Violin Lessons

This past week was the first week I felt completely overwhelmed and under China’s control! The rumbling of the city, the many people hustling to cross the road, the lack of knowledge of Chinese symbols, and to top it off, feeling HOMESICK! Even though I have lived on my own for a while now, something about acknowledging I was in China and how far I was from home was frightening. However, despite feeling frightened, I realized that I was here, surviving and everything! I’m proud and happy to be able to survive in a city that can be overwhelming but also beautiful. China has so much beauty! Its parks have so much charisma to them, so much personality and natural energy.

This past week I decided to take violin lessons; I played the violin when I was younger (elementary school) and stopped playing as soon as middle school started. I walked passed a music shop, went in and started looking around the store at its instruments; pianos, violins and guitars, and more. I immediately remembered how much I enjoyed playing the violin and how rewarding it is to play a song and hear that I, myself, can also make a song come to life! Very cool.

After my day dreaming I walked back to the entrance to the register and asked about classes and prices and schedules with my little Mandarin knowledge, and the lady at the register pointed to the stairs. I laughed to myself because that is what my life is all about now … BODY LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION! It is as much fun as it is frustrating. When I made it to the upper level I started my body language and little Mandarin again with the other receptionist (laughing to myself again) and I could see I was actually getting somewhere!! By the way, the moment in which you realize that the person native to the language you are foreigner to understands what you want to express is one of the happiest and most exhilarating experiences! At first, they were very resistant  to offering me classes, mostly because, well, chances of me understanding my teacher were very low. I somehow managed to convince them, though, and they offered my a one-class-trial type of thing. I accepted only because they were going to lend me a violin, meaning I did not have to buy it for a single class only to later find out I was going to understand nothing of what my teacher would try to teach me.

Turns out, my first Chinese violin class went amazingly well! My teacher was a lot of fun and extremely optimistic. She offered more classes and now all I have to do is buy a violin. No big deal, right??

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Christmas in Shenzhen

It is my second week in China and for some reason it feels as if I have been here for 2 months! The city is a lot of fun, the people are great and there is so much to see, but for some reason 2 weeks have been taking their time to pass by! I woke up Saturday morning realizing I have not explored the area where I live (by She Kou Walmart, which every local seems to know). So, I wake up, get ready and started walking South; I had previously seen a pretty cool coffee shop down that area and decided to head there. Unfortunately, the place was closed, but kept walking down that alley and saw the most adorable boutique shop, a massage parlor, a couple of other cool looking boutiques. I even saw a local business that painted Chinese symbols on large rolling paper-that was a cherry on top! At the end of the alley there was a cross walk and I found myself in a decision making position.. Do i go right, left or straight!? Ugh.

I decided to go right and was looking out for coffee shops. I saw  two men playing a sport that looked like badminton and soon after found a coffee shop. The shop was called The Rabbit Hole, which immediately raised my attention and urged me to go in! The place was amazing. A small local coffee shop with two floors, some tables outside and rabbit ornaments everywhere!! They weren’t freaky, I promise. The owner had them strategically placed so that everything looked perfectly spaced, rabbits where they should be, food, books and menu in their place as well. The place was very original and had a trendy air to it. I stayed their for a while going over my Mandarin lessons and attempting to eavesdrop on my neighbors, but was only able to understand a word or two. I’ll get there, China!!

After coffee i walked to a park…an amazing park. There was classical Chinese music playing in the background, trees and plants everywhere, kids running, elders walking behind them and some others dancing to the Chinese fan dance.  Walked to a lake and saw a bridge with Chinese-styled architecture (very detailed). After this I walked back to my apartment, made dinner and got ready for the Christmas party that my building had organized. The party was hosted at the apartments’ park. At the entrance they had a peacock made out of flowers!!! It was so beautiful. They provided Christmas dinner: Turkey hot dogs, wine, fruit and other desserts. There was a beautiful woman in a sparkly dress hosting the event of the night on a stage  filled with dancers and musicians. They gave away prizes and many interns won! One intern even won a bike, which I was extremely happy excited and jealous about!Unfortunately, I never had a chance of winning; I arrived late so my ticket was never raffled.
The night was interesting and we ended up meeting a couple of Japanese guys that had some drinks with us, chatted and then headed out. Other interns decided to go out  afterwards while I made my way back to bed. China, thank you for a fun and outstanding day!

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Beijing – Week 1

I’ve now been in Beijing for a week and what a week it has been. I find it difficult to describe what it is like to be in Beijing. From the food stalls on the footpath, cheap clothing, bartering, fried food of all kinds, smells both good and bad, smog, history, economic and political power; are but some of the things Beijing has to offer. Even just flying in I could tell this was going to be an adventure.

The CRCC team (Jason and Gogo) here in Beijing are very helpful, interesting, fun to talk to and supportive. Gogo even helped me try to get my EFTPOS card back from a bank, who’s ATM had confiscated it. Plus they also organise weekend trips, so on Saturday I am off to see the Great Wall which I am very excited for.

