How to offend an American and other musings

Here it is - the much-anticipated, critically-acclaimed list of all the awesome things people have said to me here. Being an American is both a blessing and a curse. I love being an American, but the reactions you get in China are certainly mixed. There are some pretty hilarious stereotypes that come along with it. Here's a few of my favorites:

1. "Wow, before I met you, I thought all Americans were fat." Ok, I get it. We're not the healthiest country in the world. But should I be honored or offended by this comment? My gut (get it - haha!) tells me to feel saddened for the US, but to feel personally ok because apparently I made the cut of being normal-looking within this culture of many tiny people. Sweet! My response? "Umm, thanks?"
2. "You all look alike." Now that's just too funny. My co-worker came into my office and was looking at a picture of my team back in Ohio at a work function (yes, gang - I keep a framed pic of you all on my desk!). There were roughly 25 of us in the photo. After staring at it a few minutes, this was his comment. Seriously?!
3. "The American retail babes are here." The best part of this comment is that it happened at work. Let's leave it at that.
4. "Hilary Clinton is a *****." The real word that should go here is a Mandarin word. In fact, the first seriously-crude word I've learned in China. How did I learn this work, you ask? From my English-speaking cabbie. And no, that's not a joke. There has been one and only one cabbie I've found who speaks English, and it was this guy. He loved joking with me, Holly and Erika on a cab ride home from work one evening. He thought he was hilarious, and I guess us laughing didn't help. Another line he used consistently to impart his political beliefs on us was "Xiao Bush", meaning "little Bush", and referring to George W. Now that's just funny.
5. "ObaMao". Like Obama. Like Mao. But combined. And plastered on chotchky items all over the city.
6. My personal favorite ... "I bet you wish you were eating a hamburger right now". The look on my face must have said it all as I sat through a Chinese meal of all kinds of seafood creatures that I didn't really want to try. And yes, as a matter of fact, I would have preferred a hamburger.

I had both a very Chinese and a very American musical experience this week also. Let's start with the Chinese experience - KTV. I have heard folks talk about KTV and how fun it is to go karaoke there. I wanted to knock it off my list before heading home, so a few of us went there last weekend. What a way to celebrate my last Saturday night in Shanghai! It was SO fun! You get to rent your own room so you're only singing in front of your friends. There's food and drinks and all that, and they even had some good English songs. The rental options were one hour or six hours. Who would want to do that for six hours? Well, when our hour flew by and we were still having way too much fun, we realized we should have gone for the deluxe package. We added on more time.

Here are a few shots of the night:

What songs would you pick if you were doing karaoke in China? For us, these were clear winners:

This was honestly one of the best things I did during my entire time here. I'm so glad I got the experience with my friends.

Onto my American music experience ... I went to a Maroon 5 concert in Shanghai! We learned that in China apparently the concert actually starts on time. The show was set for 8pm, doors opening at 7:30, assuming there was a cover band. We were sure that meant Adam and the gang would go on at 9:30 or 10 at the earlier. We strolled in at 8:20 and I think we missed four songs or so. WHAT?! I don't even understand. Regardless, the concert was a blast (even though we were way up in the nosebleeds):

After the concert, the lights came on and within 2 minutes (literally) the entire arena was empty. I've never seen anything like it. With all the chaos that I see on a daily basis, concerts are where people choose to be organized? Since the show ended much earlier than we thought, we headed out to the official afterparty. Even though we didn't spot any of the band members, it was still a really fun night.

And my co-workers have been so amazing about saying goodbye! There have been a few happy hours, lunches, morning teas, etc. to wish us well. Here's a shot of just my team from our main going away event:

I can't believe my time in China is drawing to a close. As I write this, I'm sitting in the lobby of my apartment building just about to get into a cab with ALL my junk (yes, I've accumulated a lot). I'm off to Japan for a long weekend and then back to the US. In so many ways it seemed like October would never come, and now I'm actually really sad to be saying goodbye. But what a way to go out.

