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Archive for July, 2011

Beijing means Business

28 Jul

Here’s a picture book for your eyes and minds highlighting some East/West capitalism, illegal entrepreneurs, and the business district of bustling Beijing.

Good stuff.

Remember the days when little Johnny, Tommy, and Sue could sell lemonade on the corner for a nickel? I bet this Chinese woman and her booking-selling son could fondly remember those days, too:

Actually, they still live 'em. But they gotta be careful...

This mother and son are two of uncountable amounts of folks in China that practice guerilla sales along the walkways and streets of urban China. The American in me sort of digs their free-spirits, out to make their buck, er I mean, yuan. They are dissuaded from these actions, though.

A couple minutes prior to this picture, I was looking at socks from the nearby sock-selling lady. Suddenly, she somehow bundled up her blanket of goods in professional form–in like one second–and was primed to bolt. No worries; false alarm. Pheww! These prey (salespeople) always have to be on the look-out for the predators: police, hungry to confiscate their humble, unlicensed inventories. (I understand the cops have plain-clothes officers mingling around whistling dixie for a sneak infiltration into these commercial zones, too.)

But for now, the sock lady put all her display back down–which was good–because I was eyeing a couple pairs for my own tootsies. I wanted to know how they compared to prices in Walmart, which was within sight:

I entered the Walmart, eager for a more American-style shopping experience. But in China, Walmart isn’t the low-price leader I know back home. Those street salespeople are. Socks in the store were double what the sock lady had them for. Boy, I hoped she was there when I left.

But Walmart did have something the street-sellers didn’t:

I can't imagine a story about a Christian holiday and the dream of a gun could relate to many Chinese folks. Nonetheless.

I left and went back to the outdoor entrepreneurs. I got my socks. And the book lady was still chillin’ with her son. My buddy from a couple posts back, Zhong Hua, happened to be with me this day so we asked the lady what was up. Why live this stressful life? There was a Walmart right there–couldn’t she get work?

Turns out her boy is off school in the summer. She needs to watch him; plus, they don’t live here, anyway. They’re from another province and come for summer money. In the fall they go back; the boy goes to school; and the mom goes to her other job.

Okay, so I looked again at her books and found a good one to buy. :) My best of luck to them:

Another slice of life in Beijing.

And let me say this: though circumstances are unfortunate, an attribute I see in almost everyone here is the understanding that you don’t get something for nothing. Everybody pulls their own weight. And when a billion people do this… Well, we hear almost everyday about China’s rise.

Later on, I jetted to see the other side of the business world–the shnazzy–to the business district. Though not as impressive as the skylines of Shanghai or Hong Kong, it’s no slouch. After all, Beijing is ground zero for the gargantuan government that is the CCP.

I got down there and felt right at home as if it was any nice, large city in America:

CCTV Tower (China TV)

Top brands, clean streets, nice-dressed folks. I felt a bit out-classed here. And something about an area like this heightens everyone’s “business” look, with the masks of “I’m busy; I’m on my way to someplace important” on their faces. The productivity and demands of the urban world can really program people into a tunnel-visioned, task-oriented, manner. This trend seems to reflect and build from one person to another, raising the whole to a level of noticeable non-personableness. I think this is why people talk about the cold nature of New York or wherever. This oblivious-to-others nature always has me feel a bit shunned. Made me kinda long for the humble alleys of pork buns and shirtless, smoking dudes near my hostel.

But whatever, I hung in there and enjoyed it–though at a quickened, city pace. And my hats off to those who weren’t swayed into this tense/reserved/pressured nature, who stay relaxed and friendly. :)

So that’s Beijing, Readers.

Oh ya, that and there’s a lot of people:

Rush hour subway

But I gotta move on, because well, I did move on. My following travels had me going south, to visit a special woman who links the present to a time long ago, to an age few can recall.

On the train to Ruyang. No, you’ve never heard of it, but I’ll get you good and familiar.

