Class at Jingyuetan

Every spring semester my supervisor, Wang Laoshi, holds a seminar-style class for his PhD and Masters students. For our last class he planned a picnic to Changchun's Jingyuetan, a large man-made forest and reservoir just outside the city. It was my first time to the park and, albeit the pictures don't show it, I was excited for the outing.

 

 

 

 

While waiting for everyone to arrive at the meeting point, Wang Laoshi took out his camera. I could see him pointing it in my direction, so I turned away awkwardly. Really, the following pictures are not my best, but I felt embarrassed at having the camera pointing at me and not knowing how much he had zoomed in on my face.

 

 

Our picnic location in a meadow overlooking the lake.

 

The women lagged behind, with each step lamenting their quickly dirtying shoes.

 

 

As per some unspoken rule of Chinese picnics, there had to be a tent.

 

 

No one had called or texted me...just avoiding the camera again.

 

 

 

Wang Laoshi's idea of a picnic is to hold regular class with each person giving a short presentation on some aspect of the reading from the semester. Not surprising, I was chosen to read mine first. Oh, the expressions of my avid followers!

 

 

"Ting de dong ma?"

 

 

Can they even understand what I'm saying??

 

 

The tent stands alone, the tent stands alone, hi-ho-the-dairy-o...

 

 

 

Wang Laoshi handed off the camera

 

 

I'm not sure what I wrote after all.

 

 

Attentive much?

 

 

 

 

I just had a feeling I was unnecessarily included in some photos.

 

 

 

Quite to my surprise, one of our department's secretaries showed up to get some papers signed. I wonder if he had to pay the entrance fee for the ten minutes he was in the park. He took our signature group photo, had one piece of chicken, and left.

 

 

The glory of my day: being the only one to enter The Tent with my half-eaten cucumber.

 

 

Aha! The picture we have all been waiting for. Wang Laoshi and I--minus the cucumber, which a classmate graciously offered to hold for me. After eating I proposed some games. Eventually I suggested "Do You Love Your Neighbor?" and we ended up playing that for the better part of an hour. Whenever someone lost they had to eat something as punishment. Once all the cherries and strawberries were gone, the women moved on to tomatoes. One girl ended up eating at least two as her "punishment."

 

 

 

Not a clue.

 

I'm it!

I made a few friends, got a sunburn as well as class credit, taught one of my favorite games to a new group of people, and hung out in nature all day. As my student says religiously, "Class Over!"

How to Get Ready for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival 【春节】begins on January 31st this year. In the weeks leading up to the holiday, the whole of China will be on the move. From east to west, people, especially migrant workers, will return to their home villages to spend the time with families they haven't seen the rest of the year. On the 29th, families all over Asia will gather together to eat a special meal, perhaps watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV, and give each other gifts. In the days following they will visit relatives, and especially in China, take a break from work for 1-2 weeks.

Even though I am spending the holiday in the U.S., the Spring Festival is a special time of year for me, too. I enjoy sharing my host culture with people here at home. This year to celebrate I'll be presenting on China in my younger siblings' classes. However, creating a presentation fit for 5-8 year-olds takes a lot of preparation, as does the Spring Festival itself. If you haven't prepped your home or family for this holiday, I'm here to help. Here is my list on how to get ready for Chinese New Year. Keep in mind that my recommendations are all based on my own observations of preparations in China, and should, by no means, be taken too seriously. Especially if you live outside of China, just have fun with it!

Spring Clean

Before the new year arrives, it's important that your home be ready for all the good spirits and prosperity that is sure to come. More importantly, one must take care to sweep away all the bad luck from the year before. After you've got your house spick-and-span, don't forget to hang your traditional couplets around your door frame.
 

 

Buy Red

Buy red underwear in particular. Not only is this a lucky color in Chinese culture, but it is also a great preparation for Valentine's Day. Buy some for yourself. Get a few for your spouse. Stock up for your kids. Don't forget the grandparents! While you're at it, go for red sheets and duvets, too. Go big or go home, right?

 

Make Dumplings

This is a must. Because of their similar shape to ancient gold currency, dumplings represent fortune and prosperity. At the new year, people sometimes hide small coins inside the filling to be found by some lucky eater. Even without the coin, dumplings are a delicious main meal and fun to make at home or with friends. It's a common Chinese question to ask foreigners if they know how to "bao jiaozi," or make dumplings. Why not get a head start this year by making some of your own?
 

