Sign In
Blogs from Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, Asia
Advertisement
December 30th 2012
Temperatura minima -27 gradi, vediamo la massima: -12. Ottimo, proprio le condizioni ideali per il mio esperimento di sadismo climatico！Il luogo prescelto e' la non lontana provincia della Mongolia Interna, quella parte del territorio di origine del popolo di Genghis Khan che si trova attualmente sotto il controllo del grande impero cinese; la sua lugubre capitale porta l'invitante nome di Hohhot, che tradotto in inglese somiglia ad un sarcastico "cosi' caldo", fatto per cui sono stato ripetutamente preso in giro nei giorni precedenti la mia partenza. Ad appena una notte di viaggio in treno dalla tiepida Beijing (-10 gradi), la citta' si rivela, secondo le attese, tremendamente fredda e mi accoglie con una sottile coltre nevosa istantaneamente trasformatasi in una micidiale lastra di ghiaccio; trovo allora prontamente rifugio in una calda guest-house che, in questo peri ... read more
Chuzu qiche: The Chinese Taxi Experience
Published: April 22nd 2012Asia » China » Inner Mongolia » Hohhot
April 22nd 2012
My reflections on China usually have to do with people I knew or things I saw, and most of those memories come from the perspective of standing at attention in a hotel lobby. Working for 13 months in a hotel, the landscape of my memory is filled with rooms, halls, passages, elevators. But in telling stories of my time in China, I notice that a pattern emerges: many interesting experiences took place in or while hailing a taxi. Hailing a taxi in Hohhot, under normal conditions, was not hard. As a "convenience"-oriented American, one of my guilty indulgences was taking a taxi when I needed to go downtown, rather than taking the bus (even though the bus would have saved me a lot of money). There were some practical reasons for this. As a blonde-haired laowai, ... read more
February 23rd 2012
Nei Mongol We had an entire week off the first week of October for National Day. China’s equivalent to July 4th. 8 of the 10 teachers including myself traveled to Inner Mongolia; a present day Chinese province but historically Mongolia. The Mongolian heritage had not been lost. Every sign was in Mongolian and pictures of Genghis Khan filled every family restaurant and convenient store. The food was a carnivores dream. Any and every kind meat seasoned over open flames. One teacher ordered leg of lamb and literally got the whole leg, picture a 5 lb. 18 inch chicken wing. We stayed at a hostel filled with all sorts of international kids; German, Polish, Dutch, French, Spanish, English, and Swiss. Most were exchange students traveling during the break from school. While I’m not hip to sharing a ... read more
October 16th 2010
What should I expect? The accounts all differ. Some new American fellow-expat friends, who have lived and worked overseas for many years, tell me to expect to get bitten by the travel bug very soon after returning home. To find dating more difficult than before, because my perspective and lifestyle are very different from what they used to be. To discover that I have changed in ways I don't even suspect yet. From my Chinese friends who live Stateside, however, I have heard that living abroad for several years is bittersweet, for the simple fact that home will always be home. One craves foods that are not to be found without some difficulty, one misses family; and these dear friends have been away from their families for years, while as for me, it has only been ... read more
October 1st 2010
Right, so Inner Mongolia I don't feel the need to say much about other than it was amazing.I went on an epic run while we were there. Long story short I wanted to climb this mountain which didn't look to be that far away, but it was. After running in and around the hills, and a brutal climb I returned three and a half hours later refreshed. The view was incredible. We slept in a tent that night which was rather cold, but we survived. We only made a short trip there but came back with some great stories and brilliant pictures. Now enjoy the many many pictures. ... read more
Advertisement
September 29th 2010
A Morning of Celebrity Lately, I have been in the stage where I'm so caught up with getting ready to come home that I haven't been going out as much on social visits. But last weekend I had the unique opportunity of being involved in a "Question and Answer" session hosted by my friend Lulu and attended by her classmates, who are all studying English as part of their major. I felt a little anxious about it until the night before; then Lulu texted me with the topics and possible questions I was supposed to "lecture" on: they were not weighty, and I could just kind of outline answers in my mind before I went to sleep. Sunday was the day of the event; Lulu's campus is outside the city, so at 8:30am she picked me ... read more
September 11th 2010
Dick doesn't want a huge bowl of steaming lamb guts in brown goop for breakfast, nor does he feel inclined towards a cloven head with brains on show and half a tongue lolling , though many in Hohhot apparently do. He wants bao tzi, and zhou. In Beijing there are ten bao tzi in a little basket, each about the size of the circle you make with your thumb and forefinger. Here in Hohhot, there are eight in a portion, each about the size of you fist. And the Zhou is purple. Dick eats in a filthy little café surrounded by staring dead sheep and the innkeepers staring children. The merry restaurateur babbles gaily at Dick in a language he can not even recognize, let alone understand. Here in Inner Mongolia most people speak three or ... read more
August 21st 2010
Why China always surprises me Right now I am reading "The Member of the Wedding," courtesy of the care-package of books my Mom brought for me when she visited China. So far the book is exceedingly odd, but it's one of those books you can't put down. The protagonist desperately wants to be part of something, to be a member somewhere, in some club of life; to belong. I often have that longing too, as I am living abroad; perhaps it is a longing we always have in some degree, but being a foreigner obviously would heighten the feeling. Today I went out in the morning with the modest plan of some shopping and lunch with my friend Lulu. When we met at the mall downtown, she told me that her Dad had invited me to ... read more
Temples, Windmills and Mongolian Cowboys
Published: August 11th 2010Asia » China » Inner Mongolia » Hohhot
August 8th 2010
China Trip 2010: Hohhot and Grassland We arrived in Huhehaote on the morning of the 19th, having flown in from Shanghai. First order of business: relax! It was the first time since Beijing that we didn't have to hail a cab at the airport; my working at a local hotel has some nice benefits (including free airport pick-up service for me and my parents!) The airport representative, a pal of mine, was cheerful and curious to see my parents. I got my parents settled into the hotel, a little bit nervous as many of my coworkers were looking on or helping with the luggage. It was interesting to hear their impressions of my family later. We were engaged that evening for a dinner with one of the managers in a hotel restaurant; I would hear from ... read more
July 20th 2010
Doing China "a la carte" Deciding where to go and what to do when my parents came to China was tough. We decided to visit three cities known for their historical treasures, and then to visit the grassland areas close to Huhehaote. In all, Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Huhehaote, and a day in the Wokuotai grassland east of the city, two and half hours by car. Mom and Dad are fearless travellers, who gave me invaluable experiences as a kid with summer trips and the like; but China, it is probably safe to say, is the farthest any of us has wandered afield, both geographically and culturally. Our meeting in Beijing, as documented in my previous entry, was a happy one. This was a journey four years in the making: in 2006, I began formal studies in ... read more
