Photo above of me in Beijing in late October 2011. I thought about photo shopping this picture as there is a car in the way (ha) but then again, this is China. This is the real China and the reality of the situation is that there are lots of people and it is hard to ever get a decent photo of anything, especially in front of a tourist site like the Forbidden City!
As they say in life, all good things must come to an end. Right? That is how I feel about my China series. It has been over two months since I returned from my trip to China yet for some reason leaving this post series behind feels like a painful divorce. I keep trying to move on, to gently push it away, but it is still there bothering me and looking me straight in the eye.
Although China wasn’t my favorite place that I’ve traveled to, it was perhaps the most fascinating place that I’ve been to. I believe it is due to many things. An enormously rich culture filled with traditions that go back thousands of years. A country that is so different from my own which is always interesting, perplexing and thrilling to try to uncover and understand. And finally, being there at the right moment in time, as the Asian Tiger reigns and soars.
The transformation of this country over the last twenty-five years has been mind-boggling. To see the contradictions of old versus new all wrapped together like a garbled package in one place just blew me away. My mind was constantly challenged and awoken to explore this place and comprehend what I saw. It took months and I’m still thinking about it. Yes, I was only there a short time. But wow, did I learn a lot in that minuscule amount of time. For a pensive traveler, that is the best gift one can receive.
So now I say farewell to China and my posts. I do have one more post coming out on World Mom’s Blog next week about China’s controversial One-Child Policy which I will include a link on this blog. Yet for now I’m saying goodbye to China posts and moving on. I will still passionately continue to read about China in the news and through novels. There is hardly a day when China isn’t mentioned somewhere in the papers. It will be interesting to see what the future brings to China. Happy New Year, China! May the year of the Dragon be good!
Author’s Note: This is part two of a three part series. To read the first post, click here.
I hope I didn’t leave you hanging too much in my last post! (ha ha). Obviously I made it to the water village in one piece, despite the insanely dangerous driving of our hired rookie cabbie. My stomach felt a bit queasy upon our arrival an hour an a half later. But I was happy to be alive.
The water village of Zhouzhuang is located about 37 miles outside of Shanghai in Jiangsu Province.
The town is one of the best known water villages in the area (the tourist signs proudly state “China’s #1 Water Village!”) and its history dates back over 900 years. Most tourists choose to visit Zhouzhuang for its cultural history as well as gorgeous canals which has led some people to call Zhouzhuang “The Venice of the East”.
Our guide Gloria had a wealth of knowledge about the village and I took pages and pages of meticulous notes during our tour. Gloria began the tour by telling us briefly about the history of the village. Zhouzhuang was not the original name of the village. Apparently the village was first called Zhenfengli and was part of the fief Yoacheng in the time period from 770 BC-476 BC). Zhouzhuang changed its name in 1086 win a very devout Buddhist named Zhou Digong donated the land to the local temple, Quanfu Temple. “Zhou”, his surname, was combined with “Zhuang” which means village, to honor this man for his gift.
Throughout the region surrounding Shanghai, many water villages popped up over the years, given the areas wealth of lakes and rivers that eventually lead out to the sea. Shanghai’s key location on the Huangpu River which links to the Yangzi River and eventually leads to the sea, made water village an important commercial hub for fisherman and farmers living in the areas fertile lands.
The entrance to the town of Zhouzhang is not impressive. In fact I was wondering what on earth we were getting ourselves into when we first pulled into the village to use the public toilets. As a general rule, I always like to use the restroom before a tour and knowing a public toilet is usually hard to find in foreign countries, it is best to not take a chance. The moment I stepped out of the cab, I instantly regretted that choice. The stench infiltrated our noses making my already nauseous stomach reel. The conditions were horrendous and not up to par with what I’d seen for public toilets in Beijing (where the government added thousands of new toilets before the Olympics).
Thankfully we got back into the cab and headed the short five minutes further to the start of the actual water village. I was relieved to see that it was much more delightful than the rustic, dirty public toilet. We were dropped off with Gloria and on our way for a two-hour fast-track tour of the water village.
As we entered the water village, I was instantly entranced. It was absolutely serene and just as I had imagined. I closed my eyes and pictured the villagers living here hundred of years ago and transporting everything by boat. It was a peaceful image and China has done an excellent job preserving the beauty and serenity of the place without making it a tourist trap.
Per Gloria, the water village occupies 0.4 square kilometers and has a population of 1,000 families today. There are 14 historic, elegant stone brides and most were built during the Ming and Qin dynasties (making the bridges between 300 and 400 years old).
After passing through the modern part of the town, you reach the water village. Here is our first glimpse of Zhouzhuang.
As we started our tour, we passed by a line of Chinese restaurants right on the canal. There are several specialties of the village including hairy crab (which some tourists come here just to eat), fresh fish picked out fresh from the tank and then killed right before being cooked, crayfish, fresh-water oysters and served at your table, and a kind of bean-sauce pork (legs and feet are the specialties).
There are a few touristy things such as sitting by the canal and having “Grandma’s Tea”. This is where the elderly woman would sit and relax back in the days.
Thirty years ago Zhouzhuang was a small fishing village. It came into the public eye thanks to a Chinese artist who fell in love with its beauty and serenity. He painted several lovely watercolor paintings of the scenic water village. In 1985 he painted a work called “Memories of my hometown” which depicted the sensational beauty of Zhouzhuang and the village instantly became famous. Today, it is one of the top water villages in all of Shanghai.
