Beijing Blurbs

Taiwan & Macau Trip

2008-10-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have posted the first group of photos from our Sept. 26th to Oct. 7th trip to Taipei & Macau to Facebook. You can access them there. If you do not have a Facebook account, try this public access link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=170640&l=7a468&id=730725112

Pictures of Dylan's First Day of Chinese Pre-School

2008-09-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Daily Life as the Olympics End

2008-08-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the Olympics have come and gone… at last. Beijing had exceptionally good weather during these sixteen days, and the last 5 or 6 days of the Olympics were “blue-sky days.” I remember a July/August in 1999 where it was over 100 degrees continuously for days!

Jingxia and the little boys watched the Closing Ceremony. I have several academic deadlines this week (actually, last week)… so I went over to the office in the evening and read for several hours. Jingxia enjoyed watching Olympic diving this past week, and we watched some volleyball, as well. The controversy about the Chinese gymnasts is interesting. To Jingxia's irritation, I kept observing that several of them looked like they were 12…. “Asians just look younger,” she pointed out. True, but...

Chinese, of course, are very happy that China did so well in the Olympics, winning the most golds (51, to be exact). When I wanted to tease my Chinese family, I would say, in Chinese: “Well, of course America is Number One, but you Chinese aren't bad!” That would earn me an amused/annoyed look or two.

The Olympics did effect life in our little suburban enclave, but not as much as you would think. If there was one big effect, it was the odd/even-numbered license-plate rule that took half the cars off the road on odd/even-numbered days. That meant traffic was light most of the time, making life pleasant.

I spent most of the past weedays going to my “office,” a rented apartment about a 15-minute walk from here. I'll post pictures soon: it's pretty nice – big desk, fax machine/copier, bookshelves, leather chair, Orienal rug, etc. It has been a real pleasure creating a nice space for my work.

I took Dylan to the office in the late afternoons, most days, while Mama and baby napped. Dylan rode along beside me – (or I pulled him, until I took off the string!) - on his little bike with training wheels, wearing his new helmet. In the office, he would play with little cars, or watch DVs, or play with screws and wrenches from the IKEA furniture set-up. On our return, we would often leave the bike there, and take a “xiao du du” -- a “putt-putt” cart – they are parked in front of the supermarket, a few steps away from the front of the apt. complex in which my office is located. The “putt-putt’ cart is a three-wheeled, electric bicycle with canopy. For 4 Chinese Yuan, or roughly 65 cents, we could take one of these – along with our heavy purchases from the supermarked (water or juice), back to our apartment. That has been fun. Ma pointed out, though, that we could spend those same four Chinese yuan on four delicious red-haw popsicles, and could walk along in the cool air, enjoying those!

Today (Monday) we go to pick up my passport with “X” [Study] visa and to register at Capital Normal University. We're paying a thick brick of 100-Yuan notes (300 of them, to be exact), for tuition: that's necessary for the visa and the status, and since the US Government (i.e. Fulbright) is reimbursing it, I guess there is nothing objectionable in handing over the “brick” of 100-Yuan notes. (It's about $4,500 for a year's graduate-level tuition, which is really not that bad, is it?) This is a "cash society": no checkbooks, with most payments made in cash or at banks, directly. We had to collect the "brick" of 100s by drawing 2,500 Yuan ($380) every day from the ATM – yes, our home bankcard works in a lot of ATMs here, with only $1.50 fee for each withdrawal. Still, that was a lot of trips to the ATM!

Refueling China!

2008-08-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is the humorous, direct translation of the Chinese “jia you!” which literally means to “add fuel”, but actually can be translated “Go, go! as in “Go, Team, Go!” “Pour it on!” Little nearly-4-year-old Dylan has a Chinese flag that he waves as he yells (at the TV) "Jia you, Zhongguo [China]!”

It's been a great week for the Olympics here. We catch probably an hour or two of it every day on TV. Of course, this being China, Chinese athletes are heavily emphasized in reporting, commentary, and especially re-broadcasts of medal ceremonies in which the Chinese won gold. Lately, though, with the swimming competition, I actually began to hear the US national anthem broadcast fairly frequently. So, it's not all one-sided.

