Chaoyang Dwelling

Nv Ren Bu Huai - Women aren't bad

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:40:00 +0000

Nv Ren Bu Huai, Nan Ren Bu Ai (女人不坏男人不爱) - Women aren't bad, men can't love. Recently heard from a friend who was not happy with ... men. The translation in English doesn't quite convey the full meaning and judgement behind the saying but it's the best I can do. It's a great summary of the standard impression that women have of men. :) What kind of response can a man make to this kind of statement (other then a lame attempt to switch the men and women in the sentence)?

I'm trying to make sure I live my life in Beijing in such a way that I never have to hear this comment directed at me.

Going Sailing - Connection Made

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:25:00 +0000

The sailing race for us began in Hong Kong; which does not speak the same Pu Tong Hua language that is spoken in Beijing. While the written script is all the same (Traditional and Simplified), the spoken language is completely different.
During my visit to Hong Kong, the inability of the locals to speak Pu Tong Hua was ... infuriating! I found that I was annoyed at being in a part of China (just let me say this for argument's sake) and not being able to use the Chinese that I have worked so hard to learn. I know that I could have switched to English (with difficulty) but I wanted/expected to speak Chinese!
What did I learn? I have integrated into Local Chinese society much more than I had realized. It kind of sneaks up on you. I can manage to function in Beijing in a way that is impossible in Hong Kong. Although infuriating, I became much more aware of how easily I can move through life in Beijing with my (admittedly poor) Chinese. Sometimes you need to break a connection in order to realize how strong it has become.

When They Come ...

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:28:00 +0000

There are only two things that I'm sure will happen when the aliens finally land:

They'll eat the fat ones first
They'll look at earthling battery technology and wonder, "How did they get so far with such crappy batteries?"

Going Sailing : Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Another example of how great it is to live in China. I recently participated in the China Cup International Regatta (Asia's largest regatta), as a sailor on a the Beijing Sailing Center team. My prior experience? 2 days of sailing on a dinghy. Why do I think this is important enough to post on the blog? Well ... for one thing, I'm boasting and for another thing ... I'm boasting.

I mean, how cool is that? I get to participate in an international competition with teams from all over the world. After the competition finished, I could call myself an "International Athlete" and put myself in the same category as Bolt (of Olympic fame).

Despite the fact that noone on the team had ever sailed a Beneteau First 40.7, our incredible skipper (Alfie) and boss (Rick) managed to forge a team out of only 6 sailors (3 of whom were completely new to racing yachts). More posts about our 7 days of sailing to come. For now, here are some of the published photos from the race website that pertain to our team:

Our Skipper Alfie : So Professional ... Looking
That's my backside in front and Cuyler's rear-end in the back

An article written about one of our team members (Cuyler) while using a picture of Alfie. Apparently, Cuyler was not pretty enough.
An article where we proclaim our love for China.

The Chinese Red Green Show

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:45:00 +0000

It seems that many of my post titles now have references to other, existing objects. This is simply a lack of originality on my part. This post is not about the incredibly funny Red Green Show.

I went by a workmate's computer while he was watching a stock screen. You know these screens, they're the ones with lots of stock symbols all over and they are colored red (down) or green (up) depending on the movement of the stock price that day. The screen had a lot of red so I just said, "Wow, looks like a bad day for the market." He looked at me, puzzled. "What do you mean? Everything is up today. It's great!"

I have rarely felt so puzzled. Would you believe that the red/green meanings are reversed in China? Since red is the color of fortune and happiness, when stocks go up, they're red and when they go down, they're green. I never would have figured it out myself.

I got to apply this knowledge right away. That very night, I went to the Hong Ba in Nan Luo Gu Xiang. Great little bar. One their "things" is that each sitting booth is elevated 2-3 feet above the main floor. There is a tiny "lift" for each booth to raise the patrons up to the table and seats.

First time there, one of us got on the lift and we saw one red button and one green button. Naturally, to go up, we pressed the green one. Nothing happened. After a 3 second delay (I'm not the sharpest person), I yelled, "Oh! I know this! Push the red one." Sure enough, red means up and green means down.

