These past few days, I’ve been making a big scene to everyone about my dad coming this week to visit me. (Refer to my second blog post about my dad). Deep down, I was dreading the spiel that he usually gave me about every little tiny thing, which was pretty much warning me of all the bad things that could happen to me. (I think growing up with that has had a huge influence on my personality but anyways, that’s another topic – which I may delve into when I have the chance.)
The day he arrived, I was caught up with work and made him wait for a few hours at a nearby McDonalds before I was done. He complained about how the food was too oily when I took him out to my favourite local restaurant and I was slightly disappointed. (I realize now that it’s a good thing he complained because he is the best cook in the family so he knows what he’s talking about. Thank goodness my parents are health-conscious. )
I was actually nervous when I led him into my apartment but secretly proud because I thought I did a bang-up job keeping the place tidy. He didn’t say much about it so I assumed he was impressed. For the next 4 hours, it was a big whirlwind and my dad managed to make my place 100 times better. He fixed my lights, he brought things from Hong Kong that’d make my life so much easier (Swiffer-like dust cleaners, for example – I swear, I couldn’t find them in Nanjing for some reason), he fixed the pressure from my showerhead (I am aware of the protocol of fixing showerheads but in my experience, I have broken too many so I was too cautious to try fixing this one), he sorted out apartment issues with my landlord who only understood Mandarin...and so much more, which I did not expect. Later, I was sad to hear that he was tired because he ended a great conversation that I would have much enjoyed in the wee hours of the night.
My dad was the unexpected hero that seemed like your average Joe but made my day because he is my dad.
I shouldn't keep a hero waiting at a McDonald's next time.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Faulty Terrorist Attacks are Beautiful
One morning, I woke up to the sound of loud cracking noises outside my window. They then became awful booms with piercing gun shot sounds in between. It was way too early for me to wake up for a work day but I was too frantic to even think about that because I was scared out of my pyjama pants!
I quickly searched my mind for the 10 minute "training" we had back in high school when it was the beginning of the post 9/11 era and everyone had to learn how to react if there was a possible bomb threat in the building. I immediately went into Code Red mode, which was simply finding a place where I could crawl underneath to protect myself, assumingly, from the ceiling crashing down on me.
I'm in China so my furniture is bare minimum in my flat. I obviously couldn't crawl under the couch or the coffee table. I had a table - but it's a folding table so you couldn't really hide underneath it. My flat is a loft so the first - and only - thing I could think of when I first heard those sounds was to hide underneath the winding stairs that led up to my bedroom.
I look back now and I think it must have been the one of the most ridiculous scenes I've ever been in because I was in such a state of panic and I was just grasping to these skeletal steps, which probably wouldn't have protected me from a collapsed ceiling anyways!
Seconds - which felt like several minutes - later, I peeked out my window and after seeing nothing on fire or traces of smoke in the air, I concluded that some idiot thought it was funny to play with fire crackers to wake up the whole neighbourhood. I found out later from my boss that people in China regularly use fireworks for weddings, special occasions and moving days. I guess I got a new neighbour.
Since then, I've been feeling all crummy about fire crackers because they seem such a nuisance but tonight, after a day's work and a dinner with a colleague, I was on my bike and on my way home, a burst of colours lit the sky on my street and it was beautiful, especially since I was so close to the lovely scene. I stopped cycling and enjoyed the array of multi-coloured splashes until the end, which was when I realized that they echoed the sounds created by the fire crackers that made me go Code Red the other day.
I guess fireworks - or should I say, fire crackers - ain't so bad after all. After all, I am in living in the birthplace of such inventions! :D
I quickly searched my mind for the 10 minute "training" we had back in high school when it was the beginning of the post 9/11 era and everyone had to learn how to react if there was a possible bomb threat in the building. I immediately went into Code Red mode, which was simply finding a place where I could crawl underneath to protect myself, assumingly, from the ceiling crashing down on me.
