北京欢迎你！Benvenuti a Pechino!

E così sto andando proprio là: nel paese che ha conosciuto la più grande crescita negli ultimi 30 anni. Caratterizzato da uno sviluppo costante, che ha portato alla creazione di vere e proprie “megalopoli” e all’affermarsi di un notevole divario tra città e campagna. Tuttavia, tutto ciò è spesso avvenuto a discapito della conservazione e sostenibilità ambientale. Una terra caratterizzata da una lingua intricata e complessa, che richiede un notevole sforzo per essere compresa in toto da uno straniero: quindi un vero e proprio riflesso di questo gigantesco paese.

Prima di partire, ci si sente un pò come dietro ad una porta chiusa, da cui si riesce ad intravedere qualcosa dalla fessura; ma ciò che giace al di là, lo si conosce veramente solo una volta oltrepassata la soglia. E’ un misto di agitazione, eccitazione ed ansia: proprio ciò che si prova prima di imbarcarsi per una nuova avventura

E nel cominciare una simile esperienza, è bene evitare di avere un atteggiamento prevenuto nei confronti di ciò che è nuovo e non si conosce, senza tuttavia dimenticarsi di esperienze passate. Vi sarà quindi molto da imparare nel viaggiare per la prima volta da soli verso un paese distante più di 7.000 km. Sarà senza alcun dubbio un’ottima occasione per imparare ad arrangiarsi, lontano dai propri agi e dalle proprie abitudini occidentali, entrando in contatto proprio con usi e costumi locali, per cercare di fare propri il meglio di questi due “mondi”.

Fin’ora, lo scalo a Mosca si è rivelato già emozionante di per sè. All’entrata del Terminal, una guardia russa aveva un foglio con il mio nome: potete solo immaginare a chissà cosa mi stava passando per la testa in quel momento “mi vorrà già portare in Siberia??”. Con fare tranquillo, quest’ultima mi scorta quindi fino al controllo passaporti e dopo aver annotato il mio codice di passaporto, con un sorriso a 32 denti esordisce “Welcome to Russia”.
Ciò nonostante, il passaggio per la Russia è stato rapido ed indolore, così come il volo: sono solo rimasto sorpreso dalla quantità di vino che il passeggero cinese seduto a fianco a me è riuscito a consumare, per poi scendere leggermente barcollando dall’aereo. (Ai passeggeri in prima classe è stata ovviamente servita pura Vodka russa!)

Ma veniamo al dunque, l’arrivo a Pechino! Già dall’aereo si può scorgere una città sconfinata, che si estende a perdita d’occhio e dove torreggiano grattacieli e condomini costruiti “in serie”, così come giganteschi impianti industrali ed alcune centrali nucleare. Non è raro vedere 9-10 edifici sorti uno a fianco all’altro frutto dell’economia di “pianificazione”, atti ad ospitare un numero sempre crescente di abitanti, spesso emigrati dalla campagne per cercare lavoro nella promettente Pechino.

Appena atterrati, si nota subito una netta differenza nel clima e nell’aria a cui si è abituati: un vento gelido sferza la faccia; in alto, oltre una sottile nebbiolina bianca, si intravede l’azzurro, e si capisce subito perchè molte persone vadano in giro indossando una maschera. Fortunatamente, al mio arrivo, il livello di inquinamento era piuttosto basso, grazie al freddo vento che sospingeva lontano dalla città le polveri sottili.

Tutta la città sembra in costante movimento, tutti hanno qualcosa da fare, un posto dove andare. Per entrare in un ascensore si deve fare la fila e, una volta dentro, ci si sente come sardine (ah, e non sono ancora stato in metropolina..!). Il traffico è indescrivibile: si ha l’impressione che i semafori siano delle decorazioni ai margini della strada, ognuno va un pò dove gli pare, dai marciapiedi alle corsie di emergenza. Attraversare la strada è un’impresa, poichè la macchine possono effettivamente svoltare anche col rosso, ed hanno la precedenza sui pedoni(!), a meno che questi siano in gruppo.

