Chinese Bureaucracy 宦海风波...

April 21, 2009
Name Not on Our List? Change It, China Says
By SHARON LaFRANIERE

BEIJING — “Ma,” a Chinese character for horse, is the 13th most common family name in China, shared by nearly 17 million people. That can cause no end of confusion when Mas get together, especially if those Mas also share the same given name, as many Chinese do.

Ma Cheng’s book-loving grandfather came up with an elegant solution to this common problem. Twenty-six years ago, when his granddaughter was born, he combed through his library of Chinese dictionaries and lighted upon a character pronounced “cheng.” Cheng, which means galloping steeds, looks just like the character for horse, except that it is condensed and written three times in a row.

The character is so rare that once people see it, Miss Ma said, they tend to remember both her and her name. That is one reason she likes it so much.

That is also why the government wants her to change it.

For Ma Cheng and millions of others, Chinese parents’ desire to give their children a spark of individuality is colliding head-on with the Chinese bureaucracy’s desire for order. Seeking to modernize its vast database on China’s 1.3 billion citizens, the government’s Public Security Bureau has been replacing the handwritten identity card that every Chinese must carry with a computer-readable one, complete with color photos and embedded microchips. The new cards are harder to forge and can be scanned at places like airports where security is a priority.

The bureau’s computers, however, are programmed to read only 32,252 of the roughly 55,000 Chinese characters, according to a 2006 government report. The result is that Miss Ma and at least some of the 60 million other Chinese with obscure characters in their names cannot get new cards — unless they change their names to something more common.

Moreover, the situation is about to get worse or, in the government’s view, better. Since at least 2003, China has been working on a standardized list of characters for people to use in everyday life, including when naming children.

One newspaper reported last week that the list would be issued later this year and would curb the use of obscure names. A government linguistics official told Xinhua, the state-run news agency, that the list would include more than 8,000 characters. Although that is far fewer than the database now supposedly includes, the official said it was more than enough “to convey any concept in any field.” About 3,500 characters are in everyday use.

Government officials suggest that names have gotten out of hand, with too many parents picking the most obscure characters they can find or even making up characters, like linguistic fashion accessories. But many Chinese couples take pride in searching the rich archives of classical Chinese to find a distinctive, pleasing name, partly to help their children stand out in a society with strikingly few surnames.

By some estimates, 100 surnames cover 85 percent of China’s citizens. Laobaixing, or “old hundred names,” is a colloquial term for the masses. By contrast, 70,000 surnames cover 90 percent of Americans.

The number of Chinese family names in use has tended to shrink as China’s population has grown, a winnowing of surnames that has occurred in many cultures over time.

At last count, China’s Wangs were leading with more than 92 million, followed by 91 million Lis and 86 million Zhangs. To refer to an unidentified person — the equivalent of “just anybody” in English — one Chinese saying can be loosely translated this way: “some Zhang, some Li.”

The potential for mix-ups is vast. There are nearly enough Chinese named Zhang Wei to populate the city of Pittsburgh. Nicknames are liberally bestowed in classrooms and workplaces to tell people apart. Confronting three students named Liu Fang, for example, one middle-school teacher nicknamed them Big, Little and Middle.

Wang Daliang, a linguistics scholar with the China Youth University for Political Science, said picking rare characters for given names only compounded the problem and inconvenienced everyone. “Using obscure names to avoid duplication of names or to be unique is not good,” he wrote in an e-mail response to questions.

“Now a lot of people are perplexed by their names,” he said. “The computer cannot even recognize them and people cannot read them. This has become an obstacle in communication.”

But Professor Zhou Youyong, dean of Southeast University’s law school, said the government should tread carefully in issuing any new regulation. “The right to name children is a basic right of citizens,” he said.

Miss Ma said that while her given name was unusual, bank employees, passport control clerks and ticket agents had always managed to deal with it, usually by writing it by hand. But when she tried to renew her identity card last August, she said, Beijing public security officials turned her down flat.

“Your name is so troublesome and problematic,” she recalled an official telling her. “Just change it.”

Miss Ma argues that the government’s technology should adapt, not her.

“There were no such regulations when I was born, so I should be entitled to keep my name for my whole life,” she said. If she changes her name to get an identity card, she noted, it will be wrong on all of her other documents, like her passport and university diploma.

Besides, she said, “I can’t think of another, better name.”

Using the time-honored Chinese method of backdoor connections, Miss Ma was able to get a temporary card in January. She must renew it every three months but considers that a small sacrifice for keeping her name.

Zhao C., a 23-year-old college student, gave up the fight for his. His father, a lawyer, chose the letter C from the English alphabet, saying it was simple, memorable and stood for China.

When he could not get a new identity card in 2006, Zhao C. sued. But security officials convinced him that it would cost millions of dollars to alter the database, his father said, so he dropped the suit in February.

His case might suggest that resistance against China’s powerful bureaucracy was futile. Still, the government’s plan to limit the use of characters has not gone all that smoothly.

The new rules were originally supposed to be issued by 2005. Now, 70 revisions later, they have yet to be put in place.

An official this week batted away questions, saying publicity might delay the rules even longer.

Huang Yuanxi contributed research.