It was a painting of a bridge like this that caught the world’s attention of the beauty and romance of Zhouzhuang. There are over 14 of these gorgeous bridges throughout the water village.
All the homes have been left in their traditional splendor. I love this picture above! It captures the magic of this place.
After touring the bridges, we next did a tour of the largest home in the village. It was owned by the wealthiest inhabitant of the village back in 1449. The house has a traditional layout of many connecting buildings in which the first room is the tea hall used for greeting friends. I didn’t take many pictures of the home since it was dark inside and relatively crowded. However, below are some of the things I found interesting about the house.
Here is the home’s “garage” for their fishing boat. It has steps leading right down to where the boat would be parked.
This is the first room or building known as the tea house and used to greet friends and visitors to the home. Many times the guests did not move past this room as the rest of the home was kept private in traditional times.
In traditional times, the women of rich families had their feet bond and could hardly walk on their “golden lilies”. Thus, rich families used the above “sedan chair” as a way to transport the women. Women were also not allowed to show their face to a strange man thus the sedan chair was a way for a woman to remain hidden.
In all traditional Chinese gardens, they incorporated different sizes of stones that could use to massage the feet! In ancient times, Chinese people wore thin cotton slippers that did not have great support. Thus by the end of the day, their feet hurt. To relieve pain, they would take their slippers off and walk barefoot across the stones and get a massage. I tried it and it felt great!
All homes also had goldfish which are considered lucky in China. I noticed that many shops in China have a goldfish next to the cash register (ha ha).
The founder of Zhouzhuang was a devout Buddhist and there are several beautiful temples scattered throughout the canals. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the Buddhist area of Zhouzhuang.
Lighting incense.
A gorgeously adorned Buddha.
A lovely pagoda for relaxing and enjoying the fresh air.
Per Gloria, in ancient times it took four days by boat to reach Shanghai from the water village. Woman in the village were the primary fishers and would head out early in the morning with the little ones in the boat to catch their meals.
Here is the way out, towards Shanghai.
I wish I could have stayed here all day, relaxing and reflecting on what life must have been like in an ancient Chinese Water Village. But the clock was ticking as was Shanghai’s notoriously bad weekend traffic. It was time to leave.
Stay tuned…next post will be Part III: Leaving the water village. Thanks for reading!
Who ever said that getting there is half the fun is hugely wrong. Getting there or anywhere in China, alive, is the best part.
Our young rookie cab driver testing it out.
Officially there is one death every seven minutes (in China). Road crashes cost 1 percent to 3 percent of the country’s GDP every year. China, with four times the population of the United States, has today only one-third the number of vehicles and yet it has twice as many deaths because of road crashes.
—Per article in China Daily titled “Make road safety the new traffic mantra” written by The World Bank transportation specialist Deng Fei.
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I began writing my last major piece on my trip to China about our visit to lovely, picturesque Zhou Zhuang, one of the oldest water villages in all of China, when I realized that there is way more to the story than a simple post. Instead of one post it would take three. For I forgot one of the golden rules of travel: Travel itself. Truthfully said, in China, travel is a life or death situation. Getting anywhere alive is a big thing, no joke.
Thus as much as I had intended to wrap up my China series with a few quick and easy posts and move on to other parts of the world such as New Zealand, I am stuck here for now telling this crazy story about our visit to a Chinese Water Village. Hope you enjoy!
The pretty Chinese Water village will have to wait….until the next post. For we need to start the story with the basics: Getting there alive.
Per Lonely Planet China’s well-researched facts on transportation in China (page 991, way at the end of the book it’s there!):
China’s roads kill without mercy. Traffic accidents are the major cause of death in China for people aged between 15 and 45, and the World Health Organization estimates there are 600 traffic deaths per day.
At long-distance bus stations across China you may be subjected to posters graphically portraying victims of road crashes; then when you get on the bus you find there are no seat belts. If you insist on wearing a seatbelt everyone looks at you as if you are insane.
After reading this review of traffic safety in China, I felt that surely the most dangerous part of the trip wouldn’t be the flight over or getting randomly, fatally attacked by some crazy Chinese guy with a knife (unfortunately this did happen to Mr. Bachman, a fellow Minnesota and CEO of Bachmans, during the Chinese Olympics). No sir.The most dangerous part of the journey would be the driving and it was something I wasn’t looking forward to.
Remember this? From my Beijing post on Hutongs? It was the motto from the Passby Cafe. A rather fitting motto in this case!
So here is the story, Our Trip to a Chinese Water Village: Part I Getting There.
Our last full day in Shanghai was my one attempt to get out of the big city and see something different. I had heard about the numerous traditional Chinese water villages and wanted desperately to check one out. It sounded idyllic. Romantic canal-filled villages dating back well over 700 years. I mused: What could be more representative of China than a water village? But once again, the descriptions in Lonely Planet and on our hotel’s tourist brochures were not promising.
Over and over again I saw the words “hordes of tourists“, “masses of tour buses“, “huge groups of wall to wall camera-clad people bumping into each other” and worried that a visit to a Chinese Water Village would be just another tourist trap. Of course the two lovely young Chinese ladies at our hotel’s concierge desk strongly encouraged that we take a tour. I tried to smile at her politely and tell her that my dad and I are not the “tour bus” kinds. We despise being herded like cattle, chasing after a petite Chinese woman while pushing and shoving our way to the front through the swarm of fellow tourists all wearing our matching tourist hats. No thanks. Not for me.