Tuttavia, una volta scesi dalle loro macchine, gli abitanti di Pechino sono davvero gentili e disponibili verso gli stranieri. Pochi parlano l’inglese: il Cinese mandarino regna sovrano. Tuttavia, chiedendo qualcosa in mandarino, i Pechinesi proveranno sempre ad aiutare. La difficoltà sta solo nel capire la loro risposta!

Ad ogni, modo un inizio a dir poco strepitoso!

 

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Adventures to the water villages

Being my last week in Shanghai and China I really wanted to make the most of it and explore as much as I can, but with Beijing a good 5 hours away and Nanjing just 2 I wanted somewhere a little closer, where is that you ask? Suzhou. Only a half hour bullet train away from Shanghai it was definitely my next adventure, a bonus is that along the way to Suzhou there were numerous water villages which I could have stopped by which further sealed the deal.

I decided to make Suzhou just a day trip and leave at 7 to get a full day worth of travel in. Just a wise word of advice, whenever you decide to travel near Chinese New Years be sure to give yourself a looooot more time to get your ticket, sadly I learnt this the hard way and ended up missing my first train, but nevertheless I was able to exchange my ticket to a later train and my adventure was still on track.

First I decided to check out a water village halfway between Shanghai and Suzhou which was only a 15 minute bullet train and half hour bus away; Luzhi Water Town.  It is one of the famous water villages around the Suzhou/Shanghai area and it was easy to see why, the tranquillity and culture of the village was very calming, and walking through all the small laneways and bridges over the canals was a rejuvenating change of pace form the bustling streets of Shanghai.

The quiet streets of Luzhi made for a calming stroll along the canals.

One of the gardens in Luzhi(Sadly it was winter) but regardless of the season the view and atmosphere was very relaxing and the walk around the garden was filled with different cultural statues.

One of the many small laneways filled with stores that sell different goods.

After I was done exploring Luzhi, I hopped on a bus straight to Suzhou. Driving into Suzhou was something, it was definitely a massive change from the Shanghai landscape; there were trees everywhere, the roads were less cluttered and the general sight of more green was a sight for sore eyes. My first stop in Suzhou was to Guanqian Street, which is known for its shopping and food, but of course I was there to check out the food. I spent around 2 hours just walking around browsing all the stores, and I would definitely recommend checking out whenever you are in Suzhou. Next up was the highlight of my trip at Shangtang Street, which is pretty much a smaller water town within Suzhou. I made sure to go at night since everything becomes illuminated and it looks amazing, it made me very reminiscent of the town in Spirited Away, it also made for some amazing photos and this has to be a must visit place when you are in Suzhou.

As soon as you reach Shangtang Street this is the view you are met with. Honestly one of my favourite places I’ve visited in China and I just love the whole décor and vibe.

Most buildings were illuminated which made for some fantastic photos and views.

The streets were busy with many vendors selling odds and ends, as well as some food stalls.

Lastly, what blog of mine would be complete without food? So while in Shanghai I went to check out the food markets at Zhangjiang Hi Tech Park, and it was a variety of stalls set up in a small area that served various different Chinese dishes, and the best part? Its cheap and affordable, even though I wasn’t to take as many photos due to the rain, here are a few I’ve taken as well as bonus food from the rest of the week.

One of the many food vendors set up, this place sold marinated oysters and scallops that were chucked on the grill for a few minutes, they were delicious and only cost 15 RMB for 4.

I love chips, so as soon as I saw these bad boys I swiped them up for 5 rmb, they were marinated potato cuts which certainly hit the spot.

What food markets would be complete without skewers? This stall had a variety of skewered meat, 5 RMB could get you 3 skewers (P.S the 3 skewers on the left are mine).

I don’t know what exactly this thing is called but it was like different meats in a pastry, but the point is that it was delicious and I would definitely eat it again.

Sadly, this will be my blog here as my month in China is over, however being here has really opened my eyes and has definitely inspired me to come back another time just to explore, there is so much to see and do in China apart from the food and culture and that is something I’m looking forward to experiencing when I come back.

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This is it.