And thank you, Beijing. The combination of your size, energy, growth, and spirit are un-duplicatable. You continue to lead a billion people to wealthier futures. You teach the whole of humanity–about humanity–through your rich and living history.

to new plateaus,

-Brandon

 
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Posted in Current Events, Society, Travel

 

Shenanigans at The Summer Palace

22 Jul

Last time, we had a serious, meaningful chat about the power behind history–the way it helps clear up our present world and understand one another.

Great stuff. But this is a blog! not a dissertation.

Let’s kick back the way the emperors in China used to and head to their summer getaway known as, yep, The Summer Palace, one of Beijing’s tourist hot-spots. I had a nice time walking around; you’ll have a nice time reading about it. :)

I got there with the fine Beijing subway and entered the grounds not sure what to expect. I walked in, saw all the old buildings, the vendors, and the people. I took a right, down a quieter route along the outside of this building:

Yep, this is a palace alright. And this was just one of many structures.

Along a stone walkway spotted with trees a pond appeared. Others were there enjoying it:

Remember when you courted me at this pond?

They were looking off toward this nice view:

Meanwhile, I was looking down along with this boy:

These bright orange goldies really glowed in this grey pond. On a grey day overall, they were like little suns lighting up the world from the ground up. Their orbit was random yet graceful, several little suns gliding as one around the docks.

On the other side of the pond, a river broke free. I followed it. It wasn’t palatial but it definitely felt like a getaway. These must have ben some peaceful grounds to wander for the Chinese royalty.

Today, these guys are happy they can enjoy a relaxing afternoon away from the rest of busy Beijing:

See? Beijing is just like Minnesota.

Right, Ms. Li?:

zzzzzzzzzz

The fishermen caught their humble-sized catch like they were sunnies, sticking their lines in the water, the bobbers dancing frequently. It was just a matter of setting the hook in the tiny mouths.

How tiny?

Well, this other solo fisherman used a small water bottle for a live well:

heeyaa! I'm eatin' tonight!

One managed to jump out while I was watching.

Later on, things got a little hectic in the river:

Beautiful, though.

So I decided to get back to the proper tourist experience and join the crowds at the impressive buildings. I just had to walk a ways to get there:

Ever wonder the difference between Chinese, Korean, and Japanese? Well, Korean features the circles and Japanese offers the more simplified, one line characters. Both systems are offshoots of Chinese script.

Coming in through the “back door” I wound up at the large hilltop temple first. Here’s the impressive view looking out:

The lake actually takes up ¾ of the palace grounds. Considering the distance one walks, it speaks to the size of this place.

After looking out, I turned around and looked up:

Inside was a huge, many armed Buddhist statue. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow pictures. But let your imagination run wild. God knows the statue’s creator did.

Finally, here was the view looking down:

over the top

Working my way down this neat stairwell, I found my way to the bottom:

Looks like something from a video game

At the bottom, one could walk around the quarters. Many of the structures were converted to little museums. Others were off-limits. Many were said to house gifts for the Empress from other countries including France and England. Vendors decorated the area where tourists enjoyed the lake-level view. Some took a ride on a boat. Others sat and relaxed:

You couldn't ask for a more typical example of older female fashion in China. One day, apparently at around 50, the women throw out all their clothes and start fresh. Fresh as daisies. Fun side note: when reviewing fashion in my adult English class, "floral" may have been the toughest word for them to say. That or "rural".

I don't know what I was doing here, but onlookers thought the pose was funny. I had a little girl join me and the parents got a kick out of the pictures.
:)

Finally, I wandered around the lake and visited the old theater. It was a nicely built relic–thick hardwoods erecting a grand stage that required the presence of great performer to fill the void.

Indeed, they give performances on the stage, replicating the art from when the Emperor or Empress watched with their company of distinguished guests. They would arrive on man-pulled or man-carried carriages and enjoy:

Actually, I was impressed how entertained I was.

These girls are just giving a show for tourists, yet I could really dig the unique frequency that Chinese art vibrates at. There’s a lot of depth to it, moving something within. It’s cool that many tourists come to enjoy this art being resurrected.

