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Published: February 23rd 2008
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All it took was a simple google search for "barber shop pole" "chinese" and "girl" to reveal the fact that our new apartment is neatly sandwiched between two whorehouses. I've been thinking to myself, "What kind of barber shop is open at midnight? My, there are a lot of young girls in there! That red lighting must make it very hard to cut someone's hair!"
Actually, a huge white and red sign with a scantily clad young woman indicates that the shops do more than simply cut hair. The best part? At night the red and white striped barber pole comes out! Since I haven't seen any other hair cutting salons with a pole, I'm guessing the meaning is clear. Red and white striped pole? Whorehouse. Lack of red and white striped pole? Barbershop. Another glaring indication is the lack of hair cutting tools or chairs and a multitude of couches and little corners covered by red curtains.
Alex and I are slowly getting settled into our new place in Yangshuo. We met a whole heap of people, both students and teachers. Without having taught a single lesson, I could walk down the street and meet someone I
know. Yangshuo is a very small town, in most respects.
Since there is no age difference between the teachers and the students, everyone hangs out together. As in, dinner, lunch, biking, bars, the works. It’s kinda like we’re all going to the same school. Except that the students pay for classes and we get paid. And outside of any classes, I am slowly slowly learning Chinese. Very slowly! Alex and I carry small notepads to write down the phrases we learn, and make notes on what we want to remember. I think I have maybe 5 phrases so far, but I still have to check the my notebook every time I’m asked a question. I know enough to order a bowl of noodles and tea , so at least I won’t starve!
The hardest part of learning Mandarin? The tones. The sound “ma” has multiple meanings depending on the tone. I only know four: pins and needles, mother, horse and you. But most people give me a little credit and understand when I say “Ni hao ma?” that I’m not asking about the health of their horse. I guess I could be asking about their mother, but there’s
probably some tonal indication that only Chinese people can understand.
Alex is doing his best Clapton meets Michael Jackson impression right now: rocking out on his new guitar and moon walking. Yeah, his new guitar. So he can play guitar in his new all Chinese band. Only one guy out of 4 (5 if you count Alex) speaks English. I just asked Alex to turn down his amp a bit and what’s his reply? “The amp’s actually off. The electricity is coming from inside me. And I’m not turning that off, sister!”
I’ll let Alex talk about his band in the next blog.
Our school is really laid back. Our principal has been taking great care of us and doing his damndest to make sure we're comfort. Despite the fairly comfy environment, I'm getting a little bit homesick. I can only have rice and noodles for so long before I start thinking about my mom's super buttery chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Since Chinese grocery stores don't sell butter, chocolate, oatmeal, or milk, I'd have a hell of a time re-creating them at home!
I'm also getting a little sick of trying to find everyday items. Like
deodorant. I'm frustrated with buying something and guessing its use. For example, while trying to buy hand soap, I stared at package after package of white bottles with Chinese writing, some with Jackie Chan on them.. I made a hand washing gesture to the clerk and she confidently handed me a bottle that maybe looked like soap. Come to find out, it's actually a creamy bath foam. Still soap, of course but not really what I wanted. I've purchased 2 different bottles of "conditioner" only to discover one is a hair oil, and the other is .....I'm not really sure what. Lotion? Pasteurized shelf-stable sour scream? Distilled bleached squid ink? How should I know?
The students are great about taking us shopping and making sure we don't get ripped off. But how frustrating is it to have to take someone with you to the grocery store every single time? It's also a bit weird, because suddenly your private grocery list is a public joke. Everyone wants to see what the white girl is buying.
I'm doing well , other than that. Who needs deodorant and conditioner after all? Just a touch of belated culture shock, and a touch
of homesickness. The pictures are mixed:an awesome cooking class we took, a hike we did with a friend and West Street as seen from a balcony. Enjoy!
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Therese
non-member comment
By "Conditioner" do you mean "Cream Rinse?"