Day 18: Great food and great views! What more could you ask for? (2013-03-14)

Everyday I wake up I am always so surprised at beautiful views I am so lucky to see!

Because I, and mostly likely you too, associate dirtiness with China. The university I am studying at is called Zhejiang University (apparently one of the top universities in China). I am studying in the smallest campus, Yuquan Campus. Though it is the smallest of all the campuses, it is quite large. I know this because I’ve gotten lost, numerous times. The campus is really beautiful, right now, judging from the trees, it’s autumn. Awkward if it’s not. One of the reasons I love getting up at like 6:30 in the morning is for that walk from my room to the canteen, where I can see the sun rise! It is amaazing!

Now that is something worth waking up for!

The second thing I wake up for the breakfast! I thought I would never say this but it may even be better than western breakfast! And everyone (should know) that breakfast is my favourite meal in Australia! So that’s really saying something. The variety in the canteen is drool worthy. Truly. From wontons, to soup noodles, to asian bread, to asian cake and delicious steaming hot soy milk! Yummmm! It probably doesn’t sound too good, but here are some pictures of what I’ve had for breakfast the past two days.

Today I had the morning off, so I walked to the fruit market, I’ve been meaning to get me some durian! The strangest thing about China is how the nature contrasts against commercialism. On one side you have the busy road full of cars and buses and taxis swerving around the traffic beeping like there’s no tomorrow. And on the other side you have this little serene pathway with beautiful cherry blossom trees, large trees blocking most the traffic and a little river that separates the pathway from the houses.

To give you guys a little taste of my life here in Hangzhou I have resorted to lugging my camera around everywhere like a little tourist! Here is a picture of the pathway I mentioned (on my way to the fruit market).

I really wish I took my camera the first time I went to the fruit market. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before! I don’t know whether ‘pretty’ is the right word to describe a market but it is super pretty! So colourful and organised. And the lights. Man the lighting is crazy.

Day 15: Busy Bee! (2013-03-13)

As the days pass, I cannot help but feel so blessed! I am continually surprised by how friendly the students, and the teachers are!

I’d like to think I’ve made many friends! But thinking about how I made these friends, well I can’t help but thank God! There truly is something to learn from the people around me! Something I hope to take back with me to Australia. I am particularly taken aback by one person in particular.

Her name is Malin, from Sweden, and she has already been here for one semester (6 months). Which makes it even more amazing! She’s already got her own group of friends, of which she is quite close to, so really, there was no need to make more friends. We are both in the same class but there is not much time in class to socialise. Our class is really quiet, unlike other classes who have had class lunches, dinners and perhaps even socials. But our class, don’t really talk much, let alone talk to each other once class ends. But one day after class she just invited me out to eat lunch with her friends. I mean, we, well I, certainly don’t do that in Australia. In Australia, it’d just be weird to eat out with someone you’ve only met once.

Yes, sure. It is different here, we are all international students, lacking in the knowledge of the mother language. But I was so surprised by her hospitality, taking me under wing, inviting me into her own group of friends. Needless to say, I’ve been quite busy, getting to know everyone.

Her generosity reminds me of James 2:1,

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our

glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”

Only God knows what she thought of me when she first saw and met me. Whether it was a good or bad impression, she still reached out to me.

For you brothers and sisters in Christ, remember this,

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement.”

– James 2:12

 

Day 15: Tips of Bargaining (2013-03-11)

II am not spending any yuan (Chinese dollar) on anything unnecessary this week. 

I went to the night markets tonight, about 15 – 20 minute taxi ride away from the dorms. In true secret market style, the markets only open at 7pm. Pretty cool! I was very excited, even took out some money out in anticipation of going! I mean, I’m an asian. Surely I can bargain. Right?

The last time I went to the markets in China, I was told by mum basically to zip it.

“They can already tell you’re not true Chinese by the way you look, and as soon as you speak cantonese they can tell you are a foreigner,” she said. 

And I was so ready to prove her wrong tonight! Speaking from experience, purchases always feel cheaper, more exciting in the moment than 1 hour later.  I am sitting in my room surrounded by my purchases, thinking, ‘I could have paid so much less for this!!’ Retrospect is poo.

 

Tip 1: ALWAYS bargain.

Doesn’t matter if you’re asian, white, or another colour. You MUST bargain. If you are asian, you will get it less than what a white person will get it for. The general rule is to bargain half the amount they are asking for. If you are white and are not fluent, bring a fluent asian friend, or just an asian friend.

Tip 2: Think about lowest amount you are willing to pay before bargaining.

