Detox week

If I am only allowed to describe Taiwan with one word, that word would be food.  While we have some historic sites to visit, a lot of Chinese artifacts and art at the National Palace Museum, food is definitely the main attraction in Taiwan.  There is so much food that travelers visiting Taiwan don't even know where to start.  I'm not just talking about any kind of food either.  We specialize in xiaochi, which are snack foods.  They can be served on the streets, at the night markets, or at xiaochi restaurants.  In fact, most restaurants here are small, and do not serve more than 10 dishes, except for fancy places like Ding Tai Fung.  A lot of people graze all day (or all night), visiting different food stands with their specialties.

There are a view traditional xiaochi that one must try when coming here, such as the oyster omelette and the beef noodle soup.  Since Shag was in Taipei for work and getting bored of the city, I told him to come with me to Taichung to visit my cousin Jessica.  Jessica just had a son last year and is taking some time off from work to spend time with her son, Xuan Xuan.  I also welcomed the company of another traveler, and I think Shag felt the same.  He is staying at the Hyatt downtown, and you can tell that he is ready to go back to Boston.  I don't blame him, his wife is waiting for him!

Jessica picked us up at the high-speed rail station, which has new trains that travel as fast as 300 km/hr (186 mph)!    Damn!  Traveling from Boston to NYC would take about an hour - I wish that the Acela would be faster and less expensive so that I don't have to fly or take the bus.  The train ticket was about $40 round trip, super affordable.

We went further south on the car to Lugang, a gorgeous historic harbor city.  Apparently Lugang was one of the larger trading cities back in the days, but slowly fell behind the other two larger cities Taipei and Tainan.  Becuase of this, the city was able to preserve a lot of the historic buildings, making it a charming tourist attraction.  The old streets are filled with xiaochi, and I was ready to expand Shag's culinary tastes. 

Aside from beef noodle soup, pretty much our national food, the one thing EVERYONE should try at least once is the stinky tofu. 

It smells like garbage, said Shag.
I know it does, but I guarantee you that it's good!  I said.

After you smell and try it a few times, you really do get used to the garbage smell.  I barely notice it, but Shag points it out every time we pass by a tofu stand.  After passing by the n-th tofu stand and trying to convince Shag to try them, I finally told him that all he has to do is have ONE bite and my cousin and I will take care of the rest.  He finally agreed to take the risk and try it.

I wish I could share the expression he gave me when he took that first and only bite off the tofu.  He did give me his camera, so I took a few shots with his SLR.  It was priceless.  A bunched up face, as if he was eating garbage.
 
It's like blue cheese - an aquired taste.  I assured him that he was going to be fine.  And my cousin and I  scarved down the rest of the tofu.  Yum!

We did try a few other snacks, such as grilled squid, pork buns, beef tongue cake (a sweet cake in the shape of a tongue), and fried mochi (really really good).  I also had Shag try the pig blood cake, which is a savory snack that is a mixture of rice cake and pigs blood.  Once I told him what it was, he didn't try another one :(  Again, my cousin and I cleared the plate of snacks. 

Surprisingly, one of the new fads in Taiwan is what they call the Irish cold brew coffee.  I had never seen it before, and it also cost a lot more money ($2 for a small cup).  Shag and I shared a cup and was instantly sold.  It is apparently less acidic and the flavor is amazing!  The only downside of it is that it takes a long time to brew this type of coffee. 

Despite of all the snacks I'm having, I still feel like I am having a detox week in Taiwan.  When I was in China, I had major breakouts on my face (which never happens).  After I spent a few nights with my dad and eating only boiled veggies (he is on a health diet), I felt much better.  I have been eating a lot of crap in Taiwan since then, but I still feel much better.  I can't wait to eat more delicious food back in the states.

Do I sound like I'm ready to come back?
I think I am.

Are you guys ready for me ;)

Confessions of a lone traveler

I'm in Taipei, in a hostel. Yeah I know, you are wondering why I am staying in a hostel and not at home.  The truth is, I don't really have a home here.  Since about 15 years ago, when my dad sold our condo in the heart of Taipei, I really haven't felt like I had a home in Taiwan.  My parents since separated, and my dad owns a place in the outskirts of Taipei, and my mom is a nomad and lives most of the time at her mother's apartment.  Long story short, it's easier for me to just live in a hotel or a hostel, so that I can see both of them while I'm here.  My brother is also in Taipei, but he is living in a dorm right now provided by his required military service.

For the first time in more than 10 years, all the members in our family are in the same country. 

I haven't stayed in a hostel for a long time.  It's a lot of fun, and I should do this again in the future instead of spending a lot of money staying in hotels.  Since I've been here, I've met people from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Swiss, Canada, and even a person from Medford!  Most people have traveled to more places than I have, and I thought I have already been to a lot of places.  It's really humbling.  I enjoy sitting around at a table, drinking Taiwan beer and talking.

