在中国美国的生日

 So what’s it like celebrating the birth of your nation while halfway around the world in another?  Actually, a lot of fun, and more patriotism than I ever imagined!  Maybe it’s the vacuum effect of being a minority expatriate; we've come to China seeking something different, but the U.S. is our commonality.  Thursday on the 4^th I was acquainted with a lot more ultimate frisbee players at a friend’s rooftop cookout, while venues around the city had drink and barbecue deals and live music the rest of the weekend.

When in rains in the city, I can’t help but cringe and veer away from puddles, not quite sure what it’s washing away.  But summer storms are still welcome; on the 4^th of July, a menacing storm from the north blustered through the city and took the pollution with it!  Peter’s new apartment had jaw-dropping views of the northern mountains, meandering clouds, a saturated sunset, and even stars later into the night.  Apparently this only happens, like, once a year—so I was thrilled to be a witness.  It did pain me a bit though, knowing that this is how it should be but now is only experienced rarely.  I can understand why Beijing was chosen as an imperial capital.

We donned our red, white, and blue, waved garden-sized flags, and someone brought a kiddie pool (it was 8 feet long and a logistically humorous to fill up).  There were grilled vegetables and meats, pasta salad, home brewed iced tea and lemonade, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and desserts: I savored the joy of stuffing my face with frosted banana bread and carrot cake, with vanilla bourbon frosting.  In a land of sketchy meat and very few ovens, it couldn’t get any better.  The only things missing were fireworks and a rousing rendition of the national anthem (which occurs at least once at every frisbee party I’ve ever been to).   Happy birthday, U.S.A.! 

A kiddie pool, barbecue, clear skies and good company -- what more do you need?

In the spirit of the holiday weekend, other events also included an Independence Day-themed Food Club at Justin's house.  He's another frisbee player who's been living in Beijing for a few years, and each month he hosts a themed meal and brings friends, neighbors, and people he just met off the airplane (literally though) together to enjoy the food.  He used a sous vide method in his bathroom and cooked a pork shoulder, made his own barbecue sauce (heavenly), mac and cheese with a thick roux and crusted top in a toaster oven, coleslaw, potato salad, and one of his roommates contributed a peach pie-- another case of food-induced coma heaven.

 Justin, demonstrating how the pulled pork sliders (on baguette) should be eaten.  He was also quite proud of the bacon jam.

On Sunday, we had one last hurrah for the U.S.A. by taking over a Xinjiang restaurant's sidewalk and hung flags, played Americana music, drank more PBR, and gave them good business by ordering a lot of chuar (roasted lamb skewers).  Like I said, who knew the 4th of July could be so exciting in Beijing :).

~*~

 It’s events like these, and subtleties in our behavior and language, I think, that construct our appearance to others.  Since being abroad, I’m acutely more aware of how identifying your origin influences how people perceive you.  We all have stereotypes, or at least ideas, about a person when they tell you what country or region of the world they’re from.  Most Chinese natives’ reactions range from surprise, to curiosity, to confused, or impressed when I say that I’ve lived in the U.S. all my life (meiguo 美国).  Just like in China, you say you are from the North, then you probably have a very hardy personality; from the South, you must have a great penchant for eating (whether that’s biological or socially learned or not is another story, but I’d like to think as being born in a southern city, I certainly uphold this trait haha)!

I remember my freshman year of school, I was in a Race, Culture & Identity class and we were discussing labels.  Someone pointed out that saying, “I’m American” is a lot less descript than us, er, Americans (U.S. folk), would like to assume.  ‘America’, to the rest of the world, is a set of two enormous continents!  The Canadians, they’re American, they’re from North America; Hondurans are Americans from South America… you understand my point, right?   It’s a language subtlety, and an indicator of power, that struck a chord and hasn’t left me since.  Just because the U.S. dominates these two continents, does not mean we can make claims on being more ‘American’ than anyone else that inhabits them.  And while I’m still guilty of saying, “I’m American” (especially with an obnoxious twang), I make a conscious effort to identify as citizen from the United States.

~*~

The first full week in my apartment was a good time—I’ve smoked out the place by not plugging in the stove fan, disconnected one of the kitchen sink pipes by removing the drain, couldn’t figure out how the breaker box worked to repower the electricity—the place has a few charming, dysfunctional quirks.  My roommate Tom has been there for nearly a year and he’s worked out so many of them, and my mistakes tend to be a reminder of issues he can smooth over without a second thought.  I also have a bike now!  It’s a creaky single speed with scarlet red frame that’s a bit too small, but silver wheel fenders, and a black seat and back rack.  The best part is, my co-workers helped me locate the bike online and we went to the vendor together.  She wouldn’t negotiate the price down, but for 220 RMB (about 33 USD) I received the bike, a lock, and a basket.  What’s more, my co-worker FangFang bought the bike, and is simply letting me use it for the rest of the month!!  It’s so generous of her because now I don’t have to worry about reselling the bike before I leave. 