Friday February 20, 2009: NongKai-->Bangkok

I'm sitting in my hotel room in NongKai, Thailand as write this, yes, hotel room. I had not planned this but I think I had better start from the beginning. Please excuse me as i eat my peanut butter toast... yum. Yes mom, thanks to the Scandinavian Bakery in Vientiane, Laos it is finally whole wheat!!

OK this morning, Friday February 20, 2009, I got a very early start. I had woken up multiple times, probably due to my excitement about crossing the Lao-Thai border today, and finally got out of my dorm bed at Mixay guest house (35kip at night) at 6:15am and left the building (after they slowly checked my room for stolen/broken/missing items) at 6:45. Danielle (Aussie I have been traveling with for the past 3 days) was not yet up so left without her. The first "International Bus" Vientiane-NongKai leaves Talat Sao (central) Bus Station in Vientiane at 7:30am, which is located maybe 1km from my guest house, so I figured I would walk until I came across a tuktuk that would give me a reasonable price or just walk the whole way. I only had, maybe, 50,000k on me and I knew I needed 15,000k ($1.79usd) for the bus so I needed to find one that would take me for the right price. Many of the tuktuks in the "tourist" area of Vientiane have a printed list of prices they pull out. The prices are hugely inflated and I won't pay 60,000kip to get to a place that is so close and should only cost 10,000-15,000kip. After a little while, I found a tuktuk to take me the rest of the way for 15,000k and we headed off.

When I arrived at the bus station, I've been here 3 times before, I went to the counter pulled out the money and my passport and proceeded to buy my ticket. They also charged an additional 2,000k for "Thai immigration" although how my paying the state run Lao Bus System for Thai immigration makes sense, I'm not sure. As a side note you can also buy your ticket in Thai baht for 55b ($1.62usd). I paid for it in Kip because once you leave Laos any money you have left over is as good as monopoly money and cannot really be exchanged any other place. (Although it can be exchange within Laos, as I did exchange 400,000k into Thai baht yesterday).

After that I walked to the benches ad put my bags down so I could rearrange my documents and money in my money belt (which I never thought I would use but has been invaluable to my peace of mind). While I was doing this an older Lao man turned to me and started talking. Supposedly he lives in Philadelphia... not sure if he does or not but he just kept rattling on. I finally excused myself to go buy some water and grabbed my bags and ran. I really did need to buy water but I also wanted to sit someplace quite and relax. After buying the water (2,000k) I met a man from Sweden (one of many in Laos, I have found) and started to talk with him. We were both headed to Thailand on the same bus. Then, the old man from before came over and started talking to me again... finally he went away. By then it was time to board the bus. They did a funny thing and reassigned seats and stapled this new seat number on to our bags as they tossed them into the undercarriage. I noticed latter that they never checked to see if we had the corresponding scrap of paper when we grabbed our bags so I' not sure what point this served.

We made it through Lao customs/immigration quickly. I was a little worried since I had seen the Swedish man's Los visa. Unlike mine, which is a page in my passport filled with like 5 stamps, his was similar to any other visa (big embossed sticker). Obviously they just do it a little differently on the China-Lao border since it did not seem to be a problem.

Then we headed off to Thai immigration by crossing the "Friendship Bridge" which was built over the Mekong River by the Australian Government just a few years ago as part of an aid package. As of November 2008 US citizens can only receive 15 day entries when crossing into Thailand by land. However, if you arrive my air you still receive the requisite 30 days. No matter what it is free and I received just one quick stamp and was admitted into Thailand. I was also given a departure card and told by the Swedish man not to loose it or I might miss my departing flight trying to get a new one. I'll certainly make sure to hold onto it! The Swedish man was also nice enough to talk to another passenger and found out that he was also headed to the train station, about 2km from the bus station, and let me know.

Once we reached NongKai, Thailand and disembarked the bus I found this gentleman, Richard, an Aussie and together we hopped on a tuktuk to the train station (cheaper this way). Turns out he speaks Thai!!! Once at the train station he did all the talking and found out there were still 4 2nd class sleeper beds available. There are 2 night trains from NongKai to Bangkok every day (18:25 and 19:25) so they are very busy to have both almost fully booked. We were VERY lucky! I bought one right away, as did he, for 488b. In Laos they were selling these tickets through agencies for at least 750b, what a rip off. This was the reason I left on the first daily International Bus for if I had come any later I am certain there would have been only 2nd class seats or 3rd class hard seats (shared wooden benches, icky!). Anyway, the Aussie had just come down from Luang Prabang on the 9+ hour night bus and wanted a place to rest. He asked me what my plans were and invited me to get a room too. He talked to the tuktuk driver (same one) and the tuktuk took us to one of the cheap (but still nice) establishments. The owner of this hotel was nice and after the Aussie (still don't know his name) told him we only wanted rooms for the day, dropped the price from 300b to 200b. My room is big and has a bathroom and patio.

Before hitting the hay we walked along the river and grabbed an amazing lunch of fried chicken on rice with a spicy sauce and celentro. Did I say it was AMAZING!!!? But, most importantly I was able to find an ATM very easily and, for the first time in 1 ½ weeks, withdraw money!!! I now have about 3,500 baht (about $100usd). Then I headed back to the hotel, turned the AC on and the passed out on the bed for like 5 house.

Around 5pm I'll head to the Train Station and then on to Bangkok. I should arrive in Bangkok around 6:30am and I guess I'll eat breakfast and then go in search of the hotel Dad booked!