One of the best things about the CRCC programme is that I am with a group of students or recent graduates who generally haven’t been to China before and also speak limited Mandarin. Because we are all in the same boat everyone bonded instantly and we get on really well. We go on adventures together such as sight-seeing, going out to dinner, and even hitting the town on some nights. There is usually someone who wants to go get dinner at a new restaurant, try some new cuisine we can’t pronounce, or possibly even try some suspect street food. The food in China is delicious just full of flavour. I try to order the more traditional Chinese food or at least less westernised. The local food is both cheaper and generally tastier than dishes adapted to western culture. On the first night I ended up eating fern root noodles with chilli; they were delicious so hot and fresh.

On the first weekend I went with a few of the other interns to see Tiananmen Square. On the way we got lost trying to navigate the buses for the first time. But then we were rescued by a local called Anna. Such a lovely lady she showed us the way to Beijing and then actually joined us in walking through Tiananmen square, through the forbidden city and up into Jingshan Park. At the top of the hill was a lookout back over Beijing where we could see everything we had just walked through. She ended up being our personal tour guide, translating for us and showing us around. There is a picture of us at the look out. I have also attached a photo of a couple of the interns Sean and Amulia in traditional robes. Afterwards Anna told us that Sean was wearing the robes usually worn by the princess.

I have been doing the Language course so cannot really vouch for the internships yet. But from what I have heard everyone is pretty happy with their internships, some are already going on evening functions and sitting in on international meetings. The language course I am doing is interactive and enjoyable; already I am getting more and more confident in speaking mandarin. It is however difficult in adapting to the different tones and grammar structure. Whenever I try to practice in real life with strangers it can be hard going, I often forget critical words or get muddled. But most people are pretty patient and try to figure out what you’re trying to say. Even if it is just “I want a coke”.

One crazy aspect of Beijing is the road system. There seems to be no order, buses, cars, trucks, bikes, motorcycles, mopeds and walkers all go all the time. Somehow no one seems to crash or hit anyone. At first when we tried to cross the road no one was quite sure when to cross, because even though the lights are green for walkers cars will still turn right, but after a while you get used to the system and just start to judge when a car will slow for you to walk and when they won’t. Basically if you don’t want to die on the road, join a group of locals as you cross and you’ll be fine.

From a local New Zealander’s perspective it is completely different to home. Beijing is obviously bigger, busier and brighter. The city is also calmer, full of culture and a centre for diversity. You cannot compare Beijing to New Zealand; Beijing is a place on its own level. One of the main reasons of coming to Beijing was to be part of a culture and way of life that is different to my own. Beijing has certainly exposed me to that, but I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface and I look forward to new experiences and adventures in the weeks to come.

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First Week in Shenzhen

The first week was incredibly overwhelming! Maybe it’s the adjustment from another time zone, the working culture or just the weekend finally catching up to me. In the first week, I’ve spent 3 days travelling to various factories all around the outskirts of Shenzhen with the company’s Quality Control personnel, several factories being up to 2.5 hours away via public transport (That’s more than half your day gone in just travelling alone!) Their working ethic is quite different with some similarities to back home, with the major difference being their “lunch break” from 12 to 1.30pm. Lunch is usually fairly quick but it is also quite customary to take a nap in the remaining time. It was definitely surprising to return to the office with all the lights out and finding colleagues sleeping at their desk, in the board rooms, or even pulling together a few chairs and lying across all of it! They believe this to be a key element to boost productivity (I am not one to complain, I’m finding it be very useful and effective. Will definitely recommend it back home). The Chinese nationals do however work 6 days a week, and alternate with a colleague every second Saturday.

One of the social aspects that is very different from Australia is definitely the driving! It’s like organised chaos here! Everyone seems to drive as they please, where 2 lanes really means 4 lanes, and it’s okay to ‘cut people off’, everyone uses the horn in overtime, where a simple ‘beep beep’ means ‘watch out, I’m coming up behind/excuse me’ while a ‘beeeeeep’ would definitely appear to be ‘what are you doing?!” Surprisingly, I’ve seen very few accidents occur. The scooter/electric bikes however flood the streets as they’re cheap and very convenient for short travels (as well as very fun to ride!) I find myself trying to hailing for a bike at every opportunity I get as it only cost about $2AUD to travel to work (as oppose to the 15 minute walk).

The food doesn’t stray too far from home with the exception that Chinese people seem to love oily food (even if it isn’t deep fried!) but I do love a bit of cheap greasy street food for lunch. Overall, it will definitely take some getting use to, as I’m still trying to settle into a proper routine.

 

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My First Few Days in China

Having travelled before my nerves about visiting a new country weren’t that high and what could be considered ignorant expectations towards the language barriers were conversely through the roof. I was ill prepared for a month in a very foreign country but my excitement seemed to mask all of those issues.