I suddenly realized as I am writing this why I haven't stayed at a hostel for more than 10 years - I haven't been single for about 10 years, and so I've always traveled with others.  For the first time since college, I am traveling alone.  Surprisingly, I enjoy it a lot.  Since I've been in Beijing, I have learned to enjoy being alone a lot more.  I still enjoy company once in a while, but I no longer feel like I need someone with me all the time (which I often did in the past).

Taiwan has changed over the years.  It has grown to be a country I am truly proud of.  The government has taught this society to be courteous and respectful to the old, young, and handicapped.  People get out of their subway seats instantly when they see someone else more in need of a seat.  People don't speak loudly in public spaces, and definitely do not spit or clear their throat in public places.  People line up and don't push others coming in and out of a subway.

Perhaps I appreciate this a lot more now that I live in Beijing, where people are not trained to be this way.  It will take time.  It took Taiwan decades to be the way it is today.  I guess this is what a developed Asian country is like compared to a developing one.

I also love shopping in Taiwan.  Service is amazing here, and they are patient.  While most imported things are more expensive here than they are in the US, I feel like I am getting more out of the purchase.  Also, as a foreigner, you can shop tax-free for all purchases greater than $100. I know, I know - I'm really advertising Taiwan to you guys... it's really that great!

Thanks to Facebook, people are able to find out that I am in Taiwan.  And guess who else is in Taiwan?  Shag is in Taipei for work!  What a coincidence :)  Apparently Katherine was here last week as well.  I'm going to meet up with him tomorrow - really looking forward to it! 

Another realization - I probably do not need to keep my apartment in Somerville.  Glen told me the other day that he couldn't believe I live in such a POS.  I didn't think I lived in a POS, but I can see why he said that.  I can save some rent money, and not have to worry about finding roommates.  I also do not miss my car that much, and I feel like it's a waste to let my car sit in the parking lot while its value decreases.  There are a few more things I do not miss that much.  I can do some real spring cleaning when I get back to Somerville. So if you have an attic that you can let me store my stuff at, please let me know.  I don't know where I am going to stay at when I am in Boston, but I am not too worried at this point. 

What do I miss?  My friends and the climbing community.  My office mates.  

I say quack, you say what?

After I picked Glen up at the airport at 9PM, we spent a few more hours taking the subway back and having dinner.  He looked like a zombie, eyes bloodshot.  Within a minute of turning the lights off, he was in his deep sleep state, with steady breaths.  I was really envious, as I have been not sleeping particularly well since I traveled to Qingdao, Chengdu, and Xi'an.

The next morning we had a really relaxing breakfast with DD coffee, toasts, and eggs. Glen watched me lather my toast with a thick layer of Nutella that he brought me, and said, "Now I know why you asked specifically for the BIG Nutella jar.  At least the little one I brought over will last you this week."  He followed and lathered his toast with Nutella as well.

We went our separate ways after breakfast, since I still had to go to work.  I sent Glen off at the subway stop, and gave him a few basic instructions and a map.  He looked at me the way a kid would look at his mom on the first day of school riding the school bus.  I worried that he would get so lost and not be able to find his way back, but at around 7 that night, he found his way back to my doorsteps.

He had gone to the Forbidden City, and tried to get to the art district, which was really out of the way so he turned around.  With his previous solo trips to Vietnam and Cambodia, I really didn't need to worry about him at all.  He was totally fine.

What do you think of trying some Peking Duck?  I asked, though I didn't even know where to go.
That sounds like THE thing to do in Beijing, so let's do it!  He looked hungry.
Let's check out where the real foodies say about Peking Duck, he looked online.

I asked a bunch of my buddies here, but everyone had a different answer.  In the end Glen found a spot that looked like where most of the visitors decided to go to sample the tasty duck: Da Dong.  Unlike the traditional Peking Duck restaurant Quanjude, the room decor and food presentations at Da Dong is contemporary.  Still, the chef brings out the roasted duck and carves it carefully like a piece of sculpture.

Glen picks up a small piece of the crispy duck skin with his chopsticks.  

Wow, I didn't think another animal can taste like bacon!  He said.
It was really THAT good.

After the delicious duck meal, we were both really tired and went to bed pretty early.  The following day, Glen traveled for about an hour and a half to the art district 798 at the outskirts of Beijing.  While I was still at work, he sent me an email from some artsy cafe telling me that he is having too much fun checking out the galleries and that he will be back at the apartment late.  He told me the art district is so big that it will make our SOWA in the South End look like a joke.  I was envious that he had an opportunity to check out a place that I wasn't even aware existed.  I will sure want to check this place out when I come back to Beijing in June.

We decided that a visit with Rose Mary is not complete without going climbing.  I took Friday off from work and we went off to Baihe on the bus then connected with the driver that Mantou recommended.  Glen took a nice photo of me and our taxi driver, who is the kindest guy I know.  Since we were checking out a crag that I hadn't gone before, he waited for us and hiked with us for about 10 minutes to make sure that we were at the right place.  On the way back to the bus station, he also wanted to make sure that we didn't miss the bus or not have a seat back to Beijing.  He drove us around to a few bus stops and waited to make sure the bus had seats.  All of this service for a whopping 100 RMB (less than $20).  I will have his phone number of my speed dial from now on!