On Monday we did go back to northwest Beijing, and got the medical exam completed. Some intense – but polite – complaing and negotiation (concerning their early closure the previous Friday and our wasted trip) resulted in our getting the results super-fast, that afternoon. That meant we were able to take the results right over to the Foreign Affairs Office at Capital Normal University. After the debacle on Friday, this meant that on Monday we completed what could have been three separate days' trips in one day! That was a relief. We did spend a lot of time in taxis, criss-crossing Beijing.

Friday – a week after the Opening Ceremony – was a glorious, blue-sky day with wonderful visibility. We celebrated by going to – you guessed it – IKEA, yet again! (I've continued to furnish my office, and have got everything just about right now..) Then we went to the International Trade Center, and took the kids to see the skating rink, the Lego shop, etc. Good weather this weekend, too – cool and breezy, very good air quality.

We are happy and busy, and this part of Beijing is feeling like home.

Let the Games Begin

2008-08-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

We thoroughly enjoyed watching the 4-hour Opening Ceremony on Friday night in the air-conditioned comfort of our suburban apartment. The opening hour, choreographed by the great Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, was truly spectacular. I can't wait to get it on DVD and watch it again.

Since the Opening, Jingxia and her mother have been tuning in from time-to-time to watch weightlifting, volleyball, and gymnastics. On Saturday night, all the nearby outdoor shish-kebabob places (chuanr, as they are called here) were turned into sports bars as everyone ate chuanr, boiled soybeans & peanuts, and drank cold beer. I strolled over there myself and watched Canada play China at soccer, on two TVs, as I enjoyed my unhealthy repast.

The weather report: It was humid and hazy for the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, but the air quality – in my judgment – was not too bad. Also, scattered showers (30% chance) has been the daily weather forecast since late last week. It finally did rain buckets last night, with thunder and lightning to boot, and lots of wind. This is likely to result in clear air and cool conditions, though it will continue to be rainy and overcast, I hear. In any case, it's good that there was no rain on the Opening Ceremony.

The first day of the sporting events was marred by the disturbing news of the knife attack on the Americans tourists at the Drum Tower. The 63-year old husband was killed, and the wife and Chinese guide seriously injured. The attacker killed himself by jumping off the Tower. As the NY Times noted, attacks on foreigners are extremely rare in China. This appears to have been the act of a deranged man, acting alone. In general, I feel that the family and I are quite safe here: but this sort of event serves to remind one that there is no such thing as complete safety anywhere.

There seems to have been little or no reporting on the attack in the Chinese media. New China News Agency had a report, in English, stressing how much the government and Foreign Ministry were doing to get to the bottom of the case. I have no doubt the government and many Chinese are deeply distressed by the attack, though, as they see it as tarnishing what was otherwise a spectacular beginning to an outstanding Olympics.

I have also been following the news on the Russia-Georgia conflict quite closely, via NY Times, on-line. What can one say? As always, those who suffer most are the civilians caught in the crossfire. In general, it seems to me that Russia's actions are a drawing of a line in the sand, and payback for the continual expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe. Russia is just not going to put up with US influence in its traditional areas of control and influence on its borders, anymore.

This week we will be trying to get my medical exam done for the visa. It's off for a two-and-a-half hour long haul to northwest Beijing, AGAIN, this morning. That, plus no breakfast, plus getting stuck with needles, makes me rather unhappy. Also will see my Chinese mentor, Shen Zhihua. He will take us on our first trip to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archive on Tuesday. The Archive has been opened to domestic and foreign scholars for more than two years now. Then I will spend a couple of days, mid-week, at his Villa/Materials center in the southern suburbs of Beijing.

Day of the Opening Ceremony

2008-08-08T04:46:00.001-07:00

It's about 40 minutes until the Opening Ceremony begins, so I thought I would use the time to describe our day, which has definitely had its highs and lows.

