Beijing Nights

While last weekend was my cultural weekend, this weekend was my fun weekend. On Friday, I went out to grab some noodles for lunch with a few people and we ended up not coming back to the dorm until after 1 am. We went shopping and found a very sketchy DVD store. When we walked in, the salespeople asked us if we were American. When we answered yes, they led us to a secret room. It even had a special door that looked like a wall panel but then swung open. The secret room was stocked with American movies. They had their proper covers and everything. We all stocked up. Each DVD was 10 kuai which is less than 1.50 American dollars. I have watched one movie so far, and there is nothing wrong with the DVD!

Afterwards, we decided to meet up with more people from the Chinese program at a club. On our way, we found the most amazing street food. As soon as we walked out of the subway, the scent of baking pastry greeted us. A man stood at his homemade stand attached to the back of his bike with a large metal ring attached to which were small fish-shaped waffle irons. he opened each fish one at a time, poured in batter and added a small piece of chocolate. Then he closed the fish and let it cook while he turned the ring to the next fish and repeated the action. He did this so quickly that watching him work was almost as great as the taste of the finished project. Since chocolate and sweet pastries are rare in China, we were all very excited to eat our fish-shaped, chocolate-filled pastries.

We finally met up with everyone at the club and had fun dancing. Since we had only planned to go to lunch, I was wearing a white t-shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and jeans. At first I felt very out of place among all the girls dressed up, but I got over it and just had fun dancing.

On Saturday night, I went out with my roommate and her friends. Although, we ended up meeting up with a huge group of people from the program. As Guo Yue and I were getting ready in our room, Guo Yue looked at me and said in a tone of surprise, "You look quite pretty! If you were skinnier, you would be even prettier!" I am not even offended when she says things like this because I find the differences between us so amusing.

We met up with a large group of people at San Li Tun (or Turrrr as the Beijingers say), a bar street frequented by alot of foreigners. We took up a whole room in the back and just sat and chatted and played dice. Then, we walked to another club to go dancing. I had a great time hanging out with my roommate outside of the dorms. Also, it was nice to see that not all Chinese girls fit the stereotype of reserved and conservative.

郭跃 Guo Yue (my roommate) invited me to dinner tonight to show me how to get good food for cheap. The quest for cheap food took us across a six-lane road and down a back alley to a restaurant that was completely invisible from the main road. We ate lamb on skewers and noodles. At one point, I started eating a skewer that was particularly tough and a bit crunchy. When I asked Guo Yue what it was, she launched into a long explanation that I did not understand. Finally, she said that it was kind of like bones and pointed to her ears and nose. Cartilage.

Guo Yue said that she and her friends thought that I was one of the prettiest American students. I was incredibly flattered and stammered protests. “But I’m too fat!” I said. She replied, “When Chinese people say pretty, we are only talking about your face. Anyway, you can lose weight!”

Escape to America

I read a review of the Coups Café in a magazine and decided to cross two districts to find it. When I did, I felt like I had gone home. I walked in the door and breathed in the familiar scent of fresh-brewed coffee and baking bread. The glass cases in front of the counter held decadent cakes and tarts and fluffy croissants and muffins. I resisted the pastries, but not the coffee. I carried my latte to the second floor and settled into the cushions of a plump chair.

The shop is mostly frequented by ex-pats seeking their coffee and pastry fix. I had brought my Chinese books with me, so I settled in for the afternoon and got my homework done. Coups Café has strong coffee, sweet pastries, free wireless Internet, American music, and, most importantly, a clean, Western bathroom. What more could a girl want?

My Favorite Beijing Cabbie

In preparation, I had written down the address of the café I was looking for in characters as well as pinyin and also a list of larger streets in the area. However, when I hopped in the cab, I merely had to say the address before the cab driver pulled away from the curb without commenting on my mispronunciation. We rode in silence for a while, but then I noticed the sidelong glances he cast at me. Finally, he asked me what nationality I was. When I told him I was American, in Beijing to study Chinese, he went off on a lecture about how Chinese is a very difficult language to learn, so I have to study hard. As if I didn’t know! He kept on going about how English is much easier because there are no characters or tones. He went on to say that if you mispronounce something in English, it is not a big deal, but if you mispronounce something in Chinese, nobody will understand what you are saying.