The Bee Gorge is a really nice crag, in my opinion much better than the crag that I've gone twice with Mantou and Gaga (called Little Monster).  The only disadvantage of the Bee Gorge is that it is not located right next to the farm, one may need to call the taxi guy again to get a ride to the farm.  While we were at the crag, I met two white guys that looked like climbing guides.  I had recognized one of them from the gym.  They introduced themselves as Matt and Simon.  Simon's Chinese was pretty amazing, probably better than mine.  They had two clients with them, an Australian woman and a Chinese man.  Lucky for me, they brought a lot of food for their clients (including two loafs of bread) and what do you know, NUTELLA!  So I bummed a slice of Nutella bread from them.  It's really like crack for me.  I think that I will be their new best friends ;)

Glen started the day off with a warm-up climb, which I thought was harder than the 5.8 rating it claimed to be.  Then I wanted to check out some trad routes and decided to climb a 5.10a route nearby that was 30m long.  It looked relatively straight forward, and well protected, so I decided to give it a try.  Within about 2 minutes up, I realized the route was rarely climbed, and extremely dirty.  As I was cleaning the route to make sure that it was safe to place a piece of pro, I pulled out a soap-sized piece of rock on my right hand.  I was totally freaked out.  There was a little of bit of FA feel along with the climb, I thought.  I eventually made it up to the anchor, although I really struggled at the crux mentally, just thinking about where the rocks might crumble as I put all my weight on them.  So I aided my ass past the crux (I know, I know), it was quite a sight. 

Following the trad climb, we decided to go with the safer option of sport.  Glen went up a beautiful 5.9 crack that should really be a trad line and not a sport line, but this is China and not many people seem to climb trad, so I guess that's why they bolted it.  It was a lot of fun, with laybacks and hand jams.  I still don't think that I am ready for Indian Creek's jams, but we'll see next week. 

After the 5.9 climb, I kind of lost motivation to climb, and told Glen that maybe we should head back.  I forgot what he said, but I was eventually convinced into doing yet another 5.10c climb.  Typical Baihe style, the beginning is often tricky and a lot of nothing, then it got better and better.  It even included an unavoidable tree that was part of the route.

With the great wall as part of the backdrop, we enjoyed the solitude and the climbs that this gorge offered. 

You are so not coming back to Boston, he said.
There are so many climbs here for you to explore, and you may even be able to do some FAs here!

I wouldn't agree on that, though I wouldn't completely disagree either. 

There are definitely a lot of beautiful places to see over here, and interesting people to meet.

Great Wall in the background

Life is like a bumper car...

I get random cheesy messages from my cell phone provider on a daily basis.  Often times the saying are relatively lame, but I thought this one was fun, so I translated for you guys.  I guess the purpose of these text messages are to pass on to others or to cheer you up.  So, for your enjoyment, here it is:

Life is like a bumper car
If you bump into the right direction, 
you will shine for life
If you bump into the right environment, 
you will live comfortably for life
If you bump into the right timing, 
you will be in luck for life
If you bump into the right hobby, 
you will feel fulfilled for life
If you bump into the right lover, 
you will feel happy for life
 
Where is your bumper car right now?

I have to say, I have been in a good bumper car ride most of my life, and I thank you all for being in some part of this ride.

Glen came in via First Class last night.  He had a lot of frequent flyer miles that he could use, lucky guy.  As I was waiting for him at the exit, I saw a lot of well dressed Japanese business men coming out.  And then there was white trash Glen, in his jeans and 30L backpack, which was tagged "Priority."  I could only imagine the horror in the flight attendants' minds when they saw this white dude sitting in First Class among the elite, well dressed Japanese.  He couldn't stop talking about how nice the JAL lounge in Japan's airport was.  They even had a shower at the lounge.  When we realized hours later that I had no hot water in my apartment due to some building malfunction, he told me again how much he missed the JAL lounge. 

He brought me a jar of Nutella, which I begged for.  Apparently TSA didn't think that Nutella was solid enough and forced him to walk out of security and check in his backpack.  The other thing that I asked for was Dunking Donuts Coffee, which he brought over despite calling me white trash (and telling me that DD has a special place in his heart as well.)  Even more local, he brought over a bar of Taza dark chocolate, from our very own Somerville.  Thank you Glen!

You sound like are making a lot of effort to speak in English, Glen said as we walked out of the airport terminal.
I have been thinking and speaking in Chinese for weeks, it's only natural, I replied with an over-pronounced NPR effort.
I have been writing English a lot, but have not been speaking it much at all.  My accent is changing, and that if I don't think hard, then I will sound more Chinese when I speak in English, I told Glen.

Within a couple of minutes, I was back to my old self.  This morning, I didn't even have to think about what is coming out of my mouth.  I couldn't stop talking.

So don't worry guys, you will still understand my Engrish when I come back ;)

RM explores beyond her little circle

After I got an email from the US consulate in Taipei telling me that I can have an earlier interview date (which means that I will be back in time), I forgot all about the stress I had on Friday and went to Baihe with my buddies on Saturday morning.  Apparently it's company outing season with all the flowers blooming, and Daxue had organized a company outing to go to Baihe (how convenient!)  It served as a double duty of entertaining his coworkers, and allowing us climbers ride on the same tourist bus for free and setting up some topropes for them.