So, of course we had to be creative and after such a great experience going without a tour group to the Great Wall, we believed we could probably have a similar experience going to a water village the same way: By hiring our own private guide and ride.
After twenty minutes of negotiations with the friendly hotel staff, our guide was booked and the price was determined. We were to meet her down in the lobby at precisely eight am and our driver, a hired taxi cabbie, would be there to meet us as well. It all sounded like the perfect day….ahhh….but of course it wasn’t perfect. Nothing ever is when you are traveling half-way across the world in a completely different culture!
We met Gloria, our guide for the day, in the hotel lobby drinking a cup of tea well ahead of our scheduled rendezvous. Gloria was well-dressed and wore bright lipstick that matched her dignified, professional appearance. She proudly shook our hands and informed us that she was a veteran tour guide with over ten years experience conducting private tours throughout Shanghai. She also added that she was trained by Shanghai’s Tourism Institute and was the first in her family to go to college and have a professional degree. We were instantly impressed by her knowledge and fluent level of english. It was so nice to be understood and to understand someone in China for once!
We left our hotel promptly at eight and were greeted by a mediocre taxi cab. The driver opened the door and looked relatively young (remember, I’ve just turned 40 recently so now anyone in their early twenties looks like a puppy to me!). He spoke no english, was a chain-smoker, and had a mischievous look in his eyes. My heart plummeted. All I could think about was those frightening articles I’d read, about traffic deaths.
We took off in heavy Shanghai traffic. Gloria informed us that Fridays were always bad because all the factory workers were headed home. Apparently the stop and go madness we were in was nothing compared to the five pm rush. We would have to make sure we left the water village by two in order to beat any traffic jams and heady delays.
I noticed immediately that neither the taxi driver nor Gloria put on their seat belts. Perhaps I am a bit of a freak in this sense, but I ALWAYS wear my seat belt at home, even in the back seat and especially in a cab. This person is responsible for my life, dammit! I’m not going to trust some random stranger!
I had to struggle a bit to find the actual seat belt. After five minutes of searching inside the worn seat back I finally found it. Unfortunately my dad didn’t have one. There was no way of buckling in so he simply shrugged his shoulders and held on.
As we drove out of the outskirts of central Shanghai and finally passed through the slow-moving traffic, the highway magically seemed to open up and empty. To my dismay, the taxi driver used the open road (I swear if he could speak english he would be saying “the highway is the limit, baby!” ) and started to increase his speed.
Our tour guide Gloria continued to dictate the history of Shanghai and the water village, while I felt my skin prick and my hands become clammy. Before I knew it, the driver put “the pedal to the medal” and was racing at insane speeds of 85 to 90 mph!!!!! I nearly had a heart attack!!!!! But Gloria continued to talk calmly, like nothing was the matter and I swear to God the driver was smiling.
Our young rookie cabbie swerved in and out of traffic and even passed cars and trucks on the shoulder! I nearly threw up! I started to see my life flash by me and thought of my adorable, sometimes driving me crazy kids and my wonderful husband back at our warm cozy home in Minneapolis. My heart beat faster and faster yet no one else seemed the least bit alarmed. Not even my dad. Hmmmm…..am I really getting old?
But then I remembered the frightening statistics: Someone dies every seven minutes in China on the road. I didn’t want that someone to be me!
So I let my voice be heard and begged the cab driver to slow down via Gloria of course. And thankfully he did. He was off his joy ride. But we still had another hour to go….
Would we get there alive?
Stay tuned….. to find out the rest of the story with part 2!
A lot of time when you think about Shanghai, you expect things to all be modern and new. My last post on Pudong goes to show how far China has come in the last twenty-five years. However, as you step away from the famous Bund and Pudong districts, you are suddenly back in the thick of real, live China.
We spent our time in Shanghai on foot and never took a cab once except for the hired driver we used to visit a nearby water village. The hotel staff seemed aghast that we were walking everywhere and always recommended a cab wherever we were going, short or far. But I believe to really see and experience a place, you have to do it on foot.
After a few week of walking around Beijing and Shanghai, I had the infamous “Peking knees” from the rough concrete and my lungs felt full of pollution. It was hot, humid, loud and a bit stressful at times. Yet I felt like I really got a taste of what urban life was like by walking the city.
Here are some of my favorite pictures on Shanghai life that I took during my walks. Hope you enjoy.
Morning commute.
Lunch and laundry.
More laundry. I was amazed to see so much laundry hanging to dry from Shanghai’s apartments. I saw it all—from tops, slacks, jeans and dresses to underwear and sexy lingerie and mismatched socks.
Right outside our hotel, this street led under a sea of drying laundry. Stores below and hanging laundry on top. I wonder if any ever falls on someone’s head?
Mid-day commute. Bikes, electric scooters, motorcycles…you name it, it’s there. It was a mad dash to cross the street with my head constantly doing a 360 for oncoming traffic.
This place even stored their garbage outside the window.
The air-conditioners, laundry and bikes were a common scene.
As were these dark, narrow alleyways peppered with life and claustrophobic living.
As were the “shops on wheels”. This one was a plant and flower cart.
Afternoon cards were played. But I didn’t see any tai chi like I did in Beijing.
Plus I was constantly amused by the high heels the women wore! I would have lasted only a second in a pair of these spike ones.
Given the level of walking and the concrete and pavers, I really don’t think I’d be wearing anything but comfortable walking shoes. I don’t know how these Chinese women do it!
This look was my absolute favorite! Short skirt with short shorts underneath, knee highs and spiky purple heels! She walked perfectly across the street into traffic. I was impressed.