Then, he told me that what he was listening to on the radio was a traditional Chinese story. He asked me if I knew any traditional Chinese stories, and I told him what I read last semester. He was quite impressed that I had read the classics (Thank you, Xu Laoshi!) and we chatted about Outlaws of the Marsh, which is his favorite.

I was so surprised to find such an intellectual cab driver, and I was a bit sad when we arrived. As I climbed out of the cab, the driver called out to me “Maybe you will take my cab again in the future!”

20 Questions

Although I am getting used to the stares and the direct questions, I have to admit that I was startled this morning when a man walked right up to me while I was waiting for my egg sandwich and asked me “你是哪国人?” (“What nationality are you?”). When I answered that I was American, he exclaimed “But you look Chinese!” While I was explaining that my mother is Chinese, another man approached us and exclaimed, “混血!” which means “mixed blood” (think “mudblood” from Harry Potter). Although this remark may seem rude, the first man remarked, “She’s half Chinese - that’s why she is so pretty!” Then, an old man walking his tiny white dog came over and barked, “How old are you?” After I answered that I was 20 years old, the street vendor making my egg sandwich cried out, “You look like you are 16!” The Chinese really do not mince words!

小吃 Snacks

小吃 Snacks
Originally uploaded by penglisha

Ryan, Hana, and I went to the famous Wangfujing Street for dinner. An entire block of stands piled high with steaming food offerred us more choices than we could possibly manage. We ate some jiaozi's, noodles, and kebabs and then busted out our cameras to capture as best we could the excitement of the place. The food stands offered up just about every animal imaginable speared onto a stick. Besides beef, mutton, and chicken, there was also venison (the seller called out "Hello, Deer!"), ostrich, squid, fish, starfish, snake, eel, silkworms, centipedes, scorpions, and various other bugs.

As we strolled the length of the street, the vendors called out to us and beckoned us to their particular stands. Some, when seeing that we were not interested, grew more persuasive. One man, in particular, called out to me "Hello, lady! I love you! Come here!"

The crowds of people, the energetic street vendors, the piles of raw meet, the smell of freshly-cooked food, the delicious, colorful fruit skewers, all created an atmosphere of excitement at being in a place so different from anywhere I've ever been.

Check out more photos on my facebook account:
http://middlebury.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027555&l=a48d2&id=4403142

Factory 798

Human Egg at 798
Originally uploaded by penglisha

Today, Ryan, Hana and I went to Factory 798, an old electronics factory that has been revived as a center for modern art. The large compound maintains its image of a factory with rough, functional buildings, stone walls, and heavy doors. Inside, however, the galleries are clean and minimalist, showcasing impressive paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations.

While Factory 798 has the same feel as SoHo, the Chinese influence is definitly evident. I especially liked the pieces that referred to motifs from traditional China like qipaos, flower blossoms, wood carvings, Ming porcelain, but re-created them with a modern twist. For instance, one artist, 王海卫 Wang Haiwei painted women in traditional traditional Chinese dress and poses in a colorful, abstract style. Also, once exhibit feature Ming Porcelain designs applied to objects such as shovels and hatchets.

China is not especially well-known for its modern art scene, but Factory 798 definitly provided a compelling selection of contemporary Chinese art.

To see the rest of my photos, follow this link to my Facebook album:
http://middlebury.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027554&l=b0637&id=4403142

Silk Street

i
Originally uploaded by penglisha

Today, Sarah took me to the Mecca of knockoffs - Silk Street. It is a huge building with five levels, each of which is filled with small stalls packed with Columbia jackets, pearls, makeup, Gucci sunglasses, Polo sweaters, Nike sneakers, Ugg boots, and, most importantly, handbags.

As we walked down the narrow aisles, the sellers leaned towards us calling, "Hey, lady! You want handbag? You want nike shoes? Want Gucci Prada? Hey, lady! I give you good price!" I was so intent on resisting them, that I forgot that the reason I was there was to shop!

The sellers in the handbag section were by far the worst. They called out loudly and followed us around despite our protests. A few even grabbed us by the arm and tried to forcibly drag us over to their stands.

The shoe department was much nicer. A few people followed us as we weaved around, but they kept their distance. Finally, when I reached a stand packed with colorful sneakers, I started talking to a girl and asking her about the sneakers. She refused to discuss prices until I found the right color and size.