We went back to the same area as last time, which I learned is called Xiaoguai (Little Monster).  I also found the real online topo with some help, and I hope this will tempt some of you to come and visit me ;)  All these topos are available by phone and people basically have the topos on their smart phones - how convenient is that?  Here is another online article I found about Baihe.

Photo from DYNO

So I confirmed that these are granite rocks, really polished on the popular routes, but crumbly on the less popular ones.  The first climb I did was a popular one called All in One, which was a 10d.  I led the climb because Mantou was already leading another climb and apparently no one else wanted to lead.  And since Mantou took the easiest climb over there (10b), I had no choice but take the next easiest climb.  It was a fun climb, but I really struggled mentally all the way up.  It had a little bit of everything - crimp, laybacks, jugs, you name it.  It was also really long for me (~30 m), probably similar to Iron Man at Rumney.  After I passed two cruxes already 2/3 up, I asked Mantou who was next to me whether the rest was easier.  Unfortunately, he said there was at least one more hard move, which was height dependent.  I chickened out and decided to come down (I know, I'm lame).  No one else lead it that day (Mantou got lazy and set up the top via the 10b route).

After the 10d I decided to check out a trad route.  There was a 5.9 next to the area we were at that looked awfully easy, and didn't look like 5.9 from the bottom.  Without much thought, I jumped on it, and only took a few pieces.  I was surprised.  It was after all, a 5.9, and it sure felt harder than that.  Either the ratings here are freaking stiff or I'm just really out of shape.  I had to hang at at least 2 different spots, WTF?  Remember those dihedrals at the Gunks with bulges?  That's what I was struggling on.  There were no hand holds or vertical cracks to jam in at the bulges (twice).   I guess I should have warmed up on an easier climb, if there were any.  Other than the crappy 5.9 that I went on, I toproped a 12a that Mantou set up.  It had some interesting moves I have never had to do before, but I made it up eventually.  Gaga also made it up, but no one else bothered to try it. 

The next time I go there in June, I'm going to try some of the 10 trad climbs right around the corner.  They may be hard to get up, but at least they look more interesting than the 5.9 climb that I did.  Perhaps they will also be sick of Xiaoguai area and try another crag!

On Sunday it was extremely windy, and the climbing areas had sandstorms that were making us all uncomfortable.  After feeling a bit sore (especially me and Mantou), and Gaga hurting her knee from the 5.12 climb, we were not particularly motivated to climb on Sunday.  So when we found out that Daxue's coworkers were leaving for Beijing at 10:30AM, we all packed up and went home.  Instead of going straight home, I had the great idea of going hiking instead (don't ask me why, Max).  There was a 500m hill right outside of Beijing, perfect for an afternoon hike.  One of my new buddies nicknamed Hippo decided to come along.  For some reason I also thought it was a GREAT idea to go hiking with my rope and trad gear as part of the training (which I really regretted and asked Hippo to carry later on).  We made it up in 1 hour and 15 minutes, which is WAY slower than their record time (among friends) of 35 minutes. The whole experience felt like a typical RM and Max approach - Max would be at least 20 steps away, and I would be huffing and puffing my way up, except that Hippo wouldn't even stop for me like Max would.  At least at the end of the day I was rewarded at a nice restaurant where they served grilled fish.  I was spicy (of course) but very delicious.  I guess I made enough of an impression yesterday that Hippo asked me out to dinner again today, ha.

http://www.contemporarynomad.com/2007/08/different-tastes/

When Hippo took me out to dinner yesterday, it was near my apartment, in a section that I have never explored before.  There we discovered an outdoor market, which I have been looking for since I came to Beijing.  I was glad to discover that it was near my place, opposite of the direction that I have been going to all these weeks.  The prices here are WAY less than they are at the supermarket, and the veggies don't look that different from the ones that I pay an arm and a leg for.  I spent about 15 RMB (2 bucks) and brought back 3 kinds of fruits, 3 kinds of veggies, and some mushrooms.  This would probably cost me about 30 RMB at the regular supermarket, if not more.  I look forward to taking Glen to the outdoor market when he comes to Beijing tomorrow! 

Snafu resolved!

My awesome boss wrote an awesome letter to the US consulate and I got granted an early interview so that I can come back in time to go climbing!!!!!!  Yeahhhhhhhh bitches!

Going climbing this weekend with my buddies Mantou and Gaga.  This weekend is going to be awesome, and Mantou and I are going to be checking out some trad lines at Baihe.  It might even be a bit warm!

I love you, Sarah

Gini has kindly allowed me to share what she has been writing me.  It's so hilarious that I thought it would be a fun for people to see.  So don't you think you should be snooping around in the US while I'm gone - I know it all!

