Hong Kong: Big Buddha

Since I get to go to Hong Kong a lot, I try and space out my tourist-y visits over the course of each time I go. Sometimes I go to buy Western clothes or food, and sometimes, I just need a break from the mainland. But, one time in December, I went to see Big Buddha.

Y'all. He was so cool. You have to take a cable car called Ngong Ping 360 to get to Ngong Ping village and then walk from there and you have the option of a glass bottomed cable car {highly recommend}. It's a cute little touristy "town" with all kinds of things to buy (including Starbucks and Subway) and it's about a 5-10 minute walk to Buddha.

There is also a monastery nearby that will sell you lunch.

Enjoy!

Guangzhou

In my excitement to post about places like Hong Kong and Qingyuan, I've been remiss in not telling you about the city I live in. Guangzhou is a big, bustling city that reminds me a lot of Houston. It has the same weather, the same types of sprawl, and is serious about it's ice {hallelujah, ice water is not a weird thing here}.

On the other hand, it's crowded. So many people everywhere, all the time. I went to my favorite hot pot restaurant on a Sunday night at 9pm. 2 hour wait. WHAT?! Who are all these people and why aren't they in bed?

Seriously though, this city has a lot to offer. It's the unique position of sharing a border with "the West." During the Boxer Rebellion and Cultural Revolution, many people escaped through Canton {Guangzhou/Guandong} to Hong Kong. Many people here speak at least 3 languages: Mandarin, Cantonese and English. The local food is what you might expect if you've only ever had Americanized Chinese food: sweet and sour pork or chicken, steamed vegetables, dumplings, egg drop soup, etc. I personally prefer 北京菜 or 四川菜 {Beijing or Sichuan food} but it's fun to have super easily available dim sum that is also reliably delicious.

One of the most iconic structures in GZ is the Canton TV Tower. It lights up like a rainbow at night, and can be seen almost anywhere in the city. I happen to live very close to it and the city center, so there is a lot for me to see an do.

Enjoy some pictures of my city. Despite how big it is, there are plenty of scenic spots, parks, and pagodas!

{The Guangzhou Tower viewed from a busy market}

{Pearl River New Town on a blue sky day}

{Chigang Pagoda. I see this everyday when I bike to work}.

What do you love about where you live?

Hong Kong

One of the reasons I chose to re-locate to Guangzhou is because of the proximity to both Hong Kong and other Southeast Asian countries. I'll get to see parts of the world which were difficult for me to see when I was in Tianjin.

I'll be honest: I'm not really a fan of Guangzhou. It's bigger and busier than Tianjin and I feel like I have NO personal space. Despite my loathing of big and busy cities {and I moved to China? I know}, Hong Kong is one of my very favorite places. The character just oozes out of every building there. It truly is east meets west, and I think, what most westerners first picture when they think of "what China is."

I went for the first time with my friend Olivia, from Tianjin. It was wonderful. Western manners, lots of English, and Chinese food. I had a fantastic time and have already been back several times.

Some highlights from my first three trips: Victoria Peak {gorgeous}, Disneyland, a ropes course, the JCC, and shopping. Lots of shopping. Y'all, I can't get enough of this place.

What are your favorite places?

Last Days in Tianjin

I've been turning over this post in my head for days. Would I write it? Would I be able to? Would I remember to take enough pictures or be able to put how I feel about this city into this space? I've been pretty vague about my life here. I share a lot of adventures but not a lot about my personal life and work. Part of that is because, despite writing on this blog, I am a private person. I prefer to really control the information I put on the internet as much as I can. I'm not one of those passive-aggressive Facebook status-updaters and I don't really share my struggles electronically.

But, a lot has happened to me in Tianjin. I've made friends, I've lost them. Work was a battle ground, for awhile. I worked very hard for a promotion, then got it, but it didn't make me as happy as I thought it would {see above with work being a battle ground}. Being far away from my family has been hard for many reasons {illness, death, etc.} and I've thought many, many times of just coming home. I kept hanging on, though, because some of the best people I've ever met live here. I have had some crazy fun nights  and I have grown more as a person here than I have anywhere in a long time.