This is it. The last chapter of my Shanghai travel book. The final week of my journey. My goodness has time flown, quicker than the blink of an eye it feels. As I am sitting here soaking in the Shanghai skyline from my apartment dining table for who knows, maybe the fifth last time as I am writing this blog, it has dawned on me that exactly this time in four days, I will be mid flight to Hong Kong. Reality is disturbing – I have survived two months here and Shanghai has been my home this summer. Christmas was spent here, then New Year’s, and even Australia Day that is coming up. So far, 2016 has been nothing short of amazing.

I am sitting here very unsure what to write. A wave of emotions has hit again, a spinning blur of excitement to be leaving the cold and polluted air but also a sense of sadness as there will be distinct parts of Shanghai I will forever miss and cannot experience back at home. There is just something about Shanghai that I cannot put into words that makes it a place everyone needs to see and experience for themselves.

One final trip to Perry’s was made last night to celebrate the end of a journey, the completion of the internship, the bonds made between friends and work colleagues, and to Shanghai itself. Despite the icy winds, chilling temperature drop and tiredness, we braved it outside and all feelings of regret disappeared the moment we saw the Perry’s sign.

Inside, familiar faces were seen amongst the busy crowd and drinks were ordered for what we knew would be a good night ahead. My work colleagues came to farewell me, a moment that was both happy and sad. Happy that we had become so close over such a short period of time but sad as we will go our separate ways and no one knew when we would see each other again. Those familiar Perry’s faces joined the festivities and the night flew by that quickly, I found myself crying and saying goodbye to Tess, my work colleague and now best friend, too many times. Many hugs and other goodbyes were exchanged and now I have realised another page in my final chapter of my Shanghai book has been flipped.

To top off the week and possibly the entire journey, it snowed after leaving Perry’s. What an end to such a great night already! The excitement and awe between us all could be felt from miles away as we raced outside and played in the snow for a good half hour. It was at that moment I truly forgot everything around me and took in the beauty of Shanghai with my best friend peacefully.

I cannot believe it is almost time to say goodbye to the city and to everyone I have met on this two month journey. As sad as I am, my time in Shanghai is up and it is time for me to move on. Thank you so much Shanghai, or “Shangers” as all us Australians have decided to call it, for the memories, the snow, the wonderful people I have been blessed to meet, the cheap cab rides, the Wi-Fi service in cabs, the McDelivery service, the peanut chocolate sundaes from McDonalds, the red bean sundaes from KFC, the fried rice at the Muslim place just down the road, the lack of bottled milk, the questionable meats and genetically modified fruits, the dodgy internet that always requires a VPN, the pollution, and yes, even the peak hour metro rides. Without all this, Shanghai would have been different and I would not have had the experience I had.

Last day of work after 2 months

Snowfall in Shanghai on Friday night 

Thank you Perry’s for all those memories! (Or lack of? Haha!) 

Was starting to get used to sunny and clear mornings… But I am leaving now! 

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Travels around Shanghai

My second week in Shanghai was of course spent with work and travel, and this

week was to Hangzhou!

Hangzhou is only a an hour bullet train ride away from Shanghai, and with

tickets only costing around 100rmb it was a no brainer so I booked my tickets

and was off to Hangzhou Friday night right after I got off work. Coming straight

from Japan I had previous experience with taking bullet trains, but in China is

was just a totally different experience. After buying my ticket online I had to pick

it up from the railway ticket office, which was easy enough, but I was completely

blown away by the sheer size of the railway station:

This was taken around 3pm and it was absolutely packed, people

everywhere. There are around 20+ gates that lead to the bullet trains

underground and there are a variety of stores to browse or eat at while waiting

for your train. Sadly I had a 5 hour wait here, so I became pretty well accustomed

to the layout.

Hangzhou is a very beautiful city known for more for its natural landmarks such

as the West lake, mountains or the tea fields, so with this knowledge I set out to

explore as much as I could in my short weekend trip. First thing on my itinerary

was checking out the West Lake, and despite the gloomy weather it was still

amazing. Even though West Lake was packed with locals and tourists alike I felt

it added to the charm and atmosphere of the natural beauty, the tranquillity of

the lake was in fact further emphasised with the bleak skies, which was then

juxtaposed with the bustling tourists and boats on the lake. I probably spent

around a good hour or so just walking around the lake pondering life and the

future because of how nostalgic it felt.