Some of the highlights from the different updates -

• Reid officially broke it off with Laura. You already knew that.
• Dave and Mary are in NYC at his sister's wedding. Mary did not get a dress from Karen Millen.  Bummer.
• Max's date with ClimberChick went well.  He is proposing a walk around the Esplanade and dinner for Wednesday.  Michael thinks he should do the ICA or a gallery and dinner in the North End instead.  he then wants to do AcroYoga as a third date.  He's still sick as a dog though, so hopefully he'll get over that before he throws her up in the air in some crazy Acro position.
• Michael got sick and yelled at Max for choosing the first week of May for a climbing trip.  We then pointed out to him that he's not in climbing shape anyway, so it's a wash.
• We had snow today in Boston.
  Michael: Is it sticking up there?
  David James Jefferson: No, just bringing back traumatic memories.
• Jess and I hosted a hamantaschen making party for the Jewish festival of Purim.  It's basically an excuse to have brunch and make jam filled cookies.  It was fun!  But we were all sad you weren't there.  Because a party isn't a party without RoseMary . 
• A LOT of people went climbing last night.  We were so many at the Indo that we needed two tables!  Rich was there, and Leslie was there too!  And Keith and A1 and Max and Reid and Michael and Grant and Justina.  Where were you, missy??
  The best part of the night: Murph was top roping a route and he split his pants open at the crotch.  No big deal, right?  Right....except....Murph doesn't ever wear underwear.  So I got to stare up at his brain whilst he finished the route.  Then I ran and told everyone that he split his pants.  
• Max continues to be so very focused on climbing that he announced that he is busy every Saturday for the foreseeable future.  He has started hitting on everyone in sight (especially the skinny hot good climber redhead) at the gym. 
• Reid weighed himself and realized he is over 170lbs. Then he was impressed with himself for being able to climb and still be so fat. He has since stopped drinking beer.
• David Levin has decided to get back into leading. Last night he led a 5.7 and 5.8.  
• We are all very jealous that Glen is coming to see you.  
• Aaron Child has grown a mustache and now looks even more like a sleazy 70's pornstar.
• Michael went climbing twice in a week.  We all died of shock.

Sarah, thank you for being YOU! 

I'm going to bed people.  I don't even know why I'm still up.

Back in Beijing with a big snafu

The Great Firewall of China may have stopped me from logging into my blogger account but it's the Great Wall of the United States that I may have to fight harder with.  For those of you that don't know, I'm not American (surprise) and I don't even have a green card.  Every 3-years (sometimes every year), I need to renew my US work visa to even be permitted to enter into the United States.  The fun part is that they want you to renew the visa outside of the US (such as in Taiwan).  The other fun part is that one needs to schedule for an interview about a month ahead of time.  Well friends, I missed my golden week by 1 week (since I couldn't do it while I was traveling), and so there is a chance I won't be back in the US on time for my climbing trip.

Max is going to KILL ME.  I can hear his RAGING SCREAMS through the core of the earth.  This will also affect two other people (Adrian and Carlos) that we are meeting up with.

But don't fret yet - there is still a chance that I will be back in time.  I am going to try to schedule for an expedited interview so that I can still be back in time.  No guarantees, but there is no point in freaking out at this point.  If this plan fails, plan B would require me to change 4 different flights, which is a shitload of flight.  Only one flight currently has open ticket, and this means that I will have to pay at least $100 per ticket change for the other 3.

The internet connection in Chengdu was slower than I liked, and it caused a lot of pain for me to log on to any type of network outside of China.  Even the work internet was slower over there.  So what else did I do for the last two days?  On my way back from Chengdu I stopped by the city of Xi'an, which is rich in history and definitely worth the visit. 

http://sherisays.wordpress.com/

This was the main reason I went to Xi'an - to see the terra cotta soldiers that were buried underground for more than a thousand years.  Discovered by a farmer while digging for a well in a small village outside of Xi'an in the 70s, what was originally one larger than life terra cotta soldier turned out to be a whole army of them.  The first batch of them were excavated and kept in relatively good conditions, though they claim that the original glaze colors have been lost.  There is still a whole area yet to be uncovered by archeologists.  The new excavation method would try to retain some of the original colors, which is quite an amazing process.  One soldier would on average take about 2 years to excavate, clean and piece together. 

Right next to the terra cotta soldiers lies the tomb of the very first emperor of China Qin.  This guy was a hero and also a tyrant.  He united China during the Warring States Period where there were several regions in China, creating the majority of what is called China today.  To fight the Xiongnu (Iranian, Turks, Mongolians, etc.), he ordered the creation of the first  great wall.  When he died, he was buried in fashion, along with all his favorite concubines, servants, and even some less important relatives (thousands).  A huge mausoleum was built for him, with full size buildings surrounding the large tomb, which took years to complete.  Unfortunately, the buildings were destroyed 2 years after completion by a great fire (this happens a lot in Chinese history), and what is left today is just a mound of earth.

