break until Sept 24

Folks, as I'm going back home, I'll take a short break from this blog but expect to see me back on-line after September 24. In the meantime, enjoy some more pictures. Also, a big thanks for all of you who posted some comments, I truly enjoyed the reactions and hope to keep it going in the next round.

DVD versus card game

Today, I succumbed to the lure of “cheap” DVD’s. I visited one of the many DVD stores that you can find everywhere in the city and walked out with a whole bunch of recent movies, some of them currently in theaters in the States. They are selling for less than $2 (a little more than 1 Euro) and of very good quality. They are cheap for a reason of course. Hint, hint.
The basement store (hidden under a furniture store and of course no windows) was recommended to me by a local friend and packed with foreigners. After some hectic shopping, I’ve found some relief in a little park across the store. There I took the attached picture of people playing cards. As I was walking around with a bag full of DVD’s, watching these people having fun with a simple game of cards, I was wondering if they are not better off than me. Them , sitting with friends in the park and enjoying a nice game versus me, sitting in a sofa by myself watching a movie. You get the picture.

Chinese Zodiac: Fire Goat

As I started to become interested in Chinese symbols and characters, I also decided to get to know my Zodiac sign a little better. I was born in the year of the Goat and my fixed element is fire. Here is what I found on the web:
"The Goat ( 羊 ) (also known as Sheep or Ram) is the eighth sign of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Chinese word for Sheep and Goat is the same, "Yang." That is why the confusion on the name.
People born in the Year of Sheep are elegant and highly accomplished in the arts. They seem to be, at first glance, better off than those born in the zodiac's other years. But Sheep year people are often shy, pessimistic, and puzzled about life. They are usually deeply religious, yet timid by nature. Sometimes clumsy in speech, they are always passionate about what they do and what they believe in. Sheep people never have to worry about having the best in life for their abilities make money for them, and they are able to enjoy the creature comforts that they like. Sheep people are wise, gentle, and compassionate.
In Chinese tradition, fire is one of five elements. It is associated with the planet Mars, summer, the south and the color red. It is also believed to govern the heart. Fire is associated with the qualities of dynamism, strength and persistence; however, it is also connected to restlessness."

I leave it up to you the readers to figure out if the description is in anyway close to the real me. If you are interested in finding out more about your sign, here is a really good website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Zodiac#The_Four_Animal_Trines

Taxi anxiety

A small but weird thing happened to me this evening when I stepped out of the taxi. Before I tell you the whole story, I need to give you some background on my experiences with taxis in Beijing so far. None of the taxis drivers speak any English at all. So to get to my office in the morning or to my apartment in the evenings, I use these little cards (just like business cards) that have the address on one side and a map on the other. Every time I wave a taxi down, I step in the car and show the driver the card. Most of them mumble something in Chinese, some of the take out a magnification glass to read the card, others get a bigger map, whatever they can do to show me I’m asking a lot of them they will do, etc …It also takes awhile before they figure out where I want to go. In several occasions they tell me straight away to get out of the car and find myself another taxi. At least, that is the message I get from their hand signals as I have no clue what they are bitching about. My record today is three taxis. Meaning, the first two kicked me out right away and only the third one accepted me. Outside my apartment there are always some taxi drivers sleeping in their cars overnight and I always feel sorry if I have to wake up one of them at 6.30 am. One morning, there were three taxis outside the apartment but all three drivers were playing a card game and none of them wanted to stop their game , so I got myself the by now familiar hand signal: “go away and get lost”. Some cars have no working airco so by the time I arrive at my destination, I’m soaking wet. Other times I have to deal with farting or spitting or any other bodily noises. Most have a driving style that, how should I say it, well that is bluntly speaking borderline criminal: reckless beyond belief, rudeness that would pale many Europeans and with total disrespect for any human or living being not in a car bigger than theirs. However, don’t get the wrong picture, most days I enjoy the ride as it gives me some time to observe what is happening on the streets of Beijing. I sometimes read the newspaper in the morning and just chill in the evening by doing some “people watching”, which is always a great way to wind down. On rare occasions, I ran into a driver I had before and those turned out to be the best rides because he knows where I need to go and everything goes smoothly. He smiles, I smile: we are all in harmony.
Anyhow, I’m getting on a side track, back to my story. So I took a taxi from the office back home and had some issues explaining the driver where he had to take me. However, I signaled him to get going and that I would explain to him how to drive. You see, I learned the Chinese words for left, right and straight. Those are the only ones you need to know if you are familiar with the roads and they will get you home. The driver kept going and starts speaking Chinese to me non-stop. I tell him in English that I don’t understand him but the more I tell him that, the more energized he gets to continue to me in Chinese. So after awhile I just let him do. By the time, we get to my apartment, I thank him in Chinese, pay him the fee and as I walked out he says in perfect English with a slight New York accent: “It was great talking to you and if you want, I can pick you up tomorrow morning ”. I was just so surprised and stomped by his comment that I simply said “sure” and he took off. I actually forgot to tell him the time but the question remains: will he be there, waiting for me and where was that English coming from? For sure, I wouldn’t mind asking him a few questions if I see him again……in English.

