A few weeks ago I wrote a post about what keeps me motivated in all aspects of life. It became a very popular post and a lot of people wrote me back and told me that they enjoyed the post. Thank you guys for reading and keeping my motivation up! As you may remember, I listed a few reasons why I keep climbing. The truth is, most of the reasons really had nothing to do with climbing, but more to do with being outside and enjoying nature. I reread my own post today - because for the first time in a while, I didn't feel like climbing.
What happened? You may ask. I think it has to do with the ke mentality that I apparently lack right now. What is ke? It's the Chinese word for to carve or to engrave, as to ke a book to study, or ke a difficult route on the wall. As an Asian kid, you were taught to ke the books so that you would be at the top of the class. Ke the piano all night in hopes of being that prodigy on that stage. I think I used to be that kid, but now I lack the attention or interest to do so.
Apparently, the Chinese climbers here still like to ke all day, and I admire their persistence. But it totally kills my interest in climbing. I know it's good to work on something really hard once in a while to push beyond your comfort zone - but what if it's something that you can't even get up on top rope? It was very frustrating to work on something all day that I could not even get more than 20 ft. off the ground (and it was only a 12b, which is doable for me generally on top rope). At that point, I would normally move on and work on something slightly easier that is still challenging for me, so that my improvement would be in small increments rather than one big leap. Obviously not being able to send the problem means I lack finger strength, core, form, etc., and repeating it again and again the same day would not help me send the climb. It would only bring me pain and the possibility of injuries.
OK, fine. I'm just complaining because I set my bar too high and I can't get up the climb. But I think that the underlying reason is that week after week I am stuck at the same crag with the same 6 lines of climbs. It's like going to the gym, where you only have a choice of two 5.10s, two 5.11s, and two 5.12s to climb. I suggested going to a different crag but Mantou is working on the 5.12 climb and he is the alpha of the pack so everyone just stays with him.
I ended up taking a nap on the rock and not even bothering to climb. When I was snoozing yesterday, three non-Chinese came up and called my name in English and woke me up.
Rose Mary? The guy said with a thick German accent.
How do you know my name? I woke up, confused because someone called me in English.
It's Torsten, the guy you met at Joshua Tree last year!
I've been meaning to contact this guy since I got back to Beijing, but didn't do so because I knew he already had climbing partners and I did too.
Ola's 8nu profile pic
He came with two female climbers, both names I had heard of since I've been at Baihe. These are the few non-Chinese climbers that also ke routes all day, but they also happen to be the best climbers in their respective countries. One of the climbers is a Polish woman named Aleksandra Przybysz (Ola), and the other a Finnish woman named Katariina Rahikainen (Kata). The hardest these two can climb are 13d and 13c, which I cannot even fathom in my lifetime. The three of them have been developing new routes (along with the local climbers) and First Ascending (FA) some of the hardest climbs in the area. Torsten is mainly a trad climber and is in charge of bolting the anchors, then they take turns working on the moves on TR before bolting the entire line. Lately the ladies have been sending a bunch of FAs. Ola pointed at a 5.11d climb close to the one they were developing and told me that THIS was her very first FA. I knew how much that meant to any climber, to be the FA of a climb. I had never witnessed this before so it kept me interested for a while (while Mantou was STILL keing his 5.12b line).
While I know that I would never be such a strong climber, especially not at face climbing like these three, it was still good to meet them and see what it means to be some of the best climbers in the world.
The answer to being the best in anything is: you do have to ke, stay focused, and work hard.
For the rest of us average folks, being good enough is sometimes better than being perfect.
The end of this week marks the halfway mark of my 8-week tour this time in China. With my work getting more exciting, time flew by really quickly and I still feel like I need to get more accomplished before I return to the US. In addition to making some progress at my work here in China, another personal goal of mine is to explore the Beijing area more.
