August 23, 2008
My words through China.
August 12, 2008
Like people who write their memoirs before they have had a mid-life crisis, it would have been rather premature of me to start writing before today. Well, actually, I must admit I did; however, I have been confronted a few times with better ways to begin. This then brings me to the classic question: “Where to begin?” Some say the beginning is the best, yet my beginning in China was rather calm. Let’s start with the present. Presently, I am on a train that has just left Shanghai for Sanya. Sanya is a small town on an island far southwest. We departed at 9:50AM Tuesday and will arrive 20:? Wednesday. So I have about a 34 hour trip ahead of me. And I barely caught this train. Now I may be a diligent planner and researcher, yet at times the more obvious details may escape me. When buying an advanced ticket be sure to check the date. I was all the way on the train – my bag on the bunk before I or anyone else realized the ticket was for tomorrow. So in “Amazing Race” fashion and after being handed off to three people who spoke no English. I was able to get out of the waiting lounge and run to the ticket counter. I have waited in many a long cue – in places with staggering population counts – you face the wait with a smile – except this time. I ran straight to the front (I did wait for the man already there to finish his business) thrust my hand through the window and nicely asked for an exchange. I got my exchange – even got 25 RMB back (good times) and hauled butt to the train. I even was able to get a middle bunk. If you are on the bottom, your bed gets used as a communal couch (learned that in India). And the top is a good seven feet up and you cannot see out the window. So here is sit with time to kill and the seat beginning to cool and dry.
Yesterday, was my first real day here. My first two were traveling. I left Korea on Friday at 7 PM and took a slow boat (about 23 hours) to Tianjin. Two things I did not know – the ferry terminal and the train station in Tianjin are 14 km apart and Women’s football (soccer) was being played there. In fact, it was China vs Canada when I arrived. So I go to buy my ticket for the overnight train to Shanghai – only to discover that any of the earlier trains I wanted are sold out. The best I can do is hard seat class for a train that leaves at 1:44 AM. t is 9 PM at this point. The time finally comes to board the train, and I have the rude awakening of what I have gotten myself into. This ticket does not guarantee you a seat – what you are guaranteed is to be crammed into the hall with barely enough room to shift the weight on your feet. Oh yes – I am in the ‘cattle car’. I must say it was far better then the ‘cattle car’ in India – which I only observed and never experiences. The trains in China are much, much cleaner. However, the open smoking policies – or the policies that are openly ignored - drives me nuts.
In full disclosure, even I who do not get rattled by challenges when traveling – had to work hard to maintain my spirit of adventure. But have no fear – this situation did not last long (oh by the way the train I was on way going to take about 16 hours to reach Shanghai – thus the despair). Yet I did make the acquaintance of a fellow detainee who spoke wonderful English. He confirmed a rumor I heard that once on a train you can pay the difference and get your ticket upgraded once there was room. However, the gentleman I needed to speak to was in a booth inside the cabin and I was near the exterior door.
After about 2 hours – shortened greatly by the conversation – we made it into the cabin where another gentleman gave me his seat. His traveling companion (who was now beside me) spoke English as well. Long story short after much pity was taken on the white girl with the long trip ahead – they got the conductor to push me to the head of the list (I would have been something like 29th) and in less than an hour I was in a bunk.
Thus confirming my belief that although there are many idiots and assholes – and usually they are louder than anyone else – most people are good and will help when the can.
Now having gone to my bunk around 4:30 AM or so – the presence of a foreigner in the cabin was unknown until I climbed down off my very tall bunk. You could feel the air move as all the heads turned. * WooHoo 22 hours more on the train * Anyway, there was a woman sitting on one of the fold-down chairs across from me. One starts to develop a skill for interpreting stares. There is the “wow you look strange” stare or the “leering old guy” stare or the “big eyed dropped jaw” kid stare – then there is the “I desperately want to talk to you but I am too afraid” stare. It is kind of like how Shannon looks when you are eating something she likes. So I gave off a hello and she came rushing over. Her name is Candice Zhang – she is an English teacher (thus explaining her fab language skills) and she and I had a fantastic almost five hour conversation. We even got to talking about the government and social changes I China, her views of North Korea, and China’s reaction to the fall of the Soviet Union. It was wonderful and surprising. I now that socially and economically the country has gone through a great many changes (the fact that there is still only one party and you can only elect people from that party still a bit backward to me but hey) but great developments have been made. However, with the whole communist approach, I was expecting a but more North Korea. The closest thing I have seen to my experience there was the raising of the Olympic flag during the opening – way to bring in the goose-stepping.
