ABC in Beijing ... part II

My overall experience of Beijing? I honestly wouldn't go again without someone who lives there. We had a tour guide and a driver to our self but they took us to all the government owned factories to 1. learn about how they made jade, vases, silk, etc. and 2. to get you to spend as much money as possible. I suggested that we go shopping where the locals go shopping and the they dropped us off at a shopping center area the first night. I also suggested to go to 798 Art district in Beijing and the driver complained it was too far (20 minutes from our hotel) the second night. Needless to say we did not get to go. After multiple requests to be dropped off at the hotel they kept us out all day until the Kung Fu show where I was insistent that they take us back to the hotel after. We left for Hong Kong the next morning.

The government is everywhere and it's not subtle. And I can't help but feel like everyone's trying to get more under the table. It's hard to feel comfortable that everyone you meet is genuine and honest because they are not. In a world where trust is already hard to come by, Beijing is not a city where I would trust at all. The Chinese Army is visible no matter where you go. The police are of course seen as much as the army. I couldn't live there. I mean I could if I had to but I'd have to learn Mandarin quick. Since everything is in Chinese characters, I'd have to learn that too. I know Chinese but my dialect isn't "major." Beijing is not the most tourist friendly town. I wonder if it would ever be because I still wish China never did close off their country to the foreign world roughly a hundred years or so ago. (Here's a history lesson: Isolationism of the Ming/Qing Dynasty: Source 1; Source 2; Source3). With inventing so many things throughout history, I really believe they could be more advanced than they are now. It saddens me actually. Hopefully the Chinese government won't find this blog post since I had so much trouble getting a Chinese Visa this time around. I'm sure I will be interrogated even more so next time. Really though, it's only because I stated on my application that I work for the media.

Don't take me as a Debbie downer. I am not. I want to go back to Beijing but I'd rather experience it with a local not as a tourist. As Edwin says, "We are casual tourists." We like to see the tourist spots but we're more into living the local life and eating the local food.

The best things about Beijing? Dr. Tea's pee pee boy, my paper cutting art pieces and Peking Duck. Oh and of course a 6 to 1 conversion of the U.S. dollar (6RMB Chinese money equals $1). I also used one of those hole in the ground toilets. Honestly I prefer it... it's a lot easier to squat and I don't have to worry about my butt touching a dirty seat. I didn't say it was more comfortable but to me it seems more sanitary. (Here's a picture of a Chinese toilet.) If words couldn't describe our Beijing trip well enough... here's some amateur photos I took with my point and shoot camera: BEIJING PHOTOS

No worries. I will answer my curious questions but for now... on to Hong Kong!

ABC in Beijing ... part I

This was Edwin and my first trip to China, second trip out of the states for me. Edwin is a little more world traveled than I but still I'm eager to fill up our passports with as many stamps as possible. And, since we're heading to China, I'm a little curious about a few things...

• How much do I stand out from other Asians?
• Am I really that much smaller than other people? Is Edwin that much taller than other Asians?
  
• How American are we really?
• Is the food better in the "mother" country?
• Will we get a cultural shock that some people talk about?
• Will we be able to get around with the amount of Chinese we know?
  

I planned to be disconnected from the world I knew for a couple weeks. Unfortunately China blocks social media sites and wifi isn't very "available" so I kept my tweets on my AK Notepad app on my G1. Hopefully you can follow along but it's not as if my regular tweets ever made sense either. So here goes, my trip by way of what I would have tweeted in 140 characters (or more).

November 30, 2009 -------------

Hell is other people. --- that's a new one to me #theanswerman

Am I the first to see your monsters? #thatswhatshesaid #theanswerman

Got corrected by the drink server for not saying please... MY BAD? #feelbadforyou #morningbreathelastslongeronflight @unitedairlines sucks

I love Rachel McAdams movies - too bad I tried to watch the Time Traveler's Wife twice and passed out at the end... twice #dimplesrule #ionlyhaveoneandahalf

You can't do this. I showed you my monsters! #theanswerman

December 1, 2009 (one day lost due to time/space travel) -------------

I've seen straight sunlight since I left Houston @ 820am... it's 12 hours later. #shadesaredowntofakenight

Good thing I played vball Sunday ... makes this time travel more bareable. #icantsitanymore #ifijumpwillifeelzerogravity #ijumpinelevators

If my feet swell while I'm on this flight does that mean my boobies and butt are swollen too? #justcurious

