construction moves insanely fast here it seems like. That being said, its not always thanks to modern conveniences. Most of the work is done by hand or with manual tools. The one power tool I saw employed in this process was this little backhoe that was lifting dirt into a janky wheelbarrow, which was then rolled over to a spot where it could be dumped. I’m not sure how this was more effective than using a shovel, but if China is anything like Texas, then any excuse to use a power tool is a good one I guess. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWpLG2BsJI/AAAAAAAAAS8/A-dkZOlA3HA/s1600-h/hostel17.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWpLG2BsJI/AAAAAAAAAS8/A-dkZOlA3HA/s400/hostel17.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356373340107944082" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-24139919179044508332009-07-09T01:21:00.000-07:002009-07-09T01:23:19.720-07:00One more clothing item to envy.I forgot to post this earlier. These are the fantastic little socks that all the Chinese ladies wear. At first we were laughing at how ugly they were - like miniature panty hose with a cuff - but then Caitlin bought everyone a pair and we wore them to the Terracotta Warriors. Turns out, they are the most comfortable socks ever! And they prevent blisters, and keep your feet from sweating. Damn China, why can’t you export this clever little invention? No worries, I’m exporting them myself. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWow9xs4GI/AAAAAAAAASs/WDRnjBVURmM/s1600-h/end19.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlWow9xs4GI/AAAAAAAAASs/WDRnjBVURmM/s400/end19.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356372890997284962" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-86908544701149993532009-07-07T06:54:00.000-07:002009-07-07T07:04:02.902-07:00Last day at the beach.I’m headed back to Beijing today to spend a few more days before my flight to London. I haven’t gotten in that much beach time because we’ve had some rain, so I got up early to spend the morning on the shore. I think it was the first time I’ve been somewhere in China that actually smells good. It was quite lovely. And of course I got to enjoy some more of the insanity of a China beach, and I would like to share a few of the things that you do not want to miss if you ever visit one:<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Water.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNT7Ln354I/AAAAAAAAARc/jF0qEjO3Nes/s1600-h/beach10.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNT7Ln354I/AAAAAAAAARc/jF0qEjO3Nes/s400/beach10.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355716658071070594" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Sand.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUNdmitfI/AAAAAAAAARk/FveoWSPkPSc/s1600-h/beach01.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUNdmitfI/AAAAAAAAARk/FveoWSPkPSc/s400/beach01.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355716972134970866" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Face masks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUty7saxI/AAAAAAAAAR8/KGyogcy66eg/s1600-h/beach04.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUty7saxI/AAAAAAAAAR8/KGyogcy66eg/s400/beach04.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717527616645906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Sand angels.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUcblo06I/AAAAAAAAARs/gdhylpDaRQM/s1600-h/beach06.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 247px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUcblo06I/AAAAAAAAARs/gdhylpDaRQM/s400/beach06.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717229292344226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Leg lifts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUcjf9rcI/AAAAAAAAAR0/sfKMEFBnWnY/s1600-h/beach07.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUcjf9rcI/AAAAAAAAAR0/sfKMEFBnWnY/s400/beach07.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717231416028610" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Push ups.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUuJOFgxI/AAAAAAAAASE/lkzJyT2GAO8/s1600-h/beach08.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNUuJOFgxI/AAAAAAAAASE/lkzJyT2GAO8/s400/beach08.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717533599367954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Buried children.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVImdtF4I/AAAAAAAAASM/khYskc9e2f8/s1600-h/beach11.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVImdtF4I/AAAAAAAAASM/khYskc9e2f8/s400/beach11.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717988126103426" border="0" /></a><br />Chicken.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVI2j3BNI/AAAAAAAAASU/p3HahF7YUHw/s1600-h/beach12.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVI2j3BNI/AAAAAAAAASU/p3HahF7YUHw/s400/beach12.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717992446887122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Weight lifting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVJMkaz3I/AAAAAAAAASc/5xa0MFb2XYw/s1600-h/beach14.