Some photos of my Beijing home base:

 The apartment is right around the corner from Nanluo Guxiang-- one of the most bustling streets in the city -- but because it's set back, we have quietness and privacy.  Well, aside from the construction that usually starts at 7 AM all around us.  My roommate speculates that they other proprietor is turning the surrounding apartments into a big hutong hotel, though we'll be gone before it's finished.

 My room!  Simple, yes, and the comfortable bed (thickest mattress I've slept on in China) takes up about two-thirds of the room.  Can't complain.

FangFang has also enlisted me to help her learn English.  She’s aiming to take the TOEFL next winter to boost her resume and accreditation, and I happen to be her most accessible candidate as a language partner.  Much to my resistance, she’s treated me to dinner twice now, even though I’m more than happy to talk through her lessons for free.  So for a few hours after work we enjoy delicious food together and tackle general topics in English (with some Chinese lessons thrown in for me), then review the TOEFL text.  

 

Chinese hotpot (above), where you're given an individual pot of the broth of your choice -- like vegetable stock, meat stock, mine was tomato-based -- and it's placed on an electric heater.  Once the broth is forming, toss your food in until its cooked!  We ate heaps of vegetables, lamb, and small dumplings.

This quaint Japanese restaurant, Suzuki, is a complete hit in Beijing.  We just went to their newest location down the street from the office.  The interior has dark wood, clean lines, and charming rabbit-themed decorations.  We shared a huge tuna salad, Japanese hotpot, and a tofu-egg rice bowl.  太好吃了！

 

I'm actually feeling settled in, which is a lovely realization indeed.
Listening: the drills, hammers, and scuffles of the construction 

虎跳峡 // Yunnan Day 3

Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡  is surrounded by Yunnan's mountains and the rushing Jinsha River. Trekking through one of the world's deepest gorges was one of the most exciting days of the trip for me.  Granted, we only scheduled time to explore the latter third, lower trail of the 9 mile stretch, but I was thrilled.  Unlike other Chinese national parks and scenery, these trials were still raw, the tourists were few, and the area isn't completely commoditized yet.  There were even a few places were a careless step could be dangerous -- cool!  

Driving through Yunnan.

Okay, so it's not like we were completely roughing it.  The guest houses that mark stages of the trail are rustic luxury.  The guest staff was so generous to be cooking at 10 PM when our bus finally rolled in with 25 ravenous students.  We were also driving through pitch black (except for the glorious starry sky I have missed so much) along the sheer edges of the gorge, so what a freakin' relief it was to sit back in a wooden cabin.  I felt like we were in the Adirondacks, except with less pine trees, more epic, cragged mountain faces, and amazing Yunnan home-cooked food.  This cuisine is much more vegetable-based, less oil and sweetness, and even a bit spicy.

After settling into my room, I went back inside the dining room of the guest house and looked at them asking, "What is this, a gentlemen's club?" We moved outside together in the outdoor patio, drinking beer, play games and laughing loudly until after midnight.

This greeted me from the window first thing in the morning.  Not bad, right?  It was definitely worth arriving at night for the shock value at 7 am!  I awoke earlier than everyone else to catch the end of the sunrise and changing colors in the sky.  Then I sat in that carved trunk chair and wrote in my journal until my classmates joined for breakfast on the patio -- which was banana crepes(!), fresh bread, and rice porridge.

 The marvelous Yunnan group as we started our trek into the gorge.

 A man was hauling his mules up the trail!  That was awesome and unexpected.

 I romanticize mountain side farms with terraced farms.  Not exactly sure why, but I love it. 

 Mountain goats!

 Mary and I.

 Some of the trail was actually pretty steep, with loose rocks and dirt.

 A local woman hustled ("Chinese'd") us into paying 10 RMB to cross this bridge to Tiger Leaping Rock.  It's actually a lot sturdier than it looks, but I scooted across before too many people were on.

 Tiger Leaping Rock jutting onto the powerful Jinsha River.

 

 And then I decided it would be a fun idea to shimmy across a sheer rock to reach the Tiger Leaping Rock flag..

  At this point, it was a drop on both sides and I felt more or less stuck.  I sat there and burst out laughing at my compulsive foolishness.

 Nevertheless, SUCCESS.

 The Sky Ladder that connects the upper and lower gorge.  I hiked up to that point, then watched the boys ascend, but ladders (particularly rusty metal ones clinging to mountain faces going several hundred feet upwards) aren't quite for me.  I waited at the rest stop and chatted with the lovely local woman who was selling water and snacks.

 The hike back was actually pretty strenuous with the sun beating down and little water, but always so gratifying at the end!

 The Captain Morgan Pose.

  One more delicious lunch, lingered with the dynamic scenery a bit more, then we were in the bus again and off to Shangri-La.

Even images like this can't justify.  I adore Yunnan. 

Like everything in China, the gorge and surrounding region are in the midst of development.  I'm glad we went now, because I'm scared to see what it will look like in five, ten years from now.   Nonetheless, I implore that you take at least a full day to visit and hike if you are in Southern China.  I would rather be towered by mountains that metal any day.

Listening: "The Start of Something" by Voxtrot