A Toast to 2010

New Year's is already tomorrow and I'm looking forward to another great year; one that is hopefully full of risk-taking, maturing, laughter, happiness.  I hope for memories that I can be proud that I experienced.  And, I am grateful to have another year to look back upon.  It's been a memorable 365 days filled with many "firsts".  This was my first year to live abroad, away from the warm comforts of family and language fluency.  A new lifestyle.  I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and dealt with unknown, often times uncomfortable situations.  And looking back, I am happy that I did (although not so much at the time.)   I ushered the last New Year in the warm, tropical Philippines and will celebrate this New Year in the snow-blanketed Dalian.

As I look back on this year, I get nostalgic thinking about all the unexpected events that happened.  Living in Shanghai was a first for me and everything associated with that is a breath of fresh air.  During last year's winter vacation, I went backpacking for the first time and experienced possibly the best time of my life.  I bathed in the Thailand sunshine and absorbed everything tropical and cultural around me.  I saw the ancient Angkor Wat along with a dozen other awe-inspiring monuments.  I viewed life a little differently at this time, carrying everything I needed on my back.  That July, I left China very satisfied with my time abroad and hoping for another opportunity to visit.  This wish came more quickly than expected as I unexpectedly got an offer to keep studying in China.   After much deliberation, I accepted the scholarship and moved back, now to northern China.  And I am so happy I did because it gave me another chance to grow and enjoy the simplicity of the student life.  This is a time to devote myself to my interests and take care of myself.  A time for accelerated growth and maturing.  I hope to experience many more of these opportunities in my lifetime.  Although I do not know everything about this life we live in, I have learned a lot that only self reflection can teach you.  I bid adieu to 2010 with great satisfaction and look forward to starting this new year with a bang.

I hope everyone is having an equally insightful and/or wonderful December 31st.  It's hard to believe that 2010 is already over!! Time really does go too quickly.  I would like to wish everyone a festive, happy, safe transition into 2011.

Cheers to 2010!
Jac

圣诞快乐 Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Years to all my wonderful family and friends at home.  I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and enjoying the last few days of 2010.  Hard to believe that I've been here for 4 months already and 2011 is just around the corner...

This Christmas holiday, I had plans in both Shanghai and Dalian so this past week was a bit of a whirl-wind.  I went down to Shanghai during the week to visit my childhood friend, Heather, for the holiday break.  Her family was spending Christmas in China and I was really excited to hang out with her, especially in this city.  I looove visiting Shanghai for A) the shopping,  B) the abundance of delicious, Western food, and C) the fun, bargain-happy shopping.  I'm not a big shopper but when in China, I really can't resist :). It's always a challenge to see how cheap you can buy something.  Heather and I also indulged in a little bit of photo-booth happiness which is proudly put on display here.

We went a little overboard with the hearts and flowers. 

After 3 days in Shanghai, I flew back to Dalian to watch DUT's annual Christmas show and go to Marianna's Christmas Eve party.  At the party, we splurged on Betty Crocker muffin mixes, salt & vinegar chips, pudding cups, and Bailey's liquer to toast the holiday.  The night was all about enjoying each others' company while playing Apples-to-Apples, watching holiday movies, and holding a white-elephant gift exchange.  I'd like to note that white-elephant exchanges are so much more fun in China.  China is the BEST place to find these goodies and our gift exchange did not disappoint.  There was a fuzzy, bunny beanie (on its way to becoming a big fashion trend), a panda seat cover, a poop-shaped mug, a seashell/christmas light embellished picture frame, a Tamagachi (flashback to 3rd grade!) and a plastic duck that could lay eggs to name a few.  I left with a pair of monster-adorned Chinese boxers.  All rich finds in our eyes.  

The opening act of the Christmas Show

Merry Christmas from Dalian!!!