Musk Deer 1

What a ridiculous name. This weekend, I redeemed a voucher I won (woo hoo!) for a stay in the Moganshan hillside. The place was called naked Private Reserve Stables ... yes, everyone was fully-clothed despite what the name sounds like! They refer to it as "naked" because it's an eco-friendly, sustainable property. Moganshan is about three hours west of Shanghai. My friend Erika headed there with me and we were lucky enough to stay in the Musk Deer 1 hut:

This name become funnier as the weekend went on. Everywhere we went we had to bill things to the Musk Deer 1 (which, coincidentally nearly every employee referred to as "Muskateer" ... seriously? We didn't name it, you did!). The hut was awesome:

This was absolutely NOT roughing it at all, but it was extremely nice to get away and be able to breath a bit better. And we lucked out with perfect weather. Here are a few views from the balcony:

It was pretty unbelievable in Moganshan. This area used to be a hideout for Chinese gangsters and even for political elite in it's heyday, and once again the area is gaining fame as a great city escape thanks to properties like this. One of the really cool parts of the property is that it winds through hills and the woods. Various buildings were strewn across this large property, so to make life easier, you are assigned a host with a golf cart who will pick you up and take you to wherever you want to go. For example, if you want to head to the front of the property to look at the horses, you call the host and they come zipping up to your hut in the golf cart to transport you there. I could get used to that lifestyle. And here are a few of the horses:

Erika and I were quite proud of how outdoorsy we were and the adventures we went on. First, we hiked to a tea plantation:

This area is famous for white tea. Spring is the real harvesting season, and they allow guests to pick their own and take it home. That would have been cool, but it was still lovely to see it growing. I never realized how beautiful tea plants actually are. There was just row-after-row of tea leaves up on the sides of the hills and mountains.

Our next athetic activity was outdoor yoga. Who wouldn't want to hold downward dog when you have great scenery like this around?

We also rented mountain bikes. I am honestly not sure the last time I biked on a real bike outside. The first concern the staff had for me was when they needed to teach me how to brake and how to shift gears. Yikes. Though unsteady at first, I was able to pick it up again just like, well, learning how to ride a bike. We saw some awesome scenery. Not so awesome was riding the bike through a single-lane tunnel shared by cars, trucks, mopeds, bikes and more. With no lighting. This would never fly in the US. I literally couldn't see anything at points, and just had to hope the people coming at me could see me. But once we got to the other side of the mountain, the views were worth it!

Another interesting thing I tried this weekend was getting a body wrap. What an experience. They lather you up in ginger lotion, wrap you in a cocoon of plastic-wrap and heated towels, then literally zip you into your own easy-bake oven heated contraption. The idea is to make you sweat out your toxins while moisturizing your skin. My assessment - not worth it. I think I was overheated, seeing as I could literally hear and feel my blood pulsing through me every time my heart beat. Guessing that's not supposed to happen. At one point I thought to myself, "You know, I would avoid a hospital even in Shanghai. What will I possibly do if I have a heart issue here in the countryside?". Thankfully, it didn't come to that. Just about the point I started seeing childhood memories flash before me and a bright white light (completely exaggerating ... ), the layers started coming off and I could again breath. That was an expensive way for me to realize that I don't enjoy being baked up like a pie.

It was a really great weekend. Erika and I had a blast. With only a few days left in China, I really am trying to savor all the moments. With that also comes the realization and stress of having too many things to do for work and too few days to accomplish them. Tomorrow I am headed on my second out-of-town business trip to a city called Ningbo. My company owns a few retail pharmacies there now, so I am in the group assessing how we can improve the pharmacy's professionalism and thus grow the business. It's a neat opportunity. I think I'll be able to go into tomorrow's trip with a clear mind thanks to my oh-so-relaxing weekend at Moganshan.

30 days hath September

Hard to believe. Shocking really. I am in my last month of living in China.

It's a very bittersweet time for me. I am definitely looking forward to coming home and getting back to my "real" life (whatever that means ... I am living real life now, but for some reason time seems a bit suspended here). But at the same time, I am starting to get sad about all that I'll miss in China. I've made some good friends here, I've had fun exploring the city and I've also become quite used to big city life. Yes, grocery shopping is still a pain and yes, I'm annoyed by ridiculous traffic and gobs of people everywhere at all times. But it's reality for me right now, and I've come to appreciate the flipside of big city life - excitement, walkability, new experiences, new people. So with my departure from Asia only a few weeks out now, I've decided to make my list of all that I have to do and see before going home!