Another famous dynasty that resided in the Xi'an region is the Tang dynasty.  Unlike Qin, Tang was really accommodating of different religions and culture, resulting in a cosmopolitan culture.  Near the center of the city is a large Buddhist Temple from the early period of Buddhism in China.  During this period, a notable monk named Xuanzhang who traveled from Xi'an to India in pursuit of Buddhist scripts along what is now called the Silk Road.  Along the way, he met a lot of people that helped him get to India (along with some bad guys).  His journey took 17 years to complete, resulting in one of the best Chinese classics of all time called Journey to the West.  There is an abbreviated English version called Monkey if you are ever interested. 

Along with Buddhism, there are a lot of Muslims in Xi'an even today from the Tang era.  Their worship spaces look similar to the Buddhist temples, although the writings are different and they do not burn incense.  There are little streets filled with Muslim-owned restaurants serving Halal food, kebabs and so on.  There are women wearing headscarves and men with their caps, right a long with other Chinese without these accessories.

The oldest religion of all of them in China is Taoism, which also has temples all over Xi'an.  This is where Yin and Yang and Feng Shui come from, along with all the crazy superstitions that we Chinese have.  The original text for Taoism is actually not as complicated as what it is today, and quite beautiful.  Supposedly written by Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching is a long poetic piece of work describing the basis of "going with the flow."  Very anti-authoritarian, for those of you on that path.  It is one of my personal favorite.

On that note, I will let my fate go with the flow.  If I cannot get to the US in time for my climbing trip, then let it be a lesson for me.  And I can, then it was meant to be ;)

Spicy Sichuan

Photo by Ping

As I was preparing to come back to Beijing from Qingdao last Tuesday night, I got an urgent phone call from my director Tang.  It was late at night, but since I didn't turn off my phone, I guess it was game for him to call.

Where are you at?  He said in a somewhat panicked tone.
I'm on vacation in Qingdao, I said calmly.
President Li [of the company] wants to see you this week, they want you to get to Chengdu ASAP, Tang said.
You should just fly out directly from Qingdao to Chengdu instead of coming back to Beijing, he continued.
How soon are we talking about?  I was just curious.
How about tomorrow morning?  I'll have someone book the flight for you right now.  And he hung up.

Total Chinese business style - and this is how they get ahead of the game.  This is how they catch up to the rest of the world.  While the rest of us are resting, these people are constantly thinking ahead, and working hard to catch up.  While they are industrious, many of them still know how to relax and have a good time.  I got to see it first hand right here in Chengdu.

Chengdunese know what a good life is about.  During the weekends, they gather with their family and friends and head to the outdoors, where they can enjoy a good game of majong or cards.  They don't just play these games anywhere.  They actually get out of the city and visit farmlands to play these games.  Over the years, farmlands has turned into private parks, where there are dozens of tables set up for games.  For a relatively inexpensive cost of a refillable cup of tea, one can sit at their table as long as they want.  They will bring their kids along and let them run off and do whatever they want in the park, while the adults play their games.  Some even bring food along, similar to having a picnic except that there is a game table with chairs instead of a blanket.

Eating street food is another highlight of Chengdu.  Locals and tourists alike love things on skewers.  They are often smothered in hot sauce of some sort.  No matter where you go, people seem to be eating.  Sichuan food is not famous for nothing - their spiciness is well known all over the world.  A 'mild' here is often still considered spicy in the US.  What I didn't know is that a lot of their food is deep fried in oil, including their skewers.  I had the best fish dish in Chengdu today at a fancy restaurant.  It was a white fish so tender and juicy in a broth-like base.  I thought the broth was a bit greasy on the top, only to realize after I ate it that the entire broth was oil. 

Sichuan food is not the only thing that is spicy here.  The women here are also very spicy.  Dressed in short shorts and mini skirts on heels, they will make any Beijinger blush.  Most of them are relatively skinny probably due to their spicy diet.  Since they snack all day instead of eating big meals all the time, it probably also helps.  I noted this observation to one of the colleagues and she told me that Chongqing women dress even hotter.  In the summer time, some women would wear Chinese baby bib as a top (a diamond shaped front with strings tying the back).  I can't find an image online, but you get the idea.

I was also told that over here, the husbands cook for their wives.  My guess is that their love life is also pretty good over here.  How do I know this?  While walking around, I notice a disproportional number of underwear stores.  For every 10 stores, there is 1 underwear store, if not more.  Every store has elaborately decorated bras and undies that make Victoria Secret's selections look sparse.  Have I stirred enough interests for any of you on Sichuan women?  Ready to visit? 

I'm in love with Laoshan

According to photos I found online about climbing in Qingdao, I learned that Laoshan is the place to visit.  Since I did't have a climbing parter, I decided to just go and tour Laoshan, go for a hike and do some sightseeing.  I also thought I may be able to go boulder on my own for a bit, maybe on the beach!

Photo by qdrocker

I had to do the Asian thing, I didn't really have a choice.  I took the tour bus up like everyone else, and planned to hike down slowly.  Similar to Acadia National Park, the mountains border the sea, creating an unusual marriage of the two.