Stay tuned….My Chinese posts are coming to an end. I only have a few more to write and then am thinking about revisiting a past trip to New Zealand. It would be fun to write about and share my photos from one of my top all-time vacations.
Sometimes in life, there is no better way to understand a complicated issue such as civil rights, than through the tender eyes of a child. I had the opportunity to volunteer in my son Max’s first grade class last week, and they were learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Through art and creativity, here are their dreams of the future….
Have you ever traveled somewhere where it was utterly impossible for you to fit in? It is an experience that any avid traveler will face at some point in their travels and honestly, it is an important life lesson that I found truly fascinating and insightful.
It wasn’t until I began to get off the beaten path a bit more in my travels and become more adventurous, that I began to experience the odd uncomfortable feeling off being “different” from everyone else. You see here in Minnesota, we have a strong Scandinavian heritage and many of us are blond and blue-eyed, fairly tall and hearty looking. You can easily walk down the street and blend in anonymously. Yet once you get on a plane and fly far away to a different place such as China, everything changes. You are no longer anonymous. You are different. You are big. You are tall. Your hair is a funny color one that some people have never seen. You stand out but not necessarily in a way you would like or want to.
For those who have been reading my blog for awhile, you may remember this picture above of me with my newly made Chinese friends on the Great Wall series. As I climbed up on to the Wall for the first time, I was accosted by a herd of twenty Chinese hikers who nearly fell over when they saw me. For the next ten minutes, I posed and took pictures with all my new friends. It took me a minute to figure out why. My blonde messy hair was discovered under my cap.
In a country of 1.3 billion in which over 91% of the population is Han (or ethnic “Chinese”), any variation in hair color from the standard black pretty much sticks out like a sore thumb. Occasionally, you will see a Chinese with dyed red, blond or even blue hair. But not too often. Even eye and skin color rarely varies. Thus, looking “different” in China whether it be skin color, hair color, eye color or size, is an anomaly that for some reason simply fascinates the Chinese people and invites them to take a look.
Thankfully I had experienced this curiosity before. Last year, I was rudely awakened by the intensity of the stares surrounding me for an eleven hour drive outside of Delhi. Every single person for eleven long, unending hours not only looked but stared at my long, dirty-blond hair. It was the most uncomfortable feeling I’ve ever experienced in my life. The stares were not meant to be rude yet I felt their eyes taking me in deeply and penetrating my soul. At first I smiled back or even waved hello from the close quarters of my car window (people drive insanely close together in India!). But after a few hours of the penetrating stares, I felt like some kind of caged animal at the zoo and I buried my head deep inside my pillow and tried to hide.
I have traveled to many places that had never seen a blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned person before. My parents had taken me to rural Mexico many times as a white-haired little girl and I remember the kids chasing me and trying to touch my hair. I also remember being constantly harassed in parts of France and Italy while I studied abroad as a twenty-one year old American. I knew that the continual jokes and come-on lines were usually in good humor and that these men were rather harmless. They had believed that any American woman with blond long hair was an easy escapade thanks to all those bad Hollywood movies. I ignored them and didn’t let it bug me (except there were a few times when I was unexpectedly flashed and that bothered me immensely!).
Yet, my short time spent in India was different. I had never felt so uncomfortable in my own skin in my life. Growing up and living in Minnesota, a place that is home to many people with Scandinavian roots, it was rather unpleasant to be the one who stuck out and was different.
Looking back a year later, I realize that it was probably one of the best experiences I could have ever had. It taught me what it feels like to be different. To be misunderstood. To be the minority. And to stick out. I realized how important it is to have this rather unpleasant feeling. And how I need to seek it out more.
I expected the worst when I went to Morocco last April. I had never been to a Muslim country before and the anti-American tensions were rising all across Islamic nations. It wasn’t a good time to be blonde. So I dyed my hair darker and arrived in Morocco as an even dirtier, dishwater blonde/brown-haired gal. What was so funny is that no one even noticed the hair color change. None of my friends said a word nor did my husband. So basically the point was moot. I arrived in Morocco not knowing at all what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to see that no one noticed me at all. I could walk freely, openly and without covering my hair with no penetrating stares, uncomfortable moments or even harassment. It was a nice change.
So six months later when I arrived in China once again I wasn’t sure what to expect.Would it be like India or like Morocco? Would I be treated as an oddity or just fit in smoothly to the crowds of people? What I discovered that for the most part, no one really cared except the young folks who treated me like a celebrity and wanted their picture with some foreign, blonde stranger, me.
As I was walking along the banks of the river overlooking the glorious Bund on one side and Pudong on the other, I was approached once again by a stranger. It was a young Chinese woman and her friends. They couldn’t speak English nor could I speak Chinese. But one thing was universal: A camera. I reached out to grab the camera and prepared to take their picture when I saw a smiling shake of the head. No. That was not what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to be in the picture. With her. As her blonde, American friend!
What else could I do but agree and then ask her friend to take a picture of us with mine?
Me, thirdeyemom and my new Chinese friend.
Perhaps the greatest lesson I learned during my travels is what it feels like to not fit in and to be different. That although we may not look the same, we are all the same in our wishes and desires in life. We all want to be happy, healthy and live a life full of love. It is this common desire that makes us human. Yet our differences is what makes the human race so grand.