Seeds of Change

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:24:00 +0000

Cue Scene:
Western Man (WM) and Chinese Girlfriend (CG) are walking hand-in-hand near around Hou Hai Lake in Beijing. Sun is shining but near the horizon. They are enjoying the romantic atmosphere around the lake.

CG asks WM to buy her a lotus pod. WM looks at the lotus pods. He decides it's the right moment to buy her a flower (or flower bud) to improve the romantic nature of the walk.

WM completes the bargaining and returns with a lotus pod. WM is happy that he bargained the price down to 4 yuan and at the smile on CG's face.

CG and WM walk for a few more minutes in happy bliss. CG then rips apart the lotus pod and eats the seeds.

WM is shell-shocked and wondering if he should bring attention to this bizzarre behavior. He has never had a girl eat a rose or bouquet of flowers.
:Cut Scene
-----

This scene has happened hundreds of times in Beijing (I know these WM!). One of the many snacks you can buy near the lake is the humble (and super-tasty) lotus pod (full of edible lotus seeds). Most westerners have never seen these lotus pods. It's quite shocking for them to realize that the pretty flower given to a pretty girl is suddenly in the process of being consumed.

English is Hard! - Soon, recent, when?

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:32:00 +0000

I know I've been very lucky to have learned English as a native language (yes, even though I'm Indian; it is our native language!). As I've spent more and more time with people who are still learning English, I am exposed to concepts that I thought were easy but really weren't. Why are they fun to blog about? Because it's sweet revenge for the all of the Chinese concepts that I can't grok but the Chinese this are second-nature.

Recent vs. Soon: With differing concepts of time, the idea of expressing recent vs. soon is quite difficult. Strangely enough, the words just don't translate cleanly and this leads to lots of people saying, "I'll do that recently." If you think that's funny, the Chinese probably hear much funnier things out of my mouth when I try to say the same sentence in Chinese.

Soon always applies to events in the future but translates as:

不久- not long
很快 - very fast
早 - early

Recent always applies to events in the past:

最近的 - most close - must be connected to a specific instance of time (e.g. year, epoch, etc.)
全新世 - I have no idea about this one, don't know what it means.
今 - close or near

No wonder the Chinese get this wrong all the time. It's obviously not a simple concept. I'm beginning to the think that the english concept of soon and recent is extremely simplified and ambiguous.

The Toilet Blues

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:52:00 +0000

With the Olympics in Beijing, everyone expects a post about toilets. Here's mine. At my company, we had nice, normal white urinals of a fairly normal design. They were the same as any urinals anywhere and they worked quite well.

I also own a lot of pants and I try to keep them neat and clean (the segue is not as jarring if you read on). Recently, I began to notice that all my pants were starting to get a couple of small blue dots at the mid-to-lower thigh region. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from. They washed out just fine but I still couldn't trace the source.

Recently (as well), the company had been getting some complaints about the smell in the bathroom. Being quite responsive, they started putting those small, blue urinal cakes in the urinals (see where I'm going with this?). Great idea, no more smell. Unfortunately, they didn't include the all important "urinal cake holder" that you see in the west... It's really important.

Urinals are designed to avoid splashing and spraying (especially back onto the user). It's a solved problem. They are designed with smooth curves and no hard corners. Unfortunately, by adding the urinal cakes without their holders, we've now got some hard corners that seem to promote back-spatter. Add the fact that their blue, and you've got the makings of a real problem (at least for me). The urinal cake holders are designed to slightly elevate the cake and dissapate the force of the liquid (thus reducing the spatter that could cause problems).

I'm currently contemplating how to raise this issue to my company in the most formal manner possible without opening myself up to ridicule and shame. It surely isn't possible that I'm the only one that's had a problem with this, is it?

P.S. - I've managed to fix the problem for myself by changing my ... uh ... behavior and positioning.

Shiny on the Outside - Opening Ceremonies

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:08:00 +0000

Alas, another negative comment about the opening ceremonies. :( I just hate to do this but it really irritates me.