After this I took one last look:

from a distance

And I left the imaginary world of royalty and peasants. (Boy, you could that again. My next stop that day was Walmart!)

to new plateaus,

-Brandon

 
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Posted in Culture, Society, Travel

 

Beijing: Emperors and Communists

16 Jul

Beijing is one of the most storied capitals around. Most recently, it’s been the home of the government we all associate China with—the China Communist Party (CCP).

But before that was the Kuomingtang and prior to that was the more storybook age of emperors and dynasties. (Many are familiar with the Ming Dynasty 1300’s-1600’s)—as in, I just bought an antique Ming vase.

We can go on. Before these dynasties the Mongols had er under control in the 1200′s. They wrested it from other previous Chinese dynasties dating as far back as the BC’s. You get the idea. Beijing isn’t a modern creation, and it hasn’t been a stable one, either. If time-lapse video was available, you’d have a great appreciation for the changes and depth that each block beholds.

So in this post, I take slices of the city–the most famous slices, perhaps–and pivot them to reveal the depth behind these structures and the city as a whole.

Oh, don’t worry, it’ll be fun. I promise!

Remember the singers and musicians from my last post? They were in the Temple of Heaven Park. And it was here that those Ming, and later, Qing dynasty emperors would come to pray for bountiful harvests. Back then, China was much more openly religious and these sacred structures weren’t for commoners like you and I. (Unless I have some readers with Chinese Emperor blood.)

One of these sacred places.

Repainted, giving you the idea of how cool it looked.

The innards:

We hear about these emperors, and we have this disconnection with them, almost like they’re other worldly. “Wow, an emperor.” A fairy tale. But they weren’t out of this world—just across the world, ruling and existing somewhere far off. Where? Right here, standing on this very floor, sitting on this very chair.

I got a kick out of connecting with this place in these earlier times. But truth be told, it was only about 100 years ago when the emperors saw their last days. My, how things change fast! Nonetheless, these spaces were used by emperors from much earlier times as well, increasing the distance of the connection.

But enough of the Temple of Heaven. Time for the big action: Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City.

Tiananmen Square is adjacent south of the Forbidden City. It’s a more recent development, actually, being widened and having new structures erected around it by the CCP in the middle of last century. But south of it, two old, large gates tie the whole complex together. They, too, are aligned north and south:

The further south gate: Arrow Tower.

And as seen in the picture, the space between the two gates is now used as a busy roadway; subway lines also lie beneath these surfaces. Modernity and classicism come together all over in Beijing.

On the other(north) side of this road:

The massive, Zheng Yang Gate

To be sure, these gates just by themselves are full of wall-talking history. Some of the interesting stuff involves the West. French and English forces actually controlled the city for a while in the early 1900′s. The rebellion against such invasion took place at these gates.

Then back north of these two lies the famous Tiananmen Square. Remember this shot?

This was from 1989. Anti-government demonstrations. (The tanks are pro-government)

Tiananmen square has been the location of immense pro and anti-government activity. It’s a pivot point for China and a location that demonstrates the changes over the years and the way these changes look overlapped today.

I mentioned the road splitting the two gates. At Tiananmen square, a centuries-old space denoting an age of emperors, was face-lifted in soviet-era styling. Once Mao passed away, his mausoleum was built:

Mausoleum on the right

It’s not the best picture, but I like what it says. The rear structure is the old gate. The middle is Mao’s Mausoleum, and the foreground is the open, Tiananmen square. I took this shot because I was struck by the many layers of China, right here.

One can do their homework and identify the Chinese of today as a communist people enjoying limited freedoms, a disinterest in religion, and an exuberance for their leadership. But communist China is just one small slice of history. Those who really do their homework are rewarded with the understanding that China is something bigger–a history, a culture, an era. The dynasties and governments have just dressed and decorated the spirit and being.

Looking at it this way, you see that today’s government is just a glue, a tool, an organization, used by that which is China—not the other way around. Whether Taoist, Buddhist, Atheist, Communist, Democracy, or even colony, that which is “Chinese” is bigger than any political or social or religious hat.

Then turning around, I saw the latest hat:

CCP is 90

And here’s their guy:

Mao and another example of the layering: a recent facade built on the existing Ming dynasty structure. This is the entrance to the Forbidden City.