Kraft Reformulates Oreo, Scores in China

MAY 1, 2008
By JULIE JARGON
Unlike its iconic American counterpart, the Oreo sold in China is frequently long, thin, four-layered and coated in chocolate. But both kinds of cookies have one important thing in common: They are now best sellers.

The Oreo has long been the top-selling cookie in the U.S. market. But Kraft Foods Inc. had to reinvent the Oreo to make it sell well in the world's most populous nation. While Chinese Oreo sales represent a tiny fraction of Kraft's $37.2 billion in annual revenue, the cookie's journey in China exemplifies the kind of entrepreneurial transformation that Chief Executive Irene Rosenfeld is trying to spread throughout the food giant.

After lackluster sales in the world's most populous country, Kraft Foods Inc. gives its iconic cookie a makeover. See how Kraft is tailoring Oreo cookies to Chinese consumers. WSJ's Julie Jargon reports.

Kraft, the world's second largest food company by revenue, reported a 13% drop in first-quarter net income Wednesday because of high commodity costs and increased spending on product research and marketing. Its international business, which now represents 40% of Kraft's revenue thanks to the company's recent acquisition of Groupe Danone's biscuits business, was a bright spot in the quarter, aided by the weak dollar. Kraft's profit in the European Union rose 48%, excluding special charges, and its profit in developing markets rose 57%.

To try to increase growth at the company, Ms. Rosenfeld has been putting more power in the hands of Kraft's various business units around the globe, telling employees that decisions about Kraft products shouldn't all be made by people at the Northfield, Ill., headquarters.

To take advantage of the European preference for dark chocolate, Kraft is introducing dark chocolate in Germany under its Milka brand. Research in Russia showed that consumers there like premium instant coffee, so Kraft is positioning its Carte Noire freeze-dried coffee as upscale by placing it at film festivals, fashion shows and operas. And in the Philippines, where iced tea is popular, Kraft last year launched iced-tea-flavored Tang. Ms. Rosenfeld has also been encouraging marketers to "reframe" product categories, no longer thinking, for example, that an Oreo has to be a round sandwich cookie.

Oreos were first introduced in 1912 in the U.S., but it wasn't until 1996 that Kraft introduced Oreos to Chinese consumers. Nine years later, a makeover began. Shawn Warren, a 37-year-old Kraft veteran who had spent many years marketing the company's cookies and crackers around the world, arrived in Asia in 2005 and noticed that Oreo's China sales had been flat for the previous five years.

Back then, Kraft was selling the U.S. version of Oreos in China. Albert Einstein's definition of insanity -- doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results -- "characterized what we were doing," says Mr. Warren, vice president of marketing for Kraft Foods International.

The Chinese weren't big cookie eaters. The market for biscuits in fiscal 2007 was just $1.3 billion, compared with $3.5 billion in the U.S. at food retailers excluding Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Mr. Warren assigned his team to a lengthy research project that yielded some interesting findings. For one thing, Kraft learned that traditional Oreos were too sweet for Chinese tastes. Also, the packages of 14 Oreos priced at 72 cents were too expensive.

The company developed 20 prototypes of reduced-sugar Oreos and tested them with Chinese consumers before arriving at a formula that tasted right. Kraft also introduced packages containing fewer Oreos for just 29 cents.
Some Chinese consumers still find the Oreos too sweet. One 30-year-old consumer who was shopping for groceries in the eastern part of Beijing recently, said that he likes the cookie but that "many of my friends think I am a bit weird to stick to Oreo cookies, as most of them think it too sweet to be accepted."

Mr. Warren also noticed China's growing thirst for milk, which Kraft wasn't fully exploiting. In fact, increased milk demand in China and other developing markets -- as well as tighter supplies resulting from recent droughts in milk-producing countries and a reduction of subsidies for European dairy farmers -- has pushed up milk prices around the world. That has put pressure on food manufacturers like Kraft, whose biggest business is cheese, but it has also created opportunity.
In China, Kraft began a grassroots marketing campaign to educate Chinese consumers about the American tradition of pairing milk with cookies. The company created an Oreo apprentice program at 30 Chinese universities that drew 6,000 student applications.

Three hundred of the applicants were trained to become Oreo brand ambassadors. Some of the students rode around Beijing on bicycles outfitted with wheel covers resembling Oreos and handed out cookies to more than 300,000 consumers. Others held Oreo-themed basketball games to reinforce the idea of dunking cookies in milk. Television commercials showed kids twisting apart Oreo cookies, licking the cream center and dipping the chocolate cookie halves into glasses of milk.

Ms. Rosenfeld calls the bicycle campaign "a stroke of genius that only could have come from local managers. The more opportunity our local managers have to deal with local conditions will be a source of competitive advantage for us."

Still, Kraft realized it needed to do more than just tweak its recipe to capture a bigger share of the Chinese biscuit market. China's cookie-wafer segment was growing faster than traditional biscuit-like cookies, and Kraft was trailing rival Nestlé SA, the world's largest food company by revenue, which had introduced chocolate-covered wafers there in 1998.

So in China in 2006 Kraft remade the Oreo itself, introducing for the first time an Oreo that looked almost nothing like the original. The new Chinese Oreo consisted of four layers of crispy wafer filled with vanilla and chocolate cream, coated in chocolate. Kraft developed a proprietary handling process to ensure that the chocolate product could be shipped across the country, withstanding the cold climate in the north and the hot, humid weather in the south, yet still be ready to melt in the mouth.