I'm in China so my furniture is bare minimum in my flat. I obviously couldn't crawl under the couch or the coffee table. I had a table - but it's a folding table so you couldn't really hide underneath it. My flat is a loft so the first - and only - thing I could think of when I first heard those sounds was to hide underneath the winding stairs that led up to my bedroom.
I look back now and I think it must have been the one of the most ridiculous scenes I've ever been in because I was in such a state of panic and I was just grasping to these skeletal steps, which probably wouldn't have protected me from a collapsed ceiling anyways!
Seconds - which felt like several minutes - later, I peeked out my window and after seeing nothing on fire or traces of smoke in the air, I concluded that some idiot thought it was funny to play with fire crackers to wake up the whole neighbourhood. I found out later from my boss that people in China regularly use fireworks for weddings, special occasions and moving days. I guess I got a new neighbour.
Since then, I've been feeling all crummy about fire crackers because they seem such a nuisance but tonight, after a day's work and a dinner with a colleague, I was on my bike and on my way home, a burst of colours lit the sky on my street and it was beautiful, especially since I was so close to the lovely scene. I stopped cycling and enjoyed the array of multi-coloured splashes until the end, which was when I realized that they echoed the sounds created by the fire crackers that made me go Code Red the other day.
I guess fireworks - or should I say, fire crackers - ain't so bad after all. After all, I am in living in the birthplace of such inventions! :D
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Back to the Globalized World
Well, more like a few days ago but wow, does it feel refreshing to have convenient access to the Internet. The following blog entries are late but I promise there will not be any more delayed ones. Some are written from my journal and I am delighted to share them with you.
Oct. 2/09 - Opportunities in the Ocean
The waves in Boracay, Philippines, were incredibly fun, especially the big ones, because you could “ride” them. They’d pick you up with their speed and height and carry you back to the shore.
This one time, I went out into the ocean until the water was up to my chin and this big wave began towering over me. It was at least 2 metres tall and I panicked a little, thinking I’d make the wrong move and go under, ending me up with scrapes on my arms and legs. Instead, I jumped at the right moment and caught the wave. It carried me so high and fast that the adrenaline rush was incredible. It was my best wave ride ever. I laughed and thought to myself that I had to do it again. I eventually became too tired as the day went by and I couldn’t catch a beautiful wave again. That big one was unforgettable.
This experience reminded me that an opportunity could seem scary at first and it could come by in an instance so you must act quickly and carefully to make sure you get to “ride” this opportunity. Once you “ride” it, it becomes one heck of a ride and you yearn for more because you had such a good time.
I faced this big wave like an opportunity, which had risks that I considered, but with confidence, I quickly overcame my fear of those risks and timed it just right so I could catch the wave and experience the excitement.
These big opportunities should not be expected to happen all the time. Little waves would come by, I wouldn't be in the right spot, the weather would changed and I'd become too tired to pick up any waves.
The adrenaline I got from that one wave makes me look forward to my next big opportunity and I will make sure that I am ready for it - prepared and full of confidence - because the outcome is well worth it and I cannot bear to miss such an opportunity.
Oct. 3/09 - Essence of the Moon
Never have I done this before but the night before Mid-Autumn Festival Day, I watched the full moon while I was surrounded by Mother Nature – and only Mother Nature. Her beach, her ocean, her trees – there was nothing around me except Earth. Although it was cloudy, the moon seemed to have pushed the clouds away and a circle of space was created, which formed this ring around the moon and intensified its roundness.
The moon shone majestically across the ocean and it helped me notice the black water underneath as it softly rippled against the white sand. I actually saw the horizon, which was rare because it’s always too dark to see such a thing at night. It was fascinating to see so many shades of black emerging together to paint a beautiful scene, even though they were all the same shade of colour.
As I laid on the beach, I couldn’t take my eyes off the craters of the moon. I felt the dark shades of the palm trees behind me and its leaves peering over in my view as I looked up at the bright sky, them swaying so gently with the sea breeze. I took a deep breath, allowing the soft smell of the ocean to tickle my nose and I smiled to myself - this was paradise.
Oct. 6/09 - A Mermaid in the Philippines
As my trip to the Philippines ended, I left with a mixture of feelings for the country, both nice and not so nice. Overall, it was a great adventure and I’d love to go back again.