On Christmas day, I traded in the blueberry muffin for some delicious, steaming hot pot: the ultimate winter meal.  There were thin slices of lamb, spinach, fresh noodles, quail eggs, tofu skin, sliced potatoes, all types of mushrooms, and shrimp balls.  This was all accompanied with multiple, ice-cold beers.  Hot pot is, without a doubt, my favorite Chinese meal and was the perfect way to celebrate this holiday.  Or any day of the year that is.

Christmas dinner with my China Family :)
Masami, Marianna, me, and YS looking like a pimp

Presents and cards were given and received and I was more than satisfied with the new gifts.  Hello new humidifier!  My Chinese friend sent a thoughtful, slightly perplexing Christmas message that I enjoyed.  It goes as follows: 

Merry christmas!  Though the atmosphere here is different, for 

almost no one believe god here, but still enjoy your time, maybe it 

is a good time to think about the past and coming days.  

Dean, who is excited this day

Thank you Dean and everyone who sent warm Christmas wishes to me! I really appreciate it!

Excited about new presents and ready to start studying for finals,

Jac

  

QINGDAO (or lack thereof)

I am very sad to report that I am writing this post from Dalian, and not the intended weekend destination of Qingdao.  To live up to the previously-stated pact, Marianna and I chose the quaint, sea-side town of Qingdao, famous for it's European architecture and lovely coastal landscapes.  Qingdao has a rich and diverse history that has contributed to it's dynamic present state.  In 1897, the Germans colonized Qingdao until 1941 when the hand of power shifted to the Japanese.   The Germans left their distinct mark which is visible in the architecture, the bratwurst sold as street snacks, and in China's most famous brewery: Tsingtao (Qingdao) brewery.  This brewery was established in 1903 by German occupants who were homesick for their mother country.  Right now, Qingdao is a thriving city and a popular destination for both Chinese and international tourists.  Every August, Qingdao holds China's largest beer festival in which participants can delight in international brews from America, Holland, and Germany.   

Rewind two days ago and I'm in my dorm room, excitedly packing my bag while chatting with home friends, Heather and Texas David.  I make sure to pack all the essentials that I forgot to bring to Beijing: shower sandals, hair dryer, student ID, etc.  I was fully prepared for this trip and eager to venture out.  Marianna and I arrived at the airport at 8:45 PM, well in time for our 9:40 PM flight.  Security check was a breeze and we found ourselves at Gate 9 with plenty of time to spare.  We played some cards.  I read part of "A Thousand Splendid Suns" ( AMAZING book, totally recommend it).  However, our first warning sign of an unsuccessful journey was the lack of staff at our gate entrance.  The next was when we failed to board 30 minutes in advance.  Lastly, over the intercom, our suspicions were confirmed.  "Dear Travelers, we regret to inform you that flight CZ2648 has been delayed due to poor weather."  Little did I realize that I would hear this message dozens upon dozens of times after that.

9:40 came and passed with no signs.  I was actually surprised at the length of time passengers waited before complaining about the situation.  The poor staff ( I really did feel sorry for them) though inevitably were swamped with very angry and very verbal customers.  Unfortunately they had no immediate answers to appease the angry mob and free Sprits and snack boxes were quickly distributed.  The staff notified customers that the plane was still currently in Qingdao and hadn't left... but was about to depart any moment.  One and a half hour later, we still had the same story.  (Mind you, it takes 40 minutes from Qingdao to Dalian.)  They kept teasing us with news of an imminent flight but in the end, it just never happened.  Marianna and I decided at 1:15 AM, 4.5 hours later, that it was time to throw in the towel and postpone Qingdao for another time.  As we were leaving, the airport staff said a flight was arriving at 1:45 AM.  At that point though, we were sleepy, cold, and just tired of waiting.  We quickly hailed a cab, dashed home, and promptly fell asleep.

