 Life in Beijing - Freespirited | All Comments |
Comments | |
| 3rd December 2009 Ange | Beautiful Snow - From: The biggest snowfall in 22 years Hey Sand, Wow - these photos are amazing!! Make sure you rug up this Winter lovely and if you need a reprieve from all that snow feel free to join us down under xx |
| 22nd November 2009 pat | Always warm and hot here ! :( - From: The biggest snowfall in 22 years I've never appreciated the weather here in Malaysia till i went to US. It was too cold for too long there for me. Those photos are beautiful che. |
| 15th November 2009 AmyToi | - From: Free H1N1 Inoculation Under 18 are not allowed to be administered with H1N1 vaccine here in small dot as we are still awaiting for the ministry to see if its viable for them to take it. (unless you are in hospital with it or stg) For us walk in patients, we are being charged about 35 SGD for it. I have yet to go for it! |
| 10th November 2009 Freespirited | - From: Free H1N1 Inoculation I know, the rest of us thought that was ridiculous too. But one was a hypochondriac and the other one was kind of impartial about the shot so it was more out of their own accord. The doctors just advised against the shot as it's a new strain and might cause untested reactions. I'm not sure if the strains developed here are different from the ones in other countries. There's not enough detailed descriptions disseminated in English. |
| 9th November 2009 Jean | - From: Free H1N1 Inoculation That's insane! My kid had 1 of the 2 H1N1 shot (kids need 2 shots). They ran out of vaccine, so she is partially protected! I'm not eligible for the shot coz I'm not in the priority group. The kid has confirmed allergy to dust mites and pollen. Wasn't an issue at all. |
| 5th November 2009 Freespirited | - From: The biggest snowfall in 22 years Thanks for the info Neal. I knew about the rain but had not known they initiated snow too. Jean, the hutong is freaking cold but actually, the bathrooms are quite bearable. Sometimes, the room is actually colder than outside because the thick brick and plaster walls insulates the room from the sun. The heater function on the air conditioner has come to my rescue many a times. Like many hutongs in Beijing, the heat comes on only between November 15th to March 15th so I'll have to wait till then to enjoy the comfort of CONSTANT heat. I've heard the warmth from the radiator heats the room up extremely well, much better than the modern central heating system. They say some things in life are worth waiting for. I've never believed it more than now. |
| 3rd November 2009 Jean | nice and warm here :) - From: The biggest snowfall in 22 years I'm glad that we don't have to drive in snowy weather anymore. Did you get any picture after the snowfall? Is your hutong room warm enough? I guess the communal bathrooms are not heated. Is it bearable? |
| 3rd November 2009 Neal | It Was Man-Made - From: The biggest snowfall in 22 years From time.com: A Nov. 1 snowfall in Beijing — the city's earliest since 1987 — is due, Chinese scientists say, to a campaign of "cloud-seeding" to encourage precipitation. If true, it's the wettest success yet in a long-standing effort to bring moisture artificially to the parched northern regions of China. |
| 17th October 2009 drew | Using Your Blog - From: Couplets 门联儿 Hello, I started reading your blog a few weeks before I moved to Beijing. I have really enjoyed your experiences, your photography, and especially your voice. In the 2 weeks since I have moved to Beijing I am finding your essays more and more valuable. Thank you! I believe my adult students will also appreciate your blog. Your usage of Chinese characters that accompany your text will, with out a doubt, spark much discussion (mostly in the language of Chinese). But I hope to foster their excitement of Beijing, with the aid of your blog, as a tool to better comprehend and speak English. I am looking forward to your success in Beijing, Drew |
| 6th September 2009 Pat | What a Story ! - From: Valentines day Wah Che , felt as though i was reading a love story book. hahah !!! I really wonder how those chinese people can come up with such stories :) |
| 2nd September 2009 white n az | different worlds - From: Excursion out to the Beijing Mountainside as I am now seeing, the big city of Beijing is so much different than life everywhere else in China. The economy is so entirely different. Things are cheap everywhere else, but not in Beijing. Wages are high in Beijing but not elsewhere. There is a considerable difference between other cities and Beijing and I gather there is a certain snobbery indulged in by those who work and live in Beijing. By the way...I have recommended your blog and I have been in China for 2 weeks and am leaving on Saturday. |
| 28th August 2009 Davo | Sweet but sad - From: Valentines day Hi Sand, I have this fable in a book of Chinese stories and have read it to Naomi many times. |
| 27th August 2009 sarah | - From: Valentines day So romantic and beautiful. Much more romantic than the "european " version of Valnetines Day. Hopefully there is a beautiful night to gaze at the stars! |
| 20th August 2009 beinak | Great! - From: If You're Bored, Try This. Your blogs are great! Thanks, Bill |