The city was built right along with the Temple of Heaven. As such, it’s an exclusive residence for the emperor and his crew. For 500 years it was off limits. When the dynasties fell, the gates opened. Today, it’s a busy tourist spot, but it’s no trap. It’s an awesome collection of architecture and museums.

Here’s some pics:

This place is huge. We saw maybe half of it in the 4 hours we were there.

We? Well, I made a friend:

This young gentleman personified the kind of extraordinary kindness that I’ve experienced at times in China. I was walking Tiananmen Square, not really sure where I was going and asking other tourists. He approached and asked if he could walk with me, that he could show me around. I hesitated for a sec, wondering if I wanted a stranger with me the whole day. But my second thought was, “why not?”. Zhong Hua was great company and super helpful.

Some more Forbidden pictures:

I dug the untouched buildings.

Back in the garden

Being here, one gains a great perspective, a swath of a view that sees much of what went on and how much things have changed. Here I was, walking on the once-exclusive stones that emperors had walked. And here was everyone else and their uncle, as mild mannered and care free as if it was a town square. They likely are all descendants of those commoners who toiled in the hillsides and fields, off limits to what went on in these walls.

This kind of history loudly declares the large factors at work directing the sways of humanity. It’s humbling; it’s freeing.

to new plateaus,

-Brandon

 
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Beijing: On a Day of Worship

11 Jul

Having gotten in late the night before, I reserved this day for what I was taught Sundays to be: the Sabbath, and lazy days for whatever. So I simply planned to get to know the city before all the heavy touristy stuff kicked into gear during the week. First thing I did when I got up? Checked out my digs:

One advantage of hostels over hotels, besides price, is the community vibe. And being open to your fellow guests means being open to the scenery as well. The perfect attitude for travel.

This hostel even took this element up a notch:

Fishies and turtles. :)

And it being a hostel and not some stuffy hotel, I was free to be me:

Okay, enough turtle-play; time to set out.

Though nearby, I avoided the sight-seeing mainstays (Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City) on this day. I read about a church nearby and always wanted to write a piece about religion in China. In fact, this lazy Sunday ended up being a day of witnessing worship in a couple of ways by local Beijingers.

Let me show you.

First, just outside my hostel was a network of narrow alleyways known as Hu Tong. They’re an attraction themselves as lots of history has passed through their narrow corridors. Plus it’s enjoyable to feel the intimacy with Beijingers—the small shops, the humble, concrete-built homes, and the bicyclers peddling their old contraptions:

Being near the touristy areas of Beijing, here was an alleyway converted accordingly:

Gnarly, James Bond villain-like dude there to welcome you.

But soon I left the maze:

Things opening up

It was gorgeous outside, absent the smog. Just blue skies and Beijing heat. After walking this, the streets of restaurants and souvenir/convenience shops became avenues offering museums, hotels, and government buildings. This area had an executive/formal feel to it. None of the buildings were very tall, leaving access to the wonderful weather.

St. Michael’s church, a Catholic church, was only a handful of big Beijing blocks away. I approached the old steeple with a cross atop around noon. Mass was in its final stretch:

Wrapping things up

Black-haired heads I assumed to be Chinese filled the pews, but a monitor of text had me question my assumption. (You can always tell Korean characters by the circles.) Asking a nearby nun, I found out that this was, indeed, a Korean congregation.

Don’t see too many of these gals in the U.S. anymore.

Though there are several Christians in China, Koreans seem to have really taken to it.

A few Chinese and myself lined the back to observe as everyone exited:

peace out

I stayed to look around. The church had that solemn feel and featured pictures along the side walls of Jesus at different times in his life. This small to mid-sized church wasn’t overdone, but offered a nice environment.

looking back

I always appreciate the deeper self that is reached during worship and while being in such a building. People come here to tap into that real, more serene self, and that aura always has me leaving a better person.

:)

Afterward, I meandered and moseyed south towards, fittingly, Temple of Heaven Park. It’s well known for its historic structures (so they get ya with an admission charge). Dad gummit.

park entrance

I walked in and right away felt the shine not just of the sun but of the energized folks around me. It was great. They were pair-dancing to Chinese tunes with Western pop beats.