There was a great section of the ceremonies where a 9 year-old girl sang in front of the entire stadium. It was great singing and it was impressive to see that from such a young person in such a high pressure setting. Everyone was amazed. Turns out that it was also a fabrication. *grumble*

Apparently, the little girl (7 years old) that endured to the end of the singing contests and was chosen for having the best voice and ability was axed at the last minute because she wasn't cute enough. They replaced her with another girl (of undeniable cuteness) and in a great injustice, had the original girl's voice be the one that was broadcast throughtout the stadium (and the world). Turns out that this was just another lip-syncing effort like so many other singers in the past.

The Chinese say that they had their reasons for this but I don't agree. Packaged performances (like movies, etc.) are known to be "constructed" to provide the best possible experience. Live performances are invogorating and astonishing because they happen in real life. The reality (and integrity) are part of the what makes them appealing to people. Without that feeling of authenticity, there's no reason to enjoy these events in person. Just give me a movie and tell me it's a movie. Don't "pretend" you've given me authenticity.

Of course, the whole notion of authenticity may be out-dated and it's certainly not an overriding concern in China. On a variety of levels, China operates under the assumption that if it looks the same on the outside, then it must work the same on the inside. Much of the miracle of China is built on this assumption and rest assured, all gilded ages (and cultures) have eventually collapsed under the weight of the facades they build up. Just because it's shiny on the outside doesn't mean it isn't rotting underneath.

Dance, Dance, Dance

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 03:47:00 +0000

No, this is not a reference to Haruki Murakami's mesmirising book. There are things about Beijing that visitors may not see (or understand) and I want to make sure some of them come up here. Does it mean that everything in Beijing is great? No! But it does mean that you can fall in love with Beijing despite all of the negative things that sometimes appear.

On almost any summer night, you can go around Beijing and many of the open areas, parks or playgrounds are covered with middle-aged and elderly couples engaged in ... dance and dance. Usually it's western ballroom dance but sometimes you can find taichi or other, more synchronized practice sessions.

As a westerner (yes, Indians are also westerners here), I didn't "get it" at first. I appreciated it but then I asked a local about who organizes all of these dance sessions. They looked at me strangely and didn't even understand the question. I pressed on, "Does the government organize these sessions or the local neighborhood committees or ... who?" The answer: The sessions are completely spontaneous, nobody organizes them!

It just happens when someone with a big jukebox (maybe with exernal speakers) runs a power line and then just starts playing music. Someone will come and offer to lead the groups and then everyone will just start dancing. The skill level isn't too high but ... who cares? It's a beautiful thing to see and everyone/anyone can join in without worrying about payment or embarrassment. People do have some "fees" to cover costs but they are so low that it makes the dancing almost free and doesn't hinder one-time visitors from just joining without thinking about it.

I have never seen something like this anywhere else. Sure, there are sometimes outdoor dancing sessions in other cities but they are always so organized and transitory. This is just a reflection of the desire of the local people to be outside in the evening and dance until the sun goes down. What could be better?

Not Sold Here - Butter Dish

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:20:00 +0000

China is a modern country (like many others). As a world(ly) person, I know that almost anything I really need, I'll be able to find. It might be a little bit different but it will serve the same purpose. Anything that really isn't available is usually because of some cultural bias (the locals don't like things like that) or just a pure oversight (the locals never realized they needed something like that). Maybe this will be come a series of posts about what these unavailable things are. For now, I have 2 items to share.

The Ice Cube Tray - The ice cube trays in China are just junk. You can visit high-end apartments, low-end huts, local vendors and luxury department stores. They are all the same. I searched and searched and eventually had to bring ice cube trays from the US. Someone said that it was probably because people don't use ice very much so they don't need good trays. I'm not sure I believe this. This is definitely a case where people just don't know how much their ice cube trays suck. I have people visit and when they use the imported trays (imported? hah, they're probably still made here) they are astonished at how well they work.

