Quakes and Quarrels

Natural disasters are an unfortunate occurrence of life, but for a nation ravaged by nearly two consecutive earthquakes with a simultaneous drought in the Southern province, it seems almost unfair. I am definitely late in this post about the Yushu-Qinghai Earthquake but it still warrants some thoughts. Despite Yushu county's remote location on the Tibetan plateau, rescue efforts have been swift with more than 11,000 soldiers, about 1,500 professional rescue workers and 2,800 firefighters and police specialists.  However, most volunteers are not accustomed to the high altitude of the area and become vulnerable to altitude sickness and shortness of breath.


According to a recent CCTV broadcast, local residents--although unskilled-- have been valuable assets in utilizing the area's resources and being immune to altitude sickness.  Interestingly enough,  the majority of locals in Yushu county are of Tibetan ethnicity and do not speak nor understand Mandarin  Chinese.  The earthquake's rescue efforts have become a test as well as an opportunity for the government to show its softer side in regards to  long-standing political and cultural tensions between the Han Chinese and Tibetans. 


I love the picture above because it captures the diversity of rescuers (Tibetan monks in red, Han Chinese government workers in orange). Let's hope that a common ground can be maintained for now.

Destination Dalian: Day 2

This is the above ground portion of Victoria Square; a 3 to 4 level subterranean shopping complex. It's a bargainer's dream but I wouldn't quite label it a black market because most of the shops are independent stalls that push more than just knock-off designer merchandise.  If you visit, bring a good supply of water and bread crumbs to leave a trail because the place is a sweltering rat maze from all the MR-16 light fixtures and schizophrenic interior layout.

On this particular day, I was hunting for a good carry-on travel bag. I liked these funky, vinyl ones (especially the metallic ones inside) but refrained from buying in favor of something less trendy and inconspicuous.

This is New Market Shopping Mall;  a department store style shopping experience.  There are very few walls. It appears to be inspired by the circus with different themes for each floor.  Below, the sporting goods section has a corridor that looks like a race track.

There is also Park Place, probably the prettiest of them all. Every store has access to natural light thanks to a glass curtain wall that encases the entire front facade. The stores are stepped back and face a 5-story atrium.

We had lunch at the top floor food court, but before that, here are shots of some swanky salons along the way.  They were definitely over the top, but I like the gilded, giant mirrors.

The lattice work on this window display below is my last spa project coming back to haunt me, but I like the simplicity of the wooden words balancing on the branch nonetheless.

Hot pot, huo gou or xiabu xiabu is popular in Northern China because it's cold.  However, the more the selection, the longer it takes me to decide what to eat.

Unfortunately, it was hazy and rainy when we went to the coastline, but Dalian's Xinhua Beach is a real estate developer's playground. Condominiums rise right next to convention centers, trolley tracks run in front of mansions, and an amusement park is thrown in along with the mix.

Destination:Dalian Day1

I never heard about Dalian before my cousin Elsie moved here, but Lonely Planet touted it as "the most relaxed and liveable city in the northeast" with "plenty of 20th century architecture, an impressive coastline....and some serious shopping to dub it as the Hong Kong of the North". That last part alone was enough to lure me across Bohai for the weekend. This is what I saw when I first stepped out of the train station.

So Dalian owes much of it's cleanliness and modernity to the fact that much of it's infrastructure is barely one hundred years old when the Russians leased the land from the Japanese after the Sino-Japanese War in 1898 and named the area Dalny to be their main Asian trading post.  The Russians did most of the city planning with streets that radiate off of circular parks. It looks pretty on a map, but a mess when it comes to way-finding.  The city cycled through a few more occupations before finally being handed back to the Chinese in 1950 after WWII.  As a result, much of the architecture is a Euro-mash up of many different styles.  We'll start with the touristy Russian street which is Dalian's first street.

Towards the financial district around Zhongshan Park, most of the buildings are Renaissance revivals.  Below is my favorite building built in 1909 with a modern addition recently added. It is currently used as a branch for the Bank of China.

This is the Dalian Hotel, a Baroque Renaissance recreation built in 1914 by the Japanese and what is now Citibank, built in 1908.

I really enjoyed a lot of the entrance doors I saw and might do a series on that later.

I would like to do a series on mailboxes too, but I doubt I will be seeing any more this quaint.