One of my favorite ‘hoods in Shanghai is the fashionable, serene French Concession. Although you won’t find the name “French Concession” written on any Chinese maps, it is easily identified by the dramatic change in scenery as the city landscape changes from traffic-heavy, congested streets full of a mismatch of style into the elegant tree-lined streets awash in art deco and old-world residential charm. It practically feels like you are stepping into France except for of course the constant reminders that you are in China.
See what I mean?
The French Concession was once home to a lot of Shanghai’s decadence. Gangsters, revolutionaries, writers, pimps and prostitutes filled the neighborhoods’ notorious venues and residences making it a rather troublesome albeit enticing place. Today, the graceful tree-lined streets encompassing the districts of Luwan, Xuhui, Changning and Jin’an are bursting with life representing the new, modern Chinese consumers who like to shop at the fancy designer boutiques and eat at the new western restaurants and cafes of the French Concession.
I could have spent hours in the French Concession wandering aimlessly among the gorgeous streets and window-shopping at the lavish boutiques. It was the first place in all of Shanghai where I didn’t feel stressed and could actually relax a bit. The streets were lovely and narrower. The horns weren’t constantly honking. You weren’t walking against a swarm of people. In fact, the French Concession felt relatively empty in parts. It made me start to wonder where all those new Chinese capitalists were hiding.
Getting to the French Concession from our hotel on the Bund required a bit of effort. Against the recommendations of the hotel staff who politely insisted that we take a cab, we walked. (For some reason, the hotel staff always recommended that we took a cab wherever we went in Shanghai. After walking there, I understood why. The traffic was crazy and it is not very pedestrian friendly except in the parts of town where they constructed the above ground sidewalks. See earlier post: Chinese Street Survival 101).
Entering the French Concession, traffic was still heavy and starting to dwindle down. But it was still a constant struggle until we got deeper inside the hidden streets and away from all the chaos and confusion of a huge, urban jungle.
The walk was long (well over an hour), confusing (trying to read a Chinese map and figure out where you were going was challenging) and stressful (loads of traffic, honking and congested sidewalks). But, all in all I’m glad we did it because getting lost and finding your way around is half the fun. Plus you sure see more on your feet than in a cab.
Like this lovely tree-lined park full of parents and their children (or shall I say child since most Chinese are allowed to have only one child since the “One Child Policy” was implemented by the regime in 1978.
Needless to say, we were tired and slightly overwhelmed when we finally reached the start of the French Concession. It was time to take a breather, have a cup of coffee and figure out of plan of attack. Luckily there were plenty of French-styled cafes to choose from.
As a French lover and someone who spent a fair amount of my idyllic youth in France, The French Concession had its fair share of French cafes where you could get a good, real cappuccino french-style.
As I mentioned before in my post called Shanghai Shopping, the French Concession is packed with row after row of designer boutiques and shops. I had never seen so many upscale, hip boutiques in all of China. It was amazing. Yet, there was not a single shopper inside. That struck me as very strange and perhaps a sign of the economy slowing.
Finding your way around the French Concession was anyone’s guess. The streets wove around like a snake and were poorly marked. You just had to follow the tree-lined streets to know you were still in this unique part of town.
The architecture was simply divine! It is the place that I would want to live if I ever lived in Shanghai.
Although the French Concession is much quieter and perhaps a bit more tame, there are still the constant reminders that you are indeed still in China and not Paris!
Of course there still was a fair share of interesting transportation methods even in the French Concession. I saw bicycles loaded with presents, boxes, merchandise, produce and even hay.
Pedestrians still had to be careful and pay attention to oncoming interference!
But if all else failed, and you needed a break from it all, there are plenty of places in the French Concession to sit down, relax and unwind. Such as this little wine bar that I would have loved to pass the rest of the afternoon at….
Yet with an hour walk back to the Bund, drinking till I was silly was not an option. For you have to take walking in urban China just as serious as driving. If you want to end up back home in one piece, then it is best to be one hundred percent with it!
Stay tuned…my next ‘hood for review will be the ultra modern, skyscraper concrete jungle known as Pudong.
Photo above taken last Monday, January 1st in Tucson, Arizona. A family walk through Sabino Canyon with Grandma, Grandpa, me and the kids.
After nine days in sunny, warm Arizona and two weeks off of school, we are back in balmy Minnesota (it has been record highs lately making me wonder what month it truly is) and off to another new year. The kids are back in school. My son started today and my daughter will resume preschool tomorrow. The weather has been uncanny and odd. It reached 50 degrees today, we have absolutely no snow and for the first time I can ever remember, the lake is not frozen solid. Either we are in for some serious payback in February or global warming has landed hard.
Today was unseasonably warm, a high of 50 degrees (normally it is in the teens and that is considered warm). My daughter and I went down to the lake where she rode her scooter, unbelievable for January! There is no snow (last year we had a few feet by now and 82 inches by the end of the season). And, as you can see on the picture below, the lake is not completely frozen! There is a huge hole in the middle!
Normally Lake Harriet and the other metro lakes are frozen solid by early December. The ice is so thick that cars, yes that is correct, can drive across them and ice fisherman drill their holes into the ice and set up their ice homes across Minnesota lakes. There are skaters, nordic skiers and snowshoers galore. Not this year! At least not yet.
The odd weather has left me confused and thinking that the Gods Must be Crazy! But as I know, having lived in Minnesota and the Midwest for almost all of my life, that I don’t have to worry one bit. Winter will come, and when it does decide to show up, it will be long, brutal and cold. For Minnesota is notorious for harsh, long winters. That is what makes us Minnesotans such hearty souls.