I found my fellow interns and guide, Gogo, at the Airport and off we set to settle into our accommodation and home for the next month. The roads are packed and road rules are optional but this all added to the fun of landing in my new city. We arrived at our apartment complex in the 798 district which, like the rest of what I’d seen of Beijing so far is monochromatic in colour but vibrant in life and culture. After dropping my stuff off in my apartment – a three bedroom apartment looking out onto the main street of 798, I ventured out to get some lunch at a near by mall. Local life, while less traditional than in other areas I’d seen on my drive into the city, was in full swing. I sat at the bar like counter of a noodle/soup food joint and tried to navigate my way around the menu completely in Chinese. With no luck, the waitress gave me an english menu (still in mandarin but with more photos) where I pointed at what I wanted. Lunch was certainly no disappointment – though maybe for the waitress, as she seemed very unimpressed with what I’d ordered and how I ate it (mushroom broth, a single serving of dumplings, and some vegetables all to be put in the hotpot in front of me, simmering away until it over flowed onto the counter). This brief but petrifying encounter cemented my first experiences of Beijing; a wonderful city, firm in their ways of language, culture, and etiquette, with a distinct difference of social personalities from many other countries I’ve visited.

The next few days were as exciting and daunting as the first. Friday was our introductory day with a few outliners about the internship, a brief mandarin lesson, lunch, and then a trial bus run to the areas where we’d be working. Everything is definitely made easier by having a group of interns and I was lucky enough to be with a great bunch of people who were all equally hilarious, down to earth and supportive. That evening we all went out with some of the interns who’d been in Beijing a few months already. Beijing nightlife is like no other. The clubs are loud, smokey, fast, and definitely furious.

Jump forward a few days, and skip over a few details of an Embassy ‘Shiny’ Party I attended on my first weekend as part of my internship with the Embassy of Malta, the wonderful experience of wondering around Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden city, crunching down on some scorpion as a means to get the taste of donkey dumplings out of my mouth, and you have me sitting in front of my laptop suffering from a sadness that only comes with travelling. In just seven days I’ve met some truly amazing people, and explored tiny little pockets of Beijing – petting a Lama in the Christmas decorated scenes of the International district was definitely not what I was expecting when I applied – and it seems like I’ve been here for years. Everything is going too quickly, and as much as I want to take everything in so I will remember it always I’m in a mad frenzy over wanting to do everything right now! The sights of Beijing seem to be half in technicolour of the dazzling blue sky I’m looking over now, and the dreary fog ridden days of the last week but in all honesty the ups and downs of the skies, sounds, and smells, give my experience a constant change of physicality that is really thrilling.

 

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My First Week in Shanghai

I arrived on Thursday night with two other interns. Unbeknownst to all three of us, we had all been on the same flight flying from Sydney to Shanghai! Perhaps, I did have an inkling of an idea, as the other two were basically the only young non-Chinese people on the flight.

Towards the end of my flight, 1 hour before landing in Shanghai, I started talking to the man next to me, who was a businessman from Australia – his company in Australia supplies aerial parts which are manufactured in China, thus he informed me that 11 hour flights twice a month to Shanghai for him were a life commonality to ensure the quality of his company’s products were of the highest quality. We discussed business in a Chinese context, and I of course asked him for career advice for the business sector. The one thing he stressed in China was that it’s not what you know in China it’s who you know i.e. regular restaurant outings with your business partners were a part of your job.

Taking his advice going into my internship, I can definitely see some credibility to his words. The Chinese business workplace is all about relations. On my first day I received next to little no work, starting to take it personally, I confided in the guy who sits next to me in our office, a fellow intern who is Chinese. And he schooled me in the way things work in China, well at least in a legal Chinese context.  He told me that my first few days would be a bit slow with work, as I was new here, and colleagues weren’t familiar with me, and so I had to slowly gain their trust. He and other interns assured me that it had been the same for them when they started.

Regardless, as the days passed by, work has started to come my way. One thing that excites me is working in a multilingual office. I am interning at a German-Chinese-English office, so as you can imagine I have to hide my extreme excitement when I overhear Chinese lawyers speaking German, (I may be considering taking up German now!).

My office is located in the financial hub of Shanghai, new Pudong District, let me tell you, getting to work and getting home from work, despite the sardine canned bus trips are my favourite times of the day because I couldn’t imagine a better metropolis skyline to experience. I spend every second I can, without being run over by rogue cars and buses, looking up at the skyline of Shanghai as I walk. There is something grand about being dwarfed in comparison to skyscraping buildings at every degree of your bearing. My office is extremely close to the infamous Oriental Pearl Tower accompanied by many other tall buildings. The building I work in has at least 20 elevators, that are split into different floors that they travel to and every morning as I walk past, the Starbucks in my work building tempts me with their pricey 30RMB coffees and food when I could much rather buy two sushi triangles for a total of 7.5RMB from the convenience store in the building’s basement car park floor. I am yet to give in to the Western extravagance of Starbucks in China, but I still have just less than 3 weeks to go of interning in this grand skyscraping building, so we’ll see whether I give in.

 

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A Week in Beijing

I cannot believe that this week has gone so fast!

