Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The bathroom in Malaysia
Monday, June 28, 2010
June 18, 2010. Zhanjiang, China-Middle school classmates
My middle school classmates that I havn't seen for 23 years. We were in the same class for 3 years.
June 17 2010. Zhanjiang, China-Sunset
We have been living in China for 13 days now. I came back to China for the first time as an American and I am finding it a struggle right now trying to blend in and live like I used to as a Chinese. Sometimes, feel I am an American living in China. And when I am in the US, I feel like a Chinese living in the US. Right now I am trying to become a Chinese to survive and live in China. Ha!
OK... Long story short, I will try my best to let you know what I am talking about.
I didn't have much trouble when we stayed a couple days in Hong Kong, except looking right first when we were crossing the street. Hong Kong drivers are on the left hand side. After we crossed the boarder to mainland China. I realized I have been living in the US for a very long time. This is our 2nd visits since I left China to Germany and US. One night, after many bottles of beer with my brother and his friends in Shenzhen, (Erik was well taken care of along with my nephew.) I went back to our hotel room after midnight. I was very thirsty, turned on the water and drank. SHOCK! I forgot that I should not drink the running water in China!
The other day, my brother picked me and Erik up at the hotel in Shenzhen (the city next to Hong Kong). We drove about 5-6 hours southwest to my hometown, Zhanjiang (a port city located south of China by the ocean). We stopped at one hotel in Guangzhou to pick up my brother's friend. I went to the restroom in the small hotel lobby. After I finished, I almost screamed... THERE WAS NO TOILET PAPER! I am glad that I didn't do #2. Lesson learned. ONE, new, very important item, added to my purse. Tissue! Occasionally when I take Erik to the Ladies room, one will hear the only American boy yelling at his mom, "Mom, I need toilet paper." We also need to get use to the hole in the ground for the toilet because most of the public restrooms don't have sitting toilets.
Speaking of driving, I don't think I ever want to drive my own car in China. Crazy drivers everywhere. My brother gave me a little scooter to get around in my hometown. It is Great, and I feel I have lots of freedom. I can go everywhere I want! FREEDOM is not free, however, because if I try to follow my US driving rules, I will never cross the street and I hold up traffic. So I start moving slowly, and very carefully, look around. They have no driving rules here, or they have their own rules. Motorcycles, scooters, vehicles and pedestrians run through red lights, and driving in the opposite lanes. Nobody is mad and they move slowly as they push their way through traffic. It seems everybody has their own protective bubble . I think the people make up their own local rules to follow. I saw two policemen just jump to a motorcycle and pulled the key out to stop the cyclist because he was not wearing a helmet. I went to the Walmart here to buy a couple helmets for me and Erik. At the bike accessories section there were NO helmets , but I found instead the heaviest and strongest bike locks I have ever seen in my life.
I left my hometown after high school, 20 years ago and didn't visit often.This is my 2nd visit my hometown after live in US for almost 9 years. I don't know the road/streets and directions to get around. My brother always laughs at me about this.
My hometown is a very beautiful city! It is so green, with lots of plants that I can not named. The town is by the ocean, and it is STICKY HOT here. My boy says it is so hot that he can not breath. I got a brand new short hair cut. My hubby likes my long hair and he always tells me this. I told him I took my hair off and I even want to take my clothes off. My hubby said it is alright to take off my hair but not my clothes.:)-
Erik is the center of attention everywhere he goes. They people say, “Look, he is American/foreign boy.” Sometimes some ladies will stop on the street and take a look at Erik, and ask if Erik is a mixed-blooded/half Chinese,American? Ha!
I need to prepare some standard Q&As. People here like to ask me lots of questions about the US. Sometime the questions are so weird and too personal that I really don't know how to answer. I try to be honest but at the same time I don’t want to feel uncomfortable about my answers. Most the people like to ask how much I make in the US. They are not mean, just curious.
We are SO enjoying our visit in China. My Family and the FOOD, FOOD, FOOD are the things I miss so much when I am in the US!
No facebook nor Blogger here in China, so please stick with me here.
Stories to be continued...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
June 12, 2010. Zhanjiang, China
Erik's school in China. The bathroom in Erik's school with the holes in the ground and no bathroom doors that Erik refuses to go there. More Chinese traditional med treatment. The incredible foods. My parents' house.
June 11, 2010. Zhanjiang, China-The city I grew up!
The trees and plants. My folk's house, my brother's condo...the streets that I got lost and don't know the names. Erik's doctor visit. My high school classmates that I havn't seen for over 20 years.