Tailoring Western brands to Eastern tastes isn't a new idea, but it has proved more difficult for some companies than others. When Campbell Soup Co. tried to enter China in the early 1990s, it sold the same ready-to-eat soups found in American grocery stores and they flopped. Now, Campbell is trying to crack the Chinese soup market again with flavorful broths it hopes will fit with the Chinese tradition of making soup from scratch.

Yum Brands Inc. has had success in China with its KFC fried-chicken chain by offering menu items familiar to Chinese consumers, such as congee, or rice porridge, and the Dragon Twister, a sandwich wrap filled with chicken, Peking duck sauce, cucumbers and scallions. Some of Nestlé's snack wafers in China come in such flavors as sesame and red bean.

Kraft's Oreo efforts have paid off. In 2006, Oreo wafer sticks became the best-selling biscuit in China, outpacing HaoChiDian, a biscuit brand made by the Chinese company Dali. The new Oreos are also outselling traditional round Oreos in China, and Kraft has begun selling the wafers elsewhere in Asia, as well as in Australia and Canada. Kraft has also introduced wafer rolls, a tube-shaped wafer lined with cream, in China. The hollow cookie can be used as a straw through which to drink milk.

Over the past two years, Kraft has doubled its Oreo revenue in China, and with the help of those sales, that revenue topped $1 billion world-wide for the first time last year.

—Sue Feng contributed to this article
Write to Julie Jargon at julie.jargon@wsj.com
Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page B1

来临春节The Coming of Spring Festival...

View from my Stairwell
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

Out with the old in with the new. This is how the Chinese begin to celebrate 春节Spring Festival/过年 Chinese New Year. Homes are cleaned from top to bottom, new electronics are bought, and the old is put to the side, (or as the case may be, in the stairwell for others to dispose of). Here, in my humble abode, I have done none of this cleaning! Instead, in recognition of this holiday, I am taking it easy. I scoured the entire apartment when I first moved in and therefore cannot bear the thought of doing it again so soon. However, if a Chinese friend of mine were to ask if I am participating in this traditional ritual I would of course reply in the affirmative!

Saying Goodbye to and Era

McKinley's Goodbye Dinner

McKinley headed home today but not before one final blow out. We have an action packed night, hitting some of her favorite Chengdu spots. When morning arrived we had a leisurely brunch at Pete's, our local TexMex hangout, filled with breakfast tacos, cinnamon buns, and laughter. Then, just before she had to rush to the airport we sent her off in style with dinner at our favorite little restaurant. We'll miss her but I know that once we are all back in Seattle we'll see each other!

McKinley's Goodbye Dinner
Alex (Vanessa's Sister), Vanessa, Bob, McKinley, Anna, Stephanie, SaraJo, and Angela

McKinley's Goodbye Dinner
SaraJo, Angela, Stephanie, and Alexandra

McKinley's Goodbye Brunch/Morning After
Anna, Stephanie, SaraJo, Angela, and McKinley

地震 Earthquake!!!

DUDE!!! TOTALLY JUST FELT MY FIRST EARTHQUAKE IN CHENGDU!!!
It even made my Christmas tree sway! So crazy!

Christmas in the Chinese Mountains!

Christmas in the Chinese Mountains!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

珍珠奶茶 Milk Tea...

Tonight's Milk Tea: 2.5Y
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

I have a new addiction! It goes by many names; 奶茶, Nai Cha, Bubble Tea, Milk Tea, Pearl Milk Tea. But, to me they all mean warm tasty goodness that I must have! Original bubble tea consists of black tea, large pearl tapioca, condensed milk, and honey. It is served hot in the winter and cool in the summer. While the original is my favorite, they also come in many fruit flavors. I have consumed one nearly every day this week and I plan to drink more. I even bought three packaged mixes, which come with their own disposable cup, so I can make them at my apartment. They cost about 3.5Y at my local store.

The Evidence... 2 Previous Drinks
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

When you go out to buy them the prices vary considerably, from 7Y to 2.5Y. Happily, the place that sells the cheapest milk tea (as pictured above) is the closest to my apartment. It has a wonderful taste and the family who runs the store is very nice! I visit often! But, if you pay the higher prices you can get the tapioca balls stuffed with a filling. I’ve had this once and it is fun. They fillings come in chocolate (巧克力), red bean paste (紅豆), mung bean paste (綠豆), and peanut butter (花生) flavors. When you chew on the tapioca pearl you can taste the filling.

圣诞节和星巴克 Christmas and Starbucks...

Christmas Tree My Mom Sent Me!!!!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

Today I did not do much. Sort of hung out at the apartment, washed dishes, watched some Chinese dramas and some game shows. Then headed over to Roberts, our computer room at the Foreign Student Dorms, and checked my email. Plus, as an extra surprise I received my second package from my Mom!!!! In the first package she had actually included a tree and other gifts so I was excited to see what was in this package. This one was just as fun as the last and had 2 sets of thick sock, 2 books, Snickers(!!!) more Christmas gifts, and lots of Good Earth Tea! I'm really excited to use the socks since it is cold here and my apartment only has the one space heater I bought and the one air conditioning unit in my bedroom. It is really expensive to heat my room with the AC so I generally only heat it up before I want to go to bed and then turn it off once I’m under the covers. Anyway, I ate 3 Snickers right away (snack size, mind you) . They have Snickers here but they are lacking in peanuts! So, the ones my Mom sent are AMAZING!!!

