Yellow Mountain Follow-Up

Alright, lets set the scene: I've been hiking strenuously for two days. I didn't even shower at the top of the mountain because our room was freezing cold and had no towels (I hadn't thought to carry mine up the mountain). So here's what happened:

Arrive at the base of the mountain sweaty and stinky. Kill time before our flight out of town. Go to dinner. Say hello to the rainstorm that followed us down the mountain. Walk to the hostel. Promptly get soaked. Decide to ditch the shorts covering my leggings. Wring out shorts. Decide that black leggings are decent enough for sitting on a plane. Pack shorts in plastic bag in duffel. Catch a taxi to the airport. Arrive to discover that flight has been cancelled due to rainstorm. Get on bus to nearby hotel for complimentary stay until next flight in the morning. Enter an expansive lobby. Marvel at the marble, huge granite statues and plush sitting areas. (Later discover it is a five-star hotel.) Stand in lobby soaked, sweaty, and stinky in only my leggings. Lean over to my sister: "Madison, I feel like I should have pants on in this hotel."

:)

Yellow Mountain Musings

I've never been a fan of the Stairmaster. I have nothing against stairs, mind you. You could even say I enjoy stairs in small doses; I'll take the stairs over the elevator if the distance is under four stories (five on a good day). With that in mind I am a bit confused about how I came to climb 14,000 stairs up a mountain –for fun. In my defense, I didn't know that the Yellow Mountain had stairs. I'd figured there would be a path, of course, but envisioned scrambling over rocks and boulders. Instead, I found myself having to use the exact same leg muscles on each step of a 6-hour Stairmaster Workout of Death.

While I dragged myself up the mountain, I was amazed to pass workers climbing the stairs with huge yoke-loads of materials up the mountain. They stopped to rest every 30 steps or so, but their sheer tenacity amazed me! Several workers carried a yoke balancing two cinder blocks that swayed as they climbed. As I cautiously edged around them, I wondered: Do their legs hurt as much as mine do? How long does it take them to climb the mountain? What then? The hotel is 2 cinder blocks closer to their expansion? Tomorrow maybe they'll be 2 more blocks closer, thanks to brute human labour.

It was almost like watching history; after all, this is how the Pyramids were built, not to mention the Great Wall. Huge structures have been built stone by stone by hundreds of tireless workers receiving little to no pay. It may have been faster for a company to pay to airlift materials in, or ferry them up on one of several available cable cars, but why pay more when cheap labour exists?

The cheap labour force is what keeps the mountain-top hotels operating. In addition to building materials, workers also carried linens and luggage up and down. Somewhere, there is a man panting down a mountain so that the sheet I slept on can be laundered at the base of the mountain and sent back up afterward.

Please don't get me wrong--despite my aching muscles and puzzlement over labour, I loved the Yellow Mountain. It was strikingly beautiful, especially in the mist that shrouded it for our two-day trip. Some may have wished for clear skies, but I appreciated the mystical, magical feel of literally being in the clouds. I watched enormous jagged rock formations appear out of the mist, only to disappear when I glanced back. The sky was pure white, the clouds almost tangible. Every now and then the rushing wind would sweep away the mist and reveal deep canyons and precipitous peaks alive with enduring trees.

The Yellow Mountain has a multitude of jagged peaks. Once the initial torturous climb was over, it was actually fairly easy to make my way from one peak to another. In the clouds, the air grew colder and wetter, eventually turning to rain during the night. My group slept in cocooned blankets while mourning the untimely death of our room's space heater.

The next day dawned even more misty than the first; I could barely see the forms of people 20 feet from me. As white air rushed by silently, the whole mountain seemed hushed. We quietly and slowly made our way down slickened stairs, pausing every now and then to marvel at the glowing clouds that cocooned us in their own form of a blanket.

As I descended, the landscape began to resemble an Amazon rainforest more than China. Moss-covered rocks and dripping-wet trees painted the view every shade of green imaginable. A waterfall appeared next to us and kept growing larger as we got closer to the bottom. For half an hour, it was next to us, rushing and roaring with the previous night's rainfall, eventually transforming into a healthy river at the base.

Looking up to see the mountain as we boarded a bus back to the nearby city of Huangshan, I was met with a cloudy sky that revealed no peaks. Only my protesting leg muscles were evidence of the hidden Yellow Mountain.

Melissa: How do you say "personal space" in Chinese?