The next day, we successfully returned our air tickets and indulged in a little retail therapy :).  There is always a silver living to everything and I bought 2 pairs of Uniqlo pants for a total of 200 RMB!  Of course I am disappointed that our trip fell through but I figure that Qingdao will be prettier to visit in the springtime.  Plus we were very productive this weekend and started researching for our next big trip together: Harbin!! Possibly the coldest city in China and home to the famous Ice Lantern Festival!  If I learned one thing from this weekend, it's that waiting in an airport is SO much better with a book and a friend.  And if you're flying from Dalian, expect lots of weather delays.  Yay!  Fun times ahead for me.

What we missed out on!!
Laoshan, Qingdao

It's supposed to snow tomorrow :),

Jac

     

First Stop: BEIJING

As I am uncertain how long I will remain in China for, I am utilizing every opportunity I have to go explore the different regions of Asia.  My friend, Marianna, and I recently made a pact to be each other's traveling buddies and explore and conquer as much of China as possible.  Unlike the US, traveling in China is very convenient and when booked well in advance, very cheap.

To start this pact off, we decided on the traditional, tourist-favorite city of Beijing for the mont of November.  Beijing is the nation's capital and I believe best reflects the harmonious blend of old and new China.  In this thriving, metropolitan city with it's bright lights and plentiful Starbucks, you can also find the Summer Palace and Forbidden City, chosen residences for the Chinese royalty.  Nestled between looming skyscrapers are the hu tongs, arguably Beijing's most famous trademark.  Hu tongs, small lanes which form the perimeters of traditional courtyard residences, offer us a glance into Beijing's local history and culture.  From here, you can witness and compare the dramatic changes Beijing has gone through in recent years.  Our hostel, WADA (highly, highly recommended), was also located in a small hu tong and gave me the impression that I was living in old-Beijing.

One of many Hu Tongs

We LOVE Wada!

Our choice of travel to and from Beijing was the train: convenient and well-priced.  For 240 RMB each way, I got a surprisingly comfortable "hard sleeper" which was the top bunk of 3 tiers.  It was nicely heated and came with clean sheets and a pillow.  However, climbing to and from my bunk was very reminiscent of me in elementary school, playing on the monkey bars.  Our train started rumbling around 9:30 PM which left plenty of time for pillow talk.  However, at the stroke of 10 PM, all lights turned off and everybody went to sleep.  Not too long after (and not wanting to annoy the others too much) we followed suit and went to sleep.  Eleven hours later, we arrived in Beijing.  We quickly bundled up, found our hostel, and began our trip.

Woohoo!!!  Too bad the guy next to me isn't as excited.

Our 4-day adventure covered

• A day at the Summer Palace. The place is massive!! 
• The famous Snack Street in 王府井, Wang Fu Jing
• A much-needed shopping trip at an underground mall, bargain heaven!  
• A meal of Beijing Duck 
• Meandering through various hu-tongs and 后海, Hou Hai, lake
• Walking around one of the numerous Beijing universities
• Meeting up with an old friend, Martin, from UCLA                                                                   (brings back fond memories of international trade theory)   

The Summer Palace, overlooking the lake.

A Gazebo surrounded by weeping willows.
It was impossible to get a picture with just us in it.  

One of numerous gates that led into the Summer Palace grounds.

Coming back to Dalian was a little trickier than leaving but we were fortunate enough to get "hard seats" ( as opposed to "hard sleepers") for the ride home.  It was a loooong night that involved stopping at every large city between Beijing and Dalian but finally made it home at 5:45 the next morning.  We trudged home in the still-dark morning and napped before our morning classes.

Beijing was a great starting point for travel and I will most certainly return to see the dozens of other sites that I missed on this trip.  It's a cultural explosion there and one weekend is not enough time to appreciate everything it has to offer.  The people are really friendly and patient and the subway is convenient and cheap: 2 RMB ($0.30) regardless of your destination.  We had quite an adventure of sampling new food, bargaining/arguing for cheap prices, and soaking up all the different elements to this vast city.  I can understand why so many people are deeply fascinated with Beijing and its large-presence of intertwined modernization and tradition.

Caught a cold, recovered, caught another cold, and now finally recovering from Beijing,
Jac