| 13th August 2009 Evo | sounds wonderful - From: Happy Endings sounds wonderful~ I want to experience it too· |
| 9th August 2009 Pat | Dragon ball - From: For the Love of Sweet Stuff It really looks like the dumplings in a restaurant called Dragon- I in Malaysia. Its really tasty with pork fillings inside. Those desserts in Dao Xiang Cun look so yummy and authentic. Can u ta pau some back to Malaysia on your next visit back home ?? :) |
| 9th August 2009 Itsme | Hihi - From: For the Love of Sweet Stuff Hello, Very interesting blog you have, but please write more entries and general interesting observations please. :) And those biscuits looks very good. |
| 21st July 2009 sarah | - From: 798 Art District Wow! what an amazing place. The art just blows my mind. It must just feel like you have only been in there for 5 mins although you have been there for hours ... Thanks so much for sharing your adventures ! |
| 20th July 2009 Fiona | Loving it - From: 798 Art District Hiya, Just wanted to say, love hearing about your experiences in China! Enjoy and keep em coming! Fiona xxxx |
| 15th July 2009 Zai | wow ... - From: The Good, The Bad & The Censored I would figured that there would be Russians immigrants but Koreans and Africans eh?? Interesting ... But then again, there were tons of Africans in Tokyo when I visited last year. Looks like they're flocking towards Asia, hehe :) |
| 13th July 2009 Freespirited | - From: Another Hutong Exploration No, because our ancestors are from the South of China. Hutongs are a ancient style of housing unique only to Beijing, dating all the way back over 700 years. It doesn't exist anywhere else in China. Every area of China and every tribe has their very own unique ancient styles of housing, depending on the climate, food resources and tribal culture. I'll fill you in once I make a visit to our particular ancestors' neighborhood. An interesting one is the 'Tulou Hakka houses' in the Fujian province. You can google up images online. It's pretty amazing. |
| 13th July 2009 Pat | I wonder if that was Klang way back ... - From: Another Hutong Exploration Wow Che , that's some eye opener. Culture there is so different and it's amazing that you actually have the chance to experience it yourself. I really wonder if the living conditions were similar to Klang during our grand parents time. |
| 9th July 2009 SOČ | About foreigner group in China - From: The Good, The Bad & The Censored In Guangzhou there is another situation. For a time, I was so astonished to realize that there have been so many Africans living and finding business opportunities in Guangzhou, facing half of the Departure Hall is full of black men and women with all kinds of goods they purchase in local markets. For elder citizens in Guangzhou, for example, my grandma, who has never seen a man with black skin in her life, was pretty scared seeing a gang of Africans rushing on the bus. |
| 8th July 2009 Craig White | Politics - From: The Good, The Bad & The Censored I think the notion that China is more censored than other western nations is something that western nations feed but I think it is more illusory. Yes, you don't see America blocking Facebook or Google for hours at a time but laws such as DMCA in America that make it a crime just to publish information is a clear indication that the idea that Americans have free speech is laughable. I think that most people don't know enough and don't care enough about the political issues until is too late and too hard to do much about it. Information is a double edged sword. I think that much of the rioting that has occurred in China has been because the various ethnic groups are misinformed and over-reacting so when they shut down the flow of information, it only lends more weight to the mis-informed sources. I think the Chinese government for the most part wants to do the right thing but like all other governments, just simply gropes their way slowly. |
| 4th July 2009 JWA | drip drip - From: 12hr Flight, 4hr Transit, another 3hr Flight & Entertainment I like the picture of the butt with water droplets under it :P |
| 3rd July 2009 JWA | Long time ago... - From: Another Hutong Exploration In Malaysia, where my grandparents used to live there were squatters all around. The living spaces were tight. Also, they had neighbors of various different races. In general, each had to be tolerant of others quirks, aromas and noise levels. In some houses, the cats, dogs, chickens and ducks roamed freely into the houses. |
| 2nd July 2009 sarah | - From: Severe Dehydration & Heat Exhaustion wow ! I didnt realise that it got that hot in Beijing. I hope that you are keeping well hydrated. what an experience. Be well! |
| 28th June 2009 JoAnn | - From: Hutong Exploring wow. you still ride bicycles... I haven't gotten on one for years, but your articles are making me itch to get back on one :/ Only thing is, I'm content being an urban rider, (not an Xtreme sport rider, like many KL-ite bikers, I think) and knowing KL townplanning, not sure if I want to get one soon...and then worry about it getting stolen. Hehe, stupid country. |
