The Long Journey Home

Traveling during May holiday without any prior reservations is not a fun thing to do. It would be a long journey, standing room only, with a sleepless night ahead.

After dinner, the journey would begin with a four hour bus ride to the nearest train station. The four hour ride was through the mountains in the dark. The Chinese engineers who accompanied me on the trip to the train station told me to get as much sleep as possible. In the darkness it was no problem and I was sleeping during most of the trip. This bus ride would prove to be the most quality sleep I would have the entire night.

When we arrived at the Xuzhou station, we went to the ticket office to buy my train ticket home. Because of the May holidays, everyone would be traveling home and no seats to Suzhou would be available. I would have to stand between two train cars for the whole nine hour train ride to Suzhou.

As I was waiting for the train, the Chinese engineers would keep telling me, "Remember, what ever you do, don't fall asleep." It was an eerie feeling to hear them tell me. They would repeat it several times just to make sure I completely understood. I felt like I was in "A Nightmare on Elm Street", and as soon as I would fall asleep, Freddy Kruger would jump into my dreams and tear me to shreds with those blades on his hands.

As soon as I got on the train, I found a place to stand and would stay there most of the time. It was a strange picture being the only foreigner on the train and on top of that, the only foreigner standing.

I started to talk to a young man who was also with a standing ticket. He was on his way to Suzhou from Guangzhou. His whole trip would be over 24 hours standing until he would arrive in Suzhou. Because of the economic crisis, he had lost his job and was moving to Suzhou to find a new job.

He had found a nice place above the conductor's safe where he could sit down, get some sleep even though he was with a standing room only ticket. I imagine, he must have been one of the first passengers to board the train. He was a very kind guy and he let me take turns sitting so I could at least get some sleep.

When we arrived to Suzhou, I helped him with all his belongings he had which was just two large suitcases and a backpack. It reminded me of the U2 album, "All You Can't Leave Behind", better said, the song "Walk On". One part of the lyrics states, "the only baggage you can bring is all you can't leave behind". It also makes me think what did he leave behind.

Recently, we packed and moved most of our belongings back to the States. We packed 84 boxes of things to ship to the US. I still have 17 boxes in China. I think we Americans have become too materialistic and if someone actually tells us, "the only baggage you can bring is all you can't leave behind", could we fit our life into two large suitcases and a backpack? What would be in your luggage?

Qing Ming Jie 清明节: Wuyuan 婺源

Well, it was the tomb sweeping holiday in China and we were invited to go to Wuyuan with the Shanghai Engineering group. We would spend three days out in the mountains walking, enjoying fresh air, and absorbing beautiful scenery. The whole weekend would cost 300 RMB ($43.79)per person, all expenses included.

The trip started out with an early morning five hour bus ride. When I wasn't attending meetings on the phone, I was either sleeping or listening to my mp3 player. We would stop for lunch in Huang Shan City. A week earlier I had been here for the most famous bike race in China. After lunch we would ride a few more hours to our destination.

Our first stop was a small town with some rape flowers. These flowers are used to make canola oil which is used in cooking. Also, it is used to manufacture bio diesel fuel for motor vehicles. This application is not that good considering the N2O bi product of this fuel is worse than CO2. Of course, the pollen coming from these flowers is not good for anyone with asthma or hay fever, but it is so beautiful to see endless fields of yellow.

After visiting this area, we would climb higher up the mountain and see a beautiful lake. The lake was beautiful situated between many mountains and we saw a fishermen on the lake casting his luck.

After a brief stop for pictures, we headed to the place we would spend the night. It was a little village at the footsteps of some mountains surrounded by beautiful yellow sea of rapeseed.

We had dinner and then the adventure wasn't meant to last. I received an emergency phone call and had to return to the office to work the following day.

The Beauty of Huangshan

Our last day in was spent on a 50 km ride to the Huangshan cable car station. It would be a 900 meter climb on bike and worth every second to see the beauty of the countryside. It is incredible to ride around China on bike and appreciate what nature has to offer.

This post is a special just for pictures of the beautiful area we were able to see on bike during our three day stay. The area is known for it's beauty and many young aspiring artist come to draw some of the beautiful scenery.

