Me Chinese.....

“I think I’m turning Chinese I think I’m turning Chinese I really think so.” OK so that’s not exactly how the song goes but it’s close enough for China. It’s funny how some days I don’t even notice I’m surrounded by Chinese people. I am so used to saying nei hao (hello) and zi jian (see you later) it’s starting to feel like they are just English words. The other night I got into a taxi after watching the laser, fire, water show at jinji lake and the driver asked me (in Chinese) if I came from the show and I understood him. Yes, I think I’ve been here too long. But, after that we rode in silence for fifteen minutes just like all the other taxi rides.


I am reminded I am a foreigner (laowai 名词) when someone wants to take a picture of me just because I’m different. It’s happened several times since I’ve been here, I just throw my arm around them and smile for the camera. I guess they like to show their friends they have met an American. They seem to be excited when I tell them I am an American (mei guo ren sounds like: maygore in) so it seems there is at least one country that likes America. By the way, the literal translation of mei guo ren is: mei = beautiful / guo = country/ ren = person. When you put all three together it means American, pretty cool huh? There’s your Chinese lesson for today.

OK so I don’t really think I’m Chinese but it is strange how when you know a few Chinese words the people here are eager to talk to you. I got my hair cut last Saturday and the young son of the lady who cut my hair was sitting in the chair beside me speaking Chinese to his mother the whole time I was there. All of a sudden he said “hello how are you” to me I answered back in English first “I’m fine” then I said “wo hen hao.nei hao ma” which is I am fine. How are you? In Chinese and, as always, the lady asked me if I speak Chinese and as always I say very little. But, they are always impressed when any foreigners speak even a little Chinese because they understand how difficult it is. I’ve been walking down the road alone and had construction workers on their way home with bags of rice and vegetables start talking to me and I guess the few words I know are enough to make them think I understand. I’ve had five to ten minute conversations where I did not understand hardly a word that was said to me. In a situation like that I just smile and tell them to have a good weekend or see you later. So far when this happens we always end up with a pleasant outcome a wave to each other and usually they will says “bye bye” which must be the most well known English words in China because everyone seems to know bye bye. That and “hello” which I hear pretty often walking down the street although to hear it is something I can’t convey in writing it’s more like they sing it “hell low” some things, no many things I can’t explain in writing.

I can’t wait for my wife to get here in a few days, and then we will be going to Beijing to see the great wall and Shanghai. I’m sure the time here with her will inspire several more blogs.

Hole In Eight!

Got a care package from my wife yesterday, I think it took almost three weeks to get here. It looked like it was kicked half way around the world. The strange thing is I’m not sure how the Chinese postal service knew how to get it to me since all of the writing was in English. Now I’ve never been one that really loves greeting cards but, they are really nice when you haven’t seen someone in a long time. Since I’ve been here, almost two months, I’ve had my birthday, wedding anniversary and last Sunday was father’s day. So there were quite a few very nice cards in my box. Also some great pictures of my family and some scented candles to cover up the occasional sewer smell that comes uninvited to my room. DON’T DRINK THE WATER! My wife also threw in a couple of magazines. One is a golf magazine with lots of great tips for improving your game but, the way I have played here I don’t think they could help me no matter how many times I read it.

Now that I’ve gotten on the subject of golf allow me to elaborate. Golf in China is very different than back home, unless you’re a member of an elite private country club or a pro. A round here will cost somewhere around $110 to $175. Usually back home you make a tee time, or not, pay your forty or fifty bucks grab a cart and off you go. Here when you pull up to a country club sometimes there is a row of Chinese people greeting you with a bow. (Bowing is not really done here much anymore) Once you get out of the car you never touch your bag, they have people to do that for you. They give you a little leather book that has a key and a number, then you go to the locker room and find your locker, where all I have to do is change my shoes but there are plenty of Chinese guys that take full advantage of all the facilities and none are shy at all, even though it would better for my eyes and memory if they were. After shaking of the sights you come out of the clubhouse and there are several people escorting you to a cart with your bag on it. They drive you up to the driving range for some warming up and then drive you back to the clubhouse where you meet your caddie. All of the caddies I’ve had were young ladies that hardly speak any English. Which it’s a good thing I have sort of learned to count in Chinese, I can tell them which club I want after they tell me how many yards to the green. They say “yibaiyishi” which is 110 and I know to say “jiu” for a nine iron, but trust me I get confused all the time, I really only feel comfortable with the numbers one to twenty. When you get to the green the caddies mark your ball, clean it and even line up your putt for you. The downside to this is I feel bad when the caddie has to chase me all over the course due to my errant shots. It's not unusual to have several par fives well over six hundred yards and par threes over two hundred yards. As I’ve said, it’s not like playing back home at all.