It is surreal to know that I have survived this whirlwind of a week. I have listened to and retained a mountain load of new and important information, visited numerous places, learnt the basics of a new language and met some amazing people.

On Thursday 3^rd December I arrived in quite late and was very relieved to see Stephanie (the representative form CRCC Asia) waiting for me, and the other interns arriving at around the same time, at the designated meeting place. I was relieved to discover that the apartment complex that I will be calling home for the next couple of moths is clean, professional, secure and in a great location.

Friday was an action packed day were we learnt the basics of China and Chinese culture, were shown our bus and train routs to work or language school and met all the interns at a traditional Chinese banquet just across the road from our apartments. The sky was clear, the air was clean and the sun was out! (I’ve attached a photo in case you don’t believe me!!)

Since then we have had a mixture of great weather, while we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden city, as well as the first ever code red air pollution day in the history of China as wee navigated the transport network and attempted to make our way to language classes and other exciting destinations such as the Nanluoguxiang traditional hutong markets, the International bar district and the super modern 789 Art Zone. Smog masks were a must!

All these experiences and adventures were made enjoyable and positive with the help of my surrogate family of fellow CRCC Asia interns and the staff here in Beijing. No problem it too great for them to help you solve.

I have loved my first week in China and am eager for what the following weeks will entail! Xai Jian!!

 

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One Week in Shanghai

My first week as an intern in Shanghai has actually been really great. Working full time in an accounting firm back home meant that I came here not only to experience working life in China, but also to connect my firm with potential Chinese investors. It is very convenient for me that the company I work with specialises in assisting high net worth Chinese investors invest in property overseas. The company is only a year or so old and they are looking to expand into new markets – it is really perfect for me to be working here. My first task as an intern is to prepare and present a power point slide to my colleagues and bosses about life and investment in Australia. I have been given the full week to prepare this and it is a 40-50 minute presentation. Having only ever done a 10 minute individual presentation before, I am very nervous, especially because of the language barrier. All of my colleagues speak English quite well but it will still be difficult to explain certain concepts and ideas to them.

My colleagues are lovely – it is a small firm of 4 employees and 2 partners and they go to lunch together every single day. The company pays for lunch which is an added bonus, and I get to interact with my colleagues a lot which is lovely. They have made me feel very welcome in my first week, buying me a reindeer Christmas hat and always asking for forks at restaurants so that I don’t have to struggle with chopsticks!

I really like Shanghai as a city so far. It is vibrant, lively, and something new is always around the corner. The other interns are also great – we are mostly from Australia so our friendship was almost instantaneous. We usually get dinner together at various local places near out hotel every night, go out for drinks at “Ricky’s” or watch movies together. There are no cliques forming and everyone is very cool and open.

Using the public transportation system has been interesting – I take 1 bus and 2 trains to get to and from work every morning and evening. It is not a long way despite having to change lines a few times. Peak hour in the morning and evenings is crazy, there are a million people everywhere and if you don’t push to get onto a bus or train, you will never get anywhere. In saying that no one here seems to take anything personally and everyone understands that we are all just trying to get somewhere in a really busy city. I feel like after the first 3 days of getting to and from work alone I am used to the amount of people on the trains and buses. After experiencing that it isn’t hard to believe that the population of Shanghai is almost the same as the total population of Australia.

I feel like I am settling in very well and I am enjoying my work so far. I am nervous about my upcoming presentation because there is pressure both from this company and also from my firm at home. I will be proud of myself if I can connect to the two by the end of my time here in Shanghai.

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Week 1 in Shanghai

Imagine you are hurrying to work. You are wearing three layers of not nearly warm enough clothes, gripping a heavy handbag guarding your laptop, and hoping your scarf is keeping you warm whilst secretly attempting to stop you from breathing in the China pollution. You are racing your way through the trail of people also heading to the metro station, becoming accustomed to the pushing and shoving and ingraining it into your daily commute to work. Welcome to work and winter in Shanghai.

It has been exactly one week since I flew in still wearing summer clothes with my overpacked suitcase. Being Chinese myself, no one batted a second eye as I grabbed my suitcase and walked out of the airport, into unknown territory. The Mandarin spoken around me was simply noise in my ear – I was as foreign as any Australian who had never been to Shanghai before. An uber ride later with my third cousin whom mum had introduced to me the week before, I was standing in the lobby of a hotel which I had no clue where and handing over my passport to check in for the next two months.

A week has gone by now. I can now hold a simple conversation in Mandarin. I have tried over ten different food places. I know the metro system almost off by heart. I have been to the other side of the river and successfully bar crawled with a friend from Australia. Ricky’s after work has become a nightly thing (Ricky’s is the sports bar literally opposite our hotel – this clearly has pros and cons.) In saying all this, I still have yet to figure out the sim card in my phone and maybe learn the bus system. But it is alright, I have seven more weeks to do that. Imagine what I will learn by the end of two months if this has only been one week.