It’s incredible how the Philippines is considered an Asian culture because of its location but there is a heavy Latino flair to it, which makes the culture so much more fun. People are very open with each other and it was nice to be welcomed with friendliness and great hospitality.
I was glad there were nice people because one day, I got lost in Manila (capital city) and it could’ve ended horribly if I didn’t make the right decisions. I liked walking around the city and to be a bit more adventurous, I decided to take a jeepney* up to Chinatown.
*There are tons of these vehicles that are apparently old army trucks but are now being re-used for civilians. They’re covered with graffiti to make them more appealing and they’re one of the cheapest transportation methods ever – 7 pesos = $0.15 approximately. You simply ask them whether they’re going by your destination and you jump on from the back and sit on a cramped bench with other locals while holding onto a metal bar because there are no seatbelts. There’s no door at the back so you have to make sure you hold on!
[A jeepney in the Philippines]
It was fun, touring the city with locals, and a lady beside me was nice enough to tell me when to get off. I jumped off while the jeepney was in the middle of traffic and saw the entrance to Chinatown, a typical set of red pillars with Chinese characters written over a green plank and a temple-looking roof at the top. Chinatown was not at all surprising and I ended the walk with an iced white mocha at a small cafe. I walked out of there, feeling confident of where I was, and began walking towards the direction of where the jeepney dropped me off. I was so confident with my orientation that I didn’t bother to check my map - and that was when things started getting a little uneasy. I walked by remnants of streets and buildings that the flood had damaged a few days ago. I walked by naked children playing Styrofoam in dirty street puddles. I finally found a main street, which I did not know the name, but I didn’t care because I was relieved to see jeepneys crowded in traffic. I think I must’ve walked up and down the block a dozen times asking which jeepneys were heading towards my direction but none were so I gave up and chose a small street that seemed to be headed towards my destination. (Mind you, there were no taxis either because according to a local, taxis didn’t go through that area because traffic was too heavy at that time of day.)
I was always told to never take rides from strangers and I never will but at the time, I felt the rule had to be exempt because it was getting nerve-wrecking, especially when the cashier at 7-11 couldn’t even tell me where he was on my map! I guess I was lucky to have someone offer me a ride and it happened that the person was a government worker who was head of traffic control and it was his day off. He showed me his ID but it didn’t matter because I was terrified to have broken such a rule that had been ingrained throughout my entire life.
When he dropped me off, he said he was sad to hear that I did not trust him entirely. I did not know how to answer him but I gave him a “phone number” so he could possibly have dinner with me later. Apparently, I was actually walking in the wrong direction and heading towards a dangerous part of the city. It seemed like I took the right risk.
[At Manila Bay, after the incident]
Other than Manila, I was in Boracay, one of the country’s gorgeous islands, and I spent as much time as I could on White Beach. On my last night, I stood - ankle deep in the water – watching the full moon while sipping on a mango milkshake and taking in the beach as much as possible.
And no, I didn’t see a mermaid. I just felt like a mermaid because I came back to the hostel for a shower after a day’s swim and I found pieces of seaweed in my hair. It was unbelievable how long I swam in that ocean. I couldn’t bear to leave.
[At White Beach, Boracay]
Oct. 8/09 - Culture Shock? Or Just the Fact that I’m Alone on my Birthday?
All this time, I wondered when it’d really come. The day when culture shock hits me hard. So far, it’s been an enjoyable and exciting cruise in China. It’s as if the culture shock was so subtle that there wasn’t really any shock at all.
I’d never think I’d cry on my birthday but as I occupied myself with classes during the day and nightfall came around, I realized that I became exactly 24 years of life and I believed it was an achievement that must be celebrated and shared with loved ones. My eyes are sore as I’m writing this because I just called my mom and hearing someone telling you that s/he loves you when s/he’s physically hundreds of kilometres away is unbelievably painful because those three words - “I love you” – are not just three words. There’s some kind of physical “phenomenon” that comes along with that phrase, as if they embrace you as a person conveys those words, and you feel that affectionate warmth around you.