A typical work day

After having received several e-mails from readers questioning if I work at all or if it is all play (?), I felt the need to clarify a few things. What better way than to describe a typical work day in the office!
First, I wake up every day between 5.30 and 6 am and catch a taxi at 6.45 am to arrive at the office 30 minutes later. I’m normally the first to arrive on our floor and so I have to turn on the lights. The office is located on the campus of the Tsinghua University (the MIT of China) and the neighborhood is quite vibrant with all the students. Looking out of the window I can almost see Google’s HQ, also Microsoft is nearby. I always go outside for lunch and try one of the many ethnic restaurants (Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French,..) close to the office. I was strongly encouraged by my colleagues not to try the company canteen and I religiously stick to their advice. Besides it is nice to be able to stretch the legs mid-day. I stay in the office until 18.30 pm and then rush to the gym across the street to attend a spinning class from 19-20 pm. Some days I’m late and I take the next class that starts at 20 pm. After a quick shower I go back to the office to call the US where the work day just started and catch up with my US colleagues and family. I try to take a taxi back to my apartment around 21 pm to arrive home anywhere between 21.30 - 22 pm depending on the traffic situation. After a quick bite, I either write my blog and/or watch some TV, do some reading. By 23 pm, I crash in my bed and try to catch 7 hours of sleep. The next day, it starts all over again. Not a perfect balance between work and life but being without family in Beijing, I can allow myself to be off balance a little. Because of confidentiality reasons, I do not write about work and leave all stories about office adventures out of this blog but trust me, it is quite a fun journey and I love every minute of it. You probably had figured that out already yourself.

One month milestone

After one month in China, I’m really getting good at using chopsticks and cycling around. Sometimes my Chinese friends challenge me in picking up peanuts with my chopsticks. I always get a few nods of approval if I show them that I can even pick up two at a time. The first picture shows me eating some of the best dumplings I ever had: the skin was extremely thin and the meat real juicy. It was in a restaurant in Shanghai (I forgot the name) that even made in the food section of the NY Times because of its dumplings. In the second picture, I felt sorry for the driver and told him to take a break and let me cycle for awhile. Only reluctantly did he agree as he was afraid the police would ticket him for letting me drive him around without a license.

Zhou Zhuang: China’s version of Bruges

One hour by car and West of Shanghai, you will find the 900 years old water village of Zhou Zhuang, an UNESCO World Heritage site. The town has interconnected waterways and over 60 carved-brick bridges or archways. It did remind me of my hometown Bruges: tourists can take gondola-like boat rides across the old town with its narrow canals and cobblestone streets are lined up with souvenir shops. Here you will still find some of the old Chinese houses build in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. One can walk into some 700 year old private houses with 5-7 halls with beautiful courtyards. I had the chance to spend a few hours strolling the streets and taste a few of the local beers. A great way to wind down the work week.