For the 10-month Fulbright Research Fellowship, I need to convert my L visa (tourism/family visit) to an X visa (study). This is a requirement for receiving the fellowship. Our experience at Capital Normal University was a study in the importance of “guanxi” [connections] in getting things done in China. That is, you do not just walk into an office yourself and hope to get something important done. You may accomplish your task, but you may be treated with lesser enthusiam by the office staff. Instead, you have someone important introduce you and take you to the office. Then everyone scrambles to help you.

That's what happened yesterday when we went to Capital Normal University with my sponsor, Prof. Xu Lan, Chair of the World History Department A very complicated procedure was boiled down to its essentials in short order, with the people in the International Students office scrambling, making calls, etc. to find out the correct information.

Unfortunately, the Olympics trumps everything -- not even our “guanxi” could save us from failure and wasted effort this morning. To get the "Study" or X visa, a physical examination is required of all foreigners (presumably to spot dangerous communicable diseases), and the clinic where these are conducted is way-the-hell up in the northwest of Beijing. Our suburb is in the southeast, so it's a long haul to get there. We called yesterday, and they said that – yes – they would be working a half day, until 11 AM, and yes, we could come. No breakfast or coffee for me because of the blood draw. Fun.

Our first mistake… we take them at their word that they will be there until 11, and we do not leave Tongzhou until 8:15 or so. Jingxia calls them this morning, just to be sure, and they say – yes, you can come, "around 10 is OK". In China, “around 10” could mean anytime from 9:45 to 10:30. 10 minute car-ride, 25 minute light rail, 40 minute subway, then 40 minutes in a taxi. It's Jingxia, Dylan, and me.

Call to the clinic from the cab at 9:30: “Don't come. We're not seeing anyone today.” We argue and say you told us to come, and we are coming anyway. Multiple different calls for directions to this out-of-the-way place. The security guards answering the phone at 9:50 and after say: don't come, everyone has gone home due to traffic restrictions caused by the Opening Ceremony.

We go anyway, arriving at 10:35 AM, to find only two security guards there. We are angry. I contemplate a sit-in in front of the building. Dylan and I do sit down, until 11 AM, tired and frustrated. In a rather touching moment (really) – after Dylan had complained of being thirsty, the guards pass us cups of water through a window. There is nothing to be done… and we leave in the same cab we came in. I will go back Monday, and then need to go back yet a third time Thursday or Friday in order to get the medical form, in order to secure my visa. Tough luck!

Things were uphill from here, despite headaches that Jingxia and I both acquired. We took a 40-minute cab ride to our stomping ground in east-central Beijing, the International Trade center (home of Starbucks (most importantly), Gucci, Luis Vuitton (less importantly), and then had a Taiwanese-style lunch followed by ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. Jingxia went back home by the express-bus to attend to the little one.

I took Dylan on a shopping trip, to the famous/infamous “Silk Alley” complex (Elin and Mary can tell about this)! There were some foreigner Olympic-related people and tourists around, but not as many as you would think. I have seen the complex far more crowded than this. Anyway, to assuage my annoying experience in the morning, I paid too much for a medium-sized silk carpet… I did bargain, reducing the price at least 50% from the original wildly-inflated price. But as Elin and Mary know, if you do this properly, you offer a price 25% or 30% of the inflated price, and you walk away to find the bottom price they will accept. Americans aren't used to this; it feels confrontational. So, I paid 60% more than I should have, but what the heck. I got something I liked at a price I could live with, and it made up for the morning.

Dylan was a little angel, sitting quietly to the side or pulling out the measuring tape and helping me check out rugs. Not bad for a 3-year-10-month-old!

Well, the Opening Ceremony is 15 minutes away, and there is a baby diaper to change, so I'll post this and then will be glued to the TV for the next several hours. Happy viewing!

Tomorrow is the Big Day

2008-08-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

Since I (almost) always start with the weather: Well, yes, as the NY Times reported, it has been humid and hazy the last four days in Beijing. It's not going to be "blue sky" and pristine air again for some time, it looks like. But, hey, who can control the weather?