The first time I had a visitor from the US, I felt like I didn't even know where to go. Sure, I've been to the Forbidden City and at least three different parts of the Great Wall, but there is so much more that Beijing can offer. My initial reaction to Beijing was relatively negative due to the poor air quality and congestion. As I live more like a local, I am starting to accept certain things and learn to enjoy other parts of it that I didn't see. One of my climbing buddies Hema has been showing me parts of Beijing that I would not have seen. He too, was an outsider from the south many years ago. Today he tries to live like a Beijinger and embrace their ways. I have in some ways tried to avoid living like an American expat - mainly because I want to experience what it's like to live like a Beijinger.
So here it is, a list of must-dos in Beijing. I can't claim that I've been to everywhere and done everything, but at least this gives you an idea.
1. Visit the Forbidden City. You just have to see the magnificent architecture here. Beijing had painstakingly took every major piece of terra cotta roof and cleaned them to recreate the original glazing color. They repainted a lot of the building ceilings for the Olympics back in 2008 as well. The closest comparison I have to the Western world is like going to Rome. Totally worth seeing, and it will take you at least half a day to almost a day.
2. Get Lost in the Old Hutongs. The first time Glen and I tried to look for old Beijing communities, or Hutongs, we didn't really find that many of them. A lot of old Chinese buildings were poorly maintained and the government tore them down and turned them into modern apartment complexes. Very little urban planning was done to modernize these areas, and the sense of community disappeared. There were some hutongs near the Old Drum Tower, but we really didn't know where to go.
After a little bit of research, I found Time Out magazine's recommended list. It's too bad that the rest of the city is building towards the sky. The Hutongs are usually at most 2-stories and contains several alleys where different families live, almost like a cul-de-sac. Near the living areas, there are usually shopping areas, bakery, coffee shops, and great hole-in-the wall eateries. There is a good mix of the old Beijing shops with the new ones. The good part about this is that cars don't normally pass through the area due to the narrow streets, and one would spot a stranger real quickly. The bad part is that all your neighbors are so close to you that you don't have much privacy.
3. Eat Beijing Xiaoci. Xiaoci (shiao tse) are savory cheap eats. For the big business meals, Beijingers would go to a really fancy place where they serve plates after plates of wasted food. I am not a big fan of big restaurants for that reason. Xiaoci restaurants are cozy places, where they generally only specialize in a few different types of food.
Hema took me to try some of the Beijing Xiaoci. Food is typically served with a light beer like Tsingtao or Yanjing. The first dish we tried is called baodu, which is the black-colored thing on the right. Did you figure out what it is yet? Take a guess.
It's one of the stomachs of a cow. Tastes chewy and a bit crunchy like pork tripe. The color to me is a turn off, but otherwise it's pretty light. A sesame-peanut sauce is used to make it go down smoother.
The bowl of soup above the baodu is called douzi. Douzi is a sister drink to soy milk, call soy juice. It's been fermented and has a sour taste to it. It has a similar flavor to stinky tofu, but even more pungent.
Hema and the soy juice
A fellow Taiwanese tourist sat near our table and took a sip of the soy juice - and I saw his facial expression. I took a small sip of the juice and gave the rest to Hema, who gulped it down.
I forgot what the fried rings that you put into the soy juice are called, but they don't taste anything like onion rings. They are super hard and somewhat chewy. Hema joked that if you put the ring in the middle of the road and had a car run over it, that it will not crush the ring. Instead, the road will be dented.
There are a few other doughy food that came with the douzi and baodu, although I am not sure what they are. They are deep fried and required heavy seasoning.
Probably the most featured xiaoci of all is the meat on skewers. These skewers traditionally came from the Muslim minority, but now it's commonplace for non-Muslims to sell them. However, following the tradition, they do not serve pork skewers. The grilling stand is usually outdoors in the front of the restaurant, and the guests would sit outside, often times on really tiny stools and tables. It is the best place to be on a hot summer night.
Each skewer costs as little as 1 RMB, and can be anything from lamb legs to chicken wings. They also have more exotic types such as meat with cartilage, chicken fat, and lamb intestines.
Along with the skewers, another highlight of the grilling stand is the spicy tienluo, or snails. They are not as big as escargot, but has similar texture. They are stir-fried instead of baked with red chili peppers and soy sauce. Pretty addictive to eat since they are really salty.