Starbucks in Downtown Chengdu
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

Then I called Daniel to see what he was up to and he invited me to go downtown, Cheng Qi Lu. We went and he took me to a super expensive grocery store in the basement of a department store called Setan. Daniel thinks the name sounds like Satan so he thinks it’s funny we were is “Satan’s Basement”. They have a good selection of pastries; I bought 2 doughnuts. Plus, I also got a REALLY good ham and cheese sandwich for 8Y ($1.15). (Which I later realized they did not charge me for). Plus, they had some other good imports like cheap butter. Funny thing though, the salted butter was more expensive than the unsalted. Isn’t the opposite true in the States? Anyway, it was fun and I also got some fruit tea and ground pepper.

Then we headed over to one of the 4 Starbucks in the area (there are like 16 in Chengdu) and we played dominos and I had my first coffee in China. I got a Nut Toffee Latte. It was very good although a bit pricy at 32Y ($4.6) for their medium size. If you’re planning to set in the store with your coffee, it is served in a porcelain mug. Very fun! This was not my first visit to a Starbuck here or even my first purchase in one. However, I hadn’t bought coffee in China until then. We got comfy chairs because I forced us to move when a woman using 3 sofa seats left… they were nicer than the hard wooden seats ^_^
Also talked to Eddie and he said we could set up my internet tomorrow (Saturday) after I return from going to a garden with a Sichuan Grad student, Zhao Nan, who I’m working with on my research project.

宜家家居 IKEA ...

IKEA Buys!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

So my morning was pretty routine and rather boring. I went to class and then sat in Roberts and added to blog. Then I headed home to be lazy and watched some Korean dramas dubbed into Chinese. This is one of my new favorite passions. Every night I sit and do my homework while I watch these dramas in Chinese.
Finally, I did something productive and headed to to IKEA (Yi Jia Jia Ju) by taxi. The taxi driver was funny because he was chatting on his radio to all the other taxi drivers telling them where he was going and that a had a “Mei Mei Lao Wai”. This essentially means that he has a young foreign girl in the car. Funny things is that at first I mixed up the meaning of Mei Mei and thought he was calling me old. I was kind of offended (Mei Mei actually means younger sister but can be used to describe people’s ages.)

Anyway, I spent more than expected in both time and money at IKEA but, I think it is well worth the amount. I got a ton of items: Set of3 pots, 2 lids, cast iron frying pan, 5 piece spatula set, pitcher, 40 piece tuber ware set, squeegee, 2 pot brushes, 2 hot mitts, 3 large scented candles (2 apple cinnamon and 1 vanilla), 8 spice containers, 2 fleece blankets, dish drying rack, 2 shower curtains, shower curtain holders, duvet cover with 2 pillow cases. I’m most excited about my cast iron fry pan!!! It was only 70Y ($10).

On way home I had to take the free metro bus because no taxis were available. Apparently, you can take one there but they seldom come to IKEA to pick people up. But, this turned out great because I made the coolest new friend. Her name is Qian Wei (钱玮) and her English name is Claire. She is a ChuanDa student on the same campus as me in the school of Economics. We talked for a long time on the bus while we were waiting for it to leave (they only leave every hour) and then she invited me to dinner. We ended up having something similar to jiao zi (pot stickers) but boiled. Then she took me out for warm milk tea (the type with tapioca pearls). AMAZING!!! I don’t like it in the States where it is always served cold and in a variety of weird fruity flavors. Here, in the winter, it is served hot and in a standard original black tea flavor. (But of course there are other flavors available.)

We exchanged info and I’m excited to meet her again. I headed home, watched 3 ½ hours of Korean dramas dubbed into Chinese and then went to bed!

家乐福 Carrefour and more...

I went to Carrefour today with Daniel and SiYu!!! I ended up spending 600Y (about $100) but in my defense I bought a space heater (fan style), some more dishes, some western food, shower rod, silverware and more. Buying the space heater was complicated. Not only had I never bought one before, or for that matter, really used one before, but I was also, of course, dealing with the language barrier. But, with the help of about 4 store clerks, I eventually found heater I was happy with for about 120Y. In China buying appliances is made a little easier buy the fact that you can always try them out. Stores always have a test model available to experience. The first week I arrived in Chengdu, I bought my blow-dryer and I was able to try out like 6 different models. It’s very useful!


(All the new food from Carrefour)

After paying for all my items, of which I had a crap-load, we attempted to get a taxi…. Not the easiest thing in the world. All of the ones that went by were already occupied. Plus, we were competing against well seasoned and very experienced Chinese taxi goers. But, eventually Daniel got it done by sneaking in front of a Chinese lady and flagging down a rare empty taxi. That is how the game is played in China!!! We rock! Anyway, we all piled in and I tried not to poke anyone with my new mop or shower rod. ^_^

Chengdu, Bookworm Cafe!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

After dropping all my new goodies off at my apartment I went to the foreign student’s class building to pick up my bike. Then I plunked around on the computes at Robert’s r for a little bit. Since I don’t have internet yet in my new apartment it was a rare chance. I watched two episodes of Terminator and then sped off into the night!!! No just kidding, at around 7:30 I stopped by at the little store near my apartment and got mayo, oyster sauce, jam, and cornstarch plus a bag of Lays. Nice combination, right??? Then, I had to rush over to West Gate to meet the girls for “Girl’s Night” at the Bookworm.

