January 1, 2007
Many thanks, 2006 family, friends, and colleagues
Posted by
Happy New Year, everyone. It's great to start a fresh new year for some of you, I'm sure. Perhaps 2006 was a bit troubling for you, full of harder-than-you-thought challenges.
For me, 2006 was a great year. I "graduated" in May, spent the entire month out-of-country, and had a relaxing summer filled with time spent alongside family and friends before heading to Dalian. Of course, once I got here, it has been a pretty amazing trip and I have many to thank for my experiences. Without the support of many, my time might here might be different than what I'm currently thoroughly enjoying.
First and foremost, to my family and friends. Mom, Dad, Joan, Al, Hannah, Rebecca, Isaac..and oh, little Mekhi, too. Nico. It's been good to be able to talk with each of you from time-to-time, whether it be e-mail or phone. I've probably talked to my family much less than former interns but it's not because I don't love you! Best to you all in 2007!
Thanks to the University. There have been some interesting moments with being an "intern" for the DFTZ. Even from the beginning--with an interesting flight itinerary--it's been well, to put it respectively, interesting. Some nice folks from the University, including Chris Schrage and Dr. Wilson, have made sure some of the transitions this program entails have gone as smooth as can be done from thousands of miles away and knowing little of what actually goes on. This also includes former interns, namely Emily, who helped give some prospective the first few weeks I was here.
The countless numbers of native Chinese I've made friends with and their own families they've let me be "adopted" into. My experience has been completely different from past interns, I'm quite certain, and I really do appreciate the sincere efforts made by a few of my friends. YOU know who you are...
My time with each of you all have their own degree of individuality; the efforts made on my behalf will never be forgotten.
ALL of my employers, including folks at the DFTZ, even if you've put your nails under my skin, I'm going to learn lessons I'll never want anyone else to have to go through. Some of you are truly giving me a first-hand experience of the types of frustrations a manager will have to deal with...:)
To each of you who's reading this, student, working professonial, or Internet lurker: the best to you in 2007.
November 15, 2006
Revealing a few myths
Posted by
September 12, 2006
I Don't Smoke...Really
Posted by
I've had the pleasure of becoming "good" friends with five different natives here (counting those outside of work, at least) who are very helpful and want to social things with me. It's very nice because one of my major goals was to get to know and understand more of the culture here in Dalian. Three are from the same province Dalian is in, Liaoning, and two are from other areas, including Anhui and Sichuan.
One man was particularly brave as he saw me on the light rail train, reading my English-language Chinese newspaper, and asked if I spoke English. "Yes, I do," I said, pulling me ear buds out of my ear canal with a bit of "umm, hello? Can't you see I'm not only reading but I'm also listening to music." "Where are you from?" he asked next. "Well, I'm from the USA," I said, warming up to his huge smile and kind voice.
That was how it all happened for this particular fellow and I. I've since met with him for a wonderful traditional Chinese lunch, full of pork, mushrooms, and chicken feet, and will be going with him to a football (soccer) game this weekend! He's very kind and has already invited me to join him for a trip sometime to visit his parents in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, as well as his upcoming October birthday party.
The second interaction was a result of one of my co-workers encouraging me to call this lady so we could get together. Her English is as developed as her sincerity. She helped me do a lot of the small things, like getting a mobile phone, as well as hooking me up with some teaching opportunities. I had the pleasure of meeting her husband a few times later. They treated me to dinner, drinks, and pool and I have an invitation to come to their apartment for a dinner in the near future.
The last couple I met through an elderly gentleman who roamed around my building. I thought this man was one of the hard working-types that frequent the building surroundings as did some people who walked home with me one day. It turns out both the westerner (me) and the natives (my friends) were both wrong. He was a tenant in the same building I lived in although only temporarily. He was in town visiting his daughter, son-in-law, and niece. Six of them live in the apartment below mine, seven when he's in town.
I had repeatedly denied his requests to smoke a cigarette with him. Little did I know I would eventually succumb to his pleaded offerings.
Walking through the store one day, I decided to purchase some jasmine tea (huge in this part of NE China) as well as some cookies suitable for tea.
A few days passed and one day, while walking up my stairs, I saw this same man again standing inside the apartment I had just found out he lived in. His hand gestures were the same as a waiter trying to lure you into a bad restaurant...the come in, come here type. I told him, "Okay, I'll come down right away." Afterall, I had denied his requests to come visit him in his apartment so many times before and now that he was standing right there, I couldn't resist. It would be awfully offensive, I think, to not accept the invitatioin to someone pleading with you to come inside.
I put my groceries away in my room upstairs. I went back down one flight of stairs and entered what I thought was his apartment. I was soon greeted by two other folks, a lady similar in age to me and a boy in his late-teen years. The lady, who has since become a dear friend, knew a bit of English and was able to translate for me as I asked this older gentleman questions and he too wanted to know things about me.
We had a few comical moments, too, as I'm 2.06 meters tall and he's probably close to half of that. He marveled at the circumfrence of my thighs, the width of my palms, and my curly brown hair.
When I told him I was fro the USA, he gave me a simple thumbs up and a big grin. I was in!
After several more moments of talking and laughter and the evening progressed along, I told them I would let them have a peaceful Sunday night to get ready for the beginning of the work week.
The next day, while shopping for groceries, I picked up some cookies for tea and collected the tea I had purchased earlier that week from my apartment upon my return. I trekked down the flight of stairs and knocked on the door.
I wanted to give this man, who was so very kind to me and the first neighbor who made me feel like my apartment wasn't a place to sleep but an actual home, a little something for his generosity. He had a hard time accepting the gifts, something very common here, but I pleaded with him to take the small gifts.