And then, the decision to leave Tianjin was made for me by my company. I've moved to Guangzhou. When I first heard the news, I was OK with it for awhile, and excited for a new adventure. Then, suddenly, the idea of leaving was overwhelming. Time was slipping away and I realized that I might not see some of my favorite people for a long time, if ever again. Being an expat is not for the feint of heart, and especially not in a place like China where people come and go so frequently.

But, I also realized that I could preserve these memories and tuck them away. And that, in this age of easy travel {by train, by bus, by plane} that it really isn't goodbye. It's 再见 {zai jian}, which means, roughly "until we meet again." So, here are some pictures from my last few days and weeks in Tianjin.

Good memories!

Qingdao: The Brewery

Since I have come to China, I have come to really appreciate beer. The third-spaces for expats tend to be pubs {I've been hanging out with Brits and Irishmen too much!} and beer is usually fairly cheap and readily available. And, believe it or not, there are a fair amount of local breweries around, especially in cities with a large foreign/cosmopolitan influence.

One of the first cities to have an independent brewery was Qingdao {yes, Tsingtao}. Tsingtao hasn't been a a little independent German brewery in a long time, but I was very interested in going to see it and the city of Qingdao herself. The Olympic Sailing competition was held there in 2008, and I'd heard many good things about how nice the city is. So, I treated myself to a weekend away for my 28th birthday!

Qingdao is all about it's beer. You can buy cheap, "raw" {unfiltered} beer in little baggies from kegs that come straight from the production floor. I decided to take a tour first, and then wander around and find some lunch. I'm glad I went. There was a lot of historical information about the history of the brewery {it was owned and operated by Asahi during the Japanese occupation for example, and didn't start mass production and export until the 90's} and you got two free samples of beer from the factory.

This is a fountain in the outside courtyard of the museum. Reception, the museum itself, and parts of the old and new facilities are located in different buildings.

One of the old machines. I don't remember what it did, but it looked cool. And, that manequin guy was creepily life-like.

Another view from outside. Who doesn't like inflatable beer cans on their roof?

The wall of beer from all over the world. I looked valiantly for anything that looked "local" like Shiner, or Buffalo Bayou or St. Arnolds. Nada. Sad face.

Qingdao is also famous for it's spicy clams, so after I was done with my tour, I treated myself to a beer and a plate of them. The weather was warm and breezy, the beer was cool {ish...China is a bit spotty about cold beverages} and the clams were delicious. It was a good day. Have you been on any tours lately?

Beijing: Lama Temple

You remember when I went to Shanghai a few months ago? Well, I flew in and out of Beijing for that, and on the way home, stopped to see a friend in Beijing. When she was at work, I knocked this guy off my Beijing Bucket List.

The Lama Temple is a working Mongolian-Tibetan Buddhist temple located in the Yonghegong area in northeast Beijing {for the record, Yonghegong is Chinese for "Lama Temple"}. This temple is fairly old; construction on it began in the late 1600's. And, a rare thing in China, it survived the Cultural Revolution due to the intervention of a government official.

The day I was there it was chilly and crisp, and only a little bit hazy. There were some visitors, but not enough to make the experience a hassle. At the entrance to the main part of the temple grounds, visitors can receive a free bundle of incense.

In all, it was a fun little excursion on the way to meet my friend for coffee and a pulled pork sandwich. What excursions have you been on lately?

Beijing: The Summer Palace

Up until now, the Temple of Heaven was my favorite spot in Beijing. It is SO iconic and the park is beautiful. Then, I decided to spend a quick weekend ticking a few boxes of my Beijing Bucket List and  went to the Summer Palace.

I only had about hours to spend, but I could have easily spent the entire day there, soaking up the trees and flowers. It was gorgeous. And, it was a great opportunity to play with the camera my family helped me buy for Christmas!