They were really into their dancing. So was I.

I have much praise for both large and small cities. Here though, I felt that energetic presence that citizens in the largest cities have: a freedom of timidity to enjoy themselves in confident, expressive ways. These dancers reminded me of some skaters in New York’s Central Park I saw a few years back: not punk skateboarders or even cosmopolitan roller bladers. No, these were vintage 4-wheel roller skaters, dance-skating to old hip-hop and disco beats. Funky stuff; and fun to absorb. As was this scene in Beijing’s Temple of Heaven Park.

It’s inspiring to see people so free to do what makes them happy. As such, I felt like I arrived someplace special. Better make a note of it:

That a way. Friendly Beijing woman helped with the map, too.

After this performance, I delved deeper into the expansive park. Later, after getting a little shade and turning down some overpriced ice-cream, I heard some music.

And I followed it.

A large group of mainly middle-aged singers congregated around a band. It looked like an informal gathering, perhaps just a Sunday afternoon pass time.

But I found it noteworthy that the music sounded like a hymn and the folks sang like choir.

go for it, man

loud and proud

See, I know China as an agnostic country, but I’ll be a six-toed sloth if the group I saw wasn’t worshiping something. It certainly had the look and feel of it, and so I enjoyed seeing the folks here, as the Koreans in the church this morning, elevate to a place of love and joy. I learned that though most Chinese claim to be agnostic, the search for something deeper exists in everyone.

Their elevation rubbed off on me. Maybe through the power of the Internet, you can get a taste of it yourself. :)

to New Plateaus,

-Brandon

Next time, I’ll take you out of the day-to-day and into the past, right here in Beijing: ground zero for some of the richest history on Earth.

 
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Taxi Train Subway Plane

06 Jul

My first day on the road also included some time on the tracks and in the air.

In case you missed my last post, I’ve begun a three week trek across central China. I may be in the same country, but now I’m without the daily work grind to keep things consistent; rather, I have daily doses of fresh sightings and off-the-cuff activities with an itinerary full of perspective-changing places to tour.

The whole attitude is a plateau of exploration and absorption.

So get ready to soak.

Here’s my three week itinerary, loosely: My first seven days are in the historic and mighty capital, Beijing:

From here, I’ll head to a small town in Henan province, just to the south of Beijing. Here, I have a date with a special, old Chinese woman to speak with about the old days–and in China that means a whole different society, government, and world.

I'll be in a rural area south of Luoyang.

After this trip down China memory lane, I’ll ride present tracks westward to the ancient capital of Xi’an.

And after that?

Well, I left a little wiggle room at the end. Right now I’m thinking further west may be the route.

Now, let me introduce you to my travel companion:

I've invested a lot of spare minutes studiously staring the striations on this paper. It was coming with.

You’ll be seeing me do this at various points along my journey:

See there? That's Zhuhai; That's where I am. :)

But I wasn’t for long.

Moments after that shot, I was out of the apartment and out of Zhuhai.

Via many different modes…

I taxied to the bus station:

Just pretend that's me there.

Then on the bus I hopped:

This took me north to the train station.

Aaaaaalllllllll Aboard!!! A super-new, super nice train taking me further north to Guangzhou, where I'd fly out to Beijing.

Trains are a neat topic because, well, trains are cool; but also because they conjure up some controversy back in The States. Obviously, they’re expensive and so require the right conditions. Even then, they don’t pay for themselves via ticket fees, so public subsidization makes people wonder if they’re worth it. Then again, roads need subsidization, too.

Where do you draw the line?

Or do you tear a a new one?

Right now they’re cutting a major corridor between St. Paul and Minneapolis. The image of a fresh new train taking smiling faces to and fro has many seeing past the current chaos of detours and jackhammers. Federal dollars granted to the Twin Cities from like-minded Washingtonians helped see the project come to fruition.

Let’s hope it’s a true benefit to the community. And since it’s political and tied to ideology, let’s also hope that people can look back minus this veil to decipher the wisdom of the decision. In China, I don’t hear the clamor of debate regarding trains. Of course, could they change things if they wanted?–Do they want to? The Chinese are reliably supportive of government projects.