The Butter Dish - You can look all over this great city and you will not find a proper butter dish anywhere. Apparently, Chinese people don't need butter dishes. I can't even find them in the imported goods stores! Actually, this wouldn't bother me so much if they didn't also sell sticks of butter at all the supermarkets (what do they do with the butter sticks?). For now, I've been using a plastic soap container (meant for the soap bars in the bathroom). The humanity...

It's Called the Olympics ... stupid!

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:39:00 +0000

Ao yun hui (奥运会) - Olympics. It took me an embarrassingly long time to learn the characters and correct pinyin for the Olympics. I kept thinking they would use something that sounded more like O-lee but it was not to be. However, I recently discovered that instead of using this name, some of the locals in Beijing are referring to the Olympics as nao yun hui (闹运会). In a fit of inspiration, they have replaced the first character with another that means ... trouble (as in: to stir up). What a great insight into how the normal man on the street has both pride in the Olympics being in China but also an understanding of how much trouble the Olympics has caused to their daily life.

As you might imagine, the story is not over. I was none too pleased to here the following word used during the opening ceremonies. After all my trouble to understand and memorize the words above, they go and use this at the actual event: ao lin pi ke (奥林匹克).

The Opening Ceremonies

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:22:00 +0000

Okay, time for a few comments about the Opening Ceremonies. I thought they were great. Just incredible, fabulous, breathtaking and monumental. I saw things happening in the stadium (and the city) that I had never seen before. Most of the expats I know also had similar reactions to the event. Given that were expecting to see a smog-filled stadium, I think we were just happy the cameras could see the other side of the stadium (and the smog seemed to magically clear up for the long-distance, external shots of the city).

I was surprised that a substantial number of the locals didn't like the Opening Ceremonies. The complaints? "Too much Chinese history, they should have shown more of modern China." "Just a repeat of the show in Yangshuo by the same director." "Too much like a movie and not a real performance." ... Let's stick on that movie comment.

There were a lot of outdoor shots of fireworks across the city and we were amazed that the city could be so clear after dense smog we had during the day. We thought that perhaps the light from the fireworks cut through the smog. There was also a scene where giant firework footsteps were stomping across the city on the way to Bird's Nest. The scene from a helicopter/plane was incredible. I and the people around me commented, "Wow, it's just like a movie shot! The view was absolutely perfect."

Problem was: It was a movie shot. >:( They faked the giant footsteps because it was "too dangerous" for a flying vehicle to get the live shot (although the fireworks actually did occur). I'm not sure this is the end of the story. I think back to our surprise over how clear the skyline was and the great visibility of the fireworks across the city and now I'm filled with doubts. On a higher level, I guess I don't have a big problem with computer-generated effects ... for a movie. For a live event where the point is the fact that it is a real event, I want to see what it really looked like.

Your Safety is Our Top Concern

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:45:00 +0000

My first post about the Olympics in Beijing isn't about what I had planned. The United States experienced it's first death at the Olympics in Beijing and I feel honor-bound to provide some small defense for Beijing. I can't imagine what it must be like for a family to go to the Olympics on vacation and then suddenly be the victims for such a random (and deadly) attack. It's enough to bring you to tears. However, Beijing shouldn't be tarnished with a broad brush as a result of this incident.

Bejing is one of the safest cities of its size anywhere in the world (if not the safest). The level of safety here is surreal. I have never felt any danger or worries in any part of the city at any time of day. It's not just because I'm a man. Women as well say that they feel so free in Beijing because they can move around the city alone without worry.

This incident unfortunately casts a pall over one of Beijng's best (and most subtle) features. I can't imagine a city of 20 million people in which people live in such safety. I can't even imagine a city of 500,000 people with this kind of safety.

Interestingly, the most danger I have felt was in the expat sections of town in a bar/restaurant district. Predictably, it was a bar fight atmosphere that left me quite shaken because it was so ... unexpected in Beijing. Anyway, just to put in my two cents.