So this brings me to Shanghai. I am still in awe of what a breathtaking city it is. An elegant mixture of East and West. I stayed in a section of town called ‘The Bund’. Now considered an old section of town compared to the New York/Las Vegas light show going on across the river. All the buildings in The Bund are either Colonial-Georgian-Neoclassic-like dropping New York –Boston or DC on the coast of China.
I am very amused with the shopping experience. All I kept thinking is that this is a shined-up cleaner version of India with a girlie smile. Still stopping you in the street, charging you double, following you to haggle the price as you walk away. This does not happen in Korea. Stores will have people hocking the wares. They hires people to dance and put on shows in front of the stores, but they would not follow you down the street or block your path to give you a shpeel. Yet I guess it is a trade off for the more refined designs, architecture, and better food.
So I guess you are caught up – oh wait. I was sitting inside a shop having some ice cream and filling out postcards – and this young family of four is just beside themselves with delight to see a foreigner in the window. The older boy (maybe 8) waves at me so I wave back. And then like an attraction at the zoo, then father pushes the boy up to the window and proceeds to have the kid pose in front of me and takes a picture. “Welcome to the Monkey House” I mean the best equivalent I could think of is some rural family comes to the big city for the first time – and has their kids pose will all the Hispanics, Asians, and black people. “Ewee Billy look at dem folks!!” “They really do exist – I only don seen pictures before.”
There you go Chinese Rednecks!!!
Interesting, got another controlling government sign I was looking for. As we are traveling along, two police officers are moving through the car recording everyone’s IDs into this blackberry type thing – and with mine they actually take a picture. HHmm government tracking it’s citizens in the name of security. Yea no other country would do that – show me your driver’s license and give us you social security number to protect your identity and processions.
August 14, 2008
Once again I stand in awe of people here. There was a young guy (late 20s maybe) who because of a lack of beds in the car behind mine – ended up on the bunk below me. He was traveling with co-workers for training in Sanya. Spoke rough English but we got by. Took out his laptop to show me exactly where I was staying in Sanya. Offered to help me negotiate a cab. Ended up – sorry the young girl working at the restaurant I am at was standing over my shoulder watching me write – when I flipped my book over she saw the my cards written in English, Korean, and Chinese – So I just went through reading the English and Korean for her – So I ended up meeting his traveling companions – co-workers and his manager with his wife and baby girl. AS it ended up their hotel was not far from my hostel – so I rode with them and then he explained to my driver where I was going. He had also called the hostel 2 hours earlier letting them know I would be late and called the hostel as I was leaving in the taxi to let them know I was on my way. Then the next thing floored me – he paid my fare. Now it was literally less than a 5 minute drive so the fare was only 5 yuan (less than a dollar) – but regardless that was unbelievably kind of him.
So now here I sit again in the same restaurant as before. I am so sunburned. I do not get too many chances for sun in Seoul. Lying out is really not something that is done – so other than the roof of my building, it is hard to find a place. And as I was feeling the cost of my fun in the fun – I remembered ‘Oh crap – I have to carry a backpack tomorrow’. On that subject, I went to the train station to get my ticket for the next leg of my trip. this will be interesting. I will be going from Sanya to Guangzhou and then changing trains to Xi’an. And you cannot buy tickets for trains leaving Guangzhou in Sanya. There are two trains leaving about an hour apart for Xi’an about three hours after I get there.
August 15, 2008
Ok- I am so burnt – the kind where even if you are covered up you cannot be in the sun because the heat hurts. But no complaining, I will have color after this.
Leave it to kids to always put me in a better mood. Not that I was bad but – starting last night, I was feeling a bit weary. I am about half way through my trip here and I was feeling a bit – I am not sure – perhaps a bit down. Not that I am not enjoying myself – or seeing wonderful things, but I cannot help but compare this trip to India. Which I know really is not fair. I was simply so thrilled to be there no matter what happened or how tired or sore I was – I was just thrilled. China has never held any fascination for me. I decided to come because well I am so close and I have already been to Japan. So I guess the travel weariness had gotten to me easier.