There was a coastline bus route and a mountain route, though only the coast route was open during my visit.  One interesting thing about national parks in China is that many of them contain old villages with locals still living in the park.  In this case, there were several Cinque Terre-esque villages along the cost, some build-up on rocks.  It almost reminded me of the one time that I visited Sardinia.  Many locals make money by growing tea leaves, which are on small terraces facing the sea.  At the same time, the cherry blossoms are blooming.  It was such as beautiful, peaceful sight.  If only I can live in one of these small houses, and hide from the rest of the world.  Behind me would be multi-pitch cliffs and more beyond what I can see, waiting for me to explore.  Looking out to the sea, there are areas with boulders laying on the beach, as if telling me that it's ok to take a break from the ropes and go play with them for a bit.

There was a Buddhist monastery along the way that I decided to stop and check out.  It was built about halfway up one of the mountains, facing a valley with some beautiful rock faces across.  The scent of the incense filled the air as I walked into the main courtyard, and people paid their respects to the different Buddhas by kneeling in front of the statues. I picked a spot where no one else was at, and did a few bows.  I wasn't really sure which Buddha or what I was really praying to, but I wanted to show my respects.  I think it was the god of earth/land, which is quite appropriate for me. 

Pray for my safety when I go and disturb the rocks.

Pray that nature is gentle to all the people I care about and that they do not end up hurt too badly when they take risks.

After my prayers, I went further up the mountain behind the monastery, where I noticed several large rock piles.  I was sick of crowds by this time and decided that I should go and explore the area alone, with the hope that I could go and climb something.  Anything. 

Behind the monastery, I found a thin trail heading up the hill, between a row of bamboos and a brick wall.  After hiking for about 10 minutes, I found myself in front a large boulder.  There was a small spray paint mark at the bottom of the boulder.  I wondered if that was how they marked the bouldering spots.  I decided to give it a try, though I admit I was scared of getting injured with no one around me.  The problem was really easy, with a face start and continued with a flake up to the top. When roped, I would have gone up with no hesitation.  Without a crash pad and the landing uneven, I hesitated.  Rich just told me that he sprained his ankle bouldering, and he's been bouldering for a long time.  I've only been out once at P-way and another time at Lincoln Woods.  The top was at least twice my height, probably almost three times. After evaluating each move, I decided to give it a try.  After topping out, I still wondered how someone would consider highballing a problem even with a sea of crash pads. 

I tried two more problems on the same boulder and decided that I better not let my excitement control my judgement.  I wandered further into the woods, looking for more rocks to explore.  Finally, I found what I was looking for, something that looked more like the White Horse standard route, longer than a bouldering problem, a bit slabby, but nothing that would injure me badly if I did trip and fall.  I went up some fun corners, then up some diagonal laybacks with ease.  I felt very comfortable and in my element.  After what felt like 'a pitch' of climb.  I looked back into the valley, enjoying the moment. 

The phone suddenly rang.  It was Yu from the office wandering when I was coming back to the office.  The call probably saved me, and kept me from continuing up further and losing track of time. It was already 3:30, and I had a sudden panic.  What if I didn't remember where I placed my pack at the base?  What if I couldn't come down for some reason?  I realized that I was being selfish and probably stupid for going up this high on my own.  Luckily, there was a 4th class way down, much better than the original route.

After my little adventure, I walked for another 10 miles or so along the road, looking out to the sea, hoping for some boulders.  But I was already too tired and the sunset was racing me.  Though I was tired, it was still no comparison to the day when Max and I did our 48+ hour marathon J-Tree --> Pasadena --> Yosemite epic. 

I miss you all, and hope you are all well.        

Qingdao, Tsingtao, the green island

Since I'm not a big beer drinker, I didn't connect the relationship between Tsingtao Beer and the Qingdao region in Shandong Province.  There is a silly beer review I found at another blog about Tsingtao Beer, which gave it a 9 out of 10 rating.  I still haven't tried it yet, but I plan to do so soon.

So why am I talking about Tsingtao Beer?  I'm wanted to take a break from Beijing and so I took the high speed train down to Qingdao!  Located at the coast south of Beijing and Tianjing, Qingdao used to be occupied by the Germans and the Danes, and still has a bit of a resort town feel to it.  The architecture is a mix of western mansions that are about 2 to 3 stories tall, juxtaposed with contemporary high-rise residential and commercial buildings, all looking out to the Yellow Sea.  Qingdao was a big shipping town, connecting to ports like Shanghai and further south.  Some general information about Qingdao is on this website. 

To be honest, I didn't know very much about Qingdao, the green island.  The only reason I even knew about Qingdao was because of the restaurant on Mass Ave.  It's one of the more authentic tasting places on the north side of Boston, and the owners are extremely friendly.  There was a large photograph of Qingdao hanging on the wall, showing western terra cotta roofs and a beautiful coast.  It didn't look like any Chinese city that I was familiar with. 

Conveniently, Hunter is from Qingdao and came to visit his family for the holidays, and I wanted to meet up with him and have him show me a few good spots in Qingdao.  It's Qing Ming Day tomorrow, which is when one pays respects to the dead.  Families burn paper money for the dead, and wakes up early and cleans the family grave.  Typically, only men attend these families affairs, and sometimes it is not permitted for women to participate in them.  I haven't participated in these family rituals for a long time, mainly because I have been in the Philippines, then US, for the last 20 years.  As I walked back to my hotel earlier tonight, I saw several people burning paper money for their ancestors. 