| 27th June 2009 Ma lao shi | Xie xie ni! - From: Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder Wo xiang jintian ni yiding neng kanjian wo le. xiexie ni ba wo de zhaopian fangzai zher,zhaizher kandao bie zai wo de boke li kan piaoliang duo le !xiexie! ni de zaopian tai bang la ! wo yao xiang ni xuexi ! you shijian ni yao jiaowo ya? you jihui women yiqi qu paizhao. zhouyi jian! |
| 23rd June 2009 SOČ | Great photographs - From: Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder As noted before, she totally have a sense of life. It takes a long time to this stage. What is amazing is that she is completely modest about it. |
| 23rd June 2009 SOČ | - From: When it Rains, It Pours The similar weirdness came in when seeing the Caucasian Buddhist in the famous Yonghe Palace Temple in Beijing... |
| 23rd June 2009 Freespirited | QQ - From: Homophobia and Nudity Hey Hiraku. QQ is in 'The Disappearing Bicycles'. I'd love to get one...soon! |
| 23rd June 2009 hikaru | - From: Homophobia and Nudity HeySandy I like your blog very mauch. because the content is very deep, and the photos is very interesting . Where is the photo of you and QQ I think you should buy a QQ,It's Very suitable for youo()_))o... |
| 22nd June 2009 SOČ | About the open bathing area - From: Homophobia and Nudity One of my female classmate also told me about her uncomfortable feeling about this when she first come in to the public bathroom in her dormitory. Strange, the bath rooms in bull pen buildings are all have such doors... |
| 22nd June 2009 Craig | protect and serve - From: Homophobia and Nudity Of course in America, the police motto is to protect and serve so I think maybe this policeman was just thinking it was part of his job to service. Of course I am joking. Seriously though, I think most of the western religions teach you to fear your bodies and fear your sexual inclinations and most westerners are confused with advertising which mostly uses sex and culture which tries to teach you to resist. So in America, everyone is always confused and we are afraid of people who are not confused. I also note with some amusement that your pages have all of these chnlove advertisements which are definitely not very subtle. |
| 22nd June 2009 Melv | Beautiful! - From: Beauty In the Eye of the Beholder Wow, I am totally blown, and even more amazed these were all captured using a normal digital camera. Thanks for sharing. |
| 19th June 2009 Freespirited | - From: When it Rains, It Pours Yeah, there seems to be quite a large minority group of Chinese Muslim in China. It also depends on the region or city. For example, in Xian, it seemed like the majority of the population in the city were Muslim. They have a gigantic night market there that is famous, where you can get all kinds of 'halal' sweets and candies besides tourist goods. Fortunately, the mosques don't blare out prayers 5 times a day. Kinda weird hearing them speaking Chinese and going into the mosques but I'm actually getting used to seeing it now. The cow was being slaughtered on the mosque's grounds, not on the side of the road. I literally walked inside, stood there and chatted with them. I was surprised that they were perfectly fine with it. Really friendly. I'm pretty sure it's because I look Chinese and didn't bring too much attention to myself. |
| 19th June 2009 Pat | Haha ... - From: Don't give me your H1N1 Virus! This is a good one, I think she was trying to run as far as she can from u che :) |
| 19th June 2009 Pat | Moo Moo... - From: When it Rains, It Pours Ure right Che, it's the grossest and coolest thing I've ever seen too as it's done right beside the road. You did say it's for a ceremony at a Mosque, are there chinese Muslims there ? |
| 19th June 2009 Pat | Same same .... - From: A Bottomless Pit Beijing's not the only place as it's the same in Indonesia as I've observed when I visited Tuti in Medan, Indonesia. They all burpppppp aloud ( including girls ) I expected some reaction from those on the receiving end but they just carried on with whatever they were doing. |
| 16th June 2009 sarah | - From: Chinese New Year Wow! Sandy you so have to experience the Chinese New Year. I can remember celebrating Chinese New Year as a kid in Malaysia, with the fireworks, the dragon dance, the glorious foods, but nothing as eloborate as what you have described here. Amazing ! |
| 16th June 2009 sarah | - From: A Bottomless Pit The food looks so delicious and so cheap !! Wow! |
| 16th June 2009 Zai | OMG ... - From: A Bottomless Pit You can eat like a king!!!! LOL ... Definitely no need to cook what so ever. Food seems cheaper than Malaysia. |
| 16th June 2009 Freespirited | - From: Sweating It Out I know. Yoga, pilates, abs and back, step and dances. Gives you an idea of how low cost of living can be here. I asked a couple locals what is considered 'enough for affordable living' in Beijing, including having a car. They said Y10,000. That's US$1,400. But then, as in Asian cultures, a lot of people here also live with their parents until they marry. Very different lifestyles. Makes you think. |
| 15th June 2009 Zai | Gym time! - From: Sweating It Out Dang! Thats cheap ... in fact too cheap LOL wish they have that kind of prices over here. Do they also have yoga classes? |