Though it's been strange missing the first few Buckeyes games at home, I've embraced a different style of game watching in Shanghai - midnight-style! Before the first game, I got the awesome surprise of an invite to a Big Ten Happy Hour for all the Big Ten schools' alumni groups in Shanghai. It was so fun! There was a decent Ohio State showing, but I think Wisconsin gets the prize. We were greeted with a Wisconsin flag hanging out front, Wisconsin gear all over the bar and every Wisconsin grad wore a logo sticker. Impressive. It was a great idea, and I had a great time. Here is a group of us enjoying the night:

The last two weekends I watched the Bucks live (yes, live!) from locales in Shanghai. Watching kickoff at midnight redefines "night game" for me. I'm not a night owl, so both weekends have required late afternoon naps to ensure I'd make it until 3:30 in the morning!

I'm not going to lie - the quality isn't great. In both cases, we had no sound. In both cases, two or fewer TVs were showing the game. In both cases, ten or less people cared about Ohio State. But it's an experience!

On another football note, I am again participating in my all-girls Fantasy Football league! We're appropriately called the Pigskin Princesses. My friends were nice enough to allow me to Skype in to do the draft live with them. Gotta love technology. Here's a picture my friend Brittany snapped of me Skyping in:

One week in and I'm 1-0!

This weekend also brought one of my co-workers from Ohio into Shanghai. She was here vacationing with her husband and friends. We went to a great happy hour as a group, then we headed to dinner at a place I love. Great way to spend a Friday night.

Work is going ok too. It's tough to "wrap-up" a project when really the project is just getting started. It's only me who is wrapping up ... the work will continue. I've learned so much about healthcare and about pharmacy in China, and I'm just getting to the point where I can provide some really valuable recommendations. That's the struggle with a six-month assignment - like starting any new job, it takes a bit to get adjusted. But here, I had to learn a new market, new regulatory environment, new shopper mentality, new team dynamic, new way of producing work and more all at the same time. It's been an incredibly challenging six months for me professionally, but the journey has been full of learnings and takeaways that I'm sure I'll call upon for many years to come.

Another awesome thing at work? A new Starbucks in our lobby! Clearly the Starbucks in the next building over - literally - was too far away, so now I have the convenience of grabbing my latte a few floors down. The grand opening sign said, "Welcome to Starbucks. Enjoy the journey!":

I love the fall. And I especially love Ohio in the fall. I also especially love all the events in my family in the fall. Happy Birthday to my cousin Natalie and my Uncle Jim, and Happy Anniversary to my parents! Next month brings my mom's birthday and mine too - it will be great to be home to celebrate.

But only after I make the most of these 30 days of September ...

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling on the River

One thing I've wanted to do before my time in China is done is to go visit a water village. There are lots of neat towns near Shanghai that are basically built around waterways (a few claim the title of "Venice of the East"). A few friends coordinated a day trip to go to Zhujiajiao, which was about 45 minutes west of town. This little village is super cool - it was built nearly 2,000 years ago. There were a few small bodies of water intersecting to form roads, with shops, restaurants and other buildings lining the sides. Here are a few photos I snapped:

We decided to start by walking around a garden at the front of the village:

Since we were in a water village, there was no way we were leaving without taking a leisurely boat ride. It was so fun! What a great way to travel. We saw some great sights along the water, and went under several beautiful bridges:

There were other buildings to check out in Zhujiajiao. We went into Buddhist and Taoist temples, art galleries and even a historical pharmacy:

One of the greatest parts of this day trip was the shopping! I picked up a few great things - stitched artwork, a great drawing of the village, a unique jewelry box and a few other trinkets that some of you may see in your Xmas stockings! It was fun exploring and seeing the crafts here. There was still chotchky shopping and junkie stuff, but there were many more stores filled with artwork, crafts, jewelry and other unique items. I'm also really regretting not purchasing either the "Congratulations for Getting Rich" or the "Propitious is Pleasant" magnets. Either would have been a lovely addition to my home:

I loved my day at Zhujiajiao! Another thing I can cross of my list.

I've mentioned in here a few times that I've enjoyed eating at a style of restaurant called hot pot. This was a big week for people coming to China from my company - we had three new faces in Shanghai on shorter-term assignments. We got the crew together and headed to dinner one night at a hot pot place. I had to laugh when one of my co-workers pointed out this option to add to our food sauces:

Yep, MSG. Sounds delicious.

It's nearly Labor Day Weekend, and I'm missing out on some fun festivities at home. I guess I got my Labour Day back in May, but it seems weird that I'll be working Monday. Have a great holiday weekend for me!