Huangshan MTB Festival Race Day

Well, it was a beautiful day to race. Just like the day before, it stayed warm and I could still wear a short sleeve jersey. I would wear the Astana Stars and Stripes jersey worn last year by Levi Leipheimer. I love to wear this jersey because it is the US National Champion Jersey. I feel that even in China, I can represent the US when I race. It gives me extra motivation to do my best.

In the 20 km open men's category, there were over 200 participants. We would all line up at the start and ride for maybe 2km before we got into the single track. I was lined up close to the back of the group, so I was unlucky on the first climbs. I can climb, but people ahead of me could not climb and it forces the group to have to walk or run with there bikes to pass the people who can not climb. This problem makes it harder to pass people and get to the front of the race. I was able to pass many people and start to move up to the front.

It was an exciting feeling riding, climbing, and passing people, but it did not compare to the adrenalin rush on the downhill sections. Since it was single track, there was only one thing to do, just do it. I successfully road the downhills sections, even the twisty technical section. This section went straight down and at the end had a sharp right turn followed by a sharp left turn and then downhill again. This section was the section the day before I could not ride. Race day on the single track, I would not think, I would just react. After that section, I could feel myself trembling. It was an amazing feeling. Then, I maneuvered through the rock garden with no problem. I was feeling very good. Race day means race face. I like the look of concentration on my face as I fly through the course.

For Suzhou, the team was overall very successful. We took first place in the Men's 40 km race, 4th place in the Women's 40 km race, and 3rd place in the Women's 20 km race. All in all a special day for everyone. If you are in China during March, this event is a must do for anyone who likes mountain biking.

Huangshan MTB Festival 2009 Recon

Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted my adventures. I have been told that I will return to my home country by the end of June. The economic crisis has now effected my life. There are always two ways to look at things and I am finally coming around to see the glass as half full and not half empty.

I was really not sure if I wanted to go to Huangshan and participate in the event, but I decided to take a chance and get on the bus and go to the biggest mountain biking event in China. It was a decision I was really glad I made. I enjoyed the whole weekend of riding and I will never forget the event. The only regret I have is doing the 20 km race. I should have done the 40 km race. Next time!

Friday we would meet in the morning and load up the bus with a group of about fifteen people eager to participate in the event and all of our bikes. We would take a four to five our trip to Hongcun where the race would start. Friday was considered a reconnaissance day to get to know the race track. The race was to be Saturday morning on broad casted on China national television CCTV 5.

We arrived and had lunch then checked into what is known as a family hotel. This hotel is a small hotel with maybe 15 rooms owned by a local family and very inexpensive. I do not actually know the price because the whole weekend including hotel, registration, and one meal was 700 RMB ($102.19 US). Depending on how many beds were in the room, was the number of people who would stay in the room. My room had two beds, so I would share it with Jiri, the only other foreigner with our group. He is from Poland and has been biking since before mountain biking was considered a sport!

I loved the local hospitality provided by the family at the hotel. It would have to say it was a little different than other hotels, but it made the weekend all the more enjoyable. It felt like a real adventure with new experiences. Below are a few pictures of the hotel.

The one thing that I think westerners would not be able to get use to in this hotel is the bathroom. It is quite different than the bathroom seen in many western hotels. The shower is part of the sink and the bathroom is the typical public bathroom you find in China. Showering was a much different experience with this type of device. Also, the whole bathroom gets wet when one showers. For large westerners it would be a real challenge to have to squat and do their business in the bathroom. Maybe this type of bathroom would cause many to loose weight just so they can go use the toilet, haha.

Well, after check-in, we would go ride the course. It was a very interesting course. There was some nice climbing, very nice single track, dangerous rocky uphills, fast and furious downhills, rock gardens, and twisting technical downhills. This day I would feel a little weary of the competition to follow. I come from a completely pancake flat town with no climbs and no descents. I have learned all my little downhilling ability here in Suzhou. I can climb all day and would prefer a hilltop finish over technical descents. Below you can see some of the sections of the course.