As I get back into my daily routines, it is time for me to start focusing on 2012 and all the exciting things coming ahead. Tomorrow, my post on my upcoming involvement with the UN Foundation’s pilot program, Shot@Life will be posted on World Mom’s Blog (I will add a link tomorrow on my blog). At the end of the month, I’m headed to DC to be trained as a grassroots advocate for this exciting program that focuses on providing immunizations to millions of children in developing countries. After that, the fun begins with blogging and hosting events to raise awareness of the dire straits of children around the world who don’t have access to life-saving vaccines.
In February, my daughter and I are going on a big ski trip out west to Taos, New Mexico to meet up with my dad. Both of my children have been learning how to ski this winter and we’ve spent every weekend at the ski hill (except of course when we were in Arizona). It has been a wonderful way to be together as a family and to see my children learn to ski. I grew up skiing and love the sport. Thank goodness they have the equipment to make snow on the hills here! The balmy weather has been ideal for weekend skiing.
In March, I am off on another adventure to volunteer and learn Spanish in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. I’ve been dusting off my old spanish grammar books and have started my evening lessons at home reviewing, memorizing and praying that I will be able to communicate with the locals when I’m there! I have no idea what to expect but that is what will make the experience so fun.
Other than that, who knows? I find that life is always an adventure and I look forward to what 2012 will bring.
Stay tuned..my next series on China will be about the different neighborhoods of Shanghai. Then, I will take you on a trip to a nearby water village dating back hundreds of years. Thanks for reading and comments welcome!
For anyone who has ever traveled in Asia, then you understand exactly what the title of this post is about. Walking anywhere in any big Asian city – whether it be Beijing, Shanghai, Kathmandu, Bangkok or Delhi – requires a certain kind of expertise, guts and street smarts. In these large urban jungles, traffic comes in all shapes and sizes and is massive, loud, aggressive and sometimes uncaring about human life. You make a mistake once by stepping out into the street without looking and you could be dead.
The intimidating street: Crossing the street in Shanghai can be a dangerous thing.
I discovered this frightening fact the first time I was in Kathmandu and New Delhi. I had read about it before so was thankfully somewhat prepared and aware that there are real dangers involved in crossing the street and even walking down the sidewalk. I grimaced when I heard the tales of the unexpected tourist who looked the wrong way and got smashed by oncoming traffic. I was prepared, or so I thought.
I was shocked and horrified once I actually stepped onto these very streets for the first time and realized that you’ve got to truly pay attention whenever you are walking anywhere in a large Asian City. For human life is not always valued the same in a big city where there are millions of people fighting to survive and get around (ok, this is a little harsh but sometimes I really did feel this way, especially when the cars, trucks and buses came right at me in the middle of an intersection during a green walk sign!).
Never before had I felt so threatened when walking the streets than when I first arrived in Beijing. There were many close calls, especially when we first got there and were so jet lagged. Yet, after a few days we figured it out and here are the main things we discovered.
Street Survival 101: How to get around urban China without getting flattened.
First of all, there is no regard whatsoever for the “green” walk signs. Cars, trucks, mopeds, buses, you name it, all come charging through the intersection honking their horn in warning as the pedestrians scurry across. There were many times when I feared either I or someone else would be struck dead. I especially got nervous when the elderly were wobbling across. There were many close calls.
I probably shouldn’t have taken this photo and have been more concerned about my safety and my dad’s, yet this just shows how cars really don’t care if you are in their path. You’ve got to get out of the way fast or else, well….
Second of all,vehicles love to run red lights. It is extremely important that before you step out into the street you look ALL ways. Do a 360 degree look around before moving forward no matter what color the street light or walk sign indicates. Four times out of five, there will be something coming. I found the bike lane to be the worst offender. Many times bikes, mopeds, electric scooters and carts hardly stopped at all and kept going regardless of the red light.
Intersections in China can be a free for all—cars, bikes, motorcycles, trucks and people included! Beware!
Third of all, whenever you cross a street you just have to keep looking and do your best to get safely across as fast as possible. Vehicles can come out of nowhere and of course they won’t slow down or stop if you are in its path.
Getting around is a free for all.
I witnessed many “almost accidents” such as this one between the bicyclist and the moped.
Hurry….hurry….hurry!
Finally, just because you are walking on a sidewalk does not mean you are safe. I’ve seen motorcycles, bicycles and even small cars driving either behind or right at you on the sidewalk. It would really hurt to get your foot run over!
This guy passed me from behind…thankfully the sidewalk wasn’t too crowded.
The good news is that the Chinese are aware of the dangers of crossing the street and have done some things to make it safer for pedestrians. In Shanghai, one of the most difficult places to cross the street, I found huge above ground walkways over some of the major intersections such as this one (Note: In Beijing, these above ground sidewalks did not exist and I sure wish they had! It was insane trying to cross some of the busy intersections there and I’m happy that there were no incidents!).
Climbing up out of harms way (thank you, Chinese Government!).
I am much happier here than there down below!
When Shanghai built this new highway a few years back, it was a welcome gift not only to the drivers but also to the walkers who received the above ground sidewalks.
Because it sure beats trying to walk down there and be battling against that line of traffic.
Shanghai also adopted the use of crossing guards on some of the busy streets near the high-end French Concession. I had never seen these in other highly congested parts of Shanghai and certainly not in Beijing, which is notorious for having extremely dangerous crosswalks.
Finally there was some help for the pedestrians! The crossing guard even blew here whistle loudly at aggressive drivers and stopped them from driving through the green walk signs. Phew!