I’ve been fortunate enough to play three times here. Once at a course called Silport in Shanghai which has hosted the China open several times. Once at a course in Suzhou called sun island and once at another course in Suzhou called Jinji lake Golf club. Jinji Lake golf club hosted the China open this year right before I got here in April. It’s a very exclusive private club that is the most beautiful golf course I’ve ever seen, much less got to play. As for my scores, I’ll just say add 15 strokes to the way I play back home and leave it at that.

                                                                                                                                  
                                                        

Dough

Money. The current exchange rate of the U.S. dollar to China’s rmb, (renminbi or yuan or kuai) is $1 to 6.83 R.M.B., sounds good right? It is good but, it can be confusing at first. Some places I go to for dinner have dishes ranging from around 20 to 850 rmb (real steak) that’s $2.92 to $124.00. I tend to eat at the less expensive places so I’m sure there are things that can cost much more but, I’m just a machine operator not a CEO like a lot of the other ex-pats here. Let me say though some places offer a great deal, there is a Chinese place I love called Yangyang. I can get several different dishes for around 15 rmb each and a beer for 10 rmb and walk out stuffed only spending around $8.00. Back home it would cost $25 at least. Sautéed green beans and dumplings are great! But, on the other hand most places will cost you nearly the same as in the U.S. to have a good meal. Around Suzhou they have learned that western people have money and will spend it.
The bars that have food usually have good food but it’s priced the same as bar food in the states. The beer will cost you about the same. It took me a while to get used to paying 25 or 35 rmb for a beer. But that’s really only about $3.50 to $5.00 so it’s just like back home. Tsingtao is the popular local beer and sometimes you can find it for 10 to 15 rmb or I can walk to a little store around the corner and get it for 3.50 rmb that’s fifty one cents, now that is China cheap.
Art work and bamboo crafts can be cheap if you know how to negotiate. Luckily my friend Scott and his wife Tammy are here to show me where and how to get the bargains. Especially Tammy, let’s face it women are better at shopping and here that can save you money. I’ve bought quite a few cut paper art and some silk art pieces for good prices and even a hand painted scroll from the artist himself.
As far as groceries, western stuff (eatable food) will cost more than back home. For example a small box of corn flakes cost about ten dollars U.S. but honestly I eat out just about every night anyway. Now the lunches at work are provided for us. I ate in the canteen for the first three weeks I was here. Its Chinese food, real Chinese food, stuff like seaweed, bamboo, bok choy, lots of tofu and all types of lovely meats served with a glob of rice. I stopped eating there when one day one of the Chinese guys I was eating with looked at the meat on his plate and said “that’s strange”. Now many days I hold my breath when I walk by. I usually have a granola bar, some crackers or an occasional peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (jelly is very expensive) For anyone wondering, there is a wal-mart here but it’s nothing like one back home unless the one near you has plucked chickens, head and all, hanging room temperature in the meat section.
Taxis are the only way to get anywhere that’s further than you can walk. I mean they have busses but, that’s not an adventure I’m looking for. They are very crowded and I can’t read Chinese so I have no idea where they are going. Taxi rides are very affordable 10 rmb $1.45 gets me to a lot of places around town. 13 rmb $1.93 gets me to the downtown area, when you can find a driver that will take you there. During rush hour they will act like they don’t understand you until you pull out a card with the destination on it even then some will say no.
I’ll have to get a haircut pretty soon so I’m sure that will be a blog of its own. This Saturday I will be going to check out Shanghai so I will share some pictures when I get back.
Zai Jian (see you later)