At the Beach - Tread Carefully

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:37:00 +0000

On a lighter note, the beach started with people being buried in the sand (as is so tempting when someone is lying on the sand). Of course, when this happens, the men have to have breasts sculpted, bikinis drawn, etc. I will spare you the photos (actually, I will spare me the photos).

This lead to references to the Friends episode where Joey falls asleep and the other bury him in sands and give him breasts. After his initial surprise, he decides their quite fetching and gives his trademark smile.

The next day was spent at another beach on an island. After everyone was tired out from from the water, we were all leaving the water in order to play some cards and relax. One girl managed to get stung by a jellyfish only 5 seconds before she was out of the water (big long marks all around her leg). While we tried to diagnose her and get some medical help, we invariably referenced the second half of the episode and offered to relieve her pain in the same manner as Chandler relieved Monica's jellyfish sting. :) We were quickly rebuffed.

Austin Powers: Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 02:23:00 +0000

What can one say about this picture? This is not a preview scene from the newest Austin Powers movie. This picture was published in the 1 August edition of Beijing Today. Actual caption, you ask? "People's Armed Police are using Segway-like vehicles in their anti-terrorism drills."
I believe this is part of the new People's Army initiative aimed at humanitarian crowd control and comedy-based anti-terrorism training. Any serious terrorist would fall over laughing if they had to face this elite force. Good luck to the police and congratulations to the local Segway dealer.

At the Beach - You Can't Even Come Here!

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:03:00 +0000

Time for part 2 of the trip to the beach. You know that I had some troubles in getting a hotel room but I had it easy. Check out what happened next. Also, please note that in the interest of not getting c3ns0r3d by the gubirnment, I've changed some spellings and names. I'm not stupid, just careful.

2. Non-H@n Ch!nese not allowed

Of greater concern was the following comment by some members of the group: "It's a good thing none of us are minorities." I asked what they meant but knew enough not to push the issue right away (in front of the hotel staff). However, I had already decided this would be topic of conversation at lunch.

Turns out that if you're not a member of the majority H@n ethnic community in Ch!n@, you can't even visit this area without permission from the local government. There is nothing that special about this area. In the US, it would be equivalent to saying that only white people could visit Venice Beach without prior approval. My friends indicated that it was probably just a formality and that it wasn't really that big a deal to get the required permission. I'm not sure that mitigates the situation.

[Background voice]: "But, how do they know if you're H@n ch!n3se?"

How do they know, you ask? I wondered as well. Turns out the national ID cards actually have a section that lists what ethnic minority you belong to (!). This idea would go over like a lead balloon in the US. There is an official list of ethnic minorities and everyone has to fit into one of these categories (I imagine you couldn't get an ID card otherwise).

This restriction was a surprise to many of my local friends. They reasoned that perhaps some of it was because of security precautions (and you know what scoundrels those ethnic minorities can be). I'm just astonished. This indicates "levels" of citizenship based on ethnic affiliation. I know Ch!n@ has some issues related to its ethnic minorities but the fastest way to keep a people from identifying with their country is to make sure that their affiliation is used in silly manners such as this. While the US has it's own problems relating to race, it doesn't have policies so blatant about segregating people. Maybe it works here but it doesn't fit my world view.

Even in India where you have ethnic-based rebellions (with armies and everything), people's movements weren't officially restricted by the government based on ethnicity. Heck, at one time, the Prime Minister's whole security detail was composed of people from an ethnicity that was in open rebellion. That would be like Who ZhinDao (get it?) being protected by SinZhiang Muslims. Granted, India's Prime Minister was eventually assassinated by her security detail but it was the thought that counted.

At the Beach - You Can't Stay Here

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Recently, I visited a seaside resort near Beijing (okay, resort is a strong word, but you get my meaning). The place was quite nice. Hotels, restaurants, beach, entertainment, almost everything you would need... almost. This is the first in a three-part series covering the events of that weekend that might be of interest. I promise, they are all quick and informative.

I went there with 7 other local Chinese. It was one of those weekend trips where you look forward to acting silly, having fun on the beach, eating too much and generally raising hell.