Dragon Pond Scenic Park

Dragon Pond Scenic Park is an excellent one day get away and it is located right here in Suzhou in the SND Area. It has fun and games for all ages. It is considered a AAAA ecological park. The entrance fee for the park is 60 RMB ($8.76 US). Lunch can be a nice picnic lunch somewhere in the park or a variety of local food can be purchased at very reasonable prices. We really did not know about this park until our Chinese teacher invited us for a field trip in some very nice spring weather.


One of the activities my son enjoyed was the bungee jumping. Everyone had a turn at the bungee jump, but my son had the most fun. It was his first time and he really enjoyed flying in the clouds. He did this activity twice!




Also, in the park was a very nice playground with many physical activities. I think the kids could just run around for hours in this playground and never get tired. I had fun challenging myself to a few physical activities.

In the middle of the area there are two ponds. The two ponds are divided by a waterfall. One side of the water fall has water hamster balls. This activity is quite difficult and my son had a very hard time standing up, let alone getting the ball to roll in the water. He spent many minutes falling down inside the ball! The other side of the pond has paddle boats that can be used for a leisure stroll around the pond.

One of the best activities to do in this park is climb. There are areas around the park that one can climb to get a magnificent view of the city and the park. It is a truly fun experience to climb up the hills and relax while enjoying all mother nature has to offer.

We all enjoyed this activity and when we reached the top of the hill, we took a group picture. I recommend anyone looking for a nice day out in the sun visit this park. Bus 333 goes directly to the park!

两百五-Liang Bai Wu (250)

Liang Bai Wu! These three little words mean 250 in English, but in Chinese it simply means stupid. These words come from an ancient tale of a king whose friend was murdered. Well, the king did not know who to solve the murder and after many hours of thinking found a solution to his problem. To try to solve the murder he would offer a reward for the person who murdered the enemy of the state. So, he offered 1000 gold coins to the killer of his "enemy". Well, not one person arrived to claim the prize, but four people arrived. The king asked them how he should split the money. They of course said 250 each! The king replied off with the heads of these 250s. From then on, 250 became universally known as stupid.

So if you hear liang bai wu (两百五) and your name in the same sentence, beware.

A Day in Nanjing

Almost two weeks ago, a friend of mine had to make a trip to Nanjing. He would be going on business while I would take a day to be alone and wander around Nanjing. I figured wandering around the city would be a fun way to for my day visit. The round trip train would cost 134 RMB ($19.56 US). Once we both arrived in Nanjing, we would go our separate ways.

I brought my tourist map and my man purse to carry all the travel essentials from toilet paper, batteries, camera, snacks, and many other items. It is very typical to see men with these type of bags all around China. I have to admit, they do come in handy when you make trips and they are much smaller than a backpack. Also, I feel my belongings are safer when they are in front of me.

I would get onto the taxi and ask to be taken to the Purple Mountain Scenic Area. I have been to this area before and thought it would be nice to walk around and enjoy the maybe fresh air. Well, the taxi driver would tell me that the area was not available for viewing and I ended being dropped off at the Monk Peak Scenic Area. I would continue walking until I came to a sign that displayed cable cars. I would decide to take a ride on the Zijinshan Ropeway 紫金山索道门. The cable car ride would cost 60 RMB ($8.76 US) for a round trip and 35 RMB ($5.38 US)for a single way.

It was actually a pretty fun trip. It was very slow and quite long. I would pass the Astronomical Observatory Station and stop at the top of the mountain at Monk Peak Station. It was about 448 meters high. As I got closer to the top it would get much colder. I could look out over the city. I would enjoy a sausage on a stick and a tea egg for lunch.

Then, it was a long walk down. Actually, many people would walk up and down the mountain. The cable cars were mostly empty.

There were many people tired from the long walk. Many people would rest after going down alot of the stairs. Above you can see a tired female making her way down the mountain.

I would walk to the observatory station and take a taxi to the shopping mall to look around. It turned out that it was the International Day for Women and the shopping mall was very crowded with many women. Shopping definitely was not the thing to do today. I walked around the shopping center and then it was time to start heading home.

I would eat a nice beef noodle dinner inside the train station and enjoy a return trip on the D train. It was a nice day trip for under 220 RMB ($32.12 US).