 

Set Off Firecrackers

As you ring in the new year, your ears should be ringing--there should be a Chinese idiom for that. Chances are, you're not going to be doing this in your backyard in the States, but a few sparklers or a bonfire would do, too!
 

 

If nothing else, you can wear my Chinese-English original design for your Chinese New Year celebration! Find it on my Etsy shop at the top of this page or here. Leave a comment and you'll get 10% off your order! Who can say no to more holiday deals? 
 

Starting the New Year with a New Business

Most of you know by now that I am in the U.S. visiting family and friends. What many of you don't know is how I'm really spending my time.

I have projects galore!

While in Oklahoma visiting my mom and siblings for Thanksgiving I completed my profile on Elance and began working as a freelance writer, editor, and researcher. 

I visited Dr. Robert Davis Con-Undiano at the University of Oklahoma, who gave me a lot of information on my research topic of how Americans view Mo Yan, Nobel prize winner for literature in 2012. 

I met with another professor at Oklahoma Central University and ended up being invited to present at the Asian Center for Development Program's (ACDP) national conference in Houston this coming March.

I decided to make a quilt top while in Oklahoma and two days later I was finished.

I then took a 16+ hour Greyhound bus ride to Holbrook from OKC. I met a man who had been shot eight times in his life, twice in the head. I even felt where the bullet is still lodged in his forehead. There was also a German-speaking, elderly Amish couple on board, and a girl who drank a 2-liter soda in three hours. The Greyhound truly impressed me as very American, to say the least.

I wrapped a suitcase full of presents and got more excited than the kids when it came time to open them. Fortunately, all the clothes fit, albeit some just barely ;) 

I got food poisoning.

I signed up for a 10k. I train at home and around town when I'm not helping my dad with food storage and feeding chickens.

So now I am gathering my research materials, getting in contact with more professors, writing articles for various blog posts, and I've started preparing presentations on China for my younger siblings' classes. 

But the thing that I just have to share with everyone is my new business--selling t-shirts! It's been my goal for a long time to sell shirts with my original designs. Since I'm starting small, right now I only have one design and 10 shirts. I have until March 16 before I head back to China and I'd love to get them all sold before then. For now, expect to see a lot of posts on Facebook and other outlets about these shirts. If you're interested in making a purchase, feel free to contact me through my Facebook page or my Etsy shop.

 

 

What do you think? Do you know someone who would like an English-Chinese character mix that combines American humor with Chinese aesthetics? If so, pass it on or leave a comment.

Happy New Year!

American Stuff I'm Looking Forward to

With my upcoming trip back to the USofA, I have been thinking A LOT about what I want to do, where I want to go, and what I'll get to eat. In that I'm going back during winter vacation I'll be around for all the major holidays. It's been five years since that's happened, so of course there is plenty to look forward to! Just to name a few, there's turkey, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, pie, Christmas trees, singing carols, turkey, gravy, sugar cookies. Did I mention turkey? Those are all very normal (holiday) things and there's plenty more in the line of everyday American stuff (like English everywhere)!

What I'm looking forward to, however, are things you might not expect. These are things that I took for granted until I started living in Asia. They may not make a lot of sense, as they truly are the little things in life. If I make it to your house while I'm in the U.S., you'll probably understand why I might stare at the TV or stand over your shoulder when you cook. Don't worry, I'm just making lots of memories for the next time I'm sitting in a hot, crowded Chinese bus missing home.

Recliners. If you have a recliner, I'm coming to your house. I might steal your spot. That's the risk you'd be taking by having a recliner devotee back from a two-year absence sleep on your couch. Which reminds me, I'm also looking forward to couches!

Sandwiches. Not any one in particular, but rather the concept. Two slices of whole wheat bread, not cut in half or stacked on top of one another. Just two plain slices of bread, toasted. Real Mayonnaise, not any of the sweet variety. Fresh tomatoes. Pickles! Mmm, mustard. Any kind of meat and/or other veggies will do, as long as it's not corn. All this should be served with potato chips (although sometimes a soup, french fries, or a salad will do) at lunchtime. Unless it's breakfast time, in which case, I'd like to change my order to a breakfast sandwich. Makes sense, right?

 

Free access to sites like Google, Facebook, Blogspot, etc. This is a given. The second I'm allowed on Narita's network in Japan during my layover, my digits will be all over their proxy-less hand-helds.  

Salty popcorn. Again, it's the concept. I'm not saying I'm going to be microwaving popcorn every night for three months, but once I catch a sniff of hot, buttery movie theater popcorn, you bet I will be savoring each kernel!