Tomorrow is day four at work. I have been fortunate enough to be paired with a marketing company that drives my passion and genuinely lets me add value to its goals. Yes, the commute to work almost takes me an hour and a half, but no, it does not bother me and the day goes quickly because I am doing something I enjoy. The three days at work so far, I have been assigned different tasks each day and have tried a different place for lunch each time. It is safe to say, I enjoy work!

But as usual, the daily work routine goes something like this – wake up, get ready, leave, travel, check in with my supervisor, work and then head on home. But do not be fooled. Underlying this somewhat repetitive process, every day I am seeing new things, experiencing new sensations, getting lost in unknown streets (both actually and metaphorically), and finding out more intricate details not known before about the other interns in the program.

The camaraderie amongst the fifteen of us is certainly special – it is perhaps the most exciting and rewarding experience of the program. We are all so different yet so similar when speaking of career aspirations and ambitions. We are all passionate, strong-minded and intelligent people, where our desire to be more than the best we can and our willingness to tackle head-on, the challenges Shanghai presents to us, will no doubt make this entire experience unforgettable and truly extraordinary.

Bring on the next seven weeks!

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Mandarin Lessons

My first week in Shenzhen. My first week in CHINA. Wow. I cannot stress how amazing this week has been. Today, though, was a special day, a unique day; I had my first real moment of frustration.

Pizza Hut in China!

I was leaving my first session of Mandarin class (I am taking the one month intensive course which I HIGHLY urge everyone to take, now) and was headed for lunch. Now, the past few days I was able to get by by simply pointing at pictures and laughing off my obvious Mandarin mistakes. I must emphasize how amazing, patient and charismatic the Shenzhen people are! Anyway, I was able to fulfill my hunger by pointing at pictures, BUT today I decided to go to one of the restaurants on the first floor of my Mandarin school building. I confidently go into a restaurant thinking “pictures and smiling”, but no. No pictures, a lot less smiling.

Chinese dessert

Everything was in Chinese characters. Even the prices! And the place was packed. I sat down, trying hard not to give up and a waitress came along handing me a piece of paper that looked like a menu that I had to hand over to the cooks at the bar. I immediately went blank and asked if she knew English. She nodded her head, smiled and LEFT. This was both the cutest, funniest thing that I could have witnessed and thee most frustrating and scary moment. NOW WHAT? So, I got up, followed her and asked if she had chicken dumplings (in Mandarin because I had just learned how to say dumplings earlier that morning), but apparently my accent sucked and she did not understand a word I was saying, and again, she left me standing in the middle of other hungry people walking to the bar to hand their menu to the cooks.

I did not give up, though. I walked up to another waiter, and he was able to point out at the Chinese symbols that meant dumplings. I was so happy!!! Unfortunately, they only had pork dumplings and to my luck I do not eat pork. So, all of that effort for zero food and a half-defeated me! Oh well. I kept walking along the first floor and found another lunch place that I was extremely excited about; it was a type of make-it-yourself soup. To my left of the shop there were some baskets with CHICKEN dumplings, meat skewers, veggies, noodles and some other delicious/extravagant looking Chinese food. I saw other customers grab a bucket and start picking and placing ingredients into it. So, I did the same. I eventually got my soup and it was delicious. It was a type of miso broth with all of my chosen ingredients. I swear to you, I loved this place so much it will definitely be one of my go-to places for lunch.

My miso broth noodle soup

 

So, in the end, it worked out perfectly. Good food and learned lessons. Thank you, Shenzhen and your people!

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A breath of (slightly fresher) air

On the weekend after my first week I got the chance to visit Hangzhou for a daytrip. After running from the metro through Honqiao Railway to reach the train, it only took one short hour on the bullet train and we were in Hangzhou, home of the famous Xihu, or West Lake. Hangzhou is also supposed to be ‘the most beautiful city in China’, and it beautiful it was. Our day was spent wandering around the lake, enjoying the scenic views and traditional buildings and gardens. We got to take out a small wooden boat to see the ‘three pools mirroring the moon’, a set of stone pillars pictured on the 1RMB note. It was lovely to be outside of the city, even if only for a day, to escape the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

I’ve been enjoying the weekly lessons in Mandarin, and am starting to be able to speak basic phrases to get around, but it’s still so challenging when everyone speaks so fast! This week we learnt how to order food in a restaurant- arguably the most important skill while living in Shanghai, with so many delicious foods around. I can get amazing freshly cooked dumplings on my way home from work, four for only 5 kwai, which I may have indulged in a little too much!

I’ve also done some sightseeing around Shanghai, walking the famous Bund, and visiting both a visiting Salvador Dali exhibition and Rain Room, which is an incredible installation of water and light at the Yuz museum.

I’ve loved my time in Shanghai so far, and can’t believe I’m already halfway through my time in this city. It’s been challenging at times, but I’ve already learnt so much, both in the office and outside, and am so excited for the rest of my time here.