A Late Dinner

Last night was an interesting night. What made the night interesting was our late night stop for food. We would have "dinner" or "breakfast", which ever one you prefer, at 1:30 am at a local Chinese restaurant. This adventure would be a continuation of my localization process.

Our trip to dinner began with breaking one of the unwritten rules a foreigner should never do. We would take a "illegal" taxi to our dinner destination. This taxi does not have a meter and the fair should usually be negotiated before you get into the taxi. When I visited our assembly plant in Beijing, I have had to take many of these "illegal" taxis. The town where the facility is located is very small and it costs 10 RMB ($1.46 US) to get to any destination in town. Our local friends negotiated and payed or taxi fair.

We arrived at a local hot pot restaurant 新招鲜. Hot pot is kind of like create your own meal. You choose from many things on the menu and dump them in the pot wait until they are cooked and eat up. The menu was completely in Chinese and our friends ordered all the food we would eat for our late dinner.

We had chicken. When people in the states think about chicken we usually think about the chicken wings, chicken breasts, thighs and legs. Well, at this restaurant, the chicken was chopped up and included the feet, the head, the liver, and the heart. Well, it included the whole chicken. Not a single piece of this animal would go to waste. We also had three different types of green vegetables, potatoes, lotus root, and probably pork intestines. The most interesting part of this dinner was.......

Yes, it is the brain. I have no idea of what animal this brain comes from, but it definitely was too big to be a chicken. Well, all this food went into the pot and cooked to perfection to be eaten. Everything would become a nice mixture of flavor. Many of you are probably asking yourselves if I was able to eat the brain. I have to say everything was very tasty except for one green vegetable which tasted very bad. I have to say the little bit of brain I did eat was much better than the green vegetable.

Tasting the brain was a must do activity. First of all, one never knows if they would actually like the food unless they taste it. Secondly, as part of my localization process, I have to not only experience everyday activities, but also try more local food.

The brain looks much better cooked, but probably too hard for some to eat. As far as my thoughts on localization and getting into the cultural experience, I had to try it.

Many companies talk about localization, but fall way short in their aggressiveness to localize. Their concept of localization is using international companies to supply parts to them which they can buy locally in China or dealing with international companies to buy their products. This concept is like eating KFC in China and saying you have eaten local food. The real cost savings and money to made will come from buying parts from Chinese suppliers or selling parts to Chinese companies. It is extremely risky, but if you don't try it you will never know the true concept of localization.

The Driver

Transportation for expats residing in China comes in many forms. Some companies give their employees a car allowance and let them decide exactly how to handle transportation. The employee can decide to get a rental contract with a driver, take the driving exam in China and buy a car, ride a bike or electrical two wheeler, or simply take a taxi all the time. Other companies have contracts with car and driver rental companies and provide the employee with the driver and the vehicle.

If the expat decides on a driver, this person indirectly becomes part of the family. The driver will know almost every detail about the family. The driver will take the family to every destination that is required. As one can guess, the driver will know where the family likes to eat, where the family likes to shop, what the family buys, where the family goes for entertainment, how much the family spends, and many other things. After a while, if the family keeps a routine, the driver would know everyday activities.

Most drivers speak none to very little English. In the beginning the relationship for the new expat is built on showing the driver taxi cards. The taxi cards are designed to help foreigners get the the locations they want to visit. The address is in Chinese and any can be given to the driver or taxi. They can then read the card and find the location without any required speaking. Learning to communicate with the driver in Chinese becomes an "opportunity" to practice Chinese. The expat and family members can practice the simple conversations learned in Chinese class. This small talk with the driver can help the family learn Chinese quicker. Communication can also cut the silence in the car and help the expat get to know the driver. After all, the driver is a "new" family member.

A typical day for a driver could begin with taking the expat to work, then maybe dropping of the son or daughter at school. The driver could then return home and take the spouse for grocery shopping or other activities that the spouse needs to complete. These activities can include the gym, grocery shopping, or any other activities. In the afternoon, the driver could pick up the son or daughter from school and then later bring home the working expat. Any other trips required could also be included.