This park was once a place for emperors and his favorites to go to escape the heat of the Beijing summer. Now, it is one of Beijing's biggest public parks. The area is huge and includes a man made lake, a marble boat, and plenty of nooks and crannies to get lost in. I didn't really encounter many other people until I got close to the water, which was nice. It was a perfect three hours, and I wish I had time to go again before I move south.

 This is Suzhou street. I'm not entirely sure why it was there, but there were a few little shops and restaurants along the way.

As I was aimlessly wandering, I encountered a sort of "backstage area" that was roped off. This being China, I ignored the rope and got this great shot of two fishermen. When it comes down to it, we are more alike than we think. How many of us have dad or grandpas that look just like this?

 This was my favorite spot in the entire park.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that Beijing is {sort of} in the mountains with all the pollution. The day I was here was a bit hazy, but you could still see pretty far the higher you climbed. What have you seen recently?

Shanghai: The Bund

One of the most famous things about Shanghai is The Bund and the view you get of the skyline from the promenade. I didn't spend a lot of time here, but the time I did spend was pretty memorable and full of photo opportunities.

My first full day in Shanghai I went in the evening after wandering over from People's Park and Nanjing Lu. In China, there is always a crowd, but I saw a massive one and decided to follow it. It was a nice sight to walk to, and I got some wonderful pictures of some of the old European buildings as well as the new skyline on the opposite side of the river. 

After taking in this gorgeous display and generally enjoying being near the river, I met up with some friends and went to the {almost} top of the building that looks like a bottle opener. Friends, I am not scared of heights, but I got a little woozy when I got out of the elevator at the 100th floor. No pictures of that {sorry!) due to a dead phone, but just look at the skyline: it's not even the tallest building!

And, of course, I'm including a few daytime pictures {as always, ignore the flyaway hair, hmm?}.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

You know how life has a funny way of letting you get comfortable and then throwing a curve-ball your way? That happens all the time in China. Rules change all the time, seemingly without reason or notice.

Recently, we were all called into a meeting at work hosted by a regional manager and lots of HR people. Scary much? I can't tell you why the meeting was called, but I CAN tell you my own personal outcome: I'm moving in May.

Part of me was thrilled. I get to go to another city in China! My company is going to pay for it! Maybe another promotion! Part of me was dismayed: I finally felt settled in Tianjin. I have friends, I know my way around without using taxis, I have a Chinese tutor, and I {finally} feel like part of community.

I think, overall, this is a blessing in disguise. One of the {many} reasons I'm here is to challenge myself. and to see the world. I can't do either if I am so comfortable that I never want to leave my little apartment. So, over the next few months, I'm going to write a Tianjin and Beijing Bucket List, ruthlessly cull the belongings in my apartment, and get ready for a new adventure!

And I have some exciting plans for the blog. It is part of my New Year's resolution to stop feeling sorry for myself {which I have been doing lately}, get off my butt, and record the awesome things I get to do as an expat. So, you can expect more updates with good pictures, and for me to be more present here. It will happen.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Shanghai: Jing An Temple

I have always loved tours of religious sites. Churches, synagogues, temples. Even if I don't subscribe to the religious beliefs of that community, it's members usually treat it with such awe that the atmosphere changes. This was true of the Jing An Temple in Shanghai.

It was the first full day of my vacation, and I wandered out of bed around 12, ready to meander around and see a few things. Since the temple is only two metro stops up from the hostel I was staying at, I decided to start there and work my way around to whatever I fancied next.

This was a special day: it was the first day of the New Year {Lunar New Year}! Admission was a bit more expensive, but there were still crowds of people praying, offering gratitude, and making wishes for the new year. I don't like to take up-close pictures of people praying; I find it to be an invasion of privacy. But, I did take a photo from a balcony that shows all of those worshipping below.

And here's another one of folks offering incense.

There was a neat metal sculpture in the middle of the courtyard that folks were tossing {throwing} coins into. I'm not sure what that was all about, but I can guess.

And here are some more random photos of the temple.

It was a perfect start to Shanghai.