FINALLY! After 80 min 5 seconds I won the spider solitaire game... #slow #notmyfastesttime #iblametimetravel

Beijing Airport -------------

I feel like we're in Monsters, Inc. At any moment we'll see a bunch of yellow suited officials jumping some careless unsuspecting foreigner screaming "2319!" #plsbeme

Who would have guessed I'd possibly be infected by a virus from the US? #coughheresagiftchina #h1n1 #seriouslyJK

"Please take your belongings and GET OFF THE TRAIN." #dontcarewhereyougo #directtranslationsareawesome

Chang An Grand Hotel -------------

Wow... now I see why they say Americans are rude. #learnChinesecustomsfaster

Holy cow... how do you turn on the lights? #itsdark #paranormalactivityfollwedmetochina

Hi Chinese tv? I can't speak or understand Mandarin; therefore I can't read Chinese subtitles either. #racialdiscrimenation #wtharetheysaying? #iamtheotherchinese

Missed dinner and all the fancy flashing lights are out. #nothingtodoforlatenightowls #stupidamericans #damnjetlag

No one understands iced tea. #thereisnoicehere #novendingmachinesinhotel

December 2, 2009 -------------

It's 2:55 am in Beijing and I am still on Houston time - 1:55 pm #timeforlunch #itsdark #gobacktosleep #sigh

Oh! Food! Hot pot! #iamhungry #wearenotstopping :(

I wonder if they have a "Red Lantern" district... would it be inappropriate to ask our tour guide? #pervertsinBeijing #badtourists

@fuh23 is right... I am fake Chinese #pssshhh #whatareyousaying

Look! There's white people. #itsagame #itsfun #dontbesosensitive

All of these buildings and rooms look the same. It's like a maze. #ForbiddenCity #greathidenseekplace

There is minimal grass here. No wonder 9man plays on concrete. #vballreference #paranoidChineseppl #forbiddencity

I.can't.walk.anymore. #forbiddencity #tianamensquare #summerpalace

Summer Palace is way nicer... no wonder the women rule this palace. #grassandtreesarepretty #icouldlivehere #iamnotroyaltysoicant

Girl: Excuse me miss? Your food is ready. Excuse me? Hello? Me: d'oh that's me ok... #IjustlookChinese

@fuh23 & I are always hungry right about US lunch time... which ends up being 11pm or so. #weirdoAmericans

Beyonce is hot. If I had her trunk I would shake it too. #sweetdream #JayZisaluckyguy

December 3, 2009 -------------

My butt is sore from all the trekking. Oh Great Wall ... please be kind #miniChineseroadtrip

The Chinese do amazing things with rocks. #thatswhatshesaid

Two women carrying a cage full of dead pidgeons. #eeeeek #ijustate :(

@fuh23 just asked me if I was going to twit blog this whole thing. #hetries #itscute

Who knew pee pee boys would be a selling point? #drtea #reallycuteinstructor #ilovetea

42F and an hour ride on a rickshaw? #someoneisonsomemajoropium

Silk worms... #theChineseareslick #wolfinsheepsclothing #yesiamChinese

Whoa! Africans in the house #entourage #firstsighting #Chinaisnotdiverse

December 4, 2009 -------------

500 Days of Summer! Duck lunch... so fancy! #iloveDragonAir @standrewchang

I believe ... the end of one "sad chapter" brings the beginning of a happier one. #500daysofsummer #flyingmakesmesentimental

Destiny is for people who believe in fairy tales. And those who don't... maybe they're in denial. #ignoranceisbliss #randomness

Everything happens for a reason. It's up to each to figure out why. #randomness

Lady mines her cave while keeping her treasures between her fingers then throws them on the floor #ineedrubbergloves #masksareineffectual

Pee pee boy! Don't jump! The trip has only just begun :) #peepeeboywillbeworldtraveled

to be continued...

Car passenger etiquette

Remember when you just got your license and your friends were so excited because now they're not caged up at home? That whole, "I'm 16 and I have my license and I am FREE!" feeling is awesome. Your friends hop in and you all have fun going to the beach or the local mall or just going out to lunch or just cruising around (because you think you're cool like that). Your friends chat with you and now you have memories of good times. Well, I'm years from being that 16 year old and passengers aren't always that fun anymore, unfortunately. There are a few expectations I have for passengers and car etiquette that I think everyone should read and note for future information.