Size, as always, proved to be difficult. I am unfamiliar with European sizes, so I told her to dig out the smallest pair she could find. When I told her that, she wanted to actually look at my foot, so I took off my shoe so she could exclaim that my foot was, actually, quite small. Then she took off her shoe to show me that her foot was almost as small. Then she tried to put on my discarded sneaker to prove the point.

While another girl waded through piles of boxes to find the smallest size, I chatted with the salesgirl. One thing I am getting used to is Chinese people asking very direct questions as soon as we meet. The salesgirl commented that I looked Chinese, asked me how old I was, if I had a boyfriend, and if it hurt when I got my nose pierced. When I told her that my mother is Chinese and is planning to visit me in two weeks, she got really excited and said that she wanted to meet her. When I told her that I do have a boyfriend who is also studying Chinese she also insisted on meeting him. So, I might plan a group excursion to Silk Street with all my friends and family members.

So, anyway, when i told her I wanted to buy the sneakers in the picture above, she told me that since I spoke Chinese she would not try to give me the 老外 (laowai) price. And since she was so nice and polite, I decided not to hassle her. In the end, I got a pair of really nice Pumas that do not look like knock-offs for a little over 20 American dollars.

When I left, she gave me a card for Silk Street and wrote her name on the back of it. The all of the other sellers, who had been eavesdropping, waved goodbye to me.

Reunited!

田老师！Prof. Tian
Originally uploaded by penglisha

田老师 (Prof. Tian) was my Chinese teacher at Middlebury my freshman and sophomore years. She teaches for CET in Beijing. She invited all the Middlebury students out to dinner to catch up. I was so happy to see her!

Click on the picture to see a few more pictures from dinner.

在北京 In Beijing

fruit stand
Originally uploaded by penglisha

i went for a stroll around the neighborhood and took some photos. Click on the photo to see the rest of the album on my flickr account.

Also, something funny: One of our vocab words for today is 温柔 which means gentle and sweet. In class, when the teacher was explaing the word, she used me as an example, as in "peng lisha is very 温柔." I guess I should be glad that I don't come across as a crass, crude Laowai!

地道 Authentic

I just got back from a truly 地道 Chinese restaurant. This morning, Sam told me about this great little restaurant he found that just served baozi and noodles. So a few of us went there for dinner tonight. I am glad Sam took us because if I had been walking down the street, I would have walked right by it without even noticing it. To be honest, if i had noticed it, I probably would not have gone in. The restaurant is long and narrow, wide enough only for a counter along one side with small stools tucked underneath. We sat at the counter and held in our breath as the owner squeezed past us down the lentgth of the restaurant to serve us. A little boy, who I assume is the owner's son, ran up and down the narrow space behind us until he started crying and was carried outside, where he wailed. The food was delicious. We all shared baozis and then ate large noodle bowels. Mine was noodles in chicken broth with scrambled eggs and tomatoes. So far, this dish is my favorite when it comes to basic, daily food. The lesson for today: my usual standards for restaurants don't work here. Sometimes the simplest, sketchiest looking places can have excellent food. Did I mention that the whole meal cost me one American dollar?!

Chinese Specialties

Preface: I am not making this up!

Appetizer
Chicken Feet Soup
Braised Pork Knuckles

Main Course
Sauteed Duck Tongue
Beef that Causes Speculation
("I'll bet it causes much speculation - is it really beef? if so what part?" -Steve)

Dessert
Sweet Fungus with Pear
Glutinous Rice Balls with Fruit
(Diana would like that one!)

An Act of Tourism

Here is a link to my photos of the Great Wall! (you can click on it or copy/paste it to the address bar):

http://middlebury.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027367&l=0a817&id=4403142

Steve and I went to a less frequented, less maintained portion of the Great Wall near Badaling. The views were amazing, and the rough path and crumbling walls just made it feel more authentic. As you can see from the photos, the Great Wall really snakes along the landscape and follows every rise, fall, and curve of the topography. Just thinking about all the work that went into creating such a huge structure is mind-boggling! Although, as Steve pointed out, by the time it was completed, it was pretty much useless.

Various responses to my spoken Chinese

"You look Chinese, but when you speak, it is obvious you are American"

"We can call your Chinese 'Almost-Chinese'"

*blank stares*

"When you speak it sounds nice, but nobody understands what you are saying."

