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.
Posted by WuCooper at 3:11 AM 0 comments
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...
Posted by WuCooper at 1:14 AM 0 comments