The Olympic Torch came through Tongzhou qu, our Beijing suburb, today. We were just coming back on the express bus, around 2 PM, when the bus had to be re-routed due to the procession. Lots of people clutching small PRC flags and Olympic flags were heading to the site of the celebration. Word has it that all but service-worker types have the day off tomorrow, for the Opening Ceremony, which -- of course -- most everyone, including us, will watch on TV. The ceremony begins at 8:08 PM tomorrow, 8-8-2008. Did you guess that 8 is a lucky number in Chinese? It is homophonous with the Chinese word "to become wealthy/prosperous."

One of the most exciting moments today was on the bus, where we glimpsed -- for the first time -- the new double-decker Airbus A380 on final approach to Beijing Capital Airport! At first I thought it was some kind of military transport plane, but as the behemoth came closer, I could make out "Singapore Airlines" on the side. They are the only airline to fly it so far, I believe.

Our suburban area, Tongzhou qu, is right under the landing path for Capital Airport. It looked like an exceptionally busy day for arriving flights: no surprise there!

Like most Beijingers, we will gather in front of the TV set tomorrow night to see how it all turns out!

Blue-Sky Days and IKEA

2008-08-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Good news! A week before the Olympics Opening Ceremony, it rained and the winds blew. On Friday there were high clouds, but the air was clear and visibility was excellent. Yesterday was one of those glorious "blue-sky days," and today looks clear and blue.... no sign of smog. Whether this will last, though.... Usually after several nice days, the weather pattern stalls and the smog starts to build up.

We have continued our recent shopping spree, again spending much of the day (on Friday) at IKEA. It's hard to decide if this is pleasurable & efficient, or a real ordeal. I recently read an article by an American journalist complaining that the "pump-your-own-gas" thing has gotten out of hand. At IKEA, you must: write down the possibly-multiple numbers of things required to assemble your purchase (beware of forgetting a critical component, separately boxed), then hoof it down to the warehouse -- you are already exhausted from the crowds and the indecision about which desk to buy -- and then you must lift huge flat boxes onto a cart. Then you must push the massive load to a crowded check-out counter. In the end, you get what you want, but at what price to your back and your dignity?

I think there are some differences at IKEA Beijing -- once you are through all of this, you can have all your stuff delivered for only 12 to 15 bucks, and they will even assemble it at your place for 4% of the purchase price. In the case of products that have assembly guides that seem as heavy as War and Peace, this is well worth it. Chinese, in general, expect SERVICE when you pay money... and they have to get used to the IKEA/McDonald's thing of bussing your own table (after your meal). I noticed signs all over IKEA telling Chinese customers about the myriad advantages of doing everything for yourself (bussing your own table, assembling your product at home, etc.) Actually, labor is still relatively cheap in China, so Chinese expect to be served. Bussing your own table actually takes away someone's job!

Most all the Chinese we see in IKEA are young, probably highly-educated and pretty international. They are certainly wealthier, as they are willing to pay what are essentially US & European prices for housewares (although some items are probably as good or better a deal as products at Chinese prices). Anyway, I would think IKEA's "do-it-for-yourself" ethic would catch on only with the higher-income, younger component of the Chinese urban customer base. Most Chinese wouldn't put up with what IKEA puts you through to buy furniture & housewares.

Hmmmm, dear reader, lest you think we have become professional consumers...

Jingxia (and I, to a lesser extent: I'm the proofreader/language smoother) has been hired by the Cold War International History Project as a contract translator. She is working on translating Korean War-era documents from the Zhou Enlai jianguo yilai wengao into English, for inclusion with Lao Shen's article. I'm proofreading Sergey Radchenko's manuscript on the Sino-Soviet Split 1962-1966.

We are going to put up pictures TODAY of our apartment, neighborhood, and surrounding in Tong zhou qu.... so please check back in a few hours.

Clarifications/Errata

2008-07-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jingxia observed that the sign did not actually say not to rent to foreigners (or people from the northwest, Xinjiang) but rather to report to the police immediately if a foreigner or Xinjiang person rents (or tries to rent). This did seem to have the effect at one agency of discouraging any business in which a foreigner might be involved, but the other agency was fine with it but asked us not to mention them in case any trouble resulted! In any case, things were fine in that we got the studio apartment with the Chinese relative's signature on the lease.