Out on the West lake, very gloomy but still a sight to see.

Found this stoned dude just chilling at the lake.

One of the many themed boats floating around the lake.

Next up was the tea field, which was a decent half hour drive away from the lake,

and even though it was tea season the tea fields were still a breathtaking sight to

behold. We decided to trek up to the top of the fields/mountain (or at least try

to), however our bravado and motivation soon died down when we realised how

far up it went up, and being content with the good photos we took and the view

was satisfied to call it a day and spent the rest of the night exploring Hangzhou.

Here are a few of the pictures I did get whilst in the fields though:

I would like to think this was shot from near the top, but nope this was

taken I’d optimistically assume from halfway to the top, but it was still an

amazing view.

Even though we didn’t go during the right season, it was still a nice

scenic stroll.

Now I saved the best section for last, the food. Being in Hangzhou I instantly

knew the place I had to try, and you could probably guess it was Grandma’s, the

staple of Hangzhounese cuisine. HOWEVER, today was not my day as I learnt the

wait was insanely long and I was already starving I settled for a place right

around the corner, “Steam Young”. This restaurant specialised in steaming their

dishes and had an amazing selection of dishes, combined with their English

friendly menu and their sleek modern interior design I was sold, and after the

meal I definitely had no regrets. I ended up ordering waaaaay too

much(thankfully the waitress stopped me from trying to order two massive

share dishes) but it was definitely worth it.

The interior décor of Steam Young.

These massive steam baskets had smaller baskets inside that would

steam everything; it was interesting to sit right in front of them while you ate.

One of their signatures was the boiled/steamed pork (sorry I don’t

remember the name) but it was absolutely delicious, the flavour, texture and

tenderness really hit it out of the park.

This was my absolute favourite dish of the day. They are steamed

custard buns shaped like pigs, almost too cute to eat.

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Week six has come and gone

Week six has come and gone before I could even comprehend. In less than two weeks, I will be off and on my way to Hong Kong; to better air, warmer weather and a place I can actually communicate in. Pros aside, I am experiencing mixed emotions about leaving. Sure, warmer weather, real sun, healthier air and being able to converse properly does sound appealing and do not get me wrong, I am very excited for this, but this also means I will be leaving behind the amazing people I have met here, the phenomenal night life, the cheap taxi rides, and of course the McDelivery service! It has been such a remarkable journey, one only made possible by the friends here I now consider family.

This week has been quite dull in comparison to last week, given the exponential workload we received at work so Perry’s nightly was sadly not a thing. However, I did make time for a night out and was more than impressed with it. Mint Shanghai is definitely a place like no other and really makes Australia’s clubs seem tedious. I mean, who has a ten metre tank with baby sharks in it?! Well, Mint does. That already, was impressive enough. To top it off completely, we were given awesome table service as well as unlimited alcohol and the music did not disappoint. What a great night! Too bad it was a weeknight not the weekend…

Another trip to the fake markets was also made. Although we had already been countless times – three to be exact – we still managed to find more things to buy and spend an entire day there. Twenty watches, five wallets, three handbags later, we decided we were fitting in a final trip back to the markets next weekend to buy anything else we thought we wanted, but certainly not needed. That was about the highlight of my dull weekend, given I had been sick all week, hence the inactivity.

One intern did say to me, “every time I step out of the apartment, I feel like I am losing a month of my life”. The accuracy hurts. This is perhaps the underlying reason behind my eagerness to travel out of Shanghai. But this brings me back to my initial thought – as with every decision and action you make, there are the good things that come with it but also the bad. You just cannot have everything. I am ready to leave Shanghai but I feel like I can also wait. Looks like I will just have to try really hard and make the absolute most of the time I have left here before I regret it when I am back in Australia, sitting on the beach under the scorching sun and wishing I was back in Shanghai with bubble tea in one hand and walking through East Nanjing, enjoying the city view from my balcony in Pudong, or sipping free cocktails with the sharks at Mint.