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVJMkaz3I/AAAAAAAAASc/5xa0MFb2XYw/s400/beach14.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717998354812786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And my personal favorite...smoking while exercising.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVJIHaDeI/AAAAAAAAASk/wvWVQEb468Y/s1600-h/beach13.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNVJIHaDeI/AAAAAAAAASk/wvWVQEb468Y/s400/beach13.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355717997159386594" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-8317192018702035182009-07-07T06:52:00.001-07:002009-07-07T06:54:24.423-07:00Squid on a Stick.We are staying in a town on the coast, so I felt obligated to try one of the many sea dwelling creatures that they serve grilled on a stick. I think this is squid, and it was pretty tasty. It went well with my favorite yogurt popsicle that I have been buying like a fiend in Qingdao after being deprived of them in Shanghai. China needs to get its popsicle distribution system in order, I can’t be having to search around for these pops.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNTY-ZDz9I/AAAAAAAAARM/7FK-egTYlpA/s1600-h/beach03.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNTY-ZDz9I/AAAAAAAAARM/7FK-egTYlpA/s400/beach03.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355716070403723218" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNTZEsZLDI/AAAAAAAAARU/Z9Oxl5TIaWA/s1600-h/beach02.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SlNTZEsZLDI/AAAAAAAAARU/Z9Oxl5TIaWA/s400/beach02.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355716072095427634" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-43726263488248972612009-07-07T06:51:00.000-07:002009-07-07T06:52:23.924-07:00Monday.It was raining all day today so we decided to do something indoors. Like a movie! Unfortunately, that meant we had to see Transformers 2. I would have picked almost any other movie over that except for, like, Ice Age 3 in 3D. <br />Oh wait, that was the only other choice. <br />So we watched Transformers 2 with Chinese subtitles, and discovered the most interesting thing about Chinese movie theaters: assigned seats! That’s right, you get to choose your seat when you buy a ticket and then your seat number is printed on it. This system would normally not work out for me at all because I’m always late to movies, but since we didn’t know the times before we got there we were insanely early. Best seats in the house for the worst movie I’ve ever seen. Oh well, it was worth it to hear the guy next to us cheering whenever something blew up. That’s my people.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-77257549516613665132009-07-07T06:50:00.000-07:002009-07-07T06:51:43.210-07:00Letter to Beds.Dear China,<br />Why are all of your beds so hard? I would very much like to visit the rock quarry where you mine your mattresses from, because I didn’t realize it was possible to create a box spring out of solid stone. There are a few things I won’t miss when I go home, China, and back pain is one of them.<br /><br />Dreaming of feathertops,<br />KellyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-68996138635802287472009-07-04T10:22:00.000-07:002009-07-04T10:34:36.690-07:00I've declared my independence from drinking out of cups.Happy Fourth of July everyone! Turns out there aren't very many celebrations to attend in China which honor the birth of American independence, but we did eat meat on a stick for breakfast, drank a beer from a bag, and saw one floating paper candle in the sky... which is kind of like a firework? Oh, and as I was sitting here blogging, a nice Chinese couple just gave me a slice of watermelon. Couldn't ask for much more. Hope your day is filled with BBQ, cold beverages, and friends.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-70283354579189298862009-07-03T22:35:00.000-07:002009-07-03T22:37:21.177-07:00Beer by the Bag.We have discovered the most amazing thing about Qingdao. Beer by the bag. That’s right, because the Tsingdao brewery (its pronounced the same as the city just a different spelling because they were trying out an earlier form of pinyin at the time) is based here, beer is even cheaper and more accessible than other cities we’ve been to. The corner stores take a plastic bag like you get in the produce section, fill it with beer and put a straw in the top. They sell it by weight, and 1 kilo costs about 50 cents. Good lord, the trip may be all down hill from here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/Sk7qcrcYGBI/AAAAAAAAARE/SHPkz5iv_kE/s1600-h/IMG_4973.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/Sk7qcrcYGBI/AAAAAAAAARE/SHPkz5iv_kE/s400/IMG_4973.