4. Try the Street Food. Now here is a gamble - but it is definitely worth it. One of the things I have tried include Chinese stinky tofu, which in my opinion is stinkier than the Taiwanese version. Another one I have seen is the deep fried hotdog, which I think I will pass. A good breakfast that I see everyone have is the jianbing. It is basically a crepe with an egg and a deep fried layer of crispy dough and some spicy seasoning.
5. Get Some Culture at 798. When you get tired of all the historic sites and crowds, head over to the art district called 798. There you will find espressos that actually taste good, and art galleries after more art galleries. It's a whole city of art galleries that will make the South End look like a joke. There are a lot of cool sculpture around and artsy people wearing BCGs. I'm not kidding - they are becoming trendy all over Beijing.
6. Spoil Yourself with a Massage. Labor is still cheap, so enjoy it while you can. I've tried the Chinese style called guasha, which uses a tool to put pressure on your knots and areas of fluid build-up. They make it sound very ying and yang on the website (and also at the massage place), but once you get used to the initial scraping on your back, then it's pretty much similar to a massage when they put a lot of pressure on certain points. Another good thing to experience is the foot wash/rub. It's like going for a pedicure except they also give you a foot massage, and sometimes even your back.
7. Walk around Houhai. There are a few ponds in the city, and this is one of them. Many locals hang out along the pond. I can't remember which one but at night they are all lined up on the edge of the pond fishing. In one section, there are also several bars and coffee shops. The pond is somewhat lit up by these bars, bringing in a different kind of energy to this part of the city. The thing is, you will forget that you are in Beijing when you are here. The traffic jams are gone and it's relatively quiet. For a sec you might even think the air is cleaner over here.
8. Try the Dumplings. The north is known for the noodles and dumplings. They have way more variety than the typical pork and cabbage ones. Yesterday I actually saw dumplings served as a street food, but they are probably better in a restaurant. Dumplings up north are typically boiled in water rather than steamed, and the dumpling skin is a lot thicker than the Hong Kong style dumplings. Along with the dumplings, the dumpling water (used to boil the dumplings) is served to the guests instead of hot tea. Not my favorite, but that's how they do it up here!
9. Take the #1 Subway Line. To get the full Beijing experience, one must take the #1 train, preferably during rush hour. You will appreciate your personal space even more after this experience, trust me.
I don't normally discuss politics much with friends. I believe that despite our differences in political views, that we can all still get along fine. Since living in China, many many people have asked me what I think about the situation between Taiwan and China, and whether I think an 'unification' of the two would be in the horizon. Most of them have never been to Taiwan due to visa requirements, and a lot of Taiwanese are also not interested in learning more about China.
Before I visited the 'motherland,' I was not particularly for or against the possibility of unification of the two places. After all, they are like sisters that fought and haven't talked to each other for decades. The 'unification' of Hong Kong and China didn't seem to harm HK much, I thought, so why not.
Then I lived here and learned much more about this place and their culture. I watched their TV hows and news, and I listened to what the people have to say about politics. It was an eye-widening experience.
And what do I think today? No f*@king way would I ever want to be controlled by the government here. Or have anything to do with them. My belief is confirmed by others from Taiwan.
Now when my Chinese friends ask me whether I think there is a chance for 'unification' of the two places, I think they are implying, "come back so that you can save us!"
The other day I met up with some people that taught at the university, and listened to the intellectuals' views about this country's growth. Even though the country appears to be modeled on capitalism and consumerism in a similar Western fashion, the rest is actually turning inward. What changed is their behavior and outlook on money, but that doesn't mean that old cultural habits that has been ingrained in their genes will be westernized. I am talking about they way they structure their organizations, and the way they do business. One of the intellectuals I was with pointed out the university's magazine to me. It's their centennial celebration, a very big deal for any university, and especially such an influential one. On the cover, is a pyramid of photos with the most influential person at the top and so on. One would think that the founding deans or other influential intellectuals would be at the top of the pyramid. Unfortunately, the most influential professors were in a row at the bottom of the pyramid, while the top was dominated by political figures.