That physical phenomenon was missing today when I heard those words from my mom and it felt so empty around me that I shuddered and my eyes started to burn. I had a hard time returning those words back to my own mother because it just didn’t feel right without that physical “phenomenon”. I ended up calling her back later to tell her that I missed her because I couldn’t stand that emptiness around me. I eventually calmed down and felt good to be reminded that the love from my family is an everlasting presence that should never be forgotten.
Recognizing the strength of those three words reminds me that I also need to share them with my loved ones who are not blood-related but are pretty much family to me. I’ve always love to share a good time with friends and I wish you could all join me on this exciting ride in China but because that is not physically possible, I hope this blog provides a vibrant window of laughter, joy and most importantly, lessons to be learned.
Oct. 2/09 - Opportunities in the Ocean
The waves in Boracay, Philippines, were incredibly fun, especially the big ones, because you could “ride” them. They’d pick you up with their speed and height and carry you back to the shore.
This one time, I went out into the ocean until the water was up to my chin and this big wave began towering over me. It was at least 2 metres tall and I panicked a little, thinking I’d make the wrong move and go under, ending me up with scrapes on my arms and legs. Instead, I jumped at the right moment and caught the wave. It carried me so high and fast that the adrenaline rush was incredible. It was my best wave ride ever. I laughed and thought to myself that I had to do it again. I eventually became too tired as the day went by and I couldn’t catch a beautiful wave again. That big one was unforgettable.
This experience reminded me that an opportunity could seem scary at first and it could come by in an instance so you must act quickly and carefully to make sure you get to “ride” this opportunity. Once you “ride” it, it becomes one heck of a ride and you yearn for more because you had such a good time.
I faced this big wave like an opportunity, which had risks that I considered, but with confidence, I quickly overcame my fear of those risks and timed it just right so I could catch the wave and experience the excitement.
These big opportunities should not be expected to happen all the time. Little waves would come by, I wouldn't be in the right spot, the weather would changed and I'd become too tired to pick up any waves.
The adrenaline I got from that one wave makes me look forward to my next big opportunity and I will make sure that I am ready for it - prepared and full of confidence - because the outcome is well worth it and I cannot bear to miss such an opportunity.
Oct. 3/09 - Essence of the Moon
Never have I done this before but the night before Mid-Autumn Festival Day, I watched the full moon while I was surrounded by Mother Nature – and only Mother Nature. Her beach, her ocean, her trees – there was nothing around me except Earth. Although it was cloudy, the moon seemed to have pushed the clouds away and a circle of space was created, which formed this ring around the moon and intensified its roundness.
The moon shone majestically across the ocean and it helped me notice the black water underneath as it softly rippled against the white sand. I actually saw the horizon, which was rare because it’s always too dark to see such a thing at night. It was fascinating to see so many shades of black emerging together to paint a beautiful scene, even though they were all the same shade of colour.
As I laid on the beach, I couldn’t take my eyes off the craters of the moon. I felt the dark shades of the palm trees behind me and its leaves peering over in my view as I looked up at the bright sky, them swaying so gently with the sea breeze. I took a deep breath, allowing the soft smell of the ocean to tickle my nose and I smiled to myself - this was paradise.
Oct. 6/09 - A Mermaid in the Philippines
As my trip to the Philippines ended, I left with a mixture of feelings for the country, both nice and not so nice. Overall, it was a great adventure and I’d love to go back again.
It’s incredible how the Philippines is considered an Asian culture because of its location but there is a heavy Latino flair to it, which makes the culture so much more fun. People are very open with each other and it was nice to be welcomed with friendliness and great hospitality.
I was glad there were nice people because one day, I got lost in Manila (capital city) and it could’ve ended horribly if I didn’t make the right decisions. I liked walking around the city and to be a bit more adventurous, I decided to take a jeepney* up to Chinatown.