But then I got on this train, and there is a lovely boy (14) and girl (13) who worked up all the courage in the world to come talk to me. Actually I made the first move. The girl was sending a younger boy to keep peeking into my berth every two minutes – so I moved out to the little table and bench in the hall. Then they hid in their berth and peeked out. So finally the older boy came out in the hall, and I offered him a peanut. He came and sat down and the girl came running behind him and sat down. Funny – her English was better, but she was so shy. They were looking at my writing (I had a letter to Josh sitting there). So I asked them if they could read it (trick question - even people whose first language is English have a hard time reading my writing). They said no – so I taught them how to write and read cursive. It was amusing to see all the adults walk past and stare at what these kids were doing.
One more example – that no matter where I am I will take the kids over the adults any day.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
China Trip
The pictures from China are posted, but not labeled yet (sure you care to take a look). And the posting on China should be up soon.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Smack, Some Oil, and an Old Lady in Panties
Sorry it has been awhile. The term is now over and we have two days left to summer camp. As of this Wednesday (the 6th) I will be on vacation until the 25th. Wow the 25th – I am quickly approaching my one year anniversary here. But that is a topic for another message. Today is about physical awareness.
Last night I went to one of my favorite places in Seoul with two women from my taekwondo class –Dragon Hill Spa. This is a larger and better decorated version of the Korean Jimjilbang. Jimjilbangs are public bathhouses (now a days a combination sauna and spa). The sauna areas are gender specific – there are the pools, steam rooms, salt sauna, water massage pool – and then in the common area (where you wear the ever so stylish PJs they give you) is co-ed. Have an iced green tea, sit in the massage chairs, take a nap in a salt detox room, or hang out in the igloo room. I love this place. Pay $10 and it is a great way to spend two hours. However, last night I partook in something I had wanted to for some time – the full body scrub. Sounds good right? Well it is, but please let me give details.
In many saunas in Korea there are a very hard working group of older women, whose job it is to scrub down, oil up, and massage the undressed forms of the women who come to the Jimjilbang. The Jimjilbang Adjumas. I have had a number of massages – from the very conservative clinical western to the oil slathered loincloth wearing India massage – but I must say last night just amused me to no end. First of there of course no privacy. Well wait let me first discuss the uniform. Now I am not sure if this is true or is said in jest because it is seen so much – but I was once told that the standard uniform of the Adjuma in this field is a black lace bra and panties. And so far – as far as the different places I have been to - this is true. So here you lay on one of four tables in a very open room, with a very jolly old woman in her underwear. She will first start with the scrub down. I love this. They use these really rough mittens to exfoliate every inch of your body. And they really do come close to – really close – to getting every inch. But have no fear. They too understand that there are some places that a Brillo pad glove just should not go. You can literally see the dead skin peeling off. Kind of feel like a polished penny afterwards.
Then comes the oil massage. From the smell of it, I believe it was tea tree oil – good choice my lady! After having removed the dead skin it is time to renew the oils in your skin and relax. And yes it feels good – for the most part – however, there is a cultural belief here that in order to massage a muscle at some point in time that muscle must be smacked. You see it everywhere. Just as we would rub out or squeeze a sore muscle, Koreans will either take a fist or cupped hand and hit the muscle. Now I will admit when it comes to the lower back this really does feel good. I have been know to use this method myself to relieve lower back stress. But there is something about being naked on a table – now very covered in oil – getting you bottom smacked by some half naked old lady. I simply could not suppress the giggling. Heck as I am typing this I am laughing. It was 1AM, and I was getting spanked. I am glad that I have very few touch issues. I will however admit that having my hand messed with still drives me up a wall. You can blame an infant Cameron and his wicked tongue who liked peoples fingers in lou of a binkie. YUCK!!! Gross little child.