Just like people, there are good drivers, good employers, bad drivers, and bad employers. Some expats will have the same driver for a few years, while other expats will go through a few drivers in a year.

PHEBE BAR

Last weekend for Valentine's Day, a friend and I decided to take our wives out dancing and drinking to celebrate this special day. We decided to go on Friday to avoid the large crowds on Saturday.

This bar is fairly new and it is located at the intersection of Zhu Hui Lu and Ren Min Lu (竹辉路 & 人民路). I have been there a few times and it is always packed with people. The bar has two floors and many tables to sit or stand, to drink, and to play Chinese drinking games. The bar does not have a live band, but it has very good DJs and small stages where various singers will stand on the stages and sing different types of songs.

The bar actually gets really full and I recommend calling ahead of time and booking a table. The minimum spending for a table is 600 RMB ($87.59). For this price, you can get a 12 year old scotch bottle, a fruit plate, and three or four snacks. We eventually broke down and had to purchase more green tea to mix with the scotch. Also, outside the bar is a local barbecue street food stand that sells all kind of treats like fish, vegetables, meats, mushrooms, tofu and many more snacks. I have never purchased bottles at any bars in the US, so I do not have a measure of comparison to know if this is really expensive or not.

The atmosphere inside is really fun. The place is hopping with people dancing, playing dice games, drinking, and having a good time! The music is good. We played a few drinking games, danced, went outside to enjoy the street food. We ended up drinking a few rounds with some people from the tables near by. I recommend it!

Excuse me, that seat is not taken!

Imagine being at the local fast food restaurant. This restaurant is completely full. Well, there are many tables that have two people sitting together eating and talking away. You do not know these people. In fact, you have never seen them in your life. There are no free tables available. Do you go sit down and have your meal at their table?

If you live in the United States, the answer is no, that table is occupied. Those two chairs where no one is sitting have a force field around them and they can not be occupied by any other person not known by the two people. Even if no table or other chairs are available, the chances of those chairs ever being occupied by a stranger is slim to none.

China is different in this respect. Any open chair can be occupied by any person who eats in the restaurant. The force field created by the person or group of persons extends just to the chair they occupy. It is very likely that two people can be eating at a table with two other complete strangers. This situation is very normal at alot of the local fast food type restaurants that serve western or Chinese fast food. In fact, at Chinese hotels, the meals are served at round tables with many chairs. Many families will sit down together and eat without even knowing each other.

Another Haircut:师傅我想理发！

Well, hair grows really fast and it was time for a trim. Looking for an adventure, I had decided to localize the haircutting experience. Previously, I had always went to the "high" end haircut salons which cost over 40 RMB ($5.84 US). Most locals usually do not pay over 15 RMB ($2.19 US) for a haircut.

For the localizing experience, I would try the local barber shop at the Suzhou University (高教区). This place would be where the students would go for a cost effective haircut. For the 15 RMB one would get a wash, a cut, another wash, and a blow dry. Unlike the high end places, there would be no massage.

The barber shop seemed more like a production line area for haircuts. There were at least 12 different cutting stations and all were occupied with people getting their haircuts. There was also hair all over the floor. I suppose cleaning came during a dry spell with a lack of clients or when the day finishes if the shop remains full. During my time at the shop, I did not see the floor being cleaned. During mass production, there isn't much time to clean up.

I arrived at the shop and proceeded to tell one of the barbers that I wanted a haircut. First I was lead to the shampoo station. Unlike the high end haircut I previously talked about, the shampoo would be in the basin and not seated at the chair. I think this made the process much faster and the time from customer to customer shorter. There was a waiting line for cuts. After, the shampoo I was taken to the cutting station. The station consisted basically of a mirror with different combs on the little table to comb the hair. There was no disinfectant for the combs and all had hair on them. I would tell the barber that I just wanted a trim and I did not want it too short. that was as about as specific as I got. He got to work and finished up my hair quiet quickly and I must say did an excellent job. After the cut, he took me for a wash and then brought me back to blow dry my hair. The job was finished and the price was right. I would pay him for the cut and be on my way.

