Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
A great Broadway show/movie, by the way. Today, however, my purpose is to get my readership involved in a new web venture. I am part of a team that is building a new China-focused web forum. The posters and viewers are a good balance of foreigners, expats, and Chinese and it's free to register (if you want to post). Right now, it is still a fledgling, so we're more in need of posts and articles than anything else. I know a lot of you are interested in Chinese culture (especially those of you who studied with me at Hopkins or here in China). There are boards for everything from the China social scene to Chinese recipes, to current events.

Please feel free to contribute if you have experiences or questions. The website address is:
http://www.ChineseSavvy.com

As an FYI, some of the forum boards have postings in Chinese, but our goal is to have it be mostly if not completely in English, so don't worry about language issues. Thanks in advance to anyone who can contribute!
posted by Rachel @ 11:14 AM  
Friday, January 26, 2007
The Nhu Kid On The Block
I have a friend who is an associate at one of the top PR firms in Beijing. As such, he gets invited to a large quanitity of grand openings, parties, and special events. So when the globe-trotting party known as the Privilege World Tour arrived for the first time ever in Beijing, you can bet he was on top of it. And if it is true what they say, and a picture really is worth a thousand words, here is short essay that I have titled, "My Thursday Night."

I'm going to let the image speak for itself. Just bear in mind that the word 'chaos' doesn't begin to describe the evening I had. I've been to the Nhu Lounge before, but it was nothing like this. The new incarnation is indescribable. So I'm going to stop trying now. Oh, and did I mention that it's a two-night event? Yep, that's right. This evening we're doing it all over again. Good luck and godspeed, right?
And be warned: anyone calling me before 2 p.m. tomorrow is cruisin' for a bruisin' (even if it is from halfway around the world).
posted by Rachel @ 3:59 PM  
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Live From The Shanghai Grand Stage...ERIC CLAPTON!
And in the words of Linda Richman/Mike Myers on SNL in the early 90's, it was like butter.

Those of you who know me well know spontaneity is not exactly one of my more prominent characteristics. But for one weekend I thought it would be fun to do something on a whim. On Friday while searching around on the internet for things to do, my friend Anne and I stumbled across an article saying that Eric Clapton was coming to Hong Kong and Shanghai (but of course not Beijing - Beijing doesn't seem to get the draw for international music acts that the other, more internationally predominant cities do). Now, I've said that we found this article on Friday night. It turns out, the Hong Kong concert had passed - it was on Wednesday. The Shanghai concert was Saturday. We had one day to plan the whole thing.

If China was anything like the United States (or the U.K. to represent Anne's side of the Atlantic), we would've gotten on the horn to Ticketmaster or the arena itself, reserved tickets, called the airline and done the same, and been ready to roll for the next night. But if you have learned anything from this blog, it is that China is in many, many ways NOT like the United States or the U.K. and therefore, we had some stumbling blocks to overcome. The tickets for the airplane had to be bought at the airport and the tickets for the concert had to be bought at the stadium or at the licensed broker down the street from the stadium - obviously both of which were in Shanghai. Not particularly helpful, right?

We decided to be impetuous youths and jump a plane to Shanghai, without knowledge of whether tickets would even still be available, where they would be located in the arena, etc. We arrived in Shanghai, found a hotel near the airport, booked a room for later that night, hopped in a cab, and headed toward the stadium. All of this running around happened over the course of 3 hours to give you a sense of the time frame. That put us at the stadium around 4 pm, with the concert beginning at 7:30. We got great seats - not together, but we figured that was barely the point at this juncture. The point was that we were both crazy for Clapton and at this late a date, finding two seats together was like asking for pork in a Jewish deli - it just wasn't there.

We got seats in the sixth and seventh rows off to the right but SO close to the stage. AND we were still near enough to each other that Anne and I could scream conversation. In the end, we found two empty seats in the sixth row and moved up with no problem to enjoy the entirety of that which is Clapton together. After Clapton exited the stage we went out with our new best friends and fellow Claptonites a.k.a. the big group of people who were sitting around us. They were what I like to term "the U.K. blend" - accents as far as meets the ear. I could barely understand a word - between the Irish drunken chatter, the thick Scottish brogues, and the ringing in my ears, but it was a fabulous night. And, just for being yourselves and being kind enough to read my blog, I give you the gift of E.C.:












Here's looking at you, kid.
Or at least hoping you had as amazing a weekend as I did.

posted by Rachel @ 11:16 PM  
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
That's The Way The Cookie Crumbles

Did you ever wonder about the origins of the fortune cookie? They don't make them in restaurants in China, so where do they really come from? This afternoon, a co-worker and I were discussing fortune cookies and, having stumbled across that exact question, decided to a bit of research.

The answer to that question is Rachel's Fun-Fact-Of-The-Day:
Though the story from which the fortune cookie's inception is derived is disputed, and several so-called "inventors" claim credit for the creation of the crunchy sage-in-a-snack, the official credit for inventing the fortune cookie goes to....drumroll, please...