| 15th June 2009 David | Road work - From: If You're Bored, Try This. I'll never forget seeing men with rebar (simple iron reinforcement bars about 3/4" round and 3 feet long) with heavy mallets breaking up old concrete road in order to prep for the building of new roads. This was in 2002. In any 1st world country this would be done using common hydraulic machinery at least 20-30 years old. Incredible. Nobody should have to work this hard and no, it DOES NOT build character...instead it cripples one later in life. |
| 15th June 2009 Neal | - From: If You're Bored, Try This. One of my favorite pictures taken on that adoption trip is of a street cleaner near Tiananmen Square, taking a break and leaning on her broom made out of twigs. Since it was December, she was bundled up so all I could see was her eyes peeking out between her hat and scarf. The broom gave her a sense of timelessness, as if she and her ancestors had been performing the same job for centuries. |
| 13th June 2009 Freespirited | - From: Like crowds? Forget Tokyo. Think Beijing. I guess it's a toss between that or getting beers at the bars for practically free. Tsinghua (and I mean the big bottles) for Y1(US$0.15) or Budlight for Y3(US$0.40). |
| 13th June 2009 Freespirited | - From: Rice, Hutongs and Elevator friends You know, I find it so comical to hear pet owners shout instructions to their dogs in Chinese. Until that moment, I've never realized how funny it is that we do the same thing with our pets except it's in English. The other day, when I was in the elevator, the door opened to a cute little spits sitting right in front of me. Its owners immediately hollered, "Move away. Move away! Come over here!" and I found myself thinking, "It's a dog! It doesn't understand!" but then I guess it does, because it moved to the side, just like it was instructed. Makes you think...can dogs learn languages too? |
| 13th June 2009 JoAnn | - From: Rice, Hutongs and Elevator friends "And another little old grandma who patiently walked behind the dog as it made its way into the elevator. The lady nagged at the dog as if it was a real person, “Come on! Walk faster! You eat too much! Look at you! Come on, hurry up!” " "Despite seeing the dog’s obvious health issues, the grandma commented a typical chinese retort as when one meets another, “Hasn’t it eaten yet”? to which the owner lady replied, “What? Eat? Him? It’s already eaten two times yesterday! Two times! No more food for him today. He’s way to fat. No more food for him anymore.” " oooh, love this, love this, love this. |
| 12th June 2009 David | - From: Like crowds? Forget Tokyo. Think Beijing. Whaddya' mean the bathrooms don't have toilet paper? Fah-ged-abahd-id...never happen in Chikahgo! |
| 11th June 2009 Freespirited | - From: Health Examination for Residency Yeah, just like back home. Except everything's in chinese. Maps are a good idea but the problem is English publication is scarce. You have to go to specialty foreign places like the 'Friendship Store' or be in the University campus area like the Haidian District. |
| 11th June 2009 Zai | Cheap Public Transportation! - From: Health Examination for Residency The fares are ridiculously cheap! Is it easy to walk around and take public transportation?? Probably need maps right? |
| 11th June 2009 Zai | I love MANGO too! - From: Like crowds? Forget Tokyo. Think Beijing. Hey, I love MANGO store, they do have it in States, but they call it MNG, for some reason. It's an European retail store. Clothes are pretty sexy :) |
| 10th June 2009 Freespirited | Chinese fast food - From: It Pays to Speak Chinese here if You Can't Read It's kind of redundant to have the words 'fast food' behind 'Chinese' because doesn't matter where or what you eat, the food arrives super fast, in a matter of minutes. Good for people who get cranky when they're hungry...like me! |
| 10th June 2009 Zai | Mr Lee is yumm ... - From: It Pays to Speak Chinese here if You Can't Read Sounds good ... chinese fast food. Who needs McD's when you can have wontons and dumplings?? |
| 9th June 2009 Freespirited | Mr. Lee - From: It Pays to Speak Chinese here if You Can't Read Yeah, but it's more of a Chinese-style fast food like wontons, dumplings, cold chicken and beef noodle soup place. It's a huge chain here. Really confusing especially when its right beside a McDonald's store. |
| 9th June 2009 Zai | Mr. Lees?? - From: It Pays to Speak Chinese here if You Can't Read LOL .... KFC looking Mr. Lees eh? Sounds about right :) Do they sell chicken? |
| 9th June 2009 JoAnn | - From: Mandarin the new Universal Language? YES! those chinese characters all look the same to me, and therefor hard to learn... YES! i have a mental block the size of () when it comes to learning chinese that i need to dump... |
| 9th June 2009 Zai | Great Post! - From: Sometimes, it all depends on how you look at it Hey Sandy, Great post on all your blog entries :) You sure had a busy week since you arrived. Hope to hear more about your stories :) |
| 8th June 2009 joe | enjoying your blog - From: I’m in Beijing. Blink. Blink. thanks for sharing |
| 8th June 2009 Melv | - From: Chasing the American Dream I like this post because every Chinese including me grapples with our emotions every now and then, holding back ourselves in conflicting thoughts for the sake of our loved ones. |
