Just had to share this with you all - the music video that was filmed at our school with all my students in early December. I make a very quick appearance around 2:40! It was produced by our friend Jonathan, and he gracefully provides subtitles to the Chinese rapping. It's an awesome message that is we're so fascinated by. Enjoy!!
Freedom to Fly - Music Video
Friday, January 31, 2014
A New Year's in the Park!
Today we headed to the Sculpture Park by our house to try out chair skating! After we walked around and enjoyed the Spring Festival fair. Off to Seoul in the morning!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Happy New Year! 新年快乐！
Yesterday we spent our day off from school wandering around Tiananmen Square and its surrounding hutongs. We enjoyed spring-like weather and, since most people had already "migrated" back to their hometowns for the holidays or were inside preparing their New Year's Eve feast, we felt like we had the city all to ourselves! We were a little disoriented when we discovered there were seats waiting for us on a nearly-empty subway and realized that we wouldn't have to push our way through the Square to take a good picture.
Around dinner time we took the bus over to the home of a girl I tutor, Suzy. Weeks earlier her father, Jack, invited Jacky and I to spend New Year's Eve with his family. We arrived and were excitedly greeted at the door by the whole family including Suzy, dressed in a beautiful traditional red qipao. We gave them a large box of nuts (a traditional New Year's gift) and gave Suzy a red envelope with an $2 bill inside (it's a tradition to give young children red envelopes with money inside on New Year's Eve). They invited us to the dining room table to make dumplings. We were amazed to see the dough was green! Jack explained that his mother had infused vegetable juice into the flour when making the dough, resulting in its green color. He told us that every year she makes the dough a different color. Generously catering to my vegetarian diet, the filling for the dumplings was egg and cabbage. Jack coached us in how to correctly stuff and close the dumpling, and was impressed when he saw that we already (sort of) knew what we were doing. While making the dumplings, Jack explained that dumplings are the traditional dish for Chinese New Year's Eve. When he was younger, they ate dumplings with their dinner and then again at midnight. Throughout the conversation we were frequently interrupted by the sounds of fireworks being set off just outside the apartment. At first, Suzy ran to the window yelling "Lotty!" signaling me to come join her to watch. But after the first few rounds, we all became accustomed to the blasts and the fireworks quickly became background noise.
After quickly boiling the dumplings, it was already time to eat dinner. Jacky and I were invited to sit down and watched as Jack, his wife and his mother brought out dish after dish...after dish...after dish. It was truly a feast. As we ate Jack explained that in Chinese culture, hosts can't be happy unless their guests "eat happy." So we made sure to eat as much as we could and say "hao chi" (literally good eat, equivalent to saying delicious) after every bite. The grandmother (who doubles as the family's chef!) kept a watchful eye as we ate, and every now and then would say "chi ba," playfully demanding us to eat more. While we ate, Jack offered us traditional Chinese rice wine. Being warned by friends of its high alcohol content and intense burning taste, we've never had the guts to try it. But he poured us a tiny shot and raised his glass. We laughed nervously, shouting "ganbei" (cheers) and tapping the glasses of our hosts. I don't think we'll be buying any for ourselves any time soon, but I didn't mind it!
After we ate we all headed to the couch to watch CCTV's New Year's special. We sipped on fancy red tea as we enjoyed impressive dance and musical performances, even a puppet show! It was truly a spectacle. But before we knew it that rice wine was hitting us, and we were nodding off with Suzy on the couch. While Jack drove us home, we watched out the car windows, awestruck by the fireworks shows going on all around us and people burning offerings for their ancestors at the sidewalk corners. We stepped out of the car, literally into the middle of two fireworks shows going on in the middle of the road. We ran home laughing in amazement through the red firework debris, the constant banging of thousands of fireworks simultaneously being set off ringing in our ears.
We spent the rest of the night glued to our large bedroom window, up on the 25th floor of our building we felt we had the best view of the show. We both agreed that it was the most incredible thing we've ever seen--unceasing fireworks in every direction, for miles and miles, being set off into the early morning. Standing there, watching the constant flare of fireworks lighting up every corner of the city, we felt the joy and hope that was felt throughout the city, and the entire country on this New Year. We felt the light of gratitude for being able to experience such a unique celebration and for being able to spend some of this next year right here in Shijingshan, a place that has become so dear to us.
Happy New Year! 年快乐！Especially to our horses out there!
Shocked by the empty subway station!
Wandering through Zhongshan Park
This guard asked to be in a picture with us!