Makoto Hagiwara?

That's right. And no, that name is not Chinese-sounding for a reason. Because it's not. It's Japanese. In fact, Makoto Hagiwara was a Japanese immigrant and the owner of the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. He allegedly invented the fortune cookie in San Francisco in 1914, as a snack for tea-drinkers in his shop. Some postulate the idea is based on the Chinese Spring Festival tradition of hiding a coin inside a dumpling as a symbolic act of good luck and good fortune, but that is mere speculation.

To take the craziness to an even higher level, in 1983, San Francisco's pseudo-legal Court of Historical Review held a mock trial to determine the origins of the fortune cookie. The most popular contender was the claim that David Jung, a Chinese immigrant living in Los Angeles and the founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, invented the cookie in 1918. As an act of outreach to the poor he saw wandering near his shop, it is said he created the cookie and handed them out to passersby on the street for free. Each cookie contained a strip of paper with a line of Bible scripture on it, written for Jung by a Presbyterian minister.

The results of the "trial"? The Hagiwara story won out, but many attribute this to the bias of the ruling judge who was - wait for it - a native San Franciscan.
posted by Rachel @ 4:02 PM  
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
A Rose By Any Other Name
I don't know that I'd call this blog a rose exactly, but that's not my point anyhow. I've decided, despite earlier posting to the contrary, to change the title of the blog. The current title is only temporary until I can think of something better, but I didn't like tagging my blog with Laiwu since I'm no longer there and it's really not even close to applicable. Life in Beijing is just too far on the other end of the spectrum from Laiwu. So I will brainstorm and I hope you will as well. Comments and suggestions are welcome - post a comment on the site or send me an email. The reward for creativity? Well, when these blog posts turn into my memoirs (fifty years into the future after I've finished my turn at running the universe, or something to that extent), I'll be sure to give you some sort of writing credit and a nod at my Pulitzer prize/Nobel prize/inauguration into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame speech.
posted by Rachel @ 10:30 PM  
Real Live Diplomacy In Action
Is it strange that I've made more political sightings here in Beijing than I did when living in our own nation's capital? Nonetheless, I was on a bus yesterday after running errands when we suddenly came to a stop and stayed that way for about 20 minutes. Which is a really long time when you think about it. Especially on a bus. Anyway, it turns out it was Ehud Olmert visiting the Olympic Village which is only about a block or two north of my apartment building. Normally, I hate that kind of traffic tie-up, but for him, I would stop anytime.
posted by Rachel @ 5:04 PM  
What Am I Thankful For This New Year?
Well, today I am thankful for but two small pieces of American pie: the export of obesity and Sizzler.

They would seem to go hand in hand. But I am thankful for two completely unrelated - albeit equally important - reasons. First, let's knock off the obesity one. If not for McDonald's on every corner, the rise in Chinese standard of living, and the formation in China's major cities of a middle class economy leading to an increase in the consumption of just about everything, there would be no Bally's Fitness Centers. So really, I am thankful for Bally's. All ten of them. They cast their net like a cobweb over the city and as such, I managed to find one just up the street. They have kickboxing and spinning, a heated indoor pool and a spa. And they have some really cool instructors, including several that are North American (a couple Canadians and a USA-er). I am thankful for them because the gymming industry in China is slow. It exists but it is far behind the fitness craze in the United States. I cannot go to any other Beijing gym and do five different kinds of yoga. And if I don't have choices, it ain't worth my time.

Now, prong number two. The existence of Sizzler in Beijing may support my previous statement, but I am thankful for it in a completely different capacity. Do you all remember Sizzler? It's like a cross between an Applebee's and a Chili's. I know they're not that different, but there is a subtle distinction - fajitas. Anyway, the Sizzler here in Beijing made like the Statue of Liberty this past Tuesday night - except the cold, huddled masses yearning to breathe free were replaced by mildly drunk, distressed, quiz-failing nerds (see post below) who were hungry at 2 a.m. just as every restaurant in the city was refusing further patronage. But the kind people at Sizzler took pity on our pathetic, cold expat behinds and ushered us out of the biting Pacific winter winds and into the smell of freshly spiced chicken and kitchen grease.

So we salute you, Bally's and Sizzler. For leaping out of the box of American ingenuity and onto the international stage. May all our bad habits spread throughout the world so that anywhere I go, I may enjoy a bit of home.
posted by Rachel @ 4:00 PM  
A Quizzer If Ever A Whiz There Was
Quiz nights. Sounds like a stupid activity your college dorm den mother (or father - we have to be politically correct) would think up as a "bonding activity." But here in China, people take their trivia - especially their useless trivia - very seriously. I was talking to my friend Mark who was studying in Beijing this past fall semester but just moved back to the States. Since he was just here, I asked him for advice on some of the cool night spots I should visit. A good number of friends from the last time I was here in Beijing have since moved back to their respective home countries and I thought it would be a good idea to hit up some new circles.