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The Shanghai Enigma

For anyone who has never lived or been to Shanghai it can be quite a new
experience. For the next month I’ll be interning and living here in Shanghai, and
in this time I want to try and crack the enigma that we all know as Shanghai,
from its culture and lifestyle, to food and fashion.
Fast forward to the end of my first week, where I start exploring, working, eating
and volunteering:

Work:
For my month program I was placed to work in Maxxelli Real Estate as a
marketing intern. My supervisor is an expat from Canada and just like the
stereotypes is a generally really nice guy, but more importantly I was amazed the
amount of involvement I had when it came to the projects I was assigned to. For
example, interviewing a brewery owner so I can write up a blog for our website,
or performing market research on our competitors in 2nd tier cities. I am really
happy to say how appreciative I am of the opportunities I have been provided in
this internship and will do my best to seize them and can’t wait to see what the
rest of my program will be like.

This is just down the street from my office on Madang road, its like walking
through a time machine as you move from modern buildings straight to a very
homey cultural feel, a lot of China is like this and it definitely creates an air of
nostalgia as you walk down the streets.

Food:
Now my personal favourite section of this blog would definitely have to be the
food, and just a precaution now that all my future blog posts would most
definitely have a food section. Shanghai or China in general is known for their
cheap stuff, food is no exception, legit food here is cheap cheap CHEAP!, for
reference lets consider our exchange rate to be 1 aud = 5 rmb, an average meal at
a local restaurant can cost you around 15-30rmb, I’ll let you do the math and give
you a moment to let that value sink in. So now you must be wondering what kind
of food Shanghai has on offer, you my think its just dumplings or noodles or
takeout, but its so much more diverse than that which I will explain in a future
blog post, but for now here is some of the amazing food I’ve tried so far:

Now this was my first dinner in Shanghai as soon as we got off the plane, we
were staaaaarviiiing. So we rock up to this place near the hotel and not knowing
a word of mandarin (they gave me weird stares, after seeing me who is full
Chinese not speaking in their native tongue) and just pointed to whatever looked
the best on the menu, this noodle dish came out and it was delicious, definitely
worth the 12 RMB.

Now this here is the highlight of my trip thus far. Shanghai is known for their
dumplings, in particular their Xiao Long Bao or what we know as Soup
dumplings. These extraordinary pieces of heaven are soup filled pork dumplings
and are a must try in Shanghai, so I actually tried 4 different places before
finding this small hidden gem, for 14 RMB you can experience 12 mouthfuls of
heavenly bliss. I cannot emphasise how good these dumplings are and I would
legit live off these for the month I am here.

Volunteering:
Within my first 2 days here we were offered a community outreach volunteering
program where we helped Children at a School, so being the adventurous person
I am decided to volunteer, and it was honestly such a fun and eye opening
experience. We were driven to a school that was around an hour away, and it
was really eye opening seeing the whole landscape change from high rise
apartments to open farmlands and shacks, but once we arrived, the children our
doubts faded and instead was replaced with bliss and joy. We spent around 2
hours playing with the kids, and even though there was the massive language
barrier the universal language that everyone understand is fun, so we did what
we do best and just have a good time with the kids. We spent the afternoon
building toy sculptures, playing in the playground, playing soccer and taking part
in some local games. All in all its was definitely a rewarding experience where
both parties benefitted, and I would volunteer again if the opportunity every
arose.

Here are a group of us at the community outreach program where we helped the
kids. They were so fun to spend time with and would definitely volunteer again.
Stay tuned for my blog next week as I review my trip to Hangzhou and of course
more food adventures!

Bonus Photo Gallery:
Just some random photos I’ve taken so far, and some from our volunteering
outreach event

Here is the view from my apartment(Penthouse view), on the opposite of us is
the Bund, and we are surrounded by a lot od residential high rise apartments
similar to ours.

Here is a picture taken at the bund and it is a view of the pudong area.

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< WHAT’S UP WITH JULES? > – WEEK 3

Today was the last day at Mandarin house for my language course and also almost the end of my first month here in China. Thinking about the new working routine to get used to, from tomorrow on, is both scary and challenging at the same time: after a little taste of Shanghai atmosphere, the beginning of a professional experience is going to change your doubts, your expectations, the certainties built until now.

