Learning to say "I Love You"

The Chinese teachers in both of my classes asked me to teach the students an "English" song (it's by a Chinese pop star, Fiona Fung) called "A little love." I agreed, although the English in this song is relatively poor. I eventually found out that some of my students will sing this song at a promotional event this coming weekend (we've been practicing for weeks!). On Monday, seven of the children went to a recording studio and were individually recorded singing the song. Why? We don't know. Jacky went with them, and she said it was quite the adventure! Anyway, below is a very funny and endearing video of two of my students (who very rarely speak up during my lessons) passionately shouting "I love you!" at each other. Enjoy! 

An Anniversary Post

This weekend marks one month that we have lived here in Beijing. We wanted to reflect and recap things we've learned and accomplished in the past month!

We have learned:

• how to count to ten, how to say hello, goodbye, thank you, I love you - and a few other very basic Chinese words and phrases.
• how much we love tofu.
• how "flexible" Chinese people can be when making plans - sometimes you only get one day's notice! We were given a list of weekend dates we have to work and the first one on the list was the next day. We had an interesting conversation with our boss about how crazy he thought it was that in America people plan so far in advance (his examples were weddings and dentist appointments...)
• how rarely Chinese people give or receive compliments.
• that the sidewalks and bushes are fair game for children to go to the bathroom.
• that lines (at a grocery store, at the Forbidden City, etc) don't exist. You have to be basically touching the person you're behind or else someone will cut you off.
• that pedestrians don't have the right of way - ever.
• how different our concepts of "beautiful skin" are. In the summer, we tan to get darker. Here, they use umbrellas and arm sleeves to block the sun. (Yet we've never seen sunscreen...)
• how much fruits and vegetables vary in cost - we recently bought 4 oranges for 50 yuan (almost $10) but some tomatoes and edamame for .61 yuan (10 cents!)
• how common it is for people wear to the same outfits everyday. 
• how if there is a holiday during the week, it is expected to work a weekend day to make up for it.
• how the person who sits farthest from the door at the restaurant is the "guest of honor" and the person who sits closest usually pays.
• how there is no dramatic play (dress-up) or free play at school even though these kids are so young and it's considered one of the most important learning activities in classrooms back home.
• that we are the only foreigners we know of in our neighborhood. We definitely though it would be easier to get around and do things without knowing Chinese!
• how crowded and big Beijing is - it could take us around two hours to get somewhere on the subway - which leads us to our next point...
• how cheap taxis are!
• how to use chopsticks.
• how we have a love/hate relationship with our VPNs. We have to use a Virtual Private Network to get around the many American sites that are blocked by the Chinese government. Sometimes it works great and other times not so much...
• how much we miss the beach and our summers back home.
• how good we feel after great workout.
• how much closer we feel to home with social media.
• how bad the pollution can be (sometimes it prevents our daily walks to the park with the children - other days it's gorgeous).
• how to bargain at stands and shops.
• how to use a non-western toilet (our school doesn't even have a "real toilet").
• how challenging our job has been and will be this year. We're realizing that this isn't studying abroad but rather a 6 days a week full time job! But we also are realizing that this is an invaluable experience where we're learning a lot about teaching! 
• how anything as small as hearing a familiar song (typically Taylor Swift) will cheer us up!
• that good smelling bug spray exists.
• that the students don't use pencils or crayons but marker pens and oil pastels (both so messy!)
• how strong we are and how far our positive attitudes will take us. We know this blog typically highlights our fun and exciting experiences but we want everyone to know that this month has been full of surprises, challenges, and obstacles that we could have never foreseen coming into it. We knew it would be challenging and we know that it will be worth it, but we'd be fooling you if we didn't admit that we've faced some serious challenges that have made us doubt our ability to stay. Luckily we both share a positive attitude and are able to find the humor in the seemingly unbearable situations we've faced. That being said, we have been able to sort out many of the miscommunications and we are happy to say that we're coming back to finish out the year until June after a 3 week Christmas vacation. Since making this decision we've found ourselves getting more comfortable in our apartment, neighborhood and classrooms. 
• how much we've appreciated everyone who has reached out to us since we've been across the world. It's always so nice to hear from all of you who we miss everyday! You can never contact us too much!

"Gan Bei" - "Cheers!" to 11 more months of teaching and learning in BJ!

Massage Sunday

Today we decided to treat ourselves to massages after we had to work this morning (Sunday...) and knew of a place next to the gym we belong to. After trying to communicate with the 5 Chinese women who worked there, we finally understood the price and length of the massage and went into the room with two beds next to each other. We were massaged and then scraped with a flat object (it hurt but not as bad as it looks like it did!) Our backs were so red after - looked like we were either badly burned or run over by a tractor. Ask us for pictures if you'd like! They're too gnarly to post.. We did some research after and were relieved to find that this is a typical massage and the redness shows the toxins being released. This YouTube video explains it- pretty interesting!  Scraping Massage Video Clip !