Around dinner time we took the bus over to the home of a girl I tutor, Suzy. Weeks earlier her father, Jack, invited Jacky and I to spend New Year's Eve with his family. We arrived and were excitedly greeted at the door by the whole family including Suzy, dressed in a beautiful traditional red qipao. We gave them a large box of nuts (a traditional New Year's gift) and gave Suzy a red envelope with an $2 bill inside (it's a tradition to give young children red envelopes with money inside on New Year's Eve). They invited us to the dining room table to make dumplings. We were amazed to see the dough was green! Jack explained that his mother had infused vegetable juice into the flour when making the dough, resulting in its green color. He told us that every year she makes the dough a different color. Generously catering to my vegetarian diet, the filling for the dumplings was egg and cabbage. Jack coached us in how to correctly stuff and close the dumpling, and was impressed when he saw that we already (sort of) knew what we were doing. While making the dumplings, Jack explained that dumplings are the traditional dish for Chinese New Year's Eve. When he was younger, they ate dumplings with their dinner and then again at midnight. Throughout the conversation we were frequently interrupted by the sounds of fireworks being set off just outside the apartment. At first, Suzy ran to the window yelling "Lotty!" signaling me to come join her to watch. But after the first few rounds, we all became accustomed to the blasts and the fireworks quickly became background noise.
Suzy watching the fireworks
After quickly boiling the dumplings, it was already time to eat dinner. Jacky and I were invited to sit down and watched as Jack, his wife and his mother brought out dish after dish...after dish...after dish. It was truly a feast. As we ate Jack explained that in Chinese culture, hosts can't be happy unless their guests "eat happy." So we made sure to eat as much as we could and say "hao chi" (literally good eat, equivalent to saying delicious) after every bite. The grandmother (who doubles as the family's chef!) kept a watchful eye as we ate, and every now and then would say "chi ba," playfully demanding us to eat more. While we ate, Jack offered us traditional Chinese rice wine. Being warned by friends of its high alcohol content and intense burning taste, we've never had the guts to try it. But he poured us a tiny shot and raised his glass. We laughed nervously, shouting "ganbei" (cheers) and tapping the glasses of our hosts. I don't think we'll be buying any for ourselves any time soon, but I didn't mind it!
With Suzy
Jack changing the door decorations for the new year
CCTV's programming
After we ate we all headed to the couch to watch CCTV's New Year's special. We sipped on fancy red tea as we enjoyed impressive dance and musical performances, even a puppet show! It was truly a spectacle. But before we knew it that rice wine was hitting us, and we were nodding off with Suzy on the couch. While Jack drove us home, we watched out the car windows, awestruck by the fireworks shows going on all around us and people burning offerings for their ancestors at the sidewalk corners. We stepped out of the car, literally into the middle of two fireworks shows going on in the middle of the road. We ran home laughing in amazement through the red firework debris, the constant banging of thousands of fireworks simultaneously being set off ringing in our ears.
We spent the rest of the night glued to our large bedroom window, up on the 25th floor of our building we felt we had the best view of the show. We both agreed that it was the most incredible thing we've ever seen--unceasing fireworks in every direction, for miles and miles, being set off into the early morning. Standing there, watching the constant flare of fireworks lighting up every corner of the city, we felt the joy and hope that was felt throughout the city, and the entire country on this New Year. We felt the light of gratitude for being able to experience such a unique celebration and for being able to spend some of this next year right here in Shijingshan, a place that has become so dear to us.
Firework debris on a road near our apartment
Our view!
Preparing for the Chinese New Year - A Teacher Celebration
As the Chinese New Year was coming closer, we could sense the excitement in the air. The Chinese teachers we work with had made a schedule of when each of them gets to leave (most left early from school to go home to celebrate) and we quickly realized that the students' parents were doing the same thing, by the last day before break we had less than 20 students at school out of a total 80+. Everyone disperses from the city to head back to their hometowns to celebrate for up to a whole month with their families. The Thursday before the teachers started going home, the school organized a celebration at a restaurant a few doors down from our school - "Big Pizza." A buffet of western-style food (french fries, pizza, chicken nuggets, a salad bar) but of course, being in China, there was a very "Eastern" twist. There were very interesting types of pizza - we saw one that was called Chocolate and Strawberry Flavored Pizza and Potato and Egg Pizza. We found some safe-looking choices, got some french fries and a cup of hot tea and sat down at a table with some co-workers. We were shocked to see how much food they brought back to the table - we very rarely see these Chinese teachers eat much at all, but this night was a celebration and they made sure to feast! It was a lot of fun trying different foods and seeing what everyone chose. There was talk earlier that day about games that were being planned, and we were anxiously awaiting to see what they had in store.