Story #1:

Standard procedure. You arrive at location and look around for hotels. Seems easy, no? At the first hotel we went to, we starting asking about rooms, etc. Upon seeing me, the hotel staff emphatically said that foreigners weren't allowed to stay at that hotel and we had to leave. "Odd", I thought,"but oh well, we'll go somewhere else."

We then moved to hotel #2. This hotel seemed nicer and they also started to talk about rooms and options. Upon realizing that I was with the group, they also suddenly stopped the negotiations and insisted that we would have to stay elsewhere (actually, they were insisting that I should stay elsewhere). My friends were nice enough to close ranks with me.

Turns out that none of the hotels in this area had "licenses" allowing them to have foreigners as guests. I never realized before. Hotels in China apparently need to apply for a special license in order to accept foreign guests. The cover story is that the government is trying to ensure that an appropriate level of quality is maintained for foreigners (I have already stayed in some horrendous hotels that were more than happy to have me as a guest).

I suspect the real reason is to fleece the hotels for the costs of another "license". Since this area doesn't currently have many (any?) foreign visitors, there's no reason to apply for the license. I don't care if the government tries to track my movements by making hotels report all foreign guests but I don't like being told that certain hotels are off-limits. Regardless, after my friends begged and swore to the management that I wouldn't cause trouble (What? Me cause trouble? Never!), they relented and allowed me to stay.

Lesson learned: Always take a tent with you on trips in case you're forced to camp outside.

As you'll find out in the next story, I had it easy compared to other Chinese citizens who wanted to visit the area.

How to Gamble with Donations for the Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:27:00 +0000

You've all heard about the earthquake in China. Nothing I can add to all the press so I'll focus on something a bit more important; namely, how did it affect me?

Let's establish some ground rules. This story is about some company in Beijing about which I happen to have a lot of inside knowledge. The story was told to me and I'll write the following in the first person because ... it's easier. Which company is it? I have no idea (and you don't have any idea either).

A few weeks after the earthquake, this company put together a financial response with the following rules:

The company will match all employee donations one-for-one.
The company will gaurantee a minimum donation of 250,000 RMB.
All funds are first to be used to help company employees and their families. Remaining funds will then be donated for general earthquake relief.

This elicited the following response from me:

My initial grief and compassion over the quake has now been replaced by a mathematical nightmare. If I donate some money, then the company will match it. But if the fund doesn't reach the 250K minimum, then my donation is wasted since the company was gauranteeing that amount. It would have been better to donate somewhere else. By donating, I'm gambling that my co-workers will cross the minimum.
What? 250,000 RMB? That's it? For a company with a market valuation in the tens of billions of US Dollars, this seems quite niggardly (there, I used the word, so sue me). As a comparison, after the 2005 India/Pakistan Quake, a similar-sized company donated 4,150,000 RMB outright, no conditions.
What? Cover your own employees first? With the money donated by other employees? I think that the company is on the hook for providing relief for its own employees (and immediate families) without going hat-in-hand to other employees.

After much hemming and hawing, I decided to donate some money. The response? I got an e-mail the next day telling me that the donations are only open to Chinese employees and I'm not eligible to participate (translation: We don't need your stinkin' money).

In the end, the employees blew past the 250K minimum. Like the rest of China, everyone came together in support for the victims. Adding up the company match and subtracting the amont given to the employees, the company ended up donating around 500,000 RMB. {My friend is not sure how he feels about the whole process or the result}.

The Spirit of Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 01:27:00 +0000