I wish I could share some photos, but my iPhone is still out of commission and I can't seem to transfer images from my cheap phone to my laptop.  Sigh.

There is a really long board walk along the beach (30 km?), with locals and tourists alike stroll up and down the coast.  I even saw a group of shirtless runners, which you would never see in Beijing.  And there were also people on tandem bikes, which I was envious of.  There were people playing beach volleyball, laying on the sandy beach, and eating ice cream.  This is so un-Chinese, I thought.  We were never taught to go sunbathing as kids, so that we would preserve our fair skin.  But the beach was packed with people, and soon I was also drawn to it.  Hunter bought some baked potatoes from a street vendor, and we sat on the beach eating them.  It reminded me of many years ago when my friend Dustin and I sat on the beach in Nice eating rotisserie chicken and baguette, watching the sunset.  All those good memories.  

Tomorrow I'm going to try to visit Laoshan, where there are some bouldering areas by the sea.  I'm a bit nervous, since I don't have a crash pad.  Plus Hunter has to stay home tomorrow with his family, so I don't even have a spotter.  I guess even if I don't get to boulder much, I will at least get to feel the texture of the rocks and enjoy the solitude.

I feel like a fool today

Since I've been in the Beijing bubble, I guess I kind of stopped reading US news.  I forgot to download my Economist on the phone last week, and now guess what?  My iPhone is useless right now anyways.  I forgot to recharge it last night, and it DIED on me.  Now just gives me a not so happy looking Apple logo when I turn it own, forever in a limbo stage.  Sigh.  I guess I don't know how to reboot my jail-broken phone properly :(  And now Rich just told me this morning that AT&T bought T-Mobile?  Where have I been?  So all that jailbreak work for nothing. 

What else did I do this week?  It went by so quickly... Oh I know what I did!  My colleagues and I went shopping at the local bargain market twice.  We went out for LONG lunch breaks to go to the nearby market.  It's a whole floor of little stalls filled with clothes and shoes. I found an image online since I no long have a camera without my iPhone.  It's this packed during the day!

This type of market place is set up for major bargains.  Since I have a southern Chinese accent, I'm at a disadvantage.  This is because we are traditionally known to be more wealthy, more sophisticated, and more easily fooled by northerners.  I don't know how many times I have walked into a store, looking like a bum, and still be treated like a queen.  This is not good.  Once they find out you are from the south, their eyes look like this $$.  And if they find out that you are from Taiwan, then they have three eyes $$$.  IF they find out that you are from the US?  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

So my colleague Yang decided to rescue me.  She has a very explosive personality, and loves to go shopping and haggle.  She is in the marketing department and often has to take clients out to dinner, buy them gifts etc.  She knows the trade so well that she can probably do it in her sleep.  On the other hand, my other colleague Yu is an engineer and has a more mellow personality.  She likes to watch the show but does not really enjoy shopping at the market.

Don't open your mouth, Yang said.
And look at an item like you are not very interested, and definitely let me be the one naming the price.  She continued.

We walked up and down the narrow shopping corridors as we looked for items that we may fancy.  I spotted a pair of jeans.  For some reason I was fixated on the idea that I need yet ANOTHER pair of jeans.  For climbing outside in the cold, I told myself.  I asked her how much it cost.  The salesperson heard my accent, and gave me a very high price 125 RMB.  Yang gave me the Chinese stank eye. It was too late to recover once I opened my mouth.  She tried to haggle it down, but it was too late.  Five minutes later, I was exhausted listening to them as both sides knock each other up and down by 5 RMB increments at a time. 

Why don't I give you 80RMB, I finally lost my patience and said.
That's fine, the seller replied.  And we exchanged goods. 

We moved away to the next station, with Yang on one side of me and Yu on the other, with their arms  wrapped around mine like I'm their shared boyfriend.  (FYI: ladies in many parts of Asia love to hold hands, or have their arms around, etc.)  Yang shook her head as if I just made the biggest sin in the world. 

Yang spotted a Diesel leather wallet that looks like this one.  We are not sure if it's real or not, but it looked decent.  The seller asked for 160 RMB, and they claimed that they didn't negotiate.  Yang didn't care, and started yelling prices back at them.  They just smiled and said that it was the lowest price already.  So Yang said, OK, then why don't I give you 150 RMB.  The seller hesitated but finally agreed on that price.  As Yang had the new wallet in her possession, she dished out her cash.  She laid 135 RMB out on the table, and told them that this is all they are going to get.  Then she swiftly grabbed us along with her and walked away before the sellers even had a chance to talk back at her.  I heard some cursing in the background and them yelling THIEF! but they didn't run after us to tell us to pay up either.  Now that's some real skills!

Apparently you guys also got fooled on 4/1!  We got rain today in Beijing but you guys got SNOW! 
No Gunks and Farley this weekend, you fools!