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#Giorno24: ALLO SPECCHIO

Come la destra che diventa sinistra e il raggio di sole che latita in cielo e ti compare sotto i piedi. Come i laghi ghiacciati del Palazzo d’estate, la contraddizione in termini che non ti aspetti. Come la Cina nel mulino che vorrei, fredda, trasparente e muta. Pechino a nord-est, lontana dalla corsa sfrenata alla produzione, dagli acuti del clacson e dai bancarielli piazzati senza criterio. La Cina che apre bocca solo per raccontarti la sua storia e quel passato glorioso che spesso nessuno si fila. E oggi, forse, è il caso di limitare le parole ed ascoltare.

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#Giorno23 CINQUANTA SFUMATURE DI ROSSO, MA DI EROTICO PROPRIO NIENTE

Come la rush hour a Pechino, tra le 18.00 e le 19.00, una sintesi quasi perfetta tra un giro turistico a Scampia e un amaro nei peggiori bar di Caracas.
Una via crucis breve, con tanto di stazioni. L’esperienza mistica parte dalla metropolitana di Tuanjiehu e corre, con brivido annesso, fino a SanYuanQuiao. Si manifesta, generalmente, attraverso una compressione estrema per riuscire a salire sul treno, un parto naturale capovolto: spingi per entrare e da essere umano ti ritrovi, più che feto, sottiletta, perfettamente incastrata tra due fette di pancarrè fumante. Resti in equilibrio, fino a che la composizione del vagone non cambia. Al movimento di ogni singolo pendolare corrisponde una rottura delle relazioni diplomatiche e la ricerca di nuove alleanze e sostegni fisici. Arriva la tua fermata e vorresti fare il segno della croce. Ma spazio non ce n’è, allora “vabbè, come se l’avessi fatto”. Incastri il collo tra le spalle e parti, come un giocatore di rugby, puntando su tutta la forza bruta e l’agilità di cui sei capace. Se non sei abbastanza forte, non passi. Se non sei abbastanza rapido ti ritrovi le porte della metro richiuse in faccia (nel peggiore dei casi, un braccio chiuso tra le porte). Sei fuori e la prima parte è andata. Segui il flusso di persone in uscita, ti piazzi sulle scale mobili cercando di recuperare la lucidità, non sia mai un calo di attenzione! Prosegui a piedi, ma uno tsunami umano avanza verso di te. Ti illudi che passerà in fretta e aspetti, impalata, ma minuti dopo ti ritrovi ancora bloccata controcorrente. E allora niente, ti prepari alla modalità rugby e cominci a dare spallate a destra e manca con tutta la cattiveria agonistica di cui disponi. Esci finalmente dalla metro e arriva la parte migliore. Centinaia di personcine apparentemente per bene e simpatiche aspettano il 401 insieme a te. Tendenzialmente si mostrano benevoli, addirittura ti sorridono.
Tu sorridi a tua volta, ma sai che è tutta una tattica per distrarti: di lì a poco si trasformeranno in nani malefici in lotta per accaparrarsi una trentina di centimetri cubi dentro il bus. Il 401 è in arrivo, facciamo 100 metri. Gli amici, qui, si preparano ad uno scatto felino. E’ un attimo, un flash, e sono tutti dentro, a ‘mo di tetris. Tu, ovviamente, no. Allora ti prepari al secondo parto capovolto di giornata e spingi con tutta la forza che hai, felice, quando le porte si chiudono e tu sei dentro. Con la faccia sul vetro, ma sei dentro. Stremata, ma sei dentro. Ti è andata persino meglio del tizio appeso al palo centrale del mezzo, da fare invidia alle ballerine di lap dance. Solo sei fermate, pensi, e calcoli di essere a casa nella mezz’oretta successiva. Ma è la rush hour e hai fatto i conti senza l’oste. Mediamente una decina di minuti a “stazione”. Che per dieci stazioni fa sessanta. Che aggiunti ai quaranta intensi minuti di metro fa un’ora e quaranta. L’esperienza è da vivere rigorosamente a digiuno. Lo capisci quando, in uno slancio di follia, l’autista prende la rincorsa e, per tagliare una coda, sale sul marciapiedi regalando a tutti momenti di adrenalina quasi gratuita. Per quello che costa il biglietto, poi! La playlist del cellulare è ormai arrivata al terzo giro, della serie che non la sopporti più. Allora ti organizzi la serata e la giornata successiva, per ammazzare il tempo. Dopo un poco ti ritrovi a organizzarti pure il capodanno. Arrivi a Dashanzilukou Nan e ti scende quasi una lacrima. Non che tu abbia capito esattamente l’annuncio della fermata, ma distingui la “D” e questo ti salva. Casa. Sorridi, fino a che non realizzi che devi attraversare la strada. Ma quella è un’altra storia.