June 9, 2010. Zhanjiang, China-First day of school for Erik
HUGE Rock Star in school
This morning, I took Erik to an elementary school to enroll him for the first grade class. My middle school classmate friend is the vice principle in the school of over 1700 students. Erik was in, no problems!
But, later on...
Oh, boy, I was became a big celebrity security mom! I was almost have to take him out of school. I made a mistake after the lunch break back to school this afternoon. I sent him to school at the right time as normal kids do. The school opens at 2:30pm. We were there about 2:35pm. There are no teachers to supervise the kids at all after the get into the school/classes. It would be suppose "self study" between 2:45pm-3:00pm before the teacher shows up in class. THAT was a big mistake for us. LOTS kids want to see Erik/the first and only american kid in this school. I am not kidding. Hundreds and hundreds kids came by the doors and windows to see/point out Erik. Poor Erik he was sitting by his desk and surrounded by fifty kids in his class yielling and screaming... some kids tried to protect Erik from the kids from the other classes, some asked Erik for autography. Boy... I could not stop the kids nor make them quiet. Erik was little upset. Then I told Erik we should go out get some fresh air and the classroom was really too loud. SO the other mistake, out of classroom we go, in the school yard. We surrounded by hundreds and hundreds kids... then we have to rush our way back to classroom again. Thank you god. At 3:00pm, the homeroom teacher showed up. The bell rang... all the other kids were gone in one min and the class back to order. I sat by the classroom don't want to leave him alone. After 45 mins, it was recess. again, big rock star was out and hundreds kids came to. Erik was not so care, he wants to try out all the little playground equipments. Again, too many kids. few mins later, I told Erik, "Erik, run, as fast you can." Here he goes, he ran in the school track and chased by over hundreds kids... oh boy... BELL, bell, somebody please ring that damn bell, to make all the kids go away... I stayed in school and picked Erik up before the bell rang.
Lesson learned, from now on, we will show up in school 5 mins after class started and no kids around us. And will pick him up 5 mins before the school ended. So we will be at school 8:05-10:30am, 3:00pm-4:20pm school time for Erik in these two week before we go to Malaysia.
This school is not my elementary school in my hometown. It is little funded school. So it is packed with kids. First to Six grade are 3 classes each grade. About 50-60 kids in one class and one homeroom teacher with math, music, art..etc teacher come into the same classroom. seven and nine grade also have 3 classes each grade. So it is about 1700 students!!!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
June 8, 2010. Zhanjiang, China-My hometown-Meet my big family!
Meet Erik's grandpa and grandma in China!
June 8, 2010. ShenZhen to ZhanJiang. Zhanjiang, China-My hometown
My brother-Shuiqing came to Shenzhen with his wife Aiping and daughter Yinglin to pick us up and drove to my hometown-Zhanjiang. It is about 6 hours drive from Sz to ZJ. We also drove through Guangzhou to pick up my brother's friend.
Friday, June 25, 2010
June 6, 2010. Shenzhen(China)
I came back to China for the first time as an American. The immigration officer looked at my American passport and just said one word in English,"Hello." That's it. I am now in China. Met my German friend Volker who works in China two months every year for over 12 years. I hadn't seen him for over 9 years. Erik was getting so close to Volker because he is the only one speak good English in China with Erik. Had a seafood dinner with Volker and Ray. Fishes are not friend, they are FOOD! We ordered the live seafood from the tank for dinner! Before dinner, my friend Ken who took us to the hotel and settled our thing down. Thanks to Ken for the hotel. Charles came with us to the little theme park in Shenzhen. They did the spinning UFO-Crazy Disco! Few days later, Erik was complaining the pain behind his knees. I also noticed that Erik had buries on his leg. I took Erik for the doctor visit when we hit my hometown-Zhanjiang. I think that was too much for Erik. But Erik had so much fun.
June 6, 2010. Hong Kong
Touring around in downtown area with my friend Aman Yeung who I know for over 20 years now. Good friend of mine-Charles was helping us to take the train to Shenzhen(China, cross boarder from HongKong, the city I worked and studies for 9 years before I went to Germany.) Charles is one of my male friend that I know for over 15 years.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
June 4, 2010 Hong Kong
Arrived in Hong Kong at 6:30am June 4. Settled down in my friend's apt. Out for a dim-sum breakfast. Latter on Erik was taking a little jet lag nap in the morning. I was laid on bed to enjoy the heat in Hong Kong. In the afternoon, we walked around in this old town area-Sham Shui Po. Big seafood dinner at Hong Kong Seafood Island restaurant with my friend Charles. Yumm... We had this seafood dinner with my friend Charles four years ago at the same spot by the ocean! My favorite!