Chengdu, Bookworm Cafe!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

The Bookworm is an expat oriented café/library. They have AMAZING CHEESECAKE and, for a fee, you can check out books from their English language library!!! I had not yet eaten dinner so I ordered a ham and cheese sandwich ,which came with a salad, and I also got a slice of cheesecake. It was a little expensive (by my Chinese dinner standards) but fun. It was actually the first salad I’ve had since coming to China! Later, I rode my bike home, put all the things I bought at Carrefour away in their temporary homes. Then, I went to Bed!!!

Crazy ATMs in China...

So, I’m finally done with the kitchen but I don’t have any food in the apartment and only 22Y to my name. So, I was desperate and needed to find money fast. By this point it was nearly 7:30 but I figured that HaoYouDou didn’t close until 10pm so everything would be fine. HaHa!!! Yeah right! I ended up needing to go to 9 different ATMs to find money!!!! YES 9!!! ATMs in China run out of money because there are so money people using them, but still, it is completely crazy to need to go to 9 different AMTs just to find one with money. As I had finished visiting my 6th ATM, I ran into Eddie. He could hardly believe my story. Finally, the Bank of Communications had money and I was able to take out the maximum 2000Y.

It was near 9pm when I finally crawled into HaoYouDou and struggled to buy all that I wanted…I spent 300Y. But, then on top of all the crap I had just been through, I realized, as I’m riding my bike home with 2 huge grocery bags hanging from the handlebars and 1 in the basket, that my bike is broken! Somehow, whatever holds the metal mud guard above the front wheel had broken!!! Eventually, I made it home and climbed the 7 flights of stairs with 4 bags! I ended up having a dinner of yogurt and 2 slices of bread with peanut butter. Then showered and immediately went to sleep!

白色的 White = the new color of my kitchen...

So today went relatively smoothly until later but I’ll save that story for later. As I told you before, my kitchen, although a great set up, was going to need some work. Today, after class, I stopped by at the local store. It is something between a 7-11 and a full blown grocery store. It has rice, the basic staples for flavoring food, cleaning supplies, drinks, snacks, some dishes, etc. I picked up a pair of gloves (which I bought at the last moment and they ended up being a lifesaver, of in this case, finger saver), stainless steel scrubber, dish soap, window cleaner and a heavy duty cleaner called Mr. Muscle. (I did not need a sponge since I’d found a new one left behind by the owners.) Now, let me tell you, Mr. Muscle is something amazing and yet at the same time you know that this is one of those chemicals that is definitely banned in the States. I personally think it could be the leading cause of China’s water pollution problems but I used it anyway. You can’t argue with results, at least not in China. (Just kidding^_^)

Anyway, after climbing my seven flights of stairs and eventually entering my apartment I looked at the kitchen and realized it was going to take much more than some elbow grease to get rid of the mess. (Which, ironically, was mostly grease (old, old grease)) Thank goodness for Mr. Muscle!!! You have to realize that this grease had been allowed to accumulate for years, collect dust and other grime and solidify. There were layers! To say that it was grows would be an understatement. In fact, I think to truly understand how disgusting grease like this is you have to experience cleaning it up.

So I got to work, at first bypassing the most difficult job, and headed straight to the sink and the surrounding walls. I put Mr. Muscle to the work and soon had the walls, sink, and rack/knife holder above the sink spick and span. After completing this task I glanced over at the stove top, contemplated starting that challenge and instead decided to start work on the spice rack and counter tops. I finished the spice rack and the underside of the above-sink-shelves. Then, I realized as I was working on the counters that even the countertop near the stovetop had a buildup of grime… not cool. At this point I figured out that my sponge just aint doing it so I finally pulled out the stainless steel scrubber and got to work. It worked like magic and with a little elbow grease and cut through the filth. Unfortunately, the countertops are some sort of black stone and it was difficult to see the grime so the going was slow.

Eventually, I finished and I had no other place to go and must start of the stovetop and nearby area… the next part of this story is not pretty so if you are a young impressionable child or like clean kitchens or maybe your just American; read at your own discretion! To this point had not taken a close look at this area so it came as a surprise when I realize that not only was there grease of the countertops but also the “backsplash” (piece of wood), the surrounding tiles (the worse was on the windowsill where the grease had accumulated so it looked like the tile was black), the window screen, the actual stovetop (movable), and even the countertop below the stovetop. I decided to start with small steps and just sprayed the area with a bunch of Mr. Muscle and then went to work on the wooden back splash. After I was done with that I figured it was time to really start and began to scrub the area with my stainless steel sponge… it did not really work. It the end I had to resort to using an old knife to scrape away huge chunks of fat from all the surfaces… it took awhile… Then I was able to begin using the metal sponge again.