It was very disturbing, he said.
He fears that the country is turning backward, instead of heading forward.
I have to agree with him on that.
A country originally based on idealistic communism has turned into a system of class dominated by the political elite. All final decisions that matter are made by the political party, including most of the largest and influential government-funded start-ups. All local news are filtered and censored, including their Twitter-like site called Weibo. I am not claiming that the Taiwan or US governments are THAT much better, but a least we can vote for who we want to lead the country. Sure, we have representatives that are not really representing the right Americans, but at least we had some. This is what it looks like when China allows its citizens to run for elections for anything.
Like an upside-down poporcelain china, the country is insulated from outside influences. Ms. Berrol used to tell us in our middle school geography class. She was right. China runs on its own course. If you want to work with China, you follow their rules.
There are plenty of people that come and try to work with (in) China and fail. The few that succeed always tell you how difficult it was when they started, and how many times they have been cheated, etc. So far, the one person that really stood out from my observations, is William from Taiwan. William owns a very successful company in the city of Xiamen called TechAudio. They are the supplier for CSM, a sister company of ours that sells sound masking systems. Last week I flew down to Xiamen and visited his company, and toured the city.
William has been in Xiamen for about 15 years, and has made his business grow into a very successful one. They are capable of making low-end audio parts, as well as some higher-end speakers and subs. Most of his employees have worked there for many years, which is usually a good sign about how well the company is managed. He is a very jolly man of 58-years old - married to a Taiwanese woman about 20 years his junior who also works at the company. He is young at heart and knows how to live. William called in his technical sales guy and told him to give me an introduction about the CSM product, as if I was considering purchasing the product. What he didn't tell this poor fella is that I am basically from CSM! The guy was really embarrassed and promised to give a better sales pitch next time.
After the business talks and tours, William had his favorite staff Lilly take me around Xiamen. Lilly is a 27-year old rising star, and William asked me to talk to her and give her some guidance on life. He wants her to become a more confident woman, who can take charge. William and his wife have no kids, and I can tell that he treats his staff like his own. He hosts monthly 'book clubs' for his staff of about 20 (not including the factory workers that actually assemble the products), where they read various books ranging from personal development to business.
Xiamen is a historic port city southeast of China, the place closest to Taiwan's Kinmen island. It has a little bit of resemblance to other port cities like Qingdao and Lugang. The one good thing is that unlike Qingdao which is a peninsula, Xiamen is actually an island. This prevents the city from over-expanding to the point of being unlivable. The weather in Xiamen is similar to Taiwan, very tropical, relatively breezy and and nice blue skies. A lot of Chinese immigrants that went to the rest of southeast Asia (including Taiwan) came from the Fujian province and specifically Xiamen, making it a very historic place. It did, somewhat feel like home, I guess. A lot of Filipino-Chinese and Singaporean-Chinese are from here generations ago, and plenty of them come back and visit. They speak the same dialect as Taiwan called Hokkien, making it a somewhat familiar place. The old part of Xiamen looks similar to the streets of Lugang in Taiwan, which has a lot of European architecture influences. After all, it was the main port for exporting tea in the 19th century, and plenty of culture mixing happend right here.
Gulangyu coast
One of the must-sees of Xiamen is a small island called Gulangyu, which is where the westerners resided in Xiamen when they were here in the early 1900s. It is also called the musical island, kind of like the Chinese Juliard. It has it's own music school, a concert hall, and a piano museum with about 80 old European and US made old pianos, clavichords, and harpsichords. It was such a treat for me! Not so much for Lilly - she was probably wondering why I would spend so many hours in a museum.
Streets of Gulangyu, all pedestrian-only
View from the top of the piano museum
A rock! The highest point on the island
A funny entrance for the piano museum
No photos were allowed, so I took one real quickly at the entrance without flash
A nice treat of shaved ice with mangoes and sauce after a hot day!