    As I compose this blog in a river-side park in Huangshan, I am fully aware that at least six people in my periphery are watching me intently; one old woman has even stopped her once-purposeful walk to look. While aware of my spectators, I am already used to the sensation. For the past week, our group of six beiguoren (white people) is a walking sideshow in China. Wherever we walk, heads comically whip around to gaze at us. People walking near us slow their steps to pace us. Others pull out cameras and snap a picture (our own paparazzi).   
    Sitting on this bench, no less than three old men have stopped at different times to watch me write. When I say "stopped," I really mean that they stopped far away from me then purposely came within a foot of me to observe. Two stopped in front of me, while the other crossed behind me to lean over my shoulder and follow my motions. I don't worry that they know I am writing about them, as I am writing quickly and in cursive. Perhaps they haven't seen someone writing in English. Perhaps they haven't seen a young white woman writing in English. Who knows. I continue to write and they continue to watch. (It, like my whole life here, is an endless "personal private moment" for those readers who understand the term.)
    Unlike Americans, who glance surreptitiously from beneath lowered lashes if they are intrigued by something, the Chinese indulge their fascination with the unknown. Staring, pointing, and blatantly taking pictures are not impolite.  While accepting that my ideas of "politeness" are "privacy" are not universal has taken some getting used to, I understand the Chinese way. I, too, am curious about what I do not understand. At lunch, the people at the table next to us watched us eat, while I watched back. I was curious about methods of sharing communal food, discarding bones from meat, and chopstick etiquette. How much easier it was to simply watch, rather than try to hide that I was watching. When my eyes met theirs, we simply gazed at each other and then continued to eat. No apologies or embarrassment necessary.

Oh, and I must say "Happy Birthday, Hunter!" After celebrating with a wonderful dinner of hot-pot (buy ingredients,  cook them in a pot at the table, then eat communally), we will give him his real gift tomorrow: the Yellow Mountain!
   

Picture requests

 I've had several requests for pictures. Unfortunately, they will probably not be appearing until after March 5th, when I am back in Beijing. During this two-week excursion, the group is only using Hunter's computer, which does not have a slot for an SD card. As I did not expect this (one of the few negatives about a Mac!), I didn't bring my connection cord and thus have no way of transferring my pictures online.

Never fear, there are many, many pictures being taken! I'll be able to put some on this blog, but I'm only allowed five per entry so I will probably be searching for an alternative site to post pictures on. I'll let you know!

One day: Two Tea Cermonies

Shanghai is a city with tremendous energy. Crowds fill the sidewalks and often the streets, fighting for space with mopeds and taxis. Horns honk, subways roar and street vendors hawk their wares. At night, the skyscrapers and pulsing neon lights make the city glow and almost seem alive.

In the middle of this hubbub, I explored the peaceful haven of Jade Temple, a Buddhist temple. Nestled in between skyscrapers, the city seemed to disappear in the haze of incense and calming presence of respectful worshippers. People knelt on red pillows in front of enormous Buddha statues, incredibly ornate in their carving details. After learning the proper way to kneel, I joined them for a few moments; I didn't pray, or even think really, but simply found myself relaxing into a peaceful state of awareness through the repetative motions.

At the temple, we were privileged to experience a tea tasting. Our instructor explained the various functions of the different teas, including backpain relief, detoxification, relaxation, and energy infusion. My sister and I bought a package of our favourite, an infusion that promises to balance our metabolism, sooth indigestion, prevent skin allergies (important for our allergic-prone family!), and promote relaxation.

The whole atmosphere of the temple invited me to walk a little slower and breath a little deeper, a welcome respite from the fast-paced cities I spent the past few days in. It wasn't a religous experience, but rather a brief glimpse into a way of life that inspires men to become monks.

After emerging from the temple onto another busy road, my group made our way to The People's Square. There, we broke into different directions to explore individual interests. My hunt for theatres was disappointing; the Yifu Theater was locked and the Grand Theater turned out to be a cinema. After wandering through the square, I found a quiet bench in the adjacent People's Park. After befriending a 5-year-old whose parents wanted her to practice English (Lien-hua has one brother and her favourite animal is the panda), I was approached by three people slightly older than myself who greeted me in English. Ling Ling (female) teaches English to preschoolers, Lisa studies English and Japanese at university, and Wu Mei (male) is an engineer. All three live in Harbin (north of Qingdao) and were in Shanghai on holiday.

After having a wonderful conversation, my new friends invited me to join them in a traditional tea ceremony. While the previous tea ceremony had been focused on taste, the second ceremony focused on the proper way to participate in a ceremony. I learned what the organization of seating means, how to hold my cup respectfully, the traditional motions that precede drinking (circling, swirling, sniffing), how many sips to take, what each tea means (whether it is a "male" tea or "female" tea), and much more. Ling Ling gifted me a package of flower tea, which is actually a flower that blooms in hot water and infuses its flavour into the liquid. In addition, my friends gave me another gift: a Chinese name.

