A Typical Saturday Afternoon

Back in California, my weekend afternoon usually included a visit to the gym, watching TV, or lounging around with friends. All relaxing activities but none that particularly stick out in my mind. Yesterday though, my classmates and I decided to visit one of Dalian's many parks to look at none other than Japanese cherry blossoms, sakura. I find this kind of funny because I've never been much of a nature buff and certainly have never gone anywhere to just look at plants. But we did just that yesterday and it was surprisingly quite fun. I felt like I was starting to appreciate the beauty in nature !

Cherry blossoms are rich in meaning and play a large role in Japanese history and its relations to other countries. They only bloom for a few months and the delicate flowers fall out just a week after they first bud. Sakuras are highly-cherished and many festivals are held all over the world in their honor. In Japan, the cherry blossoms personify clouds because of the way they bloom in thick clusters. They also symbolize the ephemeral nature of life: the deep beauty and quick death. Sakuras were also used to raise morale and promote national unity amongst Japanese people. During WWI, soldiers often compared themselves to the flowers and the falling of sakura petals represented the sacrifice of youth during missions. During Japan's colonial reign, Japan would plant these to indicate occupied territory as theirs.

At the park, we "oohed" and "ahhed" and took dozens of pictures. The flowers yesterday were mainly white with a tinge of pink near the stem; it was my first time to see sakura and they truly are beautiful. The trees looked so alive and snowy-white with their thousands of blossoms. There are many cherry blossom trees in the US, including San Diego and Van Nuys, so if you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it! The park also had a few rides and carnival games which we stopped occasionally to try. There were also plenty of quirky statues to take pictures around. No VPN at the moment so can't upload the pictures but will do that ASAP. After I return home from the Dominican Republic, I want to re-visit the park and soak up the beautiful scenery.

Bunny Pride

Chilling with our voluptuous friends

Off to the fabric market to make clothes :),
Jac

Dear Future Self

Last week in writing class, my teacher gave us an assignment to write a letter to ourselves 10 years from now. This is the type of assignment you never do on your own but rather when you attend leadership camp in middle school. However I loved doing it at this point in my life and found it really helpful, inspiring and also encourage you to find those 30 minutes and write yourself a letter. It doesn't have to be to yourself but could be to a child or grandchild. The last time I did this was in my choir class freshman year of high school. It only took a few minutes to write but something I remember vividly doing. It was a great exercise for me to reflect on everything I've learned in the last 2 years and acknowledge how much I would like to continue these lessons for the next 10, 20 years. At times, I wonder how I will change as a person when I move home. I worry that I will lose my desire to be spontaneous and end up getting stuck in a rut. Hopefully this letter will help prevent that from happening.

The letter is rather simple, (haven't quite mastered my Chinese style of writing yet =P, probably never will) but something that made me feel rather proud and happy about. When I first received the assignment, I googled "letter to future self" and came across some good advice that I also incorporated in my letter. The letter to self roughly translates

******
Jacqueline,

How are you? Life? I'm currently studying Chinese in Dalian. Right now is a wonderful and rich time in your life. You can travel whenever you like, you can hang out with friends at any time. I hope your life now is also satisfying and are able to do the things you love every day.

If I can give you some advice, I just want to say a few words. In modern society, life can impose a lot of stress on you whether it's how much your salary is, what kind of job you have, etc. But the most important thing is to have self-confidence and self-respect. Don't compare yourself to others. Otherwise you're going to feel self-dejected. In life, you will certainly stumble upon some hard times. First though, know that every person will have rough episodes. Most important is that you persevere. Don't give up too easily. Life can be beautiful, at times, it can also be bitter. When troubles comes along, first ask yourself, will this matter to me tomorrow? Next month? Next year? Don't be too worried, it has no positive benefits whatsoever. Relax. Laugh everyday. Don't be too strict with yourself.

Right now you are still young; you have a lot of time. Write down all of your dreams and look at this paper everyday. If you have professional dreams, with hard work you can make them come true and achieve success. In regards to your monthly salary, save half of it, your future self will be very happy with you =P.