Since Mark, like most Ivy alums, understands the tendency of nerdy people to gravitate toward other equally nerdy people, he made a suggestion. According to him, three or four bars in Chaoyang hold a regular weekly event, innocuously known as "Quiz Night." Though a bit skeptical - this sounded like a fatally boring night of Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary - he insisted I would like it and besides, I had nothing else to do anyway. Isn't that always the excuse?

Most places held their quiz night on Tuesday (I guess since Monday is football recap, Wednesday is Ladies Night, Thursday is drink specials, and the weekend is, well, the weekend). I had already been to Tim's Texas BBQ (actually a really cool place despite the corny-sounding name) the night before to watch the wild card games (or the re-airing of the videotapes of the games, damn thirteen hour time difference...). So instead, I decided to go to the John Bull Pub for the night. I had been there once before, but only for a brief game of foosball (there's actually a foosball tournament there next week - more coverage on that after the event). It was there that I learned about the insanity that is "Quiz Night."

Here's the deal: they bring all of these genius Chinese guys (sorry ladies, but pretty much every dull genius who sits around all day memorizing inane and useless information is male - somehow I think I'm okay with this). Anyway, trivia callers announce the most random of questions. And teams arranged at different tables try desperately to outwit the geniuses. I think I got three correct the whole night - but apparently for a beginner, that's pretty good. Johns Hopkins and Hooked on Phonics worked for me! But people go nuts trying to outsmart the smartest. It was amazing being around other uber-competitives like me. But the most humorous thing: as people got drunker, the "thinking faces" got funnier and more contorted. Try to think back to the last time you were really drunk. I mean, REALLY hammered. Remember exactly the state you were in - the way the room wobbled and spun a little and your feet dragged when you walked. Now imagine trying to simultaneously think of the name of each country bordering the Nile. In order from north to south. As they were called in 2000 BCE. Yeah, even try it sober. I only got three names and I just finished reading about it. But the geniuses - they were on fire. It was one hell of a night. And best of all, I made some new friends - fellow non-geniuses who felt just as stupid for not knowing the answers to completely useless questions that not a single person cares about. Except history majors. Oh, what a sad life they must lead...
posted by Rachel @ 3:47 PM  
Let The Games Begin
Hey, long time no see! Allow me first to say that the title of this particular blog post is only whimsical and witty if you know that the area of Beijing I just moved into is known as the "Asian Games Village" due to its proximity to the future site of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Otherwise, it's just a stupid cliche. I would like to think that I'm above that at this point, unlikely as it may be. What have I discovered this week, you may ask. Every time I move to a new city, I find myself accruing new philosophies by the second.

For example, I have made a important and firm decision in my life to never move to a city that does not have an IKEA. It's just not smart. Even better is shopping in a country with a favorable exchange rate. I furnished my entire apartment for $350.00 and everything matches. Thanks IKEA!

I am also brushing up on my math: expat football fans + gigantic oak panelled micro-brewery = instant friends. A nice play on words with expat and hating the Patriots should be in order here, but I hate the Eagles too much to divert the focus of my negative energies. Plus, Tom Brady is too dreamy.

Last, I have decided that men not asking for directions has little if anything to do with pride or stubbornness. After having gotten on many wrong buses and ending up on the most random side streets only to meet cool people who would love to pour a Chinese-speaking waiguoren a free drink in the middle of the morning, I have determined that the no-asking-directions imperative is simply a manifestation of human curiosity and an easy way to piss off the inflexible, compulsive, A-type personality in the passenger seat while laughing on the inside.

In the midst of this highbrow and, frankly, obnoxious attempt at humor, I would like to interject that I was deeply touched by the barrage of emails from my long lost friends, even people from as far back as elementary school (how they even remember me - or why they would want to - is beyond me...I was kind of a pain in the rear back then. Not much has changed). It was great to hear from all of you and for those I did get to see, it really was a pleasure catching up. I apologize as I was only back in the States for about a week and only in Florida at that. For all of you, I wish you a happy end-of-holiday-season. I have entered 2007 in high spirits and, seeing as my brain is not clouded with the polluted smog of bipartisan politics and New Jersey, I think it's a safe bet they will remain as such. In spite of your collective geographical misfortune, I hope your 2007 back in the good ol' U.S. of A. is just as fantastic.
posted by Rachel @ 3:19 PM  
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THE WILD WILD EAST: Everything you never knew you didn't know about life on the other side.
In China, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups. The Chinese, who call this land "home," and the expats who migrate here. My name is Rachel. I am an expat. These are my stories.
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This is a satirical site intended for the entertainment of an online audience. None of the features on this site are real (except in my own distorted view of reality), nor are they intended to harm the subjects mentioned. This site uses fictional names in all its stories, except in cases when public figures are being satirized or when I choose to use this site as a platform for someone's public humiliation (usually my own). Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental (or purposeful, but with good reason).
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Despite the trivial nature of my random daily (sometimes weekly) musings, I hope you enjoy your stay at my site. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ring up the concierge, because I just travel in style like that. Have a pleasant stay and I hope that you will come see us again soon!

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