Religion is a growing trend in China, but many places of worship are owned by the government and therefore share resources.  That means if you donate to your church, there is no telling where the money will go; it may end up  buying incense for a Buddhist temple in an entirely different city.  Therefore, there are also private churches (which basically just operate out of someone's home) and a slight ideological rivalry between the two.  Below is the church that my cousin, Elsie and her family attend which is public.

Elsie's daughter Johanna made deviled eggs for the Easter potluck.

They don't have dishwashers in China, but they do have a dish sanitizer which uses positive and negative ions to kill bacteria.  Interesting. It reminds me of the air purifiers I used to sell at Sharper Image before they went out of business. I still don't know if there's any truth to ion technology. 

As the day was winding to an end, I was itching for a drink.  However, as the visiting "aunt" it was definitely better to set a good example. So, I opted to press my face up to some windows instead.

I could not figure out why this was called Soho Bar other than the fact that they tried to go for an industrial vibe with all the distressed metal.

Train Trouble

This is a type T train from Beijing to Dalian via Qinhuangdao.  One of my cousins is living in Dalian and I was planning to visit her for the Qing Ming/ Easter holiday weekend.  Since I was not at the starting or ending point of it's route, it was extremely difficult to get tickets. Dalian is 7 hours away so I thought it would be best to take an overnight sleeper so I could escape a few hours of boredom as well as make the most of my time in Dalian.  

Taking a train in China is pretty cheap (maybe a 10th the price of a plane ticket) and efficient yet not always the most comfortable for long journeys. There are many different categories of trains in China and I had only experienced some of the nicer modern ones going to Beijing. I was not too sure about this type T so I wanted the highest class seat available; a soft sleeper which gives you a bed in a private cabin with 3 other passengers and a toilet at the end of the hall. Photo courtesy of Chinatraintickets.net

I had it all planned out, however when I got to the ticket booth everything was sold out except for hard seats which is the lowest class on the train.   I decided to settle for a soft sleeper ticket on a route the next morning--or so I thought.  In my obsession to buy for Friday night, I neglected to notice the date  should now be for SATURDAY morning and not Friday morning.  I did not realize this until I attempted to board the train.

There was  nothing else to do but play stupid with the ticket attendant and emphasize my foreigner status with broken Mandarin Chinese.  The ticket attendant was unamused and ushered me to the side as he continued boarding the train.  I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get on when he motioned for me to pass without punching my ticket.  Relieved, I made my way to the train and entered the 13th car, 1st berth that was "supposed" to be mine.  There was another young couple in the cabin with an adorable 4 month old baby.  I asked them if the other bunks were taken and they said 'no'.   I smiled and began to unload my things on one of the top bunks.  Not long after pulling away from the station, the train attendants came around to collect tickets. Crap.  I was already on the train and there was no way I was going to get off now without a fight and maybe some crocodile tears.  I feigned surprise and embarrassment again at the incorrect date on my ticket.  He looked doubtful and suggested I buy a new ticket if I wanted to stay in the cabin.  I began cursing my imaginary friend that bought the wrong ticket and ( I swear I never knew I could do this on demand) cry.  He told me to wait while he called over his superiors.  The train manager also felt it would be best for me to buy another ticket. I did not want to waste another 245 RMB on a ticket for a train that I was already on when that could go towards something much more appealing--like a pair of shoes maybe.  I argued that half the sleeper cabins were empty anyways since it was the morning and that the train would go to Dalian with or without me.  Plus, I had no money on me to buy another ticket.  The train manager remained poker-faced and replied that I could buy another ticket at Dalian when my party met me.  He then asked me to collect my things and gave me a seat behind the bar in the restaurant car meant for employees. It turned out to be quite spacious and I was able to spread out and grade some student papers that I brought along while chatting with some of the ladies that worked there.   I was good for now but still dreading arriving in Dalian for fear that they would make me buy another ticket. At least it would not be 245RMB though since technically I had no "sellable seat" on the train.   When we arrive in Dalian, the train manager passes me on to another worker at the station and they exchange a few indecipherable words. This is it, I think. They're going to make me buy another ticket or pay a fine for hitchhiking.  I follow him through some back hallways and up some stairs before he opens a door that leads to the general waiting hall. He beckons for me to exit and unceremoniously closes the door with out another word. Just like that I was free! I could not help but smile at the intimidating, bureaucratic exterior that all the train workers maintained, when all along they could care less about whether this confused foreigner followed the rules or not. I guess the Chinese can be communal in this way with their sympathy.