Regarding the taxi driver, Jingxia was of course not saying not to discuss the weather before the Olympics, but rather saying that it was pointless to argue with the taxi driver about weather what we were seeing was “smog” or “fog”. Good point!

The Weather and Security Worries re: Foreigners

2008-07-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

First, the weather report. The NY Times has an excellent piece about the smog/haze over the last 5 days.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/sports/olympics/29china.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

In a taxi on the way to the Juniata reunion (well-attended, a dozen Juniatians and several guests!) on Sunday, I observed to the taxi-driver that the air did not look so good. The taxi-driver insisted that it was just “fog,” and that it would rain the next day. Jingxia scolded me for raising the sensistive topic of the air quality before the Olympics. It's Tuesday morning the 29th here and the wind is blowing outside, thankfully, with rain imminent. This is indeed what usually clears the air.

On another topic: Heightened security has been noticed by most foreigners in China. A couple years ago signs went up in our neighborhood, in English and Chinese, saying “Welcome to live in our Community…..” but “register with the local police station within 24 hours of your arrival.” The Chinese government wants to know where all foreigners are staying, which is probably reasonable enough, given security concerns around the Games.

When we arrived in June we noticed tightened security vis a vis foreigners. We were tired when we arrived at our hotel (a Super 8!) in Dalian in mid-June, but the hotel staff insisted that we had to be escorted immediately to the local police station to register IN PERSON. That I had never seen before. I confess to some annoyance, as it was a 20-minute walk on a hot late morning with two young children.

When we came back from Japan on July 14th, we were supposed to re-appear in person at the police to re-register within 24 hours of our arrival. When we failed to do that (we had thought once, back in June, was enough), FOUR police from the Entry-Exit Bureau showed up at our door two days later and asked why we had not registered. The next day we all trouped over to the police station to register.

We were renting an apartment, for me to use as an office, this past week. Orders from the government had just been received: Do not rent to foreigners or residents of Xinjiang. If any show up, report to the local police immediately. One agency got scared and apparently wanted nothing to do with us. Another was willing to assist with a rental when it was explained that it would actually be my Chinese parents-in-law on the lease. The rental agency reminded us not to even mention them, in case of trouble. As if that weren't enough, in front of one of the rental agencies, a plain-clothes policeman came over and questioned me -- albeit, in a friendly-enough manner -- as to where I was from.

I get piqued about this security from time-to-time and complain that Chinese should welcome foreigners to the Olympics, not treat them as suspects! But I know the security concerns are real (terrorism), and my Chinese family argues that it is better to be well-known and well-regarded by the local authorities.

Hotel bookings in mid-level Beijing hotels were reported to be down 20% in June from what they were a year ago. For a number of reasons, people seem to be discouraged (or being discouraged from) visiting Beijing during the Olympics. There is a large, newly-opened hotel right across the main artery that runs next to our apartment complex. They have high hopes of Japanese and Korean tour groups staying in US $150/night hotel rooms. (We know, because we have asked them their rates several times, and we walk by there frequently.) But so far, the hotel appears to have been and to be completely empty of any visitors.

As I write this, the rain has started outside, so hopefully the air is clearing!

July 25th: T-minus-Two-Weeks

2008-07-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

The Olympics Opening Ceremony begins two weeks from today, that is, on August 8th, in the national stadium (nicknamed the "Bird's Nest").

We returned from Japan on July 14th, and were pleased to find that the air had cleared considerably. It was blue sky that day, and for several days thereafter. Actually, it was raining heavily when we landed. The rain with the associated winds are what usually clears things up. Now, 11 days later, it has gotten somewhat smoggy again, but not as bad as in mid-June.