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#Giorno18 —BIANCO CHE “MANCO IN LAPPONIA”

Come la mattina di Natale nei film americani, quando gli elfi inceppati di Santa Claus tornano a casa, scivolando dappertutto. Come le strade, i tetti, gli alberi e le biciclette.
Come Sanl î tun e la mia faccia, che questi -5 gradi se li prende tutti. Uscire o non uscire, il dilemma di giornata. Alla fine la spunta la prima opzione e, da brava donna avventura, mi preparo per bene ad affrontare la tempesta di neve, più simile alla befana il 6 gennaio che non ad una esploratrice.
In principio sembra una idea grandiosa e affascinante, poi arriva la paralisi a mani, piedi e tutto il circondario. Il pupazzo di neve, classico della letteratura natalizia, e il ghiacchio sotto gli stivali, classico delle cartelle cliniche. Allora, poiché l’equilibrista non la so fare e la bronchite la evito volentieri, faccio quello che il tempo consente.

Insomma, mangio. Dalle due alle otto, ininterrottamente e in buona compagnia. Esco dal ristorante che fuori è buio.
Non nevica più e la vista è, forse, la Più bella che Pechino mi abbia regalato.
È ancora tutto bianco, ma le sfumature sono tante. Le mille luci del centro commerciale. Gli abeti -ebbene sì, natura. Le decorazioni e il giallo dei lampioni. I giubbotti colorati di baby-cinesini arzilli che, beati loro, vanno saltellando di frasca in frasca.
Il rosso delle arcate nell’atrio di Sanl î tun. La magia della domenica pomeriggio, della città che vive finalmente senza sgomitare. La Pechino accesa.

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#Giorno10: NERO

Come diversamente non potrebbe essere. Come il buio, che è la morte, la paura e l’autodistruzione. Come il filo che lega le cose e genera quelle che chiamiamo coincidenze, curiose simmetrie. Come l’essere sulla barriera secolare della Cina, The Wall, mentre la storia, di barriere, ne alza di nuove.
I fatti di Parigi, da quassù, fanno rabbrividire due volte. Il freddo è pungente e sui gradini alti, stretti e instabili che accompagnano la mia scalata, per la prima volta in questo viaggio, vedo il cielo. E dalla quarta torretta di controllo, quando il tragitto inizia ad essere più regolare, il sentiero scompare nella nebbia.
Di strada, di base, puoi farne quanta ne vuoi. Potresti arrivare a domani mattina, camminando, ed essere ancora lì, in un punto che è uguale agli altri. Immagina un Paese chiuso al mondo esterno, fisicamente. Immagina omini congelati su una montagna, con se stessi, ad urlare che un mongolo sta arrivando. Immagina l’eco che raggiunge la vedetta successiva. L’adrenalina che sale e la sentinella che sente “la sua volta”. Immagina la scena, che si ripete identica, giorno dopo giorno, secolo dopo secolo. Immagina che nessun mongolo armato di scimitarra possa ancora attentare alla sicurezza dei cinesi. Che oggi qua sopra ci sia io, come visitatrice. Finalmente alla fonte, perché la Muraglia è la Cina. Con un silenzio che oggi, 14 Novembre, mi sembra profetico. Immagina un Paese aperto, senza muri. Immagina l’emancipazione, i diritti e la democrazia. Immagina un teatro, uno stadio, una piazza. Immagina un frastuono, un colpo dopo l’altro e tanti uomini cadere, come una sentinella dalla Muraglia. Immagina la solitudine degli ultimi messaggi, “ti voglio bene”, “ho paura”. La consapevolezza di un uomo, una donna, che quella sia “la sua volta”. Il massacro che si ripete, giorno dopo giorno, dovunque nel mondo. Perché il fatto è che i muri esistono anche dove non ci sono. Che le storie tornano, con altre sembianze ed altre sentinelle. Che altri muoiono, comunque, e gli “altri” siamo noi, senza distinzione alcuna. Che ogni muro ci limita nelle libertà fondamentali, qualunque sia la sua materia

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A week in Shanghai

I’ve now been living in Shanghai for just over a week- life happens so quickly in this city it’s gone so fast! I arrived in Shanghai last week, and it has been an amazing experience so far.

In the days before I began my internship, I attended the CRCC Induction Day at a teahouse, which was full of good food and an introduction to China and Shanghai. That night we had the Welcome Banquet, which I made after briefly getting lost in the concrete jungle that is Pudong! On the weekend I wandered around the French Concession district of Shanghai, where I am living, where I found little boutique shops, cafes and tree-lined avenues. A local Shanghainese friend introduced me to Tianzifang, a little-known maze of cosy alleyways full of crafts markets, art studios and narrow laneways.

I’ve also been made to pick up Mandarin phrases to survive- taxi drivers and shopkeepers don’t speak English, so you will need to know how to ask for what you want! It’s good though- in one week I’ve already improved my language skills by simply living here.

I’ve been interning at the China-Britain Business Council, which has been amazing so far. I’ve been mostly working on research projects produced for CBBC’s Overseas Market Introduction Service, which introduces British companies to the relevant market in China. So far I’ve been involved in projects for companies in medicine, construction and architecture, as well as working on a project collaborating with a law firm for a CBBC event.

I also got the opportunity on Friday to visit FHC – the Chinese Food and Hotel trade show. It was located in quite possibly the biggest venue I’ve ever seen- and was full of international and domestic food and beverage companies looking to import, export or buy products for retailers. I also got the opportunity to form networks with people from Australia, China, Denmark and Britain, swapping my CRCC Asia business card.