A Poem About The Forbidden City

Last weekend we ventured to the Forbidden City

And I tried to come up with a poem that was somewhat witty

Saturday morning we met Katherine at 9:15

To travel to a place unlike any we’ve seen

The place was packed with umbrellas blocking from the sun

And so many Asians – like a million and one…

We waited in line for over an hour

The only thing on our minds was a cold shower

We finally got to the front of the line

Where Katherine pushed through and whined

We finally made it to the front gate

And not losing each other must have been fate

We wandered around the palace for hours

Looking at the gardens, sculptures and towers

Then continued snapping pictures and admiring

But quickly decided it was too tiring

We got lost in the maze of the palace for a while

But all we could do was laugh and smile

We were stopped by a group of middle schoolers coming at us

Asking to take pictures with us – celebrity status

We even snapped a few of our own

And were off on our way back home

Tired and hungry and walking slow

Hope you enjoy the pictures below!

Sea of "sunbrellas." This sea is the "line" we waited in for over an hour.

Katherine pushing her way to the ticket window, so many people tried to cut us!

Finally made it inside!

These two girls asked to take a picture with us.

The group of the middle schoolers who wanted to pose with us.

They're taking pictures of us, it was nuts!

Katherine

Nearly two weeks ago we met our first Chinese friend, Katherine. At our first Zumba class she approached us asking where we were from and what we were doing in China. Since it seems that so few people speak English in our neighborhood, we were surprised and excited to hear her impressive English! She nervously asked if we would help her with her English. She said that English is her major in college and she mostly struggles speaking. We answered "Of course!" (of course) and she agreed to help us with our Chinese along the way. We spoke after the class, exchanged numbers and "wechats" (a very popular texting/voice call/media "app" in China).

Delicious dinner at Katherine's family's restaurant.

Two days later, we joined her and her young cousin at her family's restaurant (which we were happy to find out is only a five minute walk from our apartment complex) for a delicious meal to celebrate her 20th birthday. Since then we've barely gone a day without seeing her! Last weekend she took us to the Forbidden City (thank goodness, it seemed like it would've been nearly impossible to buy tickets without knowing Chinese...we will post stories soon!), she joined us at a party in one of the hutongs, at the gym, shopping, and comes over for dinner often!

Charlotte and Katherine on Katherine's birthday.

At the Forbidden City.

Katherine

Jacky and Katherine before our night out in the hutongs.

She frequently tells us how grateful she is for our friendship and that every day we spend together is so special to her. The other day, she told us that her father is very proud and brags to his friends about how his daughter has two American friends. We tell her that we are the lucky ones! She is kind, generous, and has a great sense of humor. She fits right in! Katherine has been wonderful showing us around our neighborhood. We've learned so much from her already, everything from what ingredients are in some of the food we like to Chinese phrases to certain cultural norms.

Unfortunately she leaves to go back to college (over an hour from Beijing by plane) in less than a month. But we are taking advantage of having her here! Tonight we're all going to the big mall a few miles from our apartment to celebrate Jacky and my "one month" anniversary of being in China!

More posts to come tomorrow and Sunday! Stay tuned...

Our Medical Exam

At school last Sunday (yes, we had to work on a Sunday!) we got a vague description of a medical procedure we would have to undergo the next day. There was choppy talk of blood drawn, a long taxi ride, getting 1000 RMB out of the bank, passport photos...we were confused. The news was delivered to us very ambiguously, and in a way that most Americans would find rude, but we have now come to acknowledge that most things that we perceive as rude can really just be attributed to an inability to fully communicate (many of the teachers can't speak English well, if at all) and cultural differences in how we communicate. We knew the exam had to do with being allowed to work at the school and/or obtaining our working visa. But we were taken aback by how expensive it was going to be and by the fact that we had to get blood drawn. If we were going to get jabbed with needles in a foreign country we wanted to know exactly why! We went home and sat ruminating about what was going to happen the next day when we finally heard from our boss (who owns the school and employed us, but is not at the school very often). He made us feel much better about everything (as he usually does!) and explained that the medical exam is a requirement in order to obtain a working visa in China.

We met Louise, an intern at our school, at 6:30am the next morning in front of our apartment. We took a taxi almost an hour (see the post below about what a wild ride it was!) to the hospital. When we got to the door of the hospital we found out it didn't open for another two hours! We were frustrated that one of the school administers sent us here so early when she knew what time it opened (later she told us she "worries about traffic jam") but we could only laugh. Luckily we were able to wait in a lobby area and begin filling out the required paperwork. Before we knew it it was time to line up to register. We couldn't believe it (although, these days nothing really surprises us!) when people pushed and shoved in line and tried to cut us after we had been waiting 2 hours!