Alas, I was not so lucky on the train ride back which was maybe where I needed it more. Practically everything was sold out once again, so I had to buy the hard seats which I was trying to avoid all this time.  Below is the midnight type T train from Dalian to Beijing arriving in Qinhuangdao at 1:02 AM.

There were literally people everywhere. In China you can also buy a standing ticket but most end up squatting along the aisles, cramming in to luggage storage areas, or in this case sharing with other kind passengers that actually bought seats.   I, of course wanted what little room I had and did not share, but was touched by the consideration of those that did.  Another example of a common ground.

Beijing Break

 

After settling in to our respective locations, a few of us decided to reunite in Beijing.  This is how the weekend of 3/12-3/14 unfolded.

 

It is hard to describe my modern impression of one of the oldest cities in the world.  Beijing is awe-inspiring in its ancient grandeur which has endured until this day.  The sense of history that the place possesses is humbling. You feel so small, so trivial--your everyday struggles so insignificant. The way Beijing has modernized is beautiful.  Although some may argue it has Westernized by obliterating much of the hutong culture and unique details of old China, I marvel at the thoughtfulness where certain elements are preserved.   Da Zha Lan hutong where our hostel was located has such precious charm. These pictures don't do it justice, but like other buildings on the block, it's exterior remains but the interior has been gutted for modern use.  The hostel just renovated in December so it was very clean and the service was great.  It has a bit of a hippy vibe but inviting and full of personal touches.   I definitely recommend 365 Inn if you are ever in need of a cheap place to crash in Beijing.

 The fact that they are partnered with a restaurant doesn't hurt because they served up one of the best Western-interpreted meals I've had yet. Below is my Vegetarian Breakfast of granola, yogurt, toast, fruit salad, and good strong (non-instant) coffee.  I was very happy after weeks of being deprived proper caffeine and eating greasy food.

Beijing is both very Chinese yet eclectic and cosmopolitan in its development.  Russian and Arabic script can be seen springing up in certain areas while the next blocks might be Starbucks and KFC.  For those that remember the buffet restaurant Sizzler, it is alive and well here. Beijing was also not as crowded as I expected. The streets are very broad, almost like the promenades and boulevards of post revolutionary Paris maybe. The eaves of government buildings are adorned with lights at night and art deco style lamps dot Tian 'an men Square and the Beijing Railway Station (above).

 I guess I have fallen to the stereotype that most Chinese know how to compose a picture, but below we are blocking the entrance to the Forbidden City that makes this picture somewhat significant. Anyways, despite the bad photographer, these are fellow teachers from my program: Dan, Tiffany, and Lizzy.

 An example of some commissioned graffiti art on an older tiled residential wall.

I saw these masks on one of the old hutongs and liked the geometry of the shapes and patterns. They're also a bit scary, especially the larger one with a crown of skulls. Although the vendors will sell them as antiques, most are reproductions.

The Hall of Prayer and Good Harvests within the Temple of Heaven Park is one of the earliest examples of creative architecture. The entire three-tiered roof is supported without nails or cement. The connections are from precisely located wood joints.

The Echo Wall is built in a perfect circle and on a quiet day can carry a person's voice from one end of its diameter to the other where a listener may be waiting.  It is good for secret conversations, but it is usually too loud in the park to test this theory.

This is an indoor-outdoor shopping plaza which is of course poorly translated as The Place.  It features a huge LCD canopy similar to Las Vegas's Freemont Street. Here Owl City's Fireflies is playing.

Off of Wang Fu Jing Da Jie is a mall with a huge sub-level food court called Gourmet Street to satisfy your heart's every culinary desire.  It's not so much a food court as a series of casual restaurants where you either order at the counter or with a server. Almost all the seating though was very stylized with restaurant-like booths oppose to cafeteria-like uniform chairs and tables. I'm not a fan of yellow, but I like how it's used here at this noodle joint.  I also particularly enjoy the Beijing landmark (CCTV Tower and Water Cube) decals on the wall.

This mod roast meat place also has a strong use of color; this time pink.

A tempting display of mochi desserts. Sadly, they cost more than my lunch so I settled for just a picture.

This is a window display of rings for a jewelry store made from illuminated plexi-glass rods. They spell "I Do".

 We part ways on Sunday to get back to our schools. All of us took the train which is very cheap and goes to just about every city and town you can think of in China. Below from left are Dan and Mike from Baoding; along with Tiffany and Lizzy from Tachang.