Carpeted floors. I don't even care what might be squished between the threads, I just want to feel softness under my feet when I walk around in my own home.

Dryers. It would be nice not to have to wait a whole day for clothes to dry. Plus, I just really love the smell.

 

Stars. Sunsets. Real dirt. Mountains you can actually hike. Nature you can get messy in. No crowds. No cheating stairs. And in Arizona there are bound to be magnificent lookout points. Little pollution. So much sky you can make a blanket out of it.  

Football--American style. I know I'll be getting to the U.S. right at the tail end of football season (especially for high schools, which are the games I enjoy), but I am still looking forward to seeing those neckless hunks and all the other fabulous entertainment. Can someone say marching band or half-time shows? Is it obvious that I don't have a team to root for? If you're hosting any tailgating parties or at-home game nights, do count me in! 

TV. Commercials. Even the reality shows. I think it's finally my turn to hold the remote! Although I'll probably get tired of this within a week of being home, I really do enjoy watching TV on a big screen, in a language I can understand, and preferably, with the ability to DVR two shows at once. I also shamelessly like to tune in to almost every marathon of The Nanny or any other 70's-90's sitcom on TV Land. When it comes to reality shows, it's not that I particularly like them, but unlike other visits to the U.S., this time I am curious what's on and who's making it big. Plus, in my house, it's a cause for good, old-fashioned family time.

As you can see, I have some things to catch up on once I'm in the U.S. If I can do it with friends, it will be even better, so don't be shy about writing me a line or giving me a call! Lastly, chances are another similar list will go up soon after I get back: What I miss about China. Looking forward to that, too!

Niu Nai: China's Milk "Udderly" Foreign

While my Singaporean friend, Su, was studying abroad in Canada a few years ago she posted a Facebook update that caught my attention. She had posited the question 2% milk is two percent what exactly? At this point I was back in the U.S. after spending a semester in Singapore, where I had mostly stopped drinking milk. Being new to foreign countries, particularly those of Asia, I just couldn't see how milk could come in a box and, moreover, not be kept in the refrigerator. But I had gotten used to it, so with my newfound knowledge of our cultural differences, I commented on Su's post, explaining how whole milk, 2%, 1%, and skim milk are different from each other. To my surprise, she was pretty thankful for the information.

I want to tell you that story so that what I'm about to do makes sense. Below are pictures of how milk is sold in China. Strange, you might think. Yes, but not if you compare it to your dairy section at home. This is how milk is typically sold all over Asia, and since I've been here for a while, I suppose that's why it took me so long to write about it. Usually it is sold in individual packets. Some packages are thick-skinned, while others don a thin plastic cover. There are also boxes with straws. Very rarely you can find a 1 liter box, and those are often imported from Europe. A couple of brands sell skim or low-fat kinds, but again, mostly it's all the same. With all the choices and the sheer amount of individual packets, milk sections in China run on for half the store. NOT kidding. So get prepared to be "milked dry" for the day after seeing these!

 

 

 

The refrigerated milk section

 

 

"Pure" Milk (thin plastic package)

 

 

Nut flavors (from left to right): walnut, black sesame, red bean (thick-skinned package)

 

 

DA3's and other foreign students' preferred brand, also named "Pure" Milk. I have no idea what makes this 'pure' so different from the above's 'pure.'

 

 

The boxed stuff. One of the few national brands that makes 1 liter boxes.

 

 

Non-refrigerated 12 box pack. Perfect for 3 person families!

 

 

Look! Free yogurt attached!

 

 

Chocolate milk and what's that? Papaya milk!? It's only 45.60 RMB, less than $10. Actually I have no idea if that's cheap for a 12 box pack.

 

The flavor is different than in North America, too. I wish I could share that through a picture. It's thicker and, maybe because it's not usually cold, seems more flavorful. Or maybe I've just been living in Asia or too long. There are also a large array of fruit-milk mixtures. I really can't say which is healthier, though--boxed, warm milk or refrigerated gallons? Which would you guess?

Some More S'mores, Please

Today I made an American classic: s'mores. I've been craving a good camp out for a while, so I think this was a result of that. I got the chocolate--the cheap Chinese kind. I got the crackers--no graham crackers, but round breakfast biscuits instead. Lastly, I got the peach flavored marshmallows. Yep, peach flavored, because there are no marshmallows as you know them here unless they're imported. When it came time to make my treats, I opted for the lazy way of doing it and stuck it all in the microwave. After the chocolate melted and the marshmallows swelled up, I ate the mash-up with my bright green chopsticks, true "Lehyla Fusion" style.