Friends and family are life's most precious "things." Although work and life may be busy, make the time to be with your parents, friends, and husband. Treasure every minute you have with them. I believe if you do this, you will not have any regrets.

Jacqueline
**********

After a few revisions from my teacher, this is how the final product came out.

宝玉，

你好。现在的生活怎么样？ 我在大连学习汉语。 现在过着丰富多彩的生活， 可以随便旅游， 随便跟朋友玩儿。我希望你对生活很满意， 能每天做喜欢做的事。

如果我可以给你建议， 我要说几句话。 在现代的社会中， 你可能感到有很大的压力：有多少的收入， 什么样的工作等等。 但最重要的是你一定要有自信和自尊。 不要跟其他人比。 要不然就会感到很自卑。在你的生活中， 你肯定会碰到困难和挫折。 首先， 每个人都会遇到不好的事情。 需要注意的是你的坚持。 别轻易地放弃。 生活是快乐的， 在有些时候，却也是很痛苦的。 发生困难的时候， 问问自己， 明天这个事还会跟我有关系吗？ 下个月呢？ 明年呢？ 别太担心， 否则对你的身体没有好处。放松一下。 每天笑， 别对自己太严格。

现在还很年轻， 还有时间。 写出来你的梦想， 每天看看这张纸。 如果你有工作的梦想， 就很努力地工作， 你肯定会实现的， 得到成功。 至于你的月薪， 那么将来的你肯定会很满意 =P。

朋友和家庭是生活最珍贵的东西。 虽然你工作很忙， 但是应该抽空跟父母， 朋友，丈夫一起玩儿。 珍惜跟他们在一起的每分钟。我觉得如果你这样做， 就不会有后悔和遗憾。


宝玉
2011年4月14号

Feeling inspired :),
Jac

A Much-Needed Update

Hey Everybody!

I hope this message finds everyone well. I just want to apologize for this quite long hiatus from blogging as my VPN was experiencing difficulties again.  Right now, I'm hitting the halfway point of my spring semester at Dalian University of Technology (aka midterms are right around the corner). There have been a lot of changes from last semester. The biggest is that I decided to do a homestay program and live with a Chinese family.

My Chinese family includes "ah yee," "shu shu," and "tong wu." These all translate to Chinese auntie, uncle, and a roommate who is from Russia! It's an interesting experience to say the least... I have my meals there which gives me more opportunities to talk and interact with them. It was a surprisingly easy transition into living with them. They've had a lot of experience with foreign students so I (thankfully) don't have a curfew. I've unfortunately woken them up at late hours before but am slowly getting adept at slamming the door enough to close it, but not loud enough to wake them up. It's an art I tell you. They also give me plenty of space and are not overbearing, something that many foreign students find with their homestay families. One bad note though is that the area I live in constantly, and unexpectedly, shuts off the water so I often find myself washing my face out of a basin of reserved water. Washing up can become very interesting. So can the eating. For those who have never been to China or eaten Chinese style food, it's custom to eat family style in which people can freely pick and choose what they want. In China, there is NO concept of a serving spoon so food is prodded and picked at by all sorts of chopsticks. It's a little unappetizing to eat like this with the family but I've gotten used to it. I can't necessarily fight this (nor win) so I've just adapted to it. Chinese people also aren't the most graceful eaters and the more noise you make while eating, the better. As previously mentioned, this is also something I've gotten used to.

My Chinese Auntie and 19-year-old Russian roommate

Dinner! Includes dumplings, shrimp, and veggie stir fry.

This semester is flying by! It feels like last week that I just ended my wonderful trip in Malaysia. Check FB for Malaysia pictures :). There are many things coming up this term. In 2 weeks, I'm flying back home and then to the Dominican Republic to attend my wonderful cousin's wedding. Sun-filled good times ahead! Also, I plan on taking a Chinese proficiency test called the HSK in June. It's like the SAT (not as hard) but there is listening, grammar, and reading comprehension. Preparation will unfortunately have to start right after the Dominican Republic. And before I know it, I will be flying home and hopefully having some sort of gathering when I can see everyone again :). Hope everyone is enjoying the transition into spring!! And happy weekend to all.