The United States has an image problem. No, not the obivous one thanks to the current president, but the cultural one. People all over the world think of Americans as materialistic, greedy people who, as a by-product, generally manufacture holidays in order to bolster consumer spending through gift-giving. While that may be true in general, there are some notable exceptions to these materialistic holidays. Thanksgiving is still one of the purest holidays which revolves around the simple pleasure of just spending a full day with family and friends while focusing on food and television and understanding what things you are thankful for.
The Chinese seem to understand this once you connect it to their Mid-Autumn Festival. This festival is the one festival of the year where everyone struggles to be with family and friends (or at least, wishes strongly that they were). In many ways, it's similar in theme and execution to Thanksgiving.
Europeans? For all of their high-and-mighty, we-are-cultured attitude, their faces go absolutely blank when faced with the concept of Thanksgiving. Common responses, "What, no gifts?" "But then, why do you have the holiday?" "What are you supposed to do all day?" "It's just about hanging out with family and friends?" "I don't get it." "But... what is it about?"
Attempts to explain are usually lost until it finally dawns on them that ... that's it. There's no more to find out about. It's just about enjoying a day and giving thanks (to any diety or just your visible companions) for what you have. I, for one, have come to feel a stronger connection to Thanksgiving as my time away from the United States has increased.

... and Sadness

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:55:00 +0000

I saw a man die on Tuesday night. I think it was the first time in my life. I didn't realize that until the next morning.
I'm going to the St. Andrew's Ball on Saturday night. I'm not sure who St. Andrew was but I do know that he's Scottish enough for the Beijing Scots to throw him a formal ball every year. Since they actually expect you to dance Scottish line/couples dances, the organizing committee is cool enough to hold a few practice dance sessions. Last Tuesday was my first session.
The dance practice had been on for about a half-hour and I was started to get worried that I wasn't in the right physical shape to last a whole night. Then, suddenly, the crowd seemed to react at once, hushed up and everyone turned the same direction. The leader of the organizing committee had just hit the floor and blood was starting to pool under his head.
We found out later he had suffered a heart attack; and not, as everyone thought, slipped and hit his head on the floor. I'm not sure why, but me and several other people were slightly comforted by this. It doesn't make sense, but it was true.
Several people had already started examining him to determine if they could roll him over, start CPR, etc. Not wanting to join the melee, I decided to call the International SOS to get an ambulance over right away. After all, I had an emergency number specifically designed for clueless expats to get immediate medical help while living in China.
I was stunned with the response. First, I got a couple of recordings (not sure what they were but they didn't order an ambulance automatically). I quickly summed up the situation (and location) to the operator and she said,"Okay. Now what's your name?"
Me: "Uhh... Anuj Goel. Is the ambulance on it's way?"
SOS: "Okay, is the man a friend of yours?"
Me: "... Yes. Is the ambulance on it's way?"
SOS: "Okay, hold please while I connect you to the doctor."
Me:"No, wait. I don't want" "... to talk to the doctor."
After getting her back on the line, I kept asking about the ambulance and she finally told me that she was going to connect me to the chinese 119 hotline.
Me:"No, don't connect me. You talk to them. That's why I called you. I can't tell them anything."
SOS:"... Oh. Okay. Let me check with them."
... minutes pass
SOS:"Sir, our ambulance will be there in 20 minutes."
Me:"What? Why 20 minutes? You're less than 2 kilometers from here!"
SOS:"We have only one driver and he was sleeping at home. He has to come in to the hospital to get the ambulance."
Me:"You call that an ambulance service? Call the city's ambulance dispatch!"
... minute or two
SOS:"Sir, someone else from your location called in Chinese and said that the ambulance was already there."
Puzzled, I looked around. I was on the ground floor on one side of the building and could see straight through to the other side of the building and the street opposite. No lights, no ambulance.
Me:"Uhhh... there's no ambulance here. Did you talk to the ambulance dispatch? Did they confirm that?"
SOS:"I told them about it..."
Me:"Listen, you should only get information from them. Can you ask them if they sent an ambulance and just tell me how much longer we have to wait?"
NOTE: It seems like I was calm, cool and collected but I was not. I was exasperated, angry and frustrated (with all of the impact that has on vocabulary, tone and diction).
... minute
SOS:"Sir, the ambulance is on it's way and will be there shortly."
... minute later, ambulance arrives, I hang up.
By this time, at least 20 minutes had passed. I don't know if the delay in the ambulance had an impact on this poor man's life. I think that the ambulance probably came because one of the local folks had called 119 directly and had it sent (meaning, I had no impact on the event).
His wife is apparently adamant that the ball go on as scheduled (he was devoted to it) but I don't know what the mood of the night will be.
I hope he had a peaceful ending. He was apparently doing something he loved (dancing) until his last moment. I've just learned a valuable lesson and life seems just a bit shorter now.
...
And also, I'm going to draft a very stern letter to the International SOS.