Rest assured….after a few days of walking like a local you’ll be fine! You will learn how to zigzag across traffic at extreme speed and expertise. You’ll remember to take a 360 degree look before stepping out into the street. And most of all, you’ll appreciate your streets back at home even more!
Stay tuned…more China coming soon! Thanks for reading and comments are always welcome and appreciated!
China is a place awash in complexities and paradoxes. It is a place that is growing, developing and modernizing at lightening speed yet at the same time is being held down by its ugly past. It is full of splendid culture and traditions dating back thousands of years. Yet, it also has some disturbing truths that may someday bring the current Communist Party and its “emperor” down.
As the country continues to race towards become the next global leader and world power, the housing bubble is finally showing unwanted signs of crashing, the Communist Party is hammering down and trying to stop the rapid growth of micro-blogging, human rights activist, journalist and anyone speaking out against the government is imprisoned and severely punished, the environment is rapidly deteriorating, pollution is pitiful, and ghost towns lay dormant. All the same, China is still technically booming and its people are better off today than they were twenty years ago. China has witnessed one of mankind’s most incredible rise of its people out of poverty.
Yet, where are they headed? What would happen if the economy begins to stagger or fall? Will people speak up and protest? Will there be a Chinese Spring? What will happen to the 900 million peasants who have seen their life improve but still have a long way to go? What will happen to the rest of the world if China is hurting?
The implications are mind-boggling and of course would have worldwide effects. It is no coincidence that articles on current events in China are found daily in papers, online and on TV. China is huge, important and will impact us all.
Perhaps these questions are why despite not “loving” traveling to China, I have found it one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been. China is at the center stage of the world right now and to be there, witnessing it all, is an amazing travel experience.
To wrap up my Beijing posts, I felt a photo blog on “Daily Life in Beijing” would help illustrate the complexities and paradoxes of this fascinating place. I am also including a list of intuitive articles on China today, for those who want to learn more. (See the bottom of the post for links).
Here is a walk through Daily Life in Beijing. Hope you enjoy.
Old versus New: A remaining part of the ancient city wall in the heart of Beijing.
All that remains is a dilapidated old wall. Whereas right down the street is Wangfujing Dajie (below), a Vegas meets New York City-styled pedestrian walking street and shopping Mecca.
And the new….
The Lion is the symbol of China and can be see throughout the country protecting its inhabitants for thousands of years.
The red lantern, another prominent symbol in China.
For some reason, I truly love this picture.
The Hutongs represent the old part of Beijing. Hundreds exist yet many have been torn down in the thrust towards modernization.
In a high-density city of over 20 million inhabitants, there are still many places like this one to find peace and solitude and enjoy nature.
Signs of westernization and commercialism are prevalent but not overbearing like in most cities in Europe…note the Starbucks above.
Yet traditional architecture can be found throughout the city bringing the visitor back to the days of the dynasties and reminding us of China’s long history and path.
Truly spectacular hand-painted art embraces the heart and soul of Beijing.
As you explore Beijing’s streets, you are struck by the contrasts between old and new. Modern and traditional. I found the local farmer’s markets to be one of those great contrasts and delights.
I have never seen such an enormous pile of lettuce in my life! And it looked so fresh…
Buyers and supplies loaded their produce onto the back of their bicycles, just like the old days.
Tai Chi could be seen practiced daily along the streets of Beijing usually in the mornings.
Or you could find parks filled with retired Chinese playing Chess, Checkers and cards.
Ping-pong is also popular in Beijing’s many parks.
Some of Beijing’s oldest Hutongs have been transformed into modern-day party central, filled with outdoor bars, terraces and craziness. It was where all the young, somewhat rebellious Beijing youth hung out at night.
Beijing is still a large bicycling community. There are even pathways like these along the streets for bikes, motorbikes, motorcycles and electric bikes. It is one of the main ways the Beijing people get around the city: On two wheels. The electricity and bike park outside the Hutongs.
Laundry can often still be seen drying outside the home or apartment balcony. I was impressed with the creative methods for drying laundry in big cities! The pollution, congestion and traffic where alarming and frightening. This is the typical day in Beijing. Gray, smoggy and dark. This parked car shows how dirty the air is! I had to take a picture of it. Not sure if it ever got or will get washed. Most Chinese live in apartments. In a country of 1.3 billion people, space is key. Most of the apartment complexes I saw in Beijing were quite dreary like this one below. It reminded me of a Soviet-era complex. As you get out of the central part of town on the Ring Road, you pass a million of these kinds of apartment complexes where there are several generic-looking gray buildings clumped together as a some sort of compound. These kinds of developments are going up for miles and miles outside of the city. I have never seen so many apartment complexes being built anywhere. It simply blew me away and made me realize the gravity and magnitude of the Chinese ballooning population.
As our time dwindled in Beijing, I left feeling perplexed and uncertain about my feelings of this city. The history was amazing yet the complexities bothered me. I wonder what will become of Beijing and of China? How will it transform and grow into the next century? Will it hold on to its long traditions or will it become more westernized? Will democracy come or will the people remain powerless and voiceless in their own country. It certainly will be interesting to see.
For further reading on China, please see the following articles:
Financial Times, “A lofty ceiling reached” 12/14/11 by Jamil Anderlini
Financial TImes, “Beijing in a hole over new homes” 11/15/11 by Simon Rabinovitch
ZeroHedge.com: “Guest Pot: Some Things You Should Know About China” by Tyler Durden
Also the tremendous book, “China Wakes: The Struggle for the Soul of a Rising Power“ by Nicolas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn is an excellent read. It is a little outdated by I think these two brilliant New York Times Writers are right on target with what is happening in China. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about China.