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354474785409079314" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-27040522494542775512009-07-03T22:34:00.000-07:002009-07-03T22:35:34.109-07:00I guess I couldn’t take a picture worth 2000 words.So here’s my latest <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?p=1842">story</a> on the class website. Something absurd seems to have happened on this trip…I’ve started using words. So many words in this last story, in fact, that I forgot to take pictures. Totally embarrassing. Luckily Dawn covered my ass with a nice photo she shot. The story is kind of a culmination of a lot of different information I gathered during the trip, and hopefully begins to explain how complex and contradictory China can be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-28331256392367506232009-07-03T04:29:00.000-07:002009-07-03T04:40:59.347-07:00Plano meets QingdaoDear Indian restaurant owner lady,<br />Thank you for making a delicious chicken curry, and for having the greatest hairdo I have yet to witness in China. I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch for both reasons.<br /><br />Completely in awe,<br />Kelly<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/Sk3sqEvPudI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/w8D5hUclEPQ/s1600-h/IMG_4960.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/Sk3sqEvPudI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/w8D5hUclEPQ/s400/IMG_4960.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354195739583953362" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-55547334538130286982009-07-03T04:14:00.000-07:002009-07-03T04:28:50.574-07:00Friday.We moved into the new hostel today, and its quite an improvement. The AC works, bathroom doesn’t smell (seriously China, you gotta look into the plumbing situation), and there’s a nifty little lounge that serves coffee and beer and has free pool. And best of all, there’s a washing machine. Brilliant. I walked down to the beach this morning to read and people watch. Apparently the beach is much like the public parks where all the athletic seniors go to work out. I saw old men crab walking, making sand angels, playing hacky sack, and generally toning up their tanned little bodies. As Mike commented,”I’ve never seen 70-year-old men that are so cut.” For real. These guys are working it. For an idea of what the scene looks like, you should watch <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?p=1802">Caitlin’s video</a> from Shanghai. Be sure to factor in the speedos. I'll try to document this in more detail tomorrow.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-56622003991876263222009-07-02T08:00:00.001-07:002009-07-02T08:02:44.812-07:00You know you wish they made these for adults.I’ve been waiting to blog about this because I wanted more pictures to show you guys, but its been a tougher photo to acquire than I anticipated. Turns out taking pictures of naked children can seem kind of creepy. So in China no one uses diapers (for financial reasons mainly but its gotta help with landfills too). Instead, all the children wear these pants that are split in the front and the back for easy access. The babies are trained to pee on demand when their mothers whistle, so you will see moms holding their babies over a trash can and whistling while the baby goes. The toddlers will drop a squat on the sidewalk and you have to watch out for little turds when you walk around. I’m not saying it’s the most sanitary, but the Pavlovian whistling technique blows my mind, and I can’t get over the little split pants. Maybe its just my uptight Western sensibilities, but I’ve seen a lot more baby junk than I ever needed to. Here’s the best image I’ve been able to get without freaking any parents out. Imagine the same split in the front and you’ve got the look. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzL3X2gJ6I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/0P2oAQKqf4s/s1600-h/IMG_2735.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 316px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzL3X2gJ6I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/0P2oAQKqf4s/s400/IMG_2735.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353878209192535970" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-84601215418867061422009-07-02T07:57:00.001-07:002009-07-02T08:00:20.804-07:00Pearl TowerI went to the Pearl Tower on my first and only visit to a tourist attraction in Shanghai (I’ve been so busy finishing my last story I’ve barely had time to do anything around the city – other than shop of course). It’s just a tall building with a view like a lot of towers in big cities, but the best part was the middle deck that had an open air viewing area with a plexiglass floor. So you’re standing on the deck looking down at the ground thousands of feet below you…pretty trippy. But the best part is watching everyone else walk on the floor. I’m in no position to mock, because I did the same thing, but apparently human nature tells us that if we crouch down and tip toe, this allows us to levitate above the earth with no fear of falling. It looked hilarious to see all these people doing that and holding onto the rail as tight as they could. Worth the price of admission.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzLWtsYhEI/AAAAAAAAAQs/qk5gNX21bEg/s1600-h/IMG_4530.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzLWtsYhEI/AAAAAAAAAQs/qk5gNX21bEg/s400/IMG_4530.