After finally cleaning the surrounding are and the stovetop (which had grease on all sides but the bottom) and began work on the stove’s hood. The inside was also covered in grease but I got it done. To accomplish this job, though, I had to pull out my handy-dandy crank charging flashlight. It worked great and I was able to see what I was cleaning plus, I used it to look at the kitchen countertops and see any grease I had previously missed. Finally, I only had two chores left; cleaning the cabinet doors and scrubbing the floors. I started with the cabinets and, like my mother thought me, cleaned all sides till they shined or at least looked better. I had to continue to use the stainless steel scrubber because the sponge had gotten so bad at this point that I’d needed to through it out. Then I cleaned the floors. The center of the floor was relatively clean but the sides near the counters were actually black… not good so I sat down on a little stool and slowly worked my way around the floor scrubbing with a little scrub brush. It did not take too long and then I wiped it dry without bothering to remove the soap… that way I can use the same soap next time (^_^)

THEN, I WAS FINALLY DONE!!! Wait, actually no… … … While I had been cleaning the sink had accumulated a ton of grime… a ton! So I had to clean it and then I put a kettle of boiling water through the pipes. Should be good. In all, cleaning the kitchen took about 4 ½ hours. Now I just have to get to the bathroom, clean the fridge, do some laundry at some point, and wash the walls… just a little more…

Too bad I did not take pictures of the process but here is 1 before and a couple after photos!

我的洗澡是很舒服! My Shower is so comfortable!...

Bathroom = Heaven!
Originally uploaded by Alexandra Lord

I’m currently stretched out on my bed at my new apartment. My air conditioner’s heat is on high and I’m toasty. It feels amazing as my muscles slowly relax after my hot shower and I begin to get drowsy. That is one huge plus that I can add to the list of positive qualities my apartment possesses; a great shower. I can forgive the difficulties of getting the hot water running and having to cope with standing over a squat toilet while de-tangling my hair in view of the fact that, it was fucking incredible not to have to hold the damn shower head while I was trying to wash or deal with drainage problems. (Haha, my drain is actually my toilet) Mind-Blowing Amazing!!!

I spent the afternoon cleaning my apartment, which had already been “cleaned” the day before. In China, you find out pretty fast that “clean” does not have the same meaning as in the US. While I’m generally fine with that, it doesn’t fly in my apartment. So, I re-cleaned what had been cleaned and cleaned things which were overlooked. This includes that top of the microwave which was covered in a layer of grows slime and dust as well as behind both beds which, while appear new, had probably never been move after arriving in their current domicile. I have not bought cleaning supplies so I have not yet tackled the immense challenge of the kitchen but the owners were nice enough to leave behind a rag mop and broom (sans dust pan).

Actually, my landlords left behind a lot. Not only were the obvious like beds, couches, and tables furnished but they also left a few pots, pans, dishes, bedside table lamps and even extension plugs. It was really a wonderful surprise. Of course, some of the things left behind are useless including a pair of shower slippers, two toy assault guns, tons of old chop sticks, and a bunch of bottles of ink, plus more.

Anyway, after cleaning for a few hours SiYu was great and helped me move most of my things into my apartment. For the past week I have actually been staying in SiYu and Daniel’s guestroom. They live in the same complex as my old apartment and are also part of the University of Washington program. My new apartment is on the 7th floor in a building without an elevator so it was a big task to ask of him. But, like always, SiYu was more than willing to help out. We only had to make two trips (we walked it over) and on the 2nd trip my TA, Eddie, called and volunteered to help. After moving everything I took them both out to dinner. Dinner was only 35Y ($5) so I definitely still owe SiYu and Daniel for being such amazing sports about the whole situation

I've updated my photos -------------------->>>

颐和园 Literally "Gardens of Nurtured Harmony": Summer Palace...

On Thursday the 21, my second day in China, we headed off to Beijing to see the Summer Palace. Allen jokingly complained that I had chosen one of the largest things to see in a rather distant area. So, that morning we got an early start and headed over to a restaurant about 1 block away. It is an interesting restaurant, one group of people serves breakfast and then another group serves lunch and then a 3^rd group serves dinner. This way they split the rent and all have income. The morning group serves a healthy fare of baozi (little dumplings like humboa), fried filled pancakes, and a plethora of soups including a soy bean (like soy milk), red bean, and tomato and egg soup.

After breakfast Allen and I hopped on a bus and went to the HauiRou bus yard. Then we got on a large bus labeled kuai, “fast”, and headed into the city. This bus ride takes about 1 ½ hours and dropped us off at Dongzhimen bus station in Beijing City. We were lucky and had seats so I fell asleep. Because it is labled “fast” it only makes 6 stops along the way but it is really rather slow. After arriving in at Dongzhimen Allen asked for directions and we hoped on a bus that took us to the National Zoo, where we again transferred to a bus that finally dropped us off at the Summer Palace. In all, it took about 2 ½ hours, maybe longer, to arrive at our destination but it was sooooo worth it. Just check out the pictures below. It poured for the first 1/3 of our time in the Palace but it cleared up eventually. Then, I made the mistake of wanting to walk to the other side of the lake, when for 10Y we could have taken a boat across. It was a loonnngggg walk. But, in about 1 hour we did eventually make it to the island on the other side of the lake.

At about 3:30pm we hopped on another bus to head over to Tiananmen and arrived at about 5pm. Beijing, even with only ½ the cars on the roads due to the Olympics, still has traffic and the buses stop often. Anyway, we ended up running out of time and skipped Tiananmen and headed for the subway right by our bus drop off. It was so crowded that they were closing the subway entrance and only letting people enter in time dispersed bunches. We eventually manage to take the subway back to Dongzhimen. Before heading home we went down the street about 4-5 blocks and had dinner at Pizza Hut. Then we headed off on our bus back to HuaiRou. We fell asleep again and when we finally arrived it was raining very hard. After getting off the bus we walked home in the dark and heavy rain. I was cold and couldn’t stop shaking plus I had no idea where we were but we DID make it home. After drying out a bit, watching a little Olympic Volleyball, and trying to learn a new card game I was pooped and went to bed.