Personal Milestones - Happiness ...

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 09:50:00 +0000

Sometimes, fate decides to give you two complementary events to remind you that you can't have happiness without a little bit of pain. Keeping that in mind, I'll give you the good news first (bad news in the next post)...
================================
I'm in Beijing. The sky is blue, the air is clear and I hear birds singing in the background. Can anyone tell that my divorce papers were just signed (and finalized) by the judge?

How Do You Spell Napkin? Hint: It's not K-L-E-E-N-E-X

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:36:00 +0000

As a nation, China has some idiosyncracies that I have never seen anywhere else. I guess all nations have their own cultural biases but I'm only sensitive to the Chinese ones right now. Chinese people and institutions seem to insist that kleenex and toilet paper serve the exact same role in personal hygiene as the paper napkin. Read it again ... understand the problem?

Time and time again, I find myself making do with kleenex when what I really need is a nice, strong napkin. Those of us with a 5 o'clock shadow know that using kleenex to wipe your face usually results in a pile of shredded paper (and a dirty face, to boot). There is a reason that a paper napkin is built differently from kleenex tissues.

I've tried to make this apparent to the locals I head out with but their initial stare is usually one of complete bewilderment. They'll say, "But there's already tissues on the table." After a bit of explanation, they'll look at me with a tentative,"Oh... I guess I see." Anyway, please do what you can to help the situation. I've shredded enough tissue paper on my face for one lifetime.

Here's Looking At U...rinal

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:32:00 +0000

While living in the United States, certain architectural design decisions are so common (and common-sense) that you never even notice them. Why would anyone do it differently? I don't know about why, but as for where these designs are violated, just come to China.
The ladies in the audience may not be aware of this issue but trust me, all the guys will understand. I don't know how many times I've been at a urinal in China, looked up and found myself watching people as they move past the door while they have a full-body view of me. In the worst instances, you lock eyes with someone and just can't seem to pull yourself away (I guess the same could be said of the person on the outside).
When designing a bathroom, one of the first rules is to make sure that the urinal area is not visible from the doorway. In China, it's merely a design suggestion because I've been in old buildings, new buildings, swank buildings and run-down buildings that have not realized how important this is. Again, am I being a prude? Is this really not a big deal?

Long Skirts - Give 'em the Slip

noreply@blogger.com (agoel) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:28:00 +0000

Women's fashion... Always interesting but not always pleasing. I've started to become a little more sensitive to fashion in Beijing because (I think) I see so much more. I also am forced to wonder sometimes how much of the fashion I'm seeing is China and how much is just current across the world. What's current is not interesting here and you can read about it anywhere. As for China, on the other hand, I've noticed a few things that are here year after year.
I vaguely remember some controversy in the early 80's regarding Princess Diana and some long dress that she wore without a slip (don't bother searching on Google for it, she apparently had lots of dresses and they were all in the news for one reason or another). A picture of her with the sun at her back revealed the full extent and shape of the legs underneath (horrors!).
In Beijing, I am continually surprised at the settings in which women will wear a dress without any other layers. To tell you the truth, it's very distracting. :) You'll see women walking by and not only can you tell their physical fitness levels through the dresses, you also are privy to the style of undergarments worn. Again, no complaints from me, I just think it's a public safety issue. I was recently at a wedding and I kept doing double-takes as the bridesmaids walked down the aisle. It's not even an exhibitionish/nightlife thing because it happens at any formal, business or just about any other event. It's not limited to the young and beautiful either (this, I object to).
So ... is it just me? Did I possibly not notice this change in fashion while I was in the United States (yeah, right)? Is it all of China, all of the Far East or just Beijing? Am I betraying my upbringing by even brining this up?