After the massage and the fresh cucumber mask, it was time to wash out any oil that may have gotten in your hair. Now logically if the hose to rinse out a person’s hair is only long enough to reach one end of the table – you would have the person start by lying down with their head at that end of the table. Oh apparently it is way more fun – once the table and client is all greased up – to take them by the shoulders and swing them around like a lazy-susan. I really do not know what was funnier the spanking or being twisted like a game of spin the bottle. My Adjuma was laughing at me the whole time. But I simply could not stop laughing. I had great fun.
I do really wish bathhouses like this still existed in the US. Yes - yes we all have indoor pluming, but there is a freedom and level of relaxation about walking through a room (of you own gender of course) all out there – no excuses – no apologies. And do not get all squeamish and germ-a-phobic on me – I trust the hygiene in many of these places more than I do most public pools back home.
And once you all clean and relaxed, you can put on your PJs and head down to the common room. There you have people sleeping peacefully on the floor or chatting with friends and family. Very communal. It is nice. It is something I will miss.
So what is next on my horizon? Well, in six days I am off to China for two weeks. I will give more of an update on that before I leave. This trip will bring me back to Seoul a few days before Sarah leaves and with a week remaining in August. I will come back at the end of my original contract and going into my new two month contract. I will have two months left in my “Life in Korea” chapter. Sarah and Carrie (a woman in Taekwondo who works for Samsung and is leaving on the 29th) have been talking about there “last times”. We go to restaurant or walk down a street and you hear “wow this is that last time I will do this or be here”. I know I will be approaching my “last times” and it makes me sad.
Many times today I have stopped myself from letting unimportant moment pass. Walk across the room and stop to look back at my desk and my bed. Really see it in the moment – right there as the light is fading outside – before I have turned my lamp on. Just stop and know this is where I am right now. Not thinking about what might have just happened and definitely not thinking about where I need to go or do next. Be here – right now. It makes me crave acting again. So much of acting is that. Living honestly in the moment. Not forcing anything – not acting the way you think you would act in a situation, but rather honestly reacting to the given circumstances of that moments – even if is it not exactly how it was the night before or how you think it should be. Actors try and strive for this night after night and yet we let this moment go minutes after minute in everyday life because of what have just happened or where we think we need to go next.
For ages all over the globe men have portrayed women on stage. Although this was because of social morays, many became very, very good at it. Graceful, elegant, feminine, beautiful – yet no matter how they tried or how in awe an audience might be – they still would never be woman. How frustrating – to work so hard for something you simply cannot be and yet watch so many take for grated. These honest moments are the same. To spend your life reaching for these – and everyday yourself and the rest of the world are throwing the real ones away. As if they have no meaning – as if you could always get a new one if you want. You can, but it will never be the one you let go. And if that one was not valuable to you, what makes you think you will hold on to the next one any better.
Physical Awareness – all out of a scrub mitten, some oil, and an old ladies in her knickers. Stay open – know where you are and who you are with – this moment does not come back.
Now it is time to walk through the rain.
Last night I went to one of my favorite places in Seoul with two women from my taekwondo class –Dragon Hill Spa. This is a larger and better decorated version of the Korean Jimjilbang. Jimjilbangs are public bathhouses (now a days a combination sauna and spa). The sauna areas are gender specific – there are the pools, steam rooms, salt sauna, water massage pool – and then in the common area (where you wear the ever so stylish PJs they give you) is co-ed. Have an iced green tea, sit in the massage chairs, take a nap in a salt detox room, or hang out in the igloo room. I love this place. Pay $10 and it is a great way to spend two hours. However, last night I partook in something I had wanted to for some time – the full body scrub. Sounds good right? Well it is, but please let me give details.
In many saunas in Korea there are a very hard working group of older women, whose job it is to scrub down, oil up, and massage the undressed forms of the women who come to the Jimjilbang. The Jimjilbang Adjumas. I have had a number of massages – from the very conservative clinical western to the oil slathered loincloth wearing India massage – but I must say last night just amused me to no end. First of there of course no privacy. Well wait let me first discuss the uniform. Now I am not sure if this is true or is said in jest because it is seen so much – but I was once told that the standard uniform of the Adjuma in this field is a black lace bra and panties. And so far – as far as the different places I have been to - this is true. So here you lay on one of four tables in a very open room, with a very jolly old woman in her underwear. She will first start with the scrub down. I love this. They use these really rough mittens to exfoliate every inch of your body. And they really do come close to – really close – to getting every inch. But have no fear. They too understand that there are some places that a Brillo pad glove just should not go. You can literally see the dead skin peeling off. Kind of feel like a polished penny afterwards.