怀柔区 Hauirou...

All is well in the land of the Middle Kingdom. There have not been any updates recently because I’ve been so busy. We wake up, go eat breakfast, and then head off to wherever we are going that day. When we finally do return home I’m exhausted and often fall asleep sitting on the couch.

Anyway, I arrived safely into the Beijing Airport and managed to get both of my bags here with me. The flight, although 11 hours long, seemed to pass fairly quickly. This is probably due to the sleeping pill I took that knocked me out for about 6 hours plus the amazing in-flight entertainment. Once at the airport and with my 2 bags on a cart I managed to find Allen, Allen’s Dad, and the driver. They actually live in Huairou, about 1 hour outside of Beijing. Huairou was incorporated into Beijing in 1995 so I am still in Beijing and everything is just a bus ride away. Allen’s father is charge of the natural gas distribution in this district and therefore has workers under him. I think his driver is also a staff member at the company and not only a driver. He seems t work 7 days a week, but his freedom to do as he pleases seems to be greater than in the US.

After arriving in Huairou we stopped by the office and dropped the driver off. Then, continued on to the apartment. The family actually owns the apartment, as well as two others, so they are really more like condos. After dropping off my bag, which I’m now realizing contain more than I need, we went in search for house slippers for me. Along the way I was able to snatch up my favorite Chinese drink, which is really made by Coca Cola and taste like Tang, as well as a nice blister on my left foot from my flats…. sigh.

That night we went out for dinner at a local restaurant. In typical Chinese fashion they ordered far too much but it was all delicious.

In CHINA Now!!!

So I'm in Beijing! This was one of the longest days of my life but did I slept through more than half of the flight from Vancouver to Beijin. Plus the in-flight entertainment was GREAT! Allen, his father, and the the driver picked me up after I made it throught coustoms and baggage. Then, this afternoon we have been busy just doing random things like eating dinner, shopping for house slippers, going to a near by park and then visiting a lake which is actually the water which serves most of Beijing. Anyway, it is late and I'm exhausted, it is only 8pm, so i'll head to bed soon. Tomorrow I think we are going to see the Summer Palace. I think it will rain but that will be fine.
yours,
Alexandra

PS: the weather today was great, just on the warm side of perfect

Going to China!!!

So I leave for the airport in about 1 hour! I'm not entirely packed yet. I still have some carry-on I have to figure out but otherwise I'm doing to good. My ipod is being a pain but thats normal, right? Anyway, when I arrive I'll update this as soon as I can get to a computer with internet!

CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP!!!

I received the Chinese Government Scholarship!!!!!

"It was established by MOEC in accordance with educational exchange agreements or understandings reached between Chinese government and governments of other countries, education organs, institutions and relevant international organizations to provide both full scholarships and partial scholarships to international students and scholars. The scheme supports students who come to study in China as undergraduates, postgraduates, Chinese language students, general scholars and senior scholars."

Details of the Full Scholarship

1.
Exempt from registration fee, tuition fee, fee for laboratory experiment, fee for internship, fee for basic learning materials and intramural accommodation

Living allowance and a one-off settlement subsidy

Fee for outpatient medical service, Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Benefit Plan for International Students in China

Fee for a one-off inter-city travel

2.
Fee for basic learning materials covers the necessary learning materials prescribed by the host institution, and other materials shall be self afforded.

3.
Monthly living allowance is paid to the students by the host institution at the following rates (CNY yuan per month): Chinese language students: CNY 1400 yuan

Scholarship students shall get their monthly living allowance from the date of registration. Those who register before 15^th (15^th included) of the registration month will get the living allowance of a full month, and those who register after 15^th will get that of a half month. Scholarship of the graduates will be paid half month after their graduation date. Scholarship of those who suspend or quit their studies will be stopped from the following month. Monthly living allowance will be paid during Chinese national holidays. Scholarship students who do not get the monthly living allowance during holidays can get reimbursed on return. Monthly living allowance of the scholarship students who do not register on time or stay away from university up to one month because of non-health reasons will be stopped.

Scholarship students who have to suspend their education for reason of illness should return to their home country for further treatment and rest. The international travel expenses of return and coming back should be shouldered by the students themselves, the scholarship status will be reserved for at most one year, the monthly living allowance will be stopped during the suspension of education and the scholarship of the students who suspend their education for reasons other than illness will be terminated.

4.
A one-off settlement subsidy after registration:
CNY 1500 yuan for new students whose period of studies in China lasts one academic year or more

5.
Fee for outpatient medical service refers to the outpatient expense generated in the institution’s hospital or the hospitals appointed by the institution. The students should afford a certain percentage of expense in accordance with the institution’s relevant regulations.

6.
Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Benefit Plan for International Students in China is insured by MOEC for the scholarship students in China against diseases and accidents. The institution is entitled to ask for compensation on the payment receipts from the insurance company for the expenses generated from hospitalizing for serious diseases or from accidental injury according to the stipulated insurance articles.