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353877648119989314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzLWbVl_FI/AAAAAAAAAQk/rkmBZb7aofk/s1600-h/IMG_4526.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkzLWbVl_FI/AAAAAAAAAQk/rkmBZb7aofk/s400/IMG_4526.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353877643192564818" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-3808049415273552642009-07-02T07:56:00.001-07:002009-07-02T07:56:56.806-07:00Eau de MildewSo I have been doing most of my clothes washing in the sink here, because there aren’t really laundramats in China. One time Dawn and I took some clothes to get washed at a laundry place but they do it by hand and it costs like $2 per shirt, so we decided that wasn’t the most budget conscious technique. Also, because there are no dryers, all my pants are stretched out to the point of falling off my ass. I’m telling myself I’ve lost weight, but I know that I just need to shrink them in the dryer. A few days ago I washed my clothes and hung them to dry in the bathroom, and turned on the heat lamp thinking “this will dry them faster.” It didn’t. And in fact all it did was create a warm moist environment for the clothes to mildew, so now most of my clothes have a really lovely mildewy scent to them. Who knew that washing machines would be at the top of my list for things I miss?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-10659458750723261682009-07-02T07:49:00.000-07:002009-07-02T07:56:08.861-07:00Beach time!Sorry for the gap in posting. Its been super busy until now, when Mike and Dawn and I finally got to our next destination….drumroll….the beach! We took an overnight train to Qingdao (pronounced Ching-dow), halfway between Shanghai and Beijing on the eastern coast of China. We thought we might make it to Vietnam on this trip, but it turned out to be too far and too expensive to travel to. The beach will be a nice substitute. We're staying at a hostel that’s really close to the beach, but its not very hostel-ish (i.e. no kitchen, no community spaces to hang out and meet people) so today we scouted out a new place and are moving tomorrow. Hopefully there will be better internet there so I can update with photos and hijinx. I'll attach some backlogged blog posts from Shanghai, and then should be able to catch up by tomorrow. Its crazy to think I’ve already been in China for an entire month. I’m glad for a few days of downtime to process everything I’ve seen and learned, and then I’ll update you all with my brilliant analysis of the culture and country. Good talk.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-27138457084561223862009-06-27T23:40:00.001-07:002009-06-27T23:41:34.366-07:00If combovers are wrong...…I don’t want to be right. This guy was exercising in the park, and was generous enough to provide this beautiful moment. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkcQgwFlmDI/AAAAAAAAAQc/JB1JdTdHBRg/s1600-h/IMG_4729.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 288px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkcQgwFlmDI/AAAAAAAAAQc/JB1JdTdHBRg/s400/IMG_4729.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352264837003319346" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-66178069048647001142009-06-27T23:29:00.000-07:002009-06-27T23:51:00.993-07:00Do you like jeans? I am sure. You like it.I have developed a shopping addiction. Maybe it’s the thrill of the haggle. Or the endless aisles of useless overpriced items. Or perhaps I really enjoy being stalked by aggressive sales people. I don’t know. What I do know is, I can’t stop buying things at the market. The fake mall must have started it, because next Caitlin and I searched out a supposedly cheaper mall in the basement of a metro station. Unfortunately for both of us, our bank’s ATM was in the mall, and ludicrous spending ensued. The next day, we took a short break from working to get some lunch, and somehow in the two blocks between our hotel and the dumpling stand we both managed to buy two more enormous bags of stuff. Seriously, we were gone like ten minutes. I’m already itching to get this blog post done so I can go to another shopping area we read about in Caitlin’s travel book. She was expecting me (usually the budget conscious one) to rein her in, but so far I’ve only made things worse. Here’s a list of a few of the absurd things I’ve purchased thus far.<br /><br />Two pairs of jeans (“Diesel” and “Seven” brands…check out the label from the Diesel jeans for verification of their authenticity) $29<br />One “real” leather belt $9<br />The entire five season box set of Six Feet Under $26<br />A bag to carry all the stuff I bought (but it’s way too small so I’ll have to buy another one) $6<br />Two awesome shirts (Jessie, you’ll be proud) $26<br />Two (why did I need two?) visors with a full coverage face mask $5<br />One package of ten pairs of socks $0.76<br />There will no doubt be more before the end of the day. Damn you, China, and your cheap awesome stuff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkcPLhgfLII/AAAAAAAAAQU/GzVK9E7dtJM/s1600-h/IMG_4893.