Main responsibility of the passenger?
Assist the driver to safely and successfully get from point A to point B.
keyword = assist

• Stay awake! You can not assist the driver while sleeping. If there are more than 2 people in the automobile and you can't stay awake then sit in the back seat.
  
• Navigate. The passenger is the navigator. This is especially relevant if you are taking a road trip or going somewhere that the driver is not knowledgeable of the area. You have a GPS? Well the driver is not supposed to operate that while driving so that means the passenger is in charge of it. If you can't work the GPS, you have a bad sense of direction, you don't know the area or you just suck at directions sit in the back seat.
• Watch for other drivers. Pay attention and be aware of slow drivers or fast drivers and cops or other random things on the street like boxes or ladders (seriously).
  
• Make conversation. Talking to the driver helps keep them awake because if you're in the car in traffic or driving long distances, it gets boring. If you're going to be in the car with anyone you might as well take that time to get to know them. I'm sure you don't know all your drivers that well where there's nothing to talk about. If that's the case, sit in the back seat.
• Don't talk on your phone the whole ride or text the whole time. That is inconsiderate since you're the passenger (even if you're in the back seat).
  
• Music entertainment etiquette is what? Permission based. YES that is correct! If it's not your car and you're not driving you don't get to choose the musical entertainment unless the driver specifically says it's ok. Don't touch the radio or put in a cd or turn it off without permission. Can you say, "Mother may I?" No? Sit in the back seat.
  

Did I miss any other "common sense" knowledge about being a automobile passenger? Leave me a comment and tell me about it.


Other bloggers who wrote about passenger etiquette:
Car passenger etiquette
In Car Etiquette
Carpooling Safety and Etiquette

Gardening on the cheap

This is what happens when:

• I'm a gardening newb.
• I get desperate because my plants start dying.
• I can never remember to water my plants.
• I can't justify spending $10+ on a watering can.
• I feel like being green (reduce, reuse, recycle).

My new watering can.

If you don't love Houston, why are you here?

I guess my love for Houston was exuding from me the past few months or how ever long my friends have known me because more than two friends on different dates mentioned it to me. The conversation started around traveling to other cities and why or why I didn't like the city and if that city would be a place I would want to live. The answer always ended with, "I would still live in Houston."

For the longest time, Houston was just the default city to live. It's where my family lives. It's where my friends moved to after college. It's where I'm from, so it just made sense. I know the city (half of it... I don't know North Houston). I'm comfortable. I can't stand the cold so anything north of Dallas is pretty much out.

"Why do you love Houston so much?" they kept asking me.

It's really simple. FOOD. Seriously. I absolutely love the food here. The restaurants, my parent's house, my relative's cooking... I'd say my house but that's relevant no matter which city I live in. Yet, there's still so many places I still haven't tried yet, but I will. No other city beats our Tex Mex. I admit, LA has some pretty bad ass Asian food but for the cost of living, no deal here. Of course, I don't see how anyone can beat Texas bar-be-que.

I said family already. I'm daddy's girl - 'nuff said. I said friends but I can expand on that. I've met so many great people the past few years that living and working in Houston has made my life so much better. Having friends I can call up and invite to hang out or just going to events and seeing familiar faces is such a comforting feeling. I am one of those that walks into a party and looks for familiar faces and now I see them.

Another one... work. It's no secret I love my job. I'm lucky. Working at chron.com is so much fun. The people, the projects, upper management, the culture - it all meshes well with my personality. Then one day Hearst put me on a team to help come up with a new site, 29-95... it's where you go to find the good stuff in Houston. Ever since we launched I've been discovering so many cool things to do and so many free things I like. One of the best things on the site (aside from the restaurant section) is the online radio. I never heard any of these bands until now... well Chamillionaire because I have his cd. The art section is also kick ass but check the site out for yourself. To me, 29-95 proves that Houston doesn't suck. Who ever says that... YOU SUCK!

Other things that make me love Houston.

• Low cost of living means I get to enjoy as much good food as possible.
• No state tax means more money goes towards eating.
• Weather - It's hot & humid. I guess I'm getting used to it but that's why every building and car has a/c or you opt to get out after 4pm.
  
• Mosquitos - yeah I don't love them but it's not that bad where I live.

I must not be the only one that thinks Houston is a great city. Kiplinger rated it 2008 Best City.

Life is too short to be wasting it away complaining about why Houston doesn't have what you need or want. It's your life. You make it what it is. So now I ask you... if you don't love Houston, why are you still here?