Checking out Qingdao

Before I get into my adventures in Qingdao, I'd like you to know that I survived my first typhoon! Typhoon Hai Kui was a much-talked-about storm here in Shanghai. Apparently much of the Eastern part of China experiences typhoons, but this one was predicted to be big. When it swept in, I watched the sky go from fairly clear to nearly pitch black in a matter of moments. The wind started before the rain, but then the rain came - we're talking some serious rain.

Shanghai wasn't directly hit, but we still had buckets of rain dumped around the city and a lot of wind damage. Many companies closed - mine did not. But when I got to work and saw that myself and a co-worker were the only two people on the floor, we decided maybe coming in wasn't a great idea. It continued to get worse throughout the day, so we headed home for the afternoon. It ended up being a fun night of drinking wine and eating random food that my co-workers and I had in our apartments since every restaurant and delivery service was closed. Great way to bond! Overall, not extremely scary, but still a big storm. Here is a pic of the storm from my balcony:

On to Qingdao. So first things first ... "Ching-dow". That's how you say it. This cute little (well, maybe not so little) town on the East coast of China is where I spent a weekend recently. It's internationally known for being the home of Tsing Tao beer. I'm not really sure why the beer name and the city name aren't spelled the same in English - likely an error at some point in time. Have you tried it before? I've had it at a few restaurants in Columbus even. My co-workers Erika and Jayson and I decided to participate in a group tour of lovely Qingdao, which included a visit to the International Beer Festival.

The weekend started off with the standard frustrations of being a traveler in a foreign country - airline delays, change of hotel plans at the last minute from our tour company, trouble communicating with the front desk, etc. Our front desk staff was awesome though - they were calling friends and family who spoke English and having us communicate through them. One guy even gave us his English-speaking son's cell phone number in case we needed anything in Qingdao! So nice. Just when we were starting to feel good about the trip, we walked into the room:

Yikes! Now we understood why the trip package was so affordable ...

We headed to dinner, mostly to escape the hotel room, and ended up seeing a beautiful part of the coastline:

The morning started off with us learning that even though we were to be part of a group tour, the group consisted of the three of us and our beloved tour guide Brandon. Actually that was fine by us - personalized itinerary! We headed to Mt. Laoshan to do an "easy hike". At least that was what the agenda said. After 45 minutes of straight stairs up the side of the mountain, I realized this was no easy hike. But it was gorgeous and totally worth it:

This sign definitely says, "Treasuring life and no climbing". Thanks for the tip.

We went to the beach. Despite the rampant seaweed, it was quite nice. We also were able to witness a fashion trend happening in Qingdao:

Aahh! The face-kini! The trend is sweeping the nation: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/08/20/159366234/on-chinese-beaches-the-face-kini-is-in-fashion. Pale skin is very in and sun is very out, so this is clearly the solution for how to go to the beach and get no sun. Such a contrast from US beach-going vacations!

The beer festival was a hit. We checked it out Saturday night and again Sunday afternoon. An even bigger hit? Us - the laowai. We heard this word over and over throughout our Qingdao adventure. It loosely means "foreigner", though I think it's a bit more demeaning. Like so many other words, those of us who are laowai have embraced the word and made it cool (there's even a magazine called Laowai!). Nearly everywhere we went, we heard screams of "laowai!" and fingers unabashedly pointing at us. A few people literally wanted to take pictures of us or with us. This must be what it's like to be a celebrity. This never happens in Shanghai because there are throngs of laowai, but apparently in Qingdao we were the real attraction.

The first indication that it would be a good night was when we walked into a pavillion and basically EVERY man had his shirt off drinking and singing along with the band on stage. Have I brought up the shirtless/shirt-raised fashion statement yet? When it gets hot, the trendy thing for men to do is to roll up their shirts and rest the rolled up part on their bellies. Not sure if that actually helps anything, but hey - whatever. Here are a few of my favorites from the two days of the festival:

In the last one, a camera crew came over to film the crazy laowai. I'm pretty sure I might be featured on the 2013 festival advertising - come see foreigners!

And as a side note, this gentleman captured the general feel of the place:

Don't worry - I stayed and waited long enough to see that he was breathing. Someone enjoyed their Tsing Tao a little too much!

On Sunday we also went to Xiaoqingdao Island, complete with a "Behave civilized when you visit the garden" sign, then headed to the beach:

What a great weekend! China has a lot to offer. There are so many neat cities to visit and just not enough time!