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mGgSCXRFmOc/SkcPLhgfLII/AAAAAAAAAQU/GzVK9E7dtJM/s400/IMG_4893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352263372800732290" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-79895815755487664512009-06-27T22:27:00.000-07:002009-06-27T23:29:29.698-07:00Professor Pan tells allOn Wednesday we had a meeting with Professor Pan, a mass communications professor who teaches in Wisconsin but is doing research in China on new media. He is from China but has lived in the US for 25 years, so he had both an outsiders and an insiders perspective on journalism here. He was way more open than anyone we have talked to so far, and gave us the low down on how journalists operate in this country. We already knew that a lot of censorship goes on, mainly by the journalists themselves out of fear of reprisal from the government. In China, the government owns all the media outlets, and informs them about what stories are not okay to write and how to cover certain issues (like the earthquake, for example). But they are really only concerned with political matters that might affect keeping the government in power, so there is more press freedom here than we often think. What we learned from Pan is that another tactic used by the government to maintain media control is to keep the wages of journalists so low that in order to make a living they must supplement their income by taking “donations” from subjects they are covering. Its basically standard practice to bribe journalists into writing good stories about you, and not only does everyone do it, but the general public knows about it and thinks its fairly acceptable. This just blew my mind. I know that corruption is pretty common here, but apparently because other people are so much more corrupt (turns out politicians and teachers are the worst) that the journalists seem mild by comparison. And because everyone does it, as a journalist you are pressured by your co-workers to follow along. We were all wishing that we had gotten to talk to Pan earlier in the trip, because we would have had some serious questions about this to ask of all the journalists we’ve been meeting along the way. Of course, the next day at Fudan University School of Journalism, all the professors told us that practice was “not as common” anymore. But judging by the way they answered all our other questions, I’m pretty skeptical that that’s the last word on the subject. China just continues to teach me things.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-7338623839601832982009-06-23T23:13:00.000-07:002009-06-24T22:20:43.955-07:00UpdatesTwo new <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?cat=35">stories</a> posted on the class website! The ones about the Tea Man and the bird walkers. I know you guys are dying to read them all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-25165252250447742192009-06-23T07:51:00.000-07:002009-06-23T20:28:11.122-07:00Pictures I wish I had taken - Link is Fixed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">The third week's photo <a href="http://www.chinaonthemove.net/?p=1468">gallery</a> is on our class website now, and I think you've already seen the photos of mine in there, but I recommend it for 2 other photos from Caitlin and Mike. I'm not going to spoil the surprise, but I'll just say this: unique sleeping position, and a comb-over surprise. Click through until you find those beauties. </div></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-90432341112306211442009-06-23T07:44:00.000-07:002009-06-23T07:45:16.155-07:00Climbing the Great Wall….A director’s debut<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Caitlin makes her directorial debut with this amazing <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/caitlinmeredith/ClimbingTheGreatWall?authkey=Gv1sRgCPL8ja282pb3aw&feat=directlink">film</a> from our Great Wall experience. It’s a chronicle of our quest to find the toboggan that would take us back to the bus. You’ll notice the excellent editing as well. </p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-617413019929171379.post-3444095949346719232009-06-23T07:26:00.001-07:002009-06-23T07:42:41.950-07:00Want to buy some Uggs lady?So today I went to an enormous "fake" shopping mall in downtown Shanghai. Its fake because its filled with knock-off everything: jeans, shoes, DVDs, electronics, jewelry, kites, whatever. Its four stories of little merchant kiosks manned by the most aggressive salespeople on earth. Walking down the aisle you are accosted by dozens of sellers saying,"Watches lady? DVD lady? Look at shoes lady?" One person actually mixed it up and called me "chick," which I sort of appreciated. Its the most intense shopping experience I've ever had, but I managed to find a few things I "needed" and haggle my way down to a slightly less ridiculous price than was asked. I'm getting better at the haggle. Still not as good as Dawn. Its pretty standard for the price to go down by about 80% without much effort at all, and then if you're really good you can go lower than that. Anyway, after about an hour of that place I was both amazed and exhausted, so I had to get out. I might try to go back when I'm more rested, or really drunk. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3