Frantically finishing writing hw before going to an American restaurant!!!
Jac

Borneo: Untapped Jungle Paradise

After 4 days in Kuala Lumpur, we flew to the eastern island of Borneo.  This is the 3rd largest island in the world and divided between 3 countries: Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.  Borneo is less touristy than the Malaysian peninsular which I really enjoyed.  We released our inner Amazon women and went hiking through lush rainforests to secluded beaches and kayaking through the jungle.  That was a great workout; my arms were sore for some time afterwards.  We went to the orangutan wildlife sanctuary to see the "wild man of the forest."  This sanctuary prided themselves in allowing the orangutans to live in a wild and natural habitat but allow visitors the opportunity to view them.  Every morning, the staff put out breakfast for the animals to enjoy if they choose to.  If they didn't, this was taken as a positive sign because the monkeys are less dependent on the food. That morning, we saw close to 10 monkeys climb up and down trees and swing back and forth from vines.  So cool.  The monkeys climbed down to the breakfast platform before promptly stuffing several banans in their mouth and guzzling down water bottles.  The adult monkeys were covered in a long, reddish-brown coat while babies were cloaked in short, orange fuzz.  Orangutans are native only to Borneo so this was an amazing experience to see. 

Borneo was a great time to relax and enjoy nature.  Our hostel had a giant deck that faced a mini jungle so Marianna and I spent countless hours with new friends playing cards and hanging out.  The majority of people we met were from Sweden and taking minimum 3-4 months to travel.  I even met a girl who was planning on backpacking for two years (traveling alone too).  I really admire these people because I do not know anyone who would take this much time off to backpack and simply enjoy.  They either postponed work or college to indulge in this fantasy/adventure which I think is great for them.  I hope I can be just as brave after I start working one day to follow suit.  As much as I love Borneo, it's time to discover more of Malaysia.

Thaipusam

Roughly 2 weeks ago, Marianna and I landed into the mysterious, rainforest covered land of Malaysia.  We left Shanghai at 5:30 AM, caught a bus to the neighboring city of Hangzhou, flew out of Hangzhou into Kuala Lumpur, and safely landed around 9 PM.  We didn't properly hop into bed until 3 AM so needless to say we were tired from the long day of traveling.  The next morning, we woke up bright and early to attend and observe the Thaipusam festival.

Thaipusam is an annual Hindu festival that draws in millions of people who pay respect to Lord Muruga.  If a prayer or a wish made the year before is granted, the believer will go through a special cleansing and tribute to give thanks on this holiday.  A quick google image search will give you an idea what sort of sacrifices these devotees undertake.  Saying I was overwhelmed  by these images is an understatement.  These people showed their love in various forms of self-representation.  Some chose to hang small ornaments or objects on hooks off their backs and arms.  There were feathers, oranges, and gold coins to name a few.  Others speared their cheeks with long, shiny rods, accompanied with pieces of fruit on the end.  A few people were carrying smoking clay pots in each hand, flesh only buffered by a few layers of leaves. I was told that inside the pot was burning cow dung.  And then there was the great kavadi, a huge shrine perched on the shoulders of the believer, made to be carried up the 272 steep steps to the Batu Caves.  They are like giant headdresses, standing 4-5 feet up in the air with multiple platforms.  Each platform is adorned with rich-colored ostrich feathers and shiny, gold objects.  Some even have chains hanging off the platform and embedded into the arms of the believer.  Kavadis came in all different shapes with all different ornaments and pictures but I'm guessing the average one weighed around 40 pounds.  It was an incredible sight to see; thinking about this now still gives me slight chills.    And the craziest thing of all is that none of this self-mutilation actually hurts the person.  The piercing of the cheeks, back, arms does not draw any blood; it's said that all pain is removed by their god.  When I looked into the faces of the devotees, they seemed to be in a different world.  Their eyes were rolled back and they shook their heads to music only they could hear.  I have dozens upon dozens of pictures but won't be able to upload them until I'm back in China.  Although I was very tired that day, all fatigue vanished and replaced with wonder and amazement. It was truly moving to see what humans can and want to perform for their beliefs and religion.