A lot of the time, the shop keepers will ask you what you are willing to pay. What sneaky asians! I was stuck a lot of the time, and should have said a lower price then what I asked for, and ending up paying.. If you are willing to pay between say, 10 – 30, always say the lowest price! They will try to bargain down to your price, but sometimes, and usually you need to raise your price to meet theirs.

Tip 3: Walk away.

If you are not satisfied with the price they are asking for, and have tried to bargain with them just walk away. Usually, they will call you back, and you will pay the price you want. Score!

Tip 4: Just say, “tai gui le” non stop. 

This is the most important phrase when bargaining. So easy to say too! Keep saying it, the shopkeeper will get exasperated and (hopefully) give in and give you the price you want.

Tip 5: Think about their bargaining (or lack thereof) technique.

This is probably the most important tip I will ever give to anyone. Ever. I only just realised when I was leaving. We should really think about why some shopkeepers are so willing to bargain with customers. I mean, if they are so willing to bargain, then really, their stock really isn’t worth much, and you should be paying very little for it. I bargained with a lady for a pair of sunglasses, and she was just too willing to bargain with me, sure there was a little price tug of war. But she gave in way too easily. Of course, in the moment I was like, “YES! MY MANDARIN MUST BE GOOD! I MANAGED TO GET THE PRICE I WANTED.” But in retrospect, my train of thought should have been, “What is wrong with this shopkeeper, for her to meet my price so quickly? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PAIR OF SUNGLASSES?!” Probably a lot, I mean it’s China.

But I tried bargaining with another shopkeeper for a knitted top, and he was just like, “No.” I mean he knows what he has. He didn’t have to justify, just downright refused. It’s a good product. People will pay the amount he is asking for. No questions asked. Of course there are other scenarios, where the product isn’t very good but the shopkeeper will refused to bargain, as a technique to make you believe that he or she has an amazing product. But when you see it, you will know for sure, whether it is good or bad quality.

The marketplace was pretty amazing though! There was a lot cramped in a small street, as expected, it’s China, selected efficiency. There were a lot locals there, which is always a good sign. The interesting thing is that all the shops more or less sell the same stock. The same styles of clothing, the same i-phone cases, the same jewellery. But all at different prices. There was a particular disturbing stall selling wigs..

 

Some silly person called Jeffrey wanted some food so here is what I had for dinner, spicy noodles with pickled vegetables, coriander and shallots. Which by the way, was so delicious!!

 

 

And for dessert, for all you DURIAN fans out there, a DELICIOUS durian rice cake. So a rice pastry on the outside and durian cream and sponge on the inside! Yummmmmm!

 

The people I went with got a strange looking waffle, which tastes similar to a biscuit. Delicious nevertheless! Here are some pictures of how they made it! WAFFLE IRONS!

 

And another picture of the stalls, and a hilarious shopkeeper!

Day 13: (2013-03-09)

This is the afternoon part of my timetable, as both couldn’t fit on one picture..

I will post up my address and mobile a little later, if you want to write to me or even better, shoot me a text! 🙂 Still have to figure out what my address is..

Day 13: (2013-03-09)

It’s been almost a fortnight since I left! It definitely feels much longer- in a good way.

As some of you may know, classes have already started and the first week has been pretty easy! Here the first picture of my timetable for anyone wanting to skype chat!

Day 11: For the girls!

 

Warning: This post will contain content suitable for a “deep and meaningful conversation”.

 

Something that I have been surprised by is my lack of extreme homesick-ness. It is extremely satisfying to live by yourself, though probably not for an extended period of time!  I find the worst thing about it is that there is no one to keep you accountable. Accountable to your piling heap of homework, accountable to the cleanliness of your room, accountable to the time you come home. I guess there is a certain freedom in the lack of accountability.

Because I am lacking in cooking utensils I have resorted to eating every meal out. Initially there was a sense of excitement, but now that’s kind of died down and I really (LIKE REALLY) need to buy a rice cooker. Since eating out I have realised how much I have neglected God! I have been trying to please the people around me instead of pleasing the one who created those whom I wanted to please! How crazy!

I don’t know whether any of you have ever experienced conscious sin, I don’t even know if that’s a term! For me, I was fully aware the ways in which I was neglecting God, and in knowing that I still continued in it. I was afraid of what people’s reactions (granted they find out) to my faith would be and this fear of being shunned for my faith took over.

But what does this extreme guilt I feel mean? Why would I feel so guilty for sinning against God. A conversation with a very clever person showed me my guilt stemmed from a subconscious desire to “earn” the reward of heaven. I mean, I know that God has forgiven my sins, past, present and future. There is nothing I can do that would stop Him from loving me. That’s not to say that I should continue in sin, rather remember that God has forgiven me and given me the best free gift in all the universe!

