China Baby

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China Baby

We had this endearing expression that developed during my visit to Beijing- “It’s China baby.” This was our catch-all statement to describe China at its best- when we couldn’t make sense of governmental policies, when customer service was less than stellar, or when things just felt confusing- “It’s China baby- roll with the punches.” This kind of approach to travel is crucial, as constant analysis and comparison would drive even the best of anthropologists up the wall.

In a nutshell, I found China to be a very vibrant and friendly place to visit; I look forward to my next visit.

I feel like it is useful to begin this entry by explaining my pre-visit impressions of China. Most of my life, “Made in China,” has been my context for this Asian giant. Toys and household goods were forever “Made in China,” but what did it look like, smell like, and feel like to be in China? Was it vast and impersonal? Did factories endlessly fume smoke and supply goods to the rest of the world?

Well, I quickly found out that I would take to China rather easily, as she would to me. I arrived at the Beijing airport on October 21st. Of course, with the recent Olympics things were opulent and foreigner friendly. (While waiting in the customs line I caught a glimpse of what looked like a Chinese woman chasing a blond haired child. I reflected in good humor- mmm? What if the adoption tides have changed and the United States is no longer adopting the proverbial Chinese baby girl but vice versa? I rather like these paradoxical moments when roles shift and conventional ways of doing things become less predictable.)

My luggage came through at the baggage claim, a miracle in itself, and I was off to my hotel. It was challenging communicating with the taxi driver, but we were able to call my friend Merritt- Mandarin speaker extraordinaire and local host for directions. She lives in the Tuanjihue neighborhood- pretty much in the central part of Beijing near the Third Ring Road.

What a stark contrast Beijing was to Ulaanbatar. Things were still in bloom, the sky was blue, the taxi was clearly marked “taxi”, the air was warm and there was no honking. I felt like I had arrived in Southern California, this was an easy transition.

I found my hotel, after a little wandering and inquiry at the gate of the neighborhood- Starway Hotel. It was clean and the next building over from Merritt’s apartment. The hotel had internet service, an electric tea kettle, and a friendly staff.

At the time of my arrival, China was celebrating the mid-autumn festival. Merritt had the afternoon and the next couple of days off from work so we promptly started exploring and catching up. We grabbed some snacks from the grocery store, I must add that going to a grocery store is one of my top cultural experiences- up their with tourist stops.

Later that afternoon we went to have moon cakes with Gary, a Chinese man with a very American nickname. Gary is the proprietor of a bookshop and café in Merritt’s neighborhood. He had moon cakes, lunch, and tea waiting for us. The Chinese are unfailingly hospitable, which made me feel welcome throughout my stay.

Let’s rewind and talk about moon cakes for a minute. So, mid-autumn festival is a time to celebrate the fall harvest, families coming together, and to send moon cakes. Apparently traffic was horrendous as people were crossing town to deliver moon cakes to loved ones. But the funny thing is, moon cakes are like fruitcake in the U.S. Everyone sends them but no one likes them! The best description I can give of a moon cake is that it tastes like a Fig Newtown- dense and fruity- too rich to be eaten in one sitting.

Gary’s methodical tea ceremony had such an impression on me. The tea was AMAZING. It felt like I was drinking a flower straight off the vine and the methodical way in which he poured, strained, and served the tea was exceedingly thoughtful. What fun to see the special cups, trays, utensils, and all. Maybe, I could take a class about tea ceremonies on a future trip? Alas!

After Gary’s, M and I headed off on the subway, which was a brilliant way to travel in Beijing. We visited the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube used for the 2008 Olympics. It was certainly a grand place with many vendors and tourists, but just taking some time to sit in the stadium and appreciate the concept of the world coming together to honor the best of humankind felt so moving.

That night we met a host of M’s “Beijing Family” for dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. The Beijing Family is a group of ex-pats who gather regularly for meals and fun times. They really are like family to one another. Most of them come and go pretty regularly when their English teaching gig runs out or they need to return to their homeland for refreshment.

Instead of giving a blow by blow of the remaining Beijing time I will give an overview. We visited the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Drum Tower, How Hai Lake, the Silk Market, the Temple of Heaven, the Pearl Market, and the Great Wall. Of these places I most enjoyed the Great Wall at Mutianyu. The School House provides a great program for a visit to the Great Wall with transportation, a home base in town- with a lovely restaurant, cool glass blowing gallery, and of course the ever helpful WC.

Mutianyu was my only exposure to a smaller Chinese village/town. It was charming and reminded me of growing up in a small mid-west town along the Mississippi River. It seemed like a place where children could ride bikes and neighbors vended produce from the back of their car- a place where people new one another intimately. Of course there were ample vendors and a Subway sandwich shop for tourists at the base of the Great Wall, but it was a relatively quiet access point.
Even though it was overcast, it was a beautiful day to be up on the wall- serene and epic! I think it just felt awesome to be in a place so commonly referred to and photographed.

At one point, I hiked out to this really steep incline. Reason said that I should probably turn back, but the summit called to the adventurer in me so I proceeded. Panting and perspiring I neared the top of the wall. I thought, “Finally, the first quiet spot in all of China”- only to be greeted by an eager vendor “Postcards? Water? Coca-cola?” I just chuckled to realize that moments of quiet reflection are harder to come by in China and I felt good about sharing this moment of victory with someone else. I bought some of her postcards and she took a few pictures of me to send home to my family.

I might just give a quick sketch of my good friend Merritt. I have known her for about two years. We’ve been acquaintances as she lived in Madison for about a year and a half. If I have my facts straight, Merritt studied Mandarin in college. This is her third stint in China and it was fun to let this friendship grow.

She’s one of those super bright people- passionate about politics, the environment, and the care of people. She’s a great listener and capable of great things in her career. She’s currently working for a U.S. engineering company- that has an office in China.

The genesis of my visit to China to see Merritt began on Halloween of 2009. Merritt dragged me out to this big party on the main street of our town- where all of the University students go to celebrate. In true Wisconsin form, it was a chilly night so we ducked into a coffee shop along the main street.

As we sat sipping hot chocolate, Merritt turned to me in her pink rocker wig and said, “Hey, Ginger you should come and visit me!” Again, this was like Mongolia- one of those far out ideas- bound to happen.

Merritt was the perfect guide and friend- It’s really amazing to get to know someone in their environment- in a place and a way where they are an expert. Learning Mandarin is hard and it catches most people off guard when Merritt spouts off something in Mandarin or saddles up along side a group of older gentlemen reading the newspaper posted in the window.

Though she spends a lot of her day in traffic and there are things about U.S. culture that she misses, things are going well for her. I know she enjoys seeing her original home stay family and finds comfort in her “Beijing Family.” Among her community she stands out as one who is kind and inclusive- intelligent- people find refuge in her good sense and enjoyment of life.

Before wrapping up this post, I will add this tagline of a story. The morning that M and I left for Vietnam, we had to stow my large suitcase in Merritt’s apartment. That would have been fine if there were an elevator or she lived on the first level, but no we had to haul that thing up six flights of stairs. Contrary to my protesting, we took turns lifting the suitcase. At this point, sweaty and hot before our long day of travel- the whole thing seemed ridiculous and yet we were certainly better friends and entitled to yet another good story for the BLOG!

There’s so much to say about China so I’ll let these thoughts percolate and share more later.

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