Visitors walking up the hundreds of steps to the holy Batu Caves

Beautiful peacock feathers were in abundance at this festival.

Inspired and amazed,

Jac

The 5 People You Meet during Backpacking

Hello!  Reporting from Malaysia now.  It's been an awesome filled 2 weeks of backpacking and I try to relish the good and bad each day.  Backpacking has a lot of perks, such as viewing the city like a local, eating at the dirt-cheap hawker stalls, and acquiring lots of stories along the way.  My favorite is the access you have to all the wealth of information found in people, places, and culture.  During my time here, I've already come across a number of different people that you are unlikely to find at your work office.  I've affectionately categorized these new friends into 5 rough categories:

1.  The Student
      My friend and I fall under this category.  These people usually have the shortest vacations (although it doesn't seem like it) compared to everyone else.  I've met people who are 6 month, 1 year, even 2 year backpacking adventures.  During school vacations, students take advantage of their 1-2 months and haul their backpacks around for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

2.  The Classic
     These people define the word backpacker.  They usually have looong dreadlocks, long, flowy pants, Birkenstocks, and an assortment of oddly-wrapped packages poking out from their enormous bag.  Their world traveling stories always puts your traveling adventures to shame but are so darn interesting.  They've gone to every nook of the earth from Bangladesh to Hungary and have done awesome things like climb Everest or gone swimming with sharks.   

3. The I-Need-A-Break from Life
    These people are also quite popular on the backpacker route.  They have worked a number of years and suddenly decided that they need a break to rediscover life's passions.  This can happen anytime from mid-twenties to mid-eighties.  They either need an opportunity to recharge or just start over.  After their vacation ends, they decide to actualize their dreams and do a career 180. 

4.  The PARTIER
      We met a few of these in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital.  These people have the energy of a 17 year old and minimum 8 livers.  They do not require any sleep and are the life of the party.  For example: we met a nice Malaysian girl, working in media, who went out with us to a local club.  She took us out at midnight, ordered a scary amount of drinks, dragged Marianna and my tired bodies home at 6 AM, and then proceeded to wake up at 9 AM for her MBA class.  That takes skill.  She didn't even take a nap the next day! 

5.  The One More Guy
        This is the person my mom fears I will turn into =P.  But no worries, I promise to not live in China forever.  This person has innocent intentions when he/she travels to Asia.  However, these plans keep on getting extended just by a mere day.  The days turn into months and months quickly slip into years.   Before you know it, he/she has set up a new life with no plans of returning home.  This person loves SE Asia so much that he simply never left.

There are so many great characters here.  Everyone has a great story and can teach you something, if you take the time to get to know them.

Loving Malaysia,
Jac

Lost In Translation

Translations from Chinese to English (and vice-versa) can be a rather difficult  task and original meanings are often skewed or just lost.  As I've been in China, I've come across a few that either made me laugh or left me confused.  Regardless, they're a fun read and I'll continue to share as I discover :).  Enjoy!

We like to get crraaazy in here; please be safe when exiting.

Hugh Hefner has got  nothin' on you

Hmm.......yeaaaa.... still don't have a clue.

If I went in November, does that mean I'm a slacker?

We don't like it inside... but Outside!?

Now this just sounds plain nasty.

            

 It is 6:30 AM now in Shanghai and Marianna and I are lacing up on our backpacks and heading out to the airport, about to depart for MALAYSIA.  Malaysia, lovingly dubbed as Truly Asia, will be a melting pot of all of Southeast Asia including China, India, Malays, and other ethnic groups live harmoniously together.  We plan on backpacking for a month covering the north-east state of Panang, to the eastern island of Borneo and everything in between.  I will upload pictures and post so don't forget to swing by and check it out.

Happy Chinese New Year wishes from me to you!!
Jac