I’ll leave you with a verse I read today,

 

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

Psalms 14:1-3

Day 6: Amazing grace I’m still alive!

Hi all!

Warning! This blog will contain about 2 days worth of blog worthy experiences.

Unfortunately my VPN (that thing that allows you to bypass the firewall) has stopped working so I have not, and still cannot access any blocked sites! Maybe God is showing me that I do need Facebook rehabilitation. You may be asking, “how can you post this if the site is blocked?” Well dear friends, use your brains.

So many things have happened over the past two days! Firstly, the food is amazing and so so cheap! I, being a cheap and stingy asian, am convinced the food tastes better knowing it costs so little! The only bad thing about the food here is that it is so oily! I guess I’ll have to come to terms with gaining 20 kgs. But the food here is so good it’s worth it! Seriously, if anyone has a spare four or so grand, come visit me!

Two days I had this amazing dish called “malaitang”. You choose the different meats, noodles and vegetables you want and they then cook it in this massive pot of deliciousness, and they give it in a bowl full of soup, shallots, garlic and chilli (if you want). It probably doesn’t sound too good in a description, but here are some photos!

The past two days we’ve basically been walking about for around 6 or more hours a day exploring! I cannot explain to you how exciting it is to be venturing out in a completely foreign country! Every little thing you see is so exciting! Honestly I feel like I’m on a holiday so I really need classes to start and kick me into routine and out of this la la mindset! But the other day, on our daily adventure, we found this amazing little village! It looked like a scene out a Chinese movie! The buildings were just delightful! They even had their own little version of the West Lake!

Being here I am slowing learning things about myself and the city. This is not in any way deep or meaningful. I am learning that I am probably the most adventurous foreign J walker Hangzhou has even seen. I am not kidding. Keely (granted you are reading this), you of all people know this. But I thought going to China would make me a more traffic abiding citizen but it has the opposite effect. Parents, you need not be afraid. The drivers are very friendly (but a better thing to say is that I am very safe!)

I am also finding that my level of english has decreased immensely! I am so embarrassed. I cannot tell you how many spelling and grammar mistakes I have made thus far. And to think I’ve only been here for 3 days! I can’t bear to think what I will be like in a year. Perhaps I will come back a fob! HAHAHAHAH.

Walking around China I am seeing that quite a lot of people wear their pajamas out. I AM HORRIFIED. YOU SHOULD NEVER WEAR PAJAMAS OUT. And these people aren’t even wearing it out to get milk from the convenience shop, but out into the city shopping. And I doubt people live close enough to the city to justify their pajama antics, I had to travel 20 minutes by bus to get into the city! But seriously, no matter how close you live to the city, you should NEVER wear your pajamas out! The good thing that comes out of this terrible life choice is that I get to take some photos to show y’all! Matching pajamas are all the rage over here!

I’ll leave you with an anecdote from two nights ago. Two nights ago I experienced a bus crash first hand! Being the massive tourist I am, here are some photos. To give you some more information, you know you want it, the car was trying to merge in front of the bus, pushed its way in and boom! The bus braked preeeeeeeeeetty hard.

JOKES. I’m not done! This has got to be the longest post ever! How good are English translations in China? If your answer is not very good, you are missing out! The best things ever!! Here are some funny and disturbing translations I’ve come across so far!

The last picture is just pretty!

P.S If you want to hear or see something in particular please post comments! I’d love to hear from you! Constructive criticism and all! 🙂

Arrived! And settling in!

Aha! Successfully bypassed the infamous Great Firewall of China!

I am hoping you are doing well! I am doing very well, only bawled since my arrival and can I say that they were tears of joy! In the nicest and least offensive way! Love you guys! Before leaving I heard and seen the culture shock graph which documents the different stages of settling into a new country. I’m not sure if you guys have heard of it or not. If you have, sorry, but you’re going have to read it again.

So the first stage is Excitement, or otherwise known as the Honeymoon phase. This stage apparently only lasts around a month, or a few if you’re lucky. But after this stage comes Homesick-ness? I’m going to try find an image as I really can’t be bothered to explain all this. This internet is CRAZY slow.

Though I am not really in a position to correctly judge what stage of this graph I am in yet (because I can’t see what I will be feeling in a week, month or a few months from now). But right now, I can safely say, with the hand of God upon me I have nothing to fear.

I was initially fearful of going away without the physical presence of my christian community but being here without them (or you guys, if you’re reading), has definitely shown me that my faith is not where my christian friends are, but wherever God is. Which is everywhere! What a relief!

Since arriving in Hangzhou I have been reminded of John 14:15-18

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

You got ma’ message!

Ha ha! Looks like I do have some pulling power on Facebook! Jokes! Please don’t leave. To be continued!