Spending some time discovering the city before time and schedule get you, was actually a great move of mine: I have been able to be quite a tourist, to learn some basics of Chinese (even though my hunger of knowledge states that it wasn’t enough), to really understand how to relate with Shanghai people (be firm but cordial!), to organize and analyse what’s around.

This week’s visit to spiritual and warm places like Yuyuan Garden, the Jade Buddha Temple or Xintiandi, makes your inner part coming out and realize that it is like living in a parallel universe here: thanks to Skype, Wechat or Whatsapp you can always connect with friends and family, but the environment you are surrounded by, leads you to create another existence, to meet, get close to and rely on other people.

Being into the actual other part of the world totally changes your thoughts, your behaviour, your feelings and your perspective! For example, I would have never imagined to find a tear on my face watching my housemate packing home!

The important aspect is to never let events and constantly changing dynamics defeat yourself and learn to take them as they come, being ready to promptly manage them and make you grow as indivudual.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for more news from Shanghai!

G.

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Xi’an

Traveling around china near the festive Chinese New Year is extremely expensive!

Chinese new year is scheduled according to an agricultural calendar, I don’t know how to explain how it works, but it’s an easy Google Search. Last week, I traveled to Xi’an for the holiday. What a beautiful and historical place! I left Friday night at 8 PM and got to my hostel at 1:30 AM– what the hell.

Thankfully, my hostel was amazing and had a great traditional Chinese entrance with Chinese architecture.I was thrilled with being in a hostel again! I hadn’t stayed in one for over two years and there is no energy like the one you get from a hostel. You are surround by other travelers eager to explore the new city and all the different cultures. There was a restaurant, a pool table and many dining tables. Dim lighting and international flags hanging from the ceiling. I passed the restaurant and went to my room, Room 107. There were 3 sets of bunk beds. It was dark, as it was 1:30am and all of my roommates were asleep already. I was so excited to be there! I managed to be as quiet as possible and used my phone as a light, got on the top bunk closest to the door (it being the only one available). Finally in bed.

I booked a tour for the Terracotta Warriors immediately upon arrival. Unfortunately, my tour was booked for 8:30 am the next day. I woke up at 7am, went to the showers (second floor, 4 closed showers in a ladies room). Something about this!! Hostel environments are so exciting and different. I love them. I showered and headed downstairs to put my stuff in a safe in my room. After that headed to the restaurant and had some breakfast. The hostel was offering a Swiss breakfast and an American breakfast. I went for the swiss. It included a slice of swiss cheese (lol) a sunny side egg (which I had not had since I was probably 7 years old), some toast and oatmeal. Again, I LOVE THIS HOSTEL LIFE. Everything was presented perfectly in comparison with my typical oatmeal breakfasts– a complete plate, at a cheap price, is just life.

8:30 AM rolled around AND I WAS READY FOR MY TOUR. I am a history and anthropology fanatic so I was very excited for this trip. There is something about knowing how we got to where we are and our evolution as a society that I find intoxicating! Fortunately, my tour guide was just as passionate (probably more) than me. She is an anthropology and international cultures major at the University in Xi’an. She was a perfect guide! We went to the official factory where they make the retail Terracotta warriors. Next, we went to a village that was 6,000 years old!!!! SIX THOUSAND years old. What does that even mean!? I’m not even sure I comprehend the grandness of it but still, it was amazing to see and experience.

Finally we made it to the Terracotta Warriors.  The Terracotta warriors were commanded by China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. They were built to guide and protect the emperor in his afterlife. They were made of clay from the Lishan mountain in Xi’an and “cooked” in an oven at 600C for, I believe 8 hours. The detailing on them is amazing. AMAZING. Perfectly shaped faces, all different, all (10,000 of them?). Detailing in their hairs, shoes, shoe soles, armor, facial expressions! Everything. The time it must have taken. The commitment. They are beautiful. There four main types of warriors are: Infantry, the famous kneeling archers, officers and the general.

Xi’an is a must for anyone traveling in China. I love having the opportunity to be here, traveling, learning and interning all at the same time. Perfection.

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