I don’t know the finances of the train I was on. I hope it was a good investment. All I know is that I paid a small amount for a good distance and the ride was cool, comfortable, and smooth. I’m looking forward to my next train ride on this trip–though it is an overnighter in a seat!

Here were some sights on the way up to Guangzhou:

my seat neighbors

Always a lot of building going on in China

Always a lot of people, too, as seen when we got off the train at the Guangzhou subway station:

Underground we went:

We were gophers (or moles, or worms) burrowing to the airport in this contraption:

tunneling

Lastly, I went from underground to the high skies. The flight was ordinary, but my earphones didn’t work, thus I couldn’t listen to the movie which was an English film, “The King’s Speech”. I found it odd the earphones weren’t electronic; they worked like a stethoscope.

Oh well, guess I had to make conversation with the woman next to me:

hello, there

It paid off, too.

I was in need of a ride into the city. The Beijing airport is a ways out. We got in past midnight, so the trains didn’t run. My only option was a spendy taxi. I asked my new friend if I could share one with her. She said something in broken English about that being okay, her husband coming, too.

Whatever, sounds good. :) I’m gonna save 100RMB!

We landed and got our bags. Indeed, we left the terminal and met her son and husband. She mentioned me to her husband like “the one on the phone I told you about.” If he ever looked at me, it was for the shortest second. I had the feeling he wasn’t happy to have me. I realized, then, that it wasn’t a taxi, but their own car we were taking. I wouldn’t want to take a stranger to his hostel at 12:30pm somewhere in the huge city of Beijing, either. But I was stuck in the middle of his reasonable annoyance and her Chinese hospitality.

And of course they put me in the front with him. I tried to make some small chat, but “I don’t understand” is what he responded. They needed to know where to go and couldn’t read the directions I had in lettered Chinese (known as pinyin). They needed the characters. I had a phone number (and a dead battery on my phone) so sheepishly I asked them to call my hostel. They did and got directions.

It was then several miles of trying to keep it light. Then at one point Dad threw on the hazard lights and abruptly pulled over on the urban freeway, onto an exit lane. “What the heck?” I thought. The car stopped, Mom opened the passenger’s side back door holding her toddler just outside as he peed–on the freeway.

A little later father had to call my hostel again and spoke loudly. The Chinese like to bellow anyway, but I think he was frustrated and lost. Oh boy. Were driving down alleys just wide enough for the side mirrors to clear (one time we had to pivot them inward to squeak through). But before I started making alternative sleeping plans, he stopped the car, opened his trunk, and pointed. We were there. Mother refused any money. Gosh, I hope they weren’t far from their place.

They left and it was just me and Beijing. And since, I’ve been having a great time and learning much.

The next day was Sunday. I walked into a church service and later witnessed some “worshipers” in a nearby park.

You’ll see.

to new plateaus,

-Brandon

 
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Posted in Culture, Politics, Society, Technology, Travel

 

From Educating to Exploring

04 Jul

My teaching term is complete. I’m a freer man and with some money saved can travel around this great, huge country of China. Time to kick this blog into travelogue mode: New Plateaus’ Central China Trek 2011. I write this, in fact, from my hostel–high on atmosphere, low on room quality, high in service. (Hey we know what Meatloaf said, right? Two out of three ain’t bad.)

And where am I? Well, from the southern tip of China where I lived, I flew a good distance to the central/northeastern region to a little village called Beijing. Yes, I’m in the legendary capital. And you’ll be reading plenty about it. Heck, today was just a wander-around-and-get-to-know-the-city kind of day and I encountered so much. Funny how time slows down and you can pack so much into a day when fresh and present to all that is around you.

Throughout the next few weeks, I’ll share with you all my fresh takes in word, pics, and video of what I encounter/insights I gain. From Beijing, I head south for a rural encounter with a 99 year-old woman. I dig deep into the heart of China by seeking wilderness highlands, ancient capitals, and then trek westward to peoples of other cultures/languages/climates.

And guess what?

So will you. :)

Stay tuned for many, many New Plateaus,

-Brandon

 
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