Choosing a Chinese name is an important task, for it involves selecting syllables that both sound like your English name and have a corresponding character with a positive meaning; it is considered a honor to have a Chinese name given to you because it has been selected with care. After learning about my interest in theater and the arts, I was pronounced an artistic dreamer and given the name Meng Li Sha, meaning Dream-Beautiful-Pretty. 

I bid my friends farewell and promised to write them if I ever make it to Harbin. I then made my way to the Shanghai Museum, considered one of the best museums in the world. It certainly lived up to its expectations, delivering fascinating exhibits on Chinese calligraphy, ceramics, seals, bronze, currency and more. Dual signs in Chinese and English allowed me to fully appreciate the relics I saw.

The evening ended with a stroll down Nanjing Street, the heart of Shanghai's shopping district. While some tourists passed us on tiny trains (including one advertising Kewpie Mayonnaise!), we made our way through the crowd on foot, stopping into stores to investigate Chinese fashion, which is very remiscint of the 80s.  One of the biggest highlights on our walk was successfully ordering a hot fudge sundae at the local McDonalds. Yes, McDonalds has invaded China; it was actually the only place to find ice cream other than Haagen-daaz! The guidebook from my parents (thanks, Mom and Dad) contained the words for both "ice cream" and "chocolate," which got me what I wanted. It was a good end to a wonderful day.

Yours truly,
MengLiSha

Unknown feast

I spent a long day on the express train from Beijing to Shanghai. We made some friends on the way, including a 4 year old who speaks much better Chinese than I do! At around nine we went to dinner at a local place where nobody spoke English, so I pulled out a guidebook and just guessed. I managed to order us quite a feast! Big thing of rice, bowl of noodles, cucumber dish, vegetable dish (green pepper and cabbage?), fish dish (with heads and tails!), chicken and peas, and some other dish with meat (possibly chicken?). I don't know what it all was, but it was all good! I had no idea what our bill was going to be, but it ended up only being 80RMB (2 dollars each). Plus, we provided the people in the restaurant with plenty of amusement!

Tomorrow: Jade Temple, People's Square, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai Grand Theatre, walk along the Bund River

Sunday: Shanghai Aquarium, Observatory Tower, French Concession Area, Shanghai Nightlife

Monday: Old City, leave for Huangshan.

Oh, I wanted to add that we've been blessed on this trip. Making it on the right trains, being helped by wonderful people when we're lost, "happening" to be in the perfect place on the right day (5th day of New Years) for fireworks. Thanks to Bethel Chur. and everyone else for their "thoughts."

Melissa: Our first day in Beijing!

 What a day it has been! Here's a brief recap:

-Got up and went walking to find Tiananmen Square, which was filled with thousands of people enjoying their New Years vacation. There was a long line to pay respects to Mao's body. Josh, Drew and Andy went through and the rest of us are going back tomorrow to see one of the most influential figure in China's history.
-Ate our first meal in China at a restaurant we don't know the name of because it was only written in Chinese. Thanks to picture menus and sign language, we ended up with good selections of dumplings, noodle dishes, some kind of meat that I'm guessing was duck, and a calamari dish to share. We're mastering the chopsticks!
-Found the National Center for the Performing Arts. What a beautiful building. A huge dome surrounded by a pool of water, you actually have to go underneath the water to get in. We can't wait to see some shows there!
-Went on a hunt to find a Construction Bank of China. There are only 2 in Beijing and 1 was relatively close to us. I'd say it was a good hours walk, but we found all sorts of interesting things along the way.
-Finally found the bank!! YES!! We have money now and feel much more secure.
-Decided to explore Chinese bakeries. We went into three and nibbled a wide range. Best: Josh's chewy biscuit looking thing. Worst: Andy's bean and rice gelatinous thing. :)
-On our way back to the hostel, saw about 15 people setting up tripods looking toward the Forbidden City. We found out there was going to be a fireworks show and decided to wait for it. After a while, we gave up and started walking back, only to see fireworks starting from several different directions.
-Happened to be walking past a huge temple on a hill and decided to check if it was open. It was! So we climbed to the top to discover we had the highest view in the middle of the city and had 360 degrees of fireworks. Thousands and thousands of fireworks!! We stayed for over an hour in the freezing cold because it was glorious and beautiful and breathtaking. We couldn't stop smiling. Continuous fireworks in all directions. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen. This is why we came to China for New Years!
-Ended our night with a visit to the street market for glazed strawberries on sticks. Also, Josh, Drew and I ate fried scorpions. Not bad!

Off to Shanghai early tomorrow.

