How to survive in Beijing 101

Tonight we had a meeting with Lucinda and Jeremy (former delegates to Golden Courage in October 2008) to talk about some basic things to expect in China this summer. This meeting was particularly informative as I continue to plan the details of my travels and packing. It was great to hear their stories of the delegates' time in China in the fall and what we can expect as young, American 'tourists' this summer. Here are some of the basics that I learned from tonight:

Food

-There are many vegetarian options (about 70% of the food served will be vegetables and/or with tofu)

-I should practice with chopsticks NOW!! Otherwise I'll have a difficult time eating meals. Forks aren't available - obviously

-Dinners are served around a circular table that rests on a Lazy Susan - so it rotates and there are between 10-20 tapas styled dishes of food for each dinner (no dessert)

-The markets are supposed to be incredible and an adventure all of their own

-Chinese food as we know here in America is not even close to the Chinese food we'll eat in China - that goes without saying (it'll be better!!)

Hotel

-We're staying at a hotel the first week while shadowing the students at the opera school

-The hotel is literally down the street from the opera school

-It is safe for women to walk [alone] at night around the hotel

-The hotels will have Western style bathrooms with toilet paper provided - everywhere else we'll need to bring TP and we'll be using "squat toilets"

-Internet is provided in the hotel

-We will be the only Americans in the hotel and the only people who speak English in the area of the hotel in Beijing - most of the locals in the area have never seen Americans so we will be stared at out of fascination

Parks

-There is a huge park across the street from the opera school that has lakes, temple replicas and thousands of visitors everyday

-Crowds often form around Americans (particularly if they participate in any of the activities in the park i.e.: singing, dancing, Tai Chi or Tai Chi ball) because the Chinese are fascinated by Americans

-It is a great time to wake up and do Tai Chi with the locals and to immerse ourselves in Chinese culture right next to our hotel!

Time

-Being late is the most offensive, unacceptable, frowned upon thing we could do in China

-To be early is to be on time, and to be on time is to be late = our motto for the month of June

-We should expect to be everywhere 20 minutes early because the Chinese start activities, etc. 10 minutes before that

-The jet lag is rough - drink water

Dress

-Short clothing is unacceptable - the Chinese are modest

-Rarely should we wear any clothing above the knee, although longer 'shorts' are okay

-The Chinese do not dress up - they are not dressy people so when we perform in front of the officials/government, we can dress 'casual' by American standards because that will be dressy by Chinese standards

Weather

-It's going to be HOT (80-90 degrees) in the city

-The school we're teaching at is about an hour outside of the city (north, I believe) and will be 10-15 degrees cooler because it is in the mountains

-There is no telling what the air pollution will be like during our week in the city, so we are advised to bring a few bandanas. Jeremy said when he was there after the Olympics, the air was pretty clean, but the days that it was not, he could feel in his eyes and lungs after being outside for only 2 minutes. 

-The air in the mountains will be clean and refreshing... not to mention the beautiful backdrop

-June is the rainy season

-When we go to Thailand, it's going to be in the 100's

Diversity 

-While many Chinese have never seen white Americans, they also have never seen black Americans - they will stair, again, out of fascination

-There is a place that was recommended we visit for hair washing/upper body massage and the workers are captivated by naturally curly hair - yay for me!

Behavior

-Free speech is not free in China

-Under no circumstances are we to talk about religion, politics or sexuality

-Some Chinese locals may try to engage us in conversations about Chinese or American politics (if their English is good enough) but they may actually be trying to get us in trouble with the government: if we talk about religion, for example, they might say that we are trying to convert them - and then we're in big, big trouble with the Chinese government

-We need to be aware of what to say (and what not to say) and where to say it (and where not to say it)

-It's a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy with regards to sexuality

-Under no circumstances are we to talk badly about the Chinese government or policies - even if we are unaware of how the subject came up in a conversation or where that conversation is headed - we should say, 'That's interesting. Bye now.' And walk away.

Airport

-We will be picked up at the airport and driven back to the hotel upon our arrival

-We are encouraged to bring books, music, etc. for the plane ride

-The plane ride is LONG

-Most people have a layover in Tokyo (that really cool airport that is built on a man-made island per the Discovery Channel) but I am flying into Seoul instead. However, when I go to Shanghai and Hong Kong, both of those airports are in the list of top 10 airports in the entire world - so I guess it all works out after all.

Well, I can't think of anything else to write about, really. We only talked about Beijing 101 and the logistics of our visas this evening. No time for Mandarin today. We only have 2 more team meetings too! I can't believe how close it is to travel time!! 

More again soon. 

Love,

Morgan