What makes the cost so different? Well, at the high end salons, we start with the girl that shows you the menu for the haircut. She is also the girl that runs the register when you pay. Then, their is a team of shampoo and massage specialist that start the process by washing your hair and giving you a nice back massage. The stylist or barber would follow and cut your hair to your specification. After the cut another shampoo specialist washes your hair and then the stylist will blow dry your hair. Then the shampoo specialist also cleans the hair from the shop floor.

There are two differences I noted between the two places that would drive the cost up. First at the high end salon, you are paying for a team to cut your hair. At the local barber shop, you pay a one man team for the whole process. Second, one pays for the cleanliness of the facility. I would think it would be hard for someone who is used to very clean barber shop to have their haircut at the low end facility. Combs and machines are shared between people who can be having their hair cut side by side or across the room. Also, I saw some trimmers being picked up off the floor with hair on them. Just a little quick blow to clean the hair off, and it was then on your head.

I really enjoyed the experience. Even though hygiene was not a top priority at the shop, its customers kept coming back for more haircuts. They were not at all concerned. It reminded me of an article that I read sometime ago in the US that had mentioned that we have been too preoccupied with cleanliness that we were not helping our bodies to build up our natural defenses. Hopefully, my body will get stronger from this experience. 哈哈！

元宵 Lantern Festival

Monday was the fifteenth day since the Chinese New Year began. It is the day where the first full moon of the year should be visible in the sky. Also, it marks the end of the holiday season. It is the last night to hear, see, and feel the Chinese New Year festive atmosphere.

In Suzhou, the New Year celebration closes with the Lantern Festival at the Pan Men Gate. The festival includes games, food, fireworks, and many other activities. On our way to the festival we would see many people preparing to send out their flying lanterns into the sky with all their New Year wishes. They would light up the lantern and let it float away into the sky. Many hundreds of lanterns would fill the night sky.

Also, fireworks would bring a constant buzz from all over the city. Everyone was celebrating the full moon. Fireworks were literally over my head and such an impressive site.

One of the things that makes the Lantern Festival such a special event are the thousands of people who go to the festival. There is literally a sea of people, as the Chinese would say, 人山人海! The most interesting thing of the night is crossing the bridge to the festival. It is one tiny bridge that fills up with so many people that one is helpless to move and completely at the mercy of what the crowd will do. My son describes the feeling of being in this crowd as being squeezed by an anaconda. This helpless feeling I think is pretty much what a foreigner would feel. I felt that the locals were pretty much accustomed to these type of crowds although many of the locals I know do not like to go to the festival because of all the people.

Once you reached the other side, there are many carnival games being played. These would include games with darts and balls to win a lucky prize. Also, there was local food including the special foods for the festival. The special food to eat this day are small little dumplings balls called 元宵. Below are some pictures of local foods served at the festival.

This festival can not be called the Lantern Festival without the presence of lanterns. All over the festival grounds one can see many different type of lanterns. They are all very beautiful and decorate the festival grounds. Historically, these lanterns should have a puzzle on them and the family would get together try to solve the puzzles and eat 元宵.

Suzhou Times Square: Worlds Largest LED Screen

Time Square in Suzhou has the largest LED screen in the world. The screen is over 500m long and spans from one end of Time Square crossing a street to the other end of Time Square. I have been looking forward to seeing this marvel in action. I have been to Time Square during the day and was not able to see the screen turned on and I have also been to Time Square at night and did not see the screen turned on.

Well, Friday night we decided to have dinner at Time Square. We arrived just before 7:30 pm and noticed quite a few people outside sitting down and looking up. It seems that they were all waiting for something to happen. And then it did. Over the loud speaker a voice announced that the show was about to begin. All of a sudden, the screen went blue. A few advertisements begin to appear on the screen. After the advertising finished, the show began. It started with fireworks on the screen and then it showed some beautiful flowers and clouds. It then had a small tribute to the new year with all the animals from the Chinese horoscope, dragons, and of course the ox. It was an incredible site to see! I feel lucky I actually took my camera with me this day. Below you can see a few beautiful pictures of the screen. The first one is from the east end of time square and the second photo is from the west end.