*There are tons of these vehicles that are apparently old army trucks but are now being re-used for civilians. They’re covered with graffiti to make them more appealing and they’re one of the cheapest transportation methods ever – 7 pesos = $0.15 approximately. You simply ask them whether they’re going by your destination and you jump on from the back and sit on a cramped bench with other locals while holding onto a metal bar because there are no seatbelts. There’s no door at the back so you have to make sure you hold on!
It was fun, touring the city with locals, and a lady beside me was nice enough to tell me when to get off. I jumped off while the jeepney was in the middle of traffic and saw the entrance to Chinatown, a typical set of red pillars with Chinese characters written over a green plank and a temple-looking roof at the top. Chinatown was not at all surprising and I ended the walk with an iced white mocha at a small cafe. I walked out of there, feeling confident of where I was, and began walking towards the direction of where the jeepney dropped me off. I was so confident with my orientation that I didn’t bother to check my map - and that was when things started getting a little uneasy. I walked by remnants of streets and buildings that the flood had damaged a few days ago. I walked by naked children playing Styrofoam in dirty street puddles. I finally found a main street, which I did not know the name, but I didn’t care because I was relieved to see jeepneys crowded in traffic. I think I must’ve walked up and down the block a dozen times asking which jeepneys were heading towards my direction but none were so I gave up and chose a small street that seemed to be headed towards my destination. (Mind you, there were no taxis either because according to a local, taxis didn’t go through that area because traffic was too heavy at that time of day.)
I was always told to never take rides from strangers and I never will but at the time, I felt the rule had to be exempt because it was getting nerve-wrecking, especially when the cashier at 7-11 couldn’t even tell me where he was on my map! I guess I was lucky to have someone offer me a ride and it happened that the person was a government worker who was head of traffic control and it was his day off. He showed me his ID but it didn’t matter because I was terrified to have broken such a rule that had been ingrained throughout my entire life.
When he dropped me off, he said he was sad to hear that I did not trust him entirely. I did not know how to answer him but I gave him a “phone number” so he could possibly have dinner with me later. Apparently, I was actually walking in the wrong direction and heading towards a dangerous part of the city. It seemed like I took the right risk.
Other than Manila, I was in Boracay, one of the country’s gorgeous islands, and I spent as much time as I could on White Beach. On my last night, I stood - ankle deep in the water – watching the full moon while sipping on a mango milkshake and taking in the beach as much as possible.
And no, I didn’t see a mermaid. I just felt like a mermaid because I came back to the hostel for a shower after a day’s swim and I found pieces of seaweed in my hair. It was unbelievable how long I swam in that ocean. I couldn’t bear to leave.
Oct. 8/09 - Culture Shock? Or Just the Fact that I’m Alone on my Birthday?
All this time, I wondered when it’d really come. The day when culture shock hits me hard. So far, it’s been an enjoyable and exciting cruise in China. It’s as if the culture shock was so subtle that there wasn’t really any shock at all.
I’d never think I’d cry on my birthday but as I occupied myself with classes during the day and nightfall came around, I realized that I became exactly 24 years of life and I believed it was an achievement that must be celebrated and shared with loved ones. My eyes are sore as I’m writing this because I just called my mom and hearing someone telling you that s/he loves you when s/he’s physically hundreds of kilometres away is unbelievably painful because those three words - “I love you” – are not just three words. There’s some kind of physical “phenomenon” that comes along with that phrase, as if they embrace you as a person conveys those words, and you feel that affectionate warmth around you.
That physical phenomenon was missing today when I heard those words from my mom and it felt so empty around me that I shuddered and my eyes started to burn. I had a hard time returning those words back to my own mother because it just didn’t feel right without that physical “phenomenon”. I ended up calling her back later to tell her that I missed her because I couldn’t stand that emptiness around me. I eventually calmed down and felt good to be reminded that the love from my family is an everlasting presence that should never be forgotten.
Recognizing the strength of those three words reminds me that I also need to share them with my loved ones who are not blood-related but are pretty much family to me. I’ve always love to share a good time with friends and I wish you could all join me on this exciting ride in China but because that is not physically possible, I hope this blog provides a vibrant window of laughter, joy and most importantly, lessons to be learned.
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