Then comes the oil massage. From the smell of it, I believe it was tea tree oil – good choice my lady! After having removed the dead skin it is time to renew the oils in your skin and relax. And yes it feels good – for the most part – however, there is a cultural belief here that in order to massage a muscle at some point in time that muscle must be smacked. You see it everywhere. Just as we would rub out or squeeze a sore muscle, Koreans will either take a fist or cupped hand and hit the muscle. Now I will admit when it comes to the lower back this really does feel good. I have been know to use this method myself to relieve lower back stress. But there is something about being naked on a table – now very covered in oil – getting you bottom smacked by some half naked old lady. I simply could not suppress the giggling. Heck as I am typing this I am laughing. It was 1AM, and I was getting spanked. I am glad that I have very few touch issues. I will however admit that having my hand messed with still drives me up a wall. You can blame an infant Cameron and his wicked tongue who liked peoples fingers in lou of a binkie. YUCK!!! Gross little child.
After the massage and the fresh cucumber mask, it was time to wash out any oil that may have gotten in your hair. Now logically if the hose to rinse out a person’s hair is only long enough to reach one end of the table – you would have the person start by lying down with their head at that end of the table. Oh apparently it is way more fun – once the table and client is all greased up – to take them by the shoulders and swing them around like a lazy-susan. I really do not know what was funnier the spanking or being twisted like a game of spin the bottle. My Adjuma was laughing at me the whole time. But I simply could not stop laughing. I had great fun.
I do really wish bathhouses like this still existed in the US. Yes - yes we all have indoor pluming, but there is a freedom and level of relaxation about walking through a room (of you own gender of course) all out there – no excuses – no apologies. And do not get all squeamish and germ-a-phobic on me – I trust the hygiene in many of these places more than I do most public pools back home.
And once you all clean and relaxed, you can put on your PJs and head down to the common room. There you have people sleeping peacefully on the floor or chatting with friends and family. Very communal. It is nice. It is something I will miss.
So what is next on my horizon? Well, in six days I am off to China for two weeks. I will give more of an update on that before I leave. This trip will bring me back to Seoul a few days before Sarah leaves and with a week remaining in August. I will come back at the end of my original contract and going into my new two month contract. I will have two months left in my “Life in Korea” chapter. Sarah and Carrie (a woman in Taekwondo who works for Samsung and is leaving on the 29th) have been talking about there “last times”. We go to restaurant or walk down a street and you hear “wow this is that last time I will do this or be here”. I know I will be approaching my “last times” and it makes me sad.
Many times today I have stopped myself from letting unimportant moment pass. Walk across the room and stop to look back at my desk and my bed. Really see it in the moment – right there as the light is fading outside – before I have turned my lamp on. Just stop and know this is where I am right now. Not thinking about what might have just happened and definitely not thinking about where I need to go or do next. Be here – right now. It makes me crave acting again. So much of acting is that. Living honestly in the moment. Not forcing anything – not acting the way you think you would act in a situation, but rather honestly reacting to the given circumstances of that moments – even if is it not exactly how it was the night before or how you think it should be. Actors try and strive for this night after night and yet we let this moment go minutes after minute in everyday life because of what have just happened or where we think we need to go next.
For ages all over the globe men have portrayed women on stage. Although this was because of social morays, many became very, very good at it. Graceful, elegant, feminine, beautiful – yet no matter how they tried or how in awe an audience might be – they still would never be woman. How frustrating – to work so hard for something you simply cannot be and yet watch so many take for grated. These honest moments are the same. To spend your life reaching for these – and everyday yourself and the rest of the world are throwing the real ones away. As if they have no meaning – as if you could always get a new one if you want. You can, but it will never be the one you let go. And if that one was not valuable to you, what makes you think you will hold on to the next one any better.
Physical Awareness – all out of a scrub mitten, some oil, and an old ladies in her knickers. Stay open – know where you are and who you are with – this moment does not come back.
Now it is time to walk through the rain.
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