After talking that night, I found out he was going to be leaving the next day back to his hometown. His visit to see family was coming to an end. I was so thankful to God for sending me a message in the store, "Pick up something for this kind man." If I had waited one more day I would've missed him!
Because of this man's kind smile, repeated offerings to visit his family's apartment, and our short exchanges (which consisted of a hello, as I know hardly any Chinese and he knows only one English word, "hello"), not only did he change the way I felt about my surroundings but his niece and her fiance have become dear friends since.
And I wasn't leaving the apartment without a return gesture of "thanks." Again, for what must have been the seventh or tenth time, this kind man, aged 70 years, offered me one of his Chinese-branded cigarettes.
I don't smoke but this was the first cigarette I accepted without any objections. It was the least I could do.
August 30, 2006
Was Big Foot in my Bathroom? More reflections on my life here
Posted by
It's just after noon here in Kai Fa Qu and I'm here at the office
today, pretending I'm an overseas journalist, giving you the latest
scoop on the PRC. Much to write about so let's get started.
My work here in the Zone has been sporadic but fun. Lately I've been
helping translate "Chenglish" documents (as my co-workers call them)
into understandable English. Most of the people who will be reading
these documents are overseas clients or potential clients. The Dalian
Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) sends these documents via e-mail usually, and
the articles contained in these e-mails help to provide clients with a
sort of "know-how" that they won't typically get from their
foreign-based newspapers and journals. Most of the clients hail from
the UK, so the London Times for example, and very few, if any, from
the US.
This morning my arrival to work was delayed by some visiting
maintenance men. I have been having some problems with my bathtub
draining properly and I thought enough was enough--no more wet floors.
You know, if I were to ever invite my grandmother over here, I could
have some serious problems as the "I've fallen and can't get up"
service for the elderly doesn't exist here in China...yet. Grandmas
don't like wet floors, and when winter comes, I don't have any desire
to do any ice skating in my 8'x8' bathroom.
As I was reading about Moses and his staff transforming into a snake,
I heard a bit of laughter from my two helping gentlemen (these were
the same fellas who helped me with my draining sink, my dysfunctional
TV and toilet, among other things) and I thought, "Oh man, what sort
of surprise is now on my floor?" What they were laughing at was
straight from the depths of the unknown...I soon joined in the
laughter (if a terrified look on your face can be considered
"laughter") when I saw the wet mop of human hair they had plunged from
my drain.
I quickly checked the apartment records and couldn't find any traces
of Sasquatch or cousins of Bigfoot but nonetheless, I was glad the
hair ball, rivaling the size of a William "Refrigerator" Perry, had
been placed in a trash bag and no longer clogging up my bathtub.
As I walked to work, later than usual because of the "Harry and the
Hendersons" bathroom episode, I thought for a moment they announcing
my fashionably-late arrival (that was ok'd by my boss, thank you very
much). The country, as many Americans know, is known for their
terrific fireworks industry. Every Independence Day we celebrate our
dependence upon Chinese-made fireworks. One can hear fireworks during
any time of the day here in Kai Fa Qu, and usually, as strange as it
may be, I hear the fireworks when the sun--and not moon--can be seen
in the sky. One of the administrative buildings in the Zone was
having a sort of get-together and wanted everyone in the NE corner of
China to know they were the hosts of the party. The sound from these
fireworks was incredible...if my iPod wasn't doing a good job of
making me go deaf, these fireworks sure were. The sound was coming
from large, stainless steel tubes that looked like they would be
better placed on a ship.
August 21, 2006
Drew's First Blog
Posted by
Today (Wed., Aug. 16) marks the one-week anniversary of my arrival to
the PRC. It was just a week ago, today, that I arrived in Dalian and
thus began the wild, wild journey that is to ensue.
Before I write about Life in the Zone (Dalian Free Trade Zone), let me
first describe some of the things that happened before I even arrived
here in Kai Fa Qu.
I was scheduled to leave Des Moines for my first leg of the journey
towards Detroit. The flight went decently smooth (considering I'm
6'9", there was actually nothing decent or smooth about riding this
puddle jumper) and was very impressed upon arrival to Detroit's fine
airport. I had found out only a few days before I was scheduled to
fly into Tokyo-Narita en route to Beijing and my flight to T-N was
full of Japanese travelers looking to either return home or maybe
visiting Japan for the first time. I was delighted to find two
60-something ladies who were going to Beijing to embark on a Yangtze
River journey. These two ladies, both hailing from Michigan, were
very polite and inquisitive towards my plans I had in China. They
both seemed to be amazed I was leaving the US for such a long time...I
was taken aback after hearing all the different places they had been
to in their retirement years. As exciting as the conversation was,
however, it wasn't any more enticing to me than some good rest.
Afterall, it was my plan from the very beginning to stay up as late as
possible before my Des Moines departure so that I could sleep as much
as possible aboard the 12.5-hour flight. In and out of deep slumber I
went, often times waking up only to find it was time, once again, for
another splash of apple juice, another tender morsel of airplane food.
Our plane landed with just enough time to spare before the Beijing
flight was to take off. I didn't dilly-dally around, I promise, and
still entered the entrance ramp-area during "final call." The Airbus
I boarded was the nicest plane I had ever been on. Leather chairs,
ample room, flat screen TVs in each head rest, satellite radio,
English-language films...you get the idea. I knew I was in the
company of the Japanese for they are, perhaps more than any other
nation, known for their technological abilities.
As I looked around the plane, I tried to figure out where the people
aboard were from (I had studying and meeting with Chinese and Japanese
peoples for quite some time, so figuring out, with good probability
where one is from is a pretty easy thing to grasp once you get used to
it) and then it really hit me. I was one of a handful of white folk
aboard the massive airliner. I smiled to myself and said, "ah,
finally, away from the west I go."
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