Throughout my stay in urban China, I was bemused, amazed, surprised and continually fascinated by the resourcefulness of the Chinese in regards to modes of transportation. Here is a photo blog of what inspired me.
When getting around or transporting goods, anything works, especially bicycles!
These were the “party bikes” located in the bar zone of the Hutongs. I loved seeing all the young Chinese gals cruise around on these fun bikes for bar hopping.
One of many bike parks. I loved the electric bikes. They were sleek and quiet. You hardly knew they were there.
I especially loved these little bicycles. Not sure if they have a special name or not. But they sure are cute!
With such heavy traffic and high costs for cars and trucks, it is no wonder the bicycle is the number one mode of transportation for both people and goods.
Sidewalks, streets and highways…no matter! If you are a pedestrian, you just had to watch out for passing motorcycles and bikes!
Meals on Wheels! Hungry anyone?
The Daily Commute: Beijing. (Look at all the smog!).
I loved these little “tin cars”. There was no way I was ever going to step foot in one of them though. I don’t think you’d come out alive if you got in an accident in one of these little cars. I even saw them on the highways! Scary.
Thankfully Beijing had their own devoted “Bike and Motorbike” lane. This made things far safer except of course at the intersections where it was a free for all between bikes, motorcycles, pedestrians and cars!
There are plenty of buses in China which is a cheap and affordable way to travel.
A motorcycle park. Genius idea!
Driving is the most dangerous mode of transportation in all of China. Per Lonely Planet China, “China’s roads kill without mercy. Traffic accidents are the major cause of death for people aged 15 and 45, and the World Health Organization estimates there are 600 traffic death a day!”. After spending ten days in China, I completely understood these facts. Driving is crazy there (like many big cities in the world) and it was even more scary being a pedestrian in Beijing. Vehicles do not think twice about driving right towards pedestrians even if there is a walk sign in the cross walk. You have to really be careful and use a 360 view when crossing the street (if you want to make it safely across!).
I had heard about these graphic displays of “Traffic accidents and resulting deaths” before and was thus forewarned that they are disturbing. Here is a display set up in the heart of Beijing. The police were passing out flyers with pictures in case these warning signs weren’t enough.
After seeing these graphic displays of fear, I was a bit weary getting in taxis (especially in Shanghai where our hired cab driver drove over 100 mph on the highways, passing on the shoulder. I finally told him to slow down as the pictures continually returned to my mind).
Stay tuned…more China coming up soon! I may even sneak in a few posts about Minnesota!
Ok….drum roll please. Da da da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (pause). Today is a milestone day (breathe). A day which I have dreaded, fretted about, worried about, cried about for over 365 days. Today I am 40 years old (gulp). Yep, thirdeyemom was born on December 6th, 1971 and today marks my fortieth year.
An oldie but goodie. Me on my sixth birthday receiving my first pair of clogs. December 6, 1977.
There are lots of milestones throughout your life. Learning to walk. Learning to talk. Learning how to swim and ride a bike. Having your first sleep-over. Learning to drive. Going on your first date. Having your first kiss. Graduating high school. Leaving home. Starting your first job. Meeting your husband. Getting married. Having kids. And, of course turning 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and so on.
No matter what your age is, I am sure you feel the same way at each milestone birthday: Excited, scared, nervous and in disbelief at just how fast life seems to be going. Turning 40 is a big one. It means you are officially “middle-aged“, you have technically lived over half of your life already (unless you are like my grandpa who just turned 96!), you can remember when your own parents turned 40, and you may even discover your first gray hair (the wrinkles have already long set in).
But….no worries! What I’ve had to come to terms with over the last 365 days is that of course there is no turning back time. You’re 40. So why not decide to be “forty and fabulous”? Of course there is no real fountain of youth yet there are ways to keep feeling young.
Here is my top ten list of ways to turn 40 yet feel like you’re 30. For age is all a state of mind, isn’t it? Life is a journey. Each day is a gift. It’s called the presence!
So, without further delay here is my top ten list of How to Occupy 40:
1. Exercise daily. Run, walk, swim, bike or practice yoga. Just do it. It will keep you feeling younger, healthier, happier and thinner.
2. Get plenty of sleep and eat good. This is huge. No McDonalds, potato chips, etc. Instead eat lots of whole grains, fruits and veggies. The occasional junk food pig-out is fine. Just don’t do it all the time; you’ll pay for it more!
3. Smile, relax and laugh often. Enjoy life! It’s the only one you’ve got!
4. If you see a gray hair, dye it! Why not look in the mirror and look young? It will make you feel younger! (Thankfully as a blond, I don’t have any yet. But that doesn’t mean I don’t make my hair “blonder!”).
5. Travel as much as possible. Travel keeps you young. It keeps you learning, challenged and fascinated by the world.
6. Learn something new each year. Take a photography class, an art class or learn a new language. It will keep you challenged and growing.
7. Volunteer and give back. It is important to remember those in need. Helping others makes you feel warm inside and helps the soul.
8. If you have kids, play with them! Be a kid yourself again. It feels great to be silly.
9. Manage your stress. Stress wears you down, makes you feel awful. Try your best to not let the little things bug you.
10. Live, laugh and love! Life is short, enjoy it to the fullest extent possible.