老人 (old people)

After reading a passage in our textbook about elderly people and life after retirement, our class was given an assignment. Our mission, whether we chose to accept it or not, was to walk all together to a public park near the school and interview lao ren (old people) about their lives as retirees. Some of the guiding questions, I thought, were a bit rude. For instance, Are you very lonely now that you are retired? Do your children take care of you? Are you afraid of going to a retirement home? What hardships have you faced as an old person? Do you feel that society has forsaken you?

Three of us approached an older woman walking along the path. We were afraid she would think us sketchy for approaching her, but actually, she wanted to talk to us because she had seen all the other American students, and she wanted to know what we were doing. When we asked if we could interview her, she was flattered and told us that she used to work as a dress-maker, but now she is retired. She lives with two of her children, and the third lives in the US. We asked her if she liked retired life, and she said that she did. She often walks around the park, buys a snack (she was holding a small plastic bag of steaming pastries), and then returns home to watch television and relax. She plans to travel to Los Angeles to visit her other child in the spring. So she is content to be with her family and travel.

Although I dreaded approaching strangers in the park and speaking Chinese to them, it ended up being a lot of fun. I think it really boosted my confidence to have a real conversation with someone other than teachers and students.

The Asian Gaze

Today I had a break from class, so I explored a bit with Steve and his dad. We intended to go visit the Forbidden City, but we were so hungry we at first and by the time we finished, we did not have enough time. The food was great, though!

Before I came to China, all the American students were warned that Chinese people might stare at them, fascinated by blond hair and light skin. I immediately assumed I would escape these stares since I look Chinese. I expected to blend in. Now that I am here, I seem to attract more attention than the blond, light-skinned people! As I walked down the street with light-haired Steve and his bald dad, it was the sight of me that made people turn their heads as they walked and stare me down.

You know how most Americans, when caught staring, or even when their eyes meet someone else’s, will lower their eyes or pretend to be looking past the person they were staring at? Chinese people don’t do that. When I caught people staring at me, they continued to unabashedly stare at me so that I lowered my eyes in shame. When Steve suggested I stare back, I realized that I literally could not do it. So, Mom, I learned well – now, it is quite impossible for me to stare!

I don’t know whether it is because I look American or whether it is because they cannot figure out whether I am American or Chinese, or whether it is because I look Chinese but I am hanging out with two male laowai. At a restaurant, the man at the next table sat turned around in his seat to stare at me. The restaurant had huge tanks of fish swimming around, and at one point, a fish managed to jump out of his tank and fall to the floor, where he flopped around for a good ten minutes before a waitress very nonchalantly picked him up by the tail and tossed him back into the tank. We Americans stared and laughed at the fish flopping around on the ground, but nobody else seemed to notice. Actually, they were all looking at us looking at the fish. So, a fish flopping around on the floor of a restaurant is quite common in China, but a bunch of Americans looking at a fish flopping around the floor – now that’s entertainment!

Happy New Year

I began classes today. I had class from 8:30 to 12:30, then the whole CET program ate lunch together at a restaurant, and I had a one-on-one class – just my teacher and I.

After I finished class, I took a cab over to Steve’s hotel. It is very fancy, but we suspect Steve and his dad may be the only guests in the whole hotel! The lobby is always empty and the elevators are always available. There is also a huge fancy mall right next to the hotel. When I walked through it, I felt like I was back in the US except for the fact that nobody was around. I guess the Chinese are not about to pay for designer goods when they know they can get the knockoffs for much cheaper!

Steve, his dad, and I all went to Houhai – the bar district around the lake – to bring in the New Year. There are a lot of bars around the lake, but we were so cold that we ducked into the first one we saw. Unfortunately, our ability to randomly choose bars is lacking. We were seated upstairs next to another group of laowai (foreigners). At first it seemed ok, but then, two Chinese singers took the stage and began to sing along to recordings of back-up music. Not only was the music very cheesy and sappy, it was also incredibly loud. Since we could not hear each other talk, we were left with nothing better to do than stare at the singers angrily, willing them to take a break. We eventually finished our drinks and escaped out into the biting wind.

After another quick drink at a random spot, we met up with a bunch of students at a club. It was crowded and they played western music. Steve and I danced with the other Middkids, and his dad found an English-speaker at the bar.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!