We were tempted to stay longer in Japan, but figured we needed to get back to take care of various things. Most important was a meeting with my Chinese mentor, Shen Zhihua, who is probably one of the two or three most prominent scholars of the Cold War in this part of the world. Jingxia and I have been translating some of his work, and he wanted to talk to us about this. So we took the light-rail, then the subway, then a taxi, to travel the 20 miles or so from our suburban apartment in Tongzhou qu (Ba and Ma’s apartment) to Shen’s high-rise. We had a good meeting, and then Shen headed for Shanghai, to return on August 1st. We are then going to go out to his Materials Center/Villa in Da Xing qu, another suburban district of Beijing municipal area, to spend a few days poring over his substantial collection of archival materials on Sino-Soviet relations.

After Japan, it was most pleasant to be able to take taxis again for only US $2 to $5 in central Beijing. They are Hyundai sedans, air-conditioned and quite comfortable. Occasionally, if the boys are tired or we are transporting purchases, we will take a taxi all the way back to our suburban home in Tong zhou. That costs maybe 75 Chinese yuan, or about $11. Usually, though, we take an air-conditioned express bus (2 Yuan, about 30 cents) along the super-highway that connects Tong zhou to central Beijing, or the light-rail, subway (also 2 Yuan, or 30 cents). The light-rail station is only about a mile or so from us. One of the advantages of living in Tong zhou is that the public transport connections to central Beijing are so good.

One of the things we were on the road for this past week was buying furniture and accessories for the apartment. (Ba, Ma, Jingxia’s brother Gaoxiang and sister-in-law Dongmei, and their baby, moved into a larger, rented apartment about 10 minutes’ walk from this apartment. They left us this entire apartment for us to use this year.) And guess where we went to do all this shopping? Why, the Beijing branch of IKEA, of course. The prices are pretty much the same as in the US. We made the mistake of going on a Saturday… it’s was difficult to move due to the masses all savoring Scandinavian designed-housewares.

But back to the Olympics: Starting last Sunday night, cars with license-plates ending in even numbers can only take to the roads on even-numbered days, odd-numbered plates on odd days. This is supposed to cut down on smog and traffic. It certainly has cut traffic by 1/3 or more (taxis and govt. cars are exempted), such that most of what one sees in central Beijing is swarms of taxis and busses. It remains to be seen if this will have a significant impact on air quality, though.

COMING NEXT: Pictures! Stay tuned!

The Air Over Here

2008-06-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in Beijing on June 1st, after a 13-hour-flight over the North Pole, it was one of those blue-sky days where you can see for miles. On our approach, I could make out the avenues, train tracks, apartment complexes, etc Believe it or not, for a city reknowned for its smog, Beijing does have quite a few "blue sky days", and June 1st was one of them. The weather pattern seems to be the chief casue: on those days, the weather is generally cool and breezy, with any exhaust or fumes blown right away.> >

Then there are the days like yesterday (Friday, June 20th). Beijing was shrouded in a thick soup of smog, with even nearby skyscrapers outlined only in the muck. I'm usually not that sensitive to this, but I could feel my eyes burning on an evening shopping trip. It happens that yesterday we flew back from Dalian, a city in northeastern China, and our landing in Beijing seemed abrupt: one moment we were in what seemed like haze or clouds, and the next moment the runway appeared out of nowhere out of the smog.> >

Beijing City has just announced that, from yesterday, private automobiles will only be able to drive on alternate days. Those with license plates ending in an odd number will alternate days with those ending in an even number. This is supposed to take half the cars off the road during the coming months... we'll see if that cleans up the air. Oftentimes, the smog seems to result from a heavy, muggy air mass that just hangs over the city and does not move for up to a week... until thundertstorms arrive and blow it away. I'm not sure even the Chinese government is capable of controlling the air patterns!

Finally, for those suffering from high gas prices back home: Beijing just announced an 18% rise in gas prices, but according to the NY Times, that still makes gas "only" about $3.00 a gallon here. [They measure by liter here, and in Chinese Yuan, so of course it's hard to convert.} The government heavily subsidizes gas prices, to the tune of 1% of GNP yearly. Still, I'm glad we're not driving this year. [We are leaving for Japan today, and will be back July 14th, so it may be a month or so until my next "Beijing Blog"]