We successfully registered and were given a sheet with a list of 7 rooms we needed to visit for different exams. It reminded us of a scavenger hunt...everyone frantically running around searching for the different exam rooms trying to check them all off their list. Our first stop was to get our blood drawn. We both shared our hesitations, especially after observing the pain-filled grimace of a woman getting it done just before us. She stared right at us with a look that screamed "help me!" We went one at a time, squeezing each others' hands throughout the painful and disconcertingly rushed process. Then we were off to get xrays, an ultrasound, have our heart monitored, have our vision checked and a couple of other low-key exams where we really didn't know what they were testing! Before we knew it we were done and one step closer to getting our working visa.

After another crazy taxi ride we were home and spent the rest of the day resting...getting our blood drawn really took a lot out of us!

Nearly a week later, our arms are still bruised from getting blood drawn!

Off to the Forbidden City!

After a very long and stressful week (posts about why later, we promise) we are off on our first big Beijing sightseeing adventure...the Forbidden City! Look out for posts and pictures later this weekend!

My student brought her pet to school yesterday...

...a cricket!

Chinese Zumba!

On Monday night we decided to try out the Zumba class at our gym. We didn't expect much (I mean, Zumba in China?!) but it ended up being even better than any Zumba class we've been to! Not only did we get an amazing workout, we also were filled with such joy, something we really needed as the "honeymoon" phase of our move to China is coming to a close. We both were smiling and laughing the whole time and felt so welcome! At the beginning of the class the instructor introduced us to the rest of the class. The introduction was all in Chinese (who knows what he said) but out of nowhere everyone in the crowded class turned to the back of the room to clap for us. What a welcome! The class also was a simple example of how small the world is. We came in expecting a completely foreign experience, but we left feeling like we could have been anywhere in the world. The class had everything that reminded us of our Zumba classes back at home: the endlessly energetic and loud instructor, the two or three old men that you can't help but appreciate for trying their hand at a dance class, the girls in the front whose impressive dance skills you envy and try your best to emulate, and of course, the music (a perfect mix between Latin, Top 40 hits, and your favorite oldies). We can't wait to go back next week!

From the Backseat of a Chinese Taxi

Sitting here in the backseat of a taxi sans seatbelt at 6:30am. The day is hazy partly because I'm still half asleep and partly because the smog is the worst we've seen yet. Driving in china is an art- a skill that must be perfected in order to be on the road with the other drivers. I haven't seen the driver turn his head once yet to look around him; the mirrors seem to be all he needs. Not even the turn signals seem to be used. The ride is full of honks (more like "beep"s since the horns sound so weak.) They're sort of used for a "here I am, coming to pass you quickly" or "I see you trying to move into my lane- dont even think about it!" At one point, our driver answered his cell phone with his left hand, leaving his right hand for steering and shifting gears. On the highway it seems like all the drivers are racing to get to the finish line first; swerving from lane to lane. There doesn't seem to be a fast/slow lane. We were flying in the right lane - until he crossed over two lanes to the left when he saw an opportunity to go a little faster in that lane. Glad to be getting to our destination sooner rather than later, but really hoping to get there in one piece. Update: we made it there and back safely. Enjoy the video! 

Click for Short Youtube Clip - Lot's of Honks and Swerves!

A Fun Friday with an Old Friend

Last Friday we met up with Charlotte's old friend Jay. Charlotte knows Jay from a Model UN type conference she attended in high school. She also attended President Obama's inauguration with him in 2009 and he visited Needham a couple of years ago! Jay is from Beijing but went to college in New York (Rochester) and now lives in NYC. He was visiting Beijing for the week so we jumped at the opportunity to meet up with him to catch up and for him to show us a taste of the "real" Beijing. We took the subway about 45 minutes to meet him on the other side of the city (we've discovered that most of the "action" happens on the east side of the city, opposite from us on the west).

After we met up with Jay we took a taxi together to a restaurant in the Sanlitun district of the city. Jay told us that the name of the restaurant literally translates to "Sit and Forget"-- after a long week at work, we did just that. We went upstairs to the top floor of the restaurant, it was beautiful--very airy with naturalistic decor. "Sit and Forget" is a traditional Yunnanese (a region in the southwest of China) restaurant. All cuisine is shipped from the region, all of the waitstaff are from Yunnan, and they even had Yunnan musicians who we had the pleasure of hearing play (see video) a "Song of Good Luck"! We ordered a variety of food everything from baked cheese to vegetables to potato balls to tofu! All very vegetarian friendly for Charlotte :). We were most impressed with the rice we were served. It was cooked and served in bamboo! It tasted sweet and had a unique texture, like nothing we've ever tasted before! We also were served special rice wine to drink... delicious!