Love, Melissa

Flight sickness

So on my last blog I included the quote about the tooth because I thought it was funny. But then my mom got an email from someone who lives in Qingdao who said he knew a doctor if we ever needed one and that we should never go to a dentist because their solution is to yank your teeth out without painkillers! I guess I might need that phrase!! haha.

The flight leaves at 6:30 so we're arriving at 4:30. We fly to New Jersey and then from New Jersey to Beijing. Multiple people have tried to predict how the flight plan will work: are we flying left over the Pacific, right over Europe, or over the top?

I apparently decided the best way to pass the time on a 13 hour flight was become sick. Hunter did too. We also thought alike and got airborne for our travel companions! So we're going to sit next to each other with our medicine and tissues and try to avoid contaminating the others!!

Suitcases Almost Packed

Well, my suitcases are on the floor of my bed, almost ready to be zipped as soon as the last of my clothes are out of the drier. I've spent the week running errands, visiting doctors, filling prescriptions, working ahead on my telecourse class (yay for astronomy) and making sure everything is ready to go!

Tonight we made Mexican food as it might be the last chance we have to eat it for awhile. Who knows, there might be Mexican food in China! But I never found a good Mexican restaurant in South Africa, so I preparing myself for another six months without it. ha.

Tomorrow, Madison and I are heading to Kansas City with our parents. We'll spend a couple days with our extended family that live in the area before meeting up with the boys and flying out early on Tuesday! I've got my Mandarin pocket dictionary that I plan on studying on the flight over. It's got some pretty handy phrases. "I'd like to see a play." Wó xiǎng kàn huà jù"Would you like to dance? " Ní xiǎng gēn wǒ tiàowǔ ma? "Must you extract the tooth?" Yídìng yào bǎ yá bádiào ma?

Yay, Mandarin! I can't wait!

Rather long intro post. :)

It's Saturday night. On Tuesday morning I will be leaving for a five-and-a-half month adventure in China! It's so soon!!! My bags are mostly packed; I actually have to have them ready to go by tomorrow because I'm heading to Kansas City for a couple of days before I fly out.

In addition to the clothes and medicine I need, I'm also toting things like hand sanitizer (which can't be found in China), sunscreen (also can't be found in China, at least ones without whitening agents; I use sunscreen to avoid burning, not get even paler than I already am), and the lovely book Freeing the Natural Voice (for when I startle the Chinese with my vocal exercises).

Don't worry, I'm not going halfway around the world by myself. I'll be joined by some awesome people, including my sister Madison, Josh, Drew, Andy and Hunter. Josh, Drew and I loved our semester in South Africa and are excited to study abroad again, while the other three can't wait to immerse themselves in a new culture!

The six of us are actually sharing a different blog while we're there (http://www.qingdao2010.blogspot.com). I'm going to replicate some of my posts from this blog on the group one. However, I decided to branch off with my own side blog because I know lots of people planning to read my blog that don't know the other kids. (Hi, theatre department!) I also don't want to hog the group blog with all my talk about Chinese theatre! So, please feel free to read the other blog as well, but know that anything posted on the group blog will be posted here.

Alright, enough of that. You're probably wondering what exactly I'll be doing in China. Well, I'm going to be studying at Qingdao University in Qingdao, China. I'll be taking 4 hours of Mandarin Chinese for five days a week--talk about immersion! Class doesn't start until March 9 (craziness) and I'll be in school until the end of April. After that, everyone else is still in school (hahaha) but I'll be working on a huge research project about Chinese theatre in contemporary society. That means I get to see a lot of theatre and interview artists, technicians, and audience members.

Qingdao is on the eastern coast of China and hosted the Olympic Sailing in 2010. Home to over 8 million people, Qingdao was once colonized by Germany and still has some German influences, including an affinity for beer. Hmmm...



So if school doesn't start until March, why am I leaving in 2 days? To see Chinese New Year!!! The year of the tiger begins tomorrow and the party lasts for approximately 2 weeks. It's a time for many Chinese to go home and see their families. As everyone is cramming on buses and trains, we'll be right there along with them. People (American and Chinese) have told us we're crazy to be attempting it, but hey, it's an adventure!!!

Hunter created this handy detailed map of where we're going in the next two weeks:



I'm just going to take his explanation rather than retype my own. "We'll be flying into Beijing (green) and then take a train down to Shanghai (orange). We'll then train to Huangshan for some hiking on the mountainside. We'll fly down to Shenzhen and then visit Hong Kong for a day or two, then returning to Shenzhen. Finally, we'll fly up to Beijing (red) at the last minute for a tour. We will then fly to our new homes in Qingdao to begin our semester of study on the beach."

Pretty exciting! I cannot wait. More later. Now, I must go finish my lengthy to-do list.

Melissa.