The game was basically a game of Dares. Each person got called up one by one to reach into a giant decorated box and take a slip of paper with a dare on it. No matter what it said, you had to do it. Some memorable ones:
- Get up on a restaurant chair and squat down as if you're using a squatty toilet
- Find a random man in the restaurant and hold his hands and sing him a love song
- Walk from one end of the restaurant to the other pretending to sell something loudly
- Belly dance around the restaurant (our principal got this one)
The whole time, each and every staff member in the room had their phones out snapping pictures and videos of everyone's embarrassing task they needed to do. I'm sure you're all dying to know what we had to do…
There is only one male teacher at our school and his English name is Joey. I had to touch his chest with both hands, look him in the eye and say "It's too small!" --WHAT?! Cracking up, I did my dare with everyone around me erupting with laughter. Luckily, Joey was a great sport about it and pretended to show his muscles and be macho.
Charlotte had to stand in the middle of the restaurant and yell "I'M SO LONELY!" Lucky for her, it's likely that no one in the restaurant understood her. Haha!
It was a night of many laughs, reminding us of awkward middle school dances and games of Truth of Dare. These teachers sure know how to have a good time. Our abs hurt the next day from laughing so hard.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Home Sweet Home
Hi everyone! Just like we knew it would, our vacation home to Boston came and went in a heartbeat. Felt like yesterday we were headed to the airport to go home but it was already a whole month ago! The morning we left, we had a ride to the airport at 4am (it was totally okay that it was that early because we were VERY excited to go home) and it was a funny feeling being in the same van that we were in 6 months prior when we got picked up - wide eyed, eager to see what was in store for us here in Beijing. This time, we had half a year's experience under our belts, knew a few of the Chinese words that the two drivers were exchanging, and we were used to the highway signs and distance to the airport. Those 6 months changed us - and it was exciting to really notice it on that drive to the airport. One of my very favorite moments maybe of my whole life happened in that car ride. The driver turned on the English radio station for us - we gave him a little "xie xie!" "Thank you!" After the commercial ended, the very first song that started was a song called "I'm Coming Home" by J. Cole ft. Skylar Grey. The first line of the song is, I'm coming home, I'm coming home, tell the world I'm coming home… The weirdest thing was that I found a picture of this quote and had Instagrammed it the day before showing our excitement to be back home the next day. Charlotte and I looked at each other, it was the strangest and most magical moment. I got the chills the second I realized it was playing. We smiled big and immediately started dancing in the backseat of the van on our way to the Beijing Capital Airport. We were coming home.
I can honestly say that our 3 weeks home was everything I had hoped it would be. I really made myself step back a few times and appreciate the little things - being able to easily order a Dunkin coffee, the first bite of a Cafe Fresh Bagel, scarfing down a slice of Cowlicks pizza (do you see a theme? we missed American food.) Being with friends and family has never felt more special because it had been so long and would only last so long until I would say goodbye again. I can wholeheartedly say that I felt that I had changed since I left for Beijing. I felt I had more patience, gratitude and a whole new outlook on the world.
Coming back to Beijing was another whole experience. It was amazing to get on the plane again for the 14 hours + layover and then all of the sudden be back in a place that we felt so comfortable. It's crazy how spending time anywhere in the world can really make it feel like a home away from home. We came back refreshed and ready to rock these next few months until June. Looking forward to a trip to Seoul, South Korea on February 1-5 during some of the time we get off for the Chinese New Year. But don't worry- we will be here for a few days to celebrate and see what that's like before we head out. We'll keep you posted.
All my 1990 babies - it's our year! The year of the horse! I hear we're supposed to wear red… all year? I'll get back to you on that.
Love to everyone around the world,
Jacky
I can honestly say that our 3 weeks home was everything I had hoped it would be. I really made myself step back a few times and appreciate the little things - being able to easily order a Dunkin coffee, the first bite of a Cafe Fresh Bagel, scarfing down a slice of Cowlicks pizza (do you see a theme? we missed American food.) Being with friends and family has never felt more special because it had been so long and would only last so long until I would say goodbye again. I can wholeheartedly say that I felt that I had changed since I left for Beijing. I felt I had more patience, gratitude and a whole new outlook on the world.
Coming back to Beijing was another whole experience. It was amazing to get on the plane again for the 14 hours + layover and then all of the sudden be back in a place that we felt so comfortable. It's crazy how spending time anywhere in the world can really make it feel like a home away from home. We came back refreshed and ready to rock these next few months until June. Looking forward to a trip to Seoul, South Korea on February 1-5 during some of the time we get off for the Chinese New Year. But don't worry- we will be here for a few days to celebrate and see what that's like before we head out. We'll keep you posted.
All my 1990 babies - it's our year! The year of the horse! I hear we're supposed to wear red… all year? I'll get back to you on that.
Love to everyone around the world,
Jacky
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