Stuffed from the most delicious meal yet!

Rice cooked and served in bamboo! Rice wine jug in the background.

Charlotte and Jay.

After dinner Jay took us for a walk around the Sanlitun area, the "5th ave" of Beijing. We went for drinks on the rooftop of a Mexican restaurant (definitely coming back here for Charlotte's birthday!) and Jay revealed to us that about 80% of all alcohol sold and served in Beijing is "counterfeit" which took us by surprise! After drinks we headed to meet up with some of Jay's old friends at a "KTV" (karaoke television) bar called "Ibiza". It was luxurious space with dozens of private rooms for mini karaoke parties. We had a blast! We got a chance to sing a duet of a Spice Girls classic and a Bruno Mars song. We also had the pleasure of watching Jay perform, he really is a natural entertainer/comedian (see the video, definitely worth the click)!

In our KTV room.

Our last stop of the night was "Spark," "the best club in Beijing." It normally would cost about 200 yuan (about $33) to get in but luckily Jay's friend was having a birthday party there so we got on "the list" and in for free. We met some of Jay's friends and were served watermelon cocktails at his friends' table. The club was lavish, to say the least. There were plush couches and bright lights on the ceiling and floor. We danced the night away until it was finally time to leave (we had a long day)! Jay successfully got us in a cab (didn't take nearly as long as it did Thursday night) and told the driver in Chinese where to take us. What a night! Big thanks to Jay for everything!

Crazy lights and steam at "Spark."

Celebrating the 4th, Chinese Style!

Not being at home for the 4th last Thursday was difficult! We definitely felt pangs of homesickness throughout the day. But we tried to make the most it, Chinese style! We incorporated the 4th into our lesson plans by having our students color their own American flags--some with more success than others, although we tried to limit the colors to just red and blue some students found yellow, pink, green etc. making their way on their flags. Don't worry, the students with colorful flags still received a "good job!" and a space to hang their flag up on the classroom wall. We also played "Yankee Doodle" for our students and had them march and dance around to it. Charlotte had her students learn some patriotic vocabulary and practice tracing the letters of the new vocabulary. It wasn't clear if our students really "got" it, or the teachers for that matter, but we certainly enjoyed incorporating our culture in the classroom and the students definitely won't forget the colors "red," "white." and "blue" anymore.

Charlotte's student, Suzy, poses with the American flag in front of Charlotte's morning meeting message.

The flag was a hit! Charlotte thanks her Dad for putting it in suitcase.

Charlotte's student showing off his beautiful flag.

That night, although it was a school night, we treated ourselves to a night out on the Chinese town! We made our way by cab (only about $10 each way for a 30 minute ride - worth it for the convenience!) to a hutong in the Xicheng district. Hutongs are very traditional Chinese alleyways with homes, restaurants, shops and bars. In our neighborhood, there aren't any hutongs that we've seen - they're more common in the center of Beijing (we're on the outskirts). When we stepped out of the cab, we agreed that we really felt like we were in China! The hutongs were bustling with bikers, foreigners, locals, shop keepers, and a few of us in red, white and blue! The sun was setting as we were walking and since it was such a smog-less day, it was gorgeous. The bar/restaurant we were meeting friends at was called 4 Corners. We walked into a very quiet low-key place and were escorted upstairs were we had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor! It was very cool. There was another group of English speakers so we introduced ourselves and they were from all over. One guy we met was from Newton! Small world! We were given special menus since it was the 4th and they had typical American food. Jacky got a bacon cheeseburger which tasted like home! Charlotte, being a vegetarian, did not go for a burger but stuck with the delicious disco fries (cheese and gravy on top!) We had beer made in Beijing that tasted like Blue Moon - definitely a favorite of ours. We got to catch up with the friends we met last weekend, made new friends and enjoyed the upstairs room with a view and a breeze. The music was great from the speakers upstairs, but unfortunately we missed the live band that started at 10 because we had to head home to sleep for Friday morning. We said our goodbyes and headed back through the hutong to the main street to catch a cab. Little did we know that it would take us an hour to get one! Such a sour end to such a great night! But we finally got one, nodded off on our drive home, and were so happy climb into bed for the night. Definitely a different (firework-less) 4th of July, but absolutely one to remember! Hope you all enjoyed yours back home! USA!

The beautiful hutong we walk through - check out the clouds!

All smiles - happy to be in Red, White & Blue!

Waiting anxiously for a cab...!

A Smog-free Tuesday

Woke up today to this beautiful view we didn't know we had...

The first day we were here we saw the mountains, but since then we haven't been able to see past a few blocks. It's so exciting to have such an amazing day, but also makes us so sad that most days we don't have this kind of weather and view. Oh well, we'll make the most of it today! Happy Tuesday!

What are view has looked like for most of this week, what a difference!