I’m looking forward to the many more weeks to come in Shanghai, and can’t wait for the adventures to be had in this city!

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In cerca di connessioni, tre colori e quattro toni

Giorno 1–GRIGIO: Come il cielo di Pechino al mio arrivo. Come il pickup che dall’aereoporto mi ha portato all’alloggio e i grattacieli che mi ritrovo davanti la finestra. Come l’umore di chi aspetta il viaggio della vita e viene accolto dalla pioggia. Come il senso di alienazione e l’eco di qualche “chi te lo fa fare” che hai lasciato dall’altro lato del mondo, ma che pure ti torna in testa.

 

D’impatto, Pechino è esattamente l’altra faccia della medaglia, che almeno una volta nella vita deve caderti davanti dopo aver lanciato in aria la moneta. E’ la parte del mondo in cui le prospettive si capovolgono, non solo l’orologio. Dove la lingua è una e una sola, il cinese, e tutto il resto è sorrido e ciao. L’inquinamento te lo senti addosso e, quando il livello sale, ti armi di mascherina, neanche fossi un allegro chirurgo. Pensi che questo basti a renderti un “insider”, ma ti sbagli e in realtà non ci hai capito niente. Anche la prima spesa è grigia, quando di fronte allo scaffale del supermercato ti chiedi cosa-è-cosa e alla fine ripieghi sugli spaghetti, import, e un articolato di sopravvivenza. Alla cassa, io e la commessa non ci capiamo: interviene l’amica provvidenziale conosciuta all’aereoporto, che il cinese lo mastica. Se la vede lei, io sorrido-e-ciao. Ritorno a casa, in esplorazione. Uno, due, tre bagni, un pezzo per ciascuno: la stanza doccia, la stanza lavandino, la stanza tazza. Una tazza che, a citare mio fratello, “manco i futurama”: si riscalda, si igienizza e non so che altro. Sulle prime vado cauta per l’aspetto, che ricorda una sedia elettrica, salvo poi scoprire che è il locus amenus della casa, quando la sera avanza e il condizionatore ha una programmazione “come mamma l’ha fatta”, solo cinese. La cena si risolve in una tazza di latte e biscotti. Per sollevare la gola provata dallo smog, un bicchiere dell’acqua appena comprata che, ahimè, scopro essere fruttata. Lo segnala un ideogramma sull’etichetta che anche un cinesino di due anni saprebbe riconoscere. Ma qui ho solo un giorno, quindi tutto regolare. Se mi fermo a pensare che sono a Pechino tutto sembra un sogno e un limbo contemporaneamente. La vocina nella testa, quella del “chi te lo ha fatto fare” cerca di prendere piede, poi un coraggioso “take it easy”! Un buon corso di sopravvivenza, se non altro.

Giorno 2 –BIANCO –Come la neve che mi ritrovo fuori dalla finestra. Come la scelta di darmi una possibilità. Come il quaderno che inauguro durante il mio “induction day”, la mia prima connessione con il mondo cinese. Una lista di pericoli, consigli pratici e un accenno alla lingua. Una professoressa (rigorosamente native) introduce i quattro toni della lingua e la regola madre per cui il significato di ogni parola cambia in base all’intonazione con sfumature impercettibili. Neanche fossimo allievi della Callas! Ma è musicale, questo mi piace. Bianco, come il riso che accompagna la mia prima vera cena cinese: nessun morto e nessun ferito, no nausea o altri effetti collaterali –con buona pace di nonna Maria. Solo spezie e, di tanto in tanto, piccante in eccesso. Qualche momento di sconforto sul finale di giornata e la vocina, stavolta più debole, del malaugurio. Pochi secondi e scompare, forse sommersa dai rumori del traffico.

GIORNO 3 –ROSSO: Come lo scenario che si intravede dalle vetrine dei locali del distretto 798. Come l’enorme masso che domina un incrocio dell’art zone, la prima briciola che mi semino per ritrovare la strada di casa. Come la scultura di un enorme mostro, col dito puntato a mo’ di raccomandazione, su cui mi distendo nel pomeriggio per scattare una foto. Come il colore della prosperità e della bandiera della Cina. Poi, dopo il grigio e il bianco, un tono caldo c’è sempre. Perché il terzo giorno mi ha aperto la bellezza del dettaglio, del particolare. La cura delle piccole cose, delle lavorazioni locali e la scoperta della vita che corre sulle strade principali, ma si sviluppa nei vicoli che aprono a piccoli spazi quadrati.

La cura delle piccole cose, delle lavorazioni locali e la scoperta della vita che corre sulle strade principali, ma si sviluppa nei vicoli che aprono a piccoli spazi quadrati. La ricerca del significato della street art, della storia dietro alla macchina governativa ed un’architettura che non lascia niente al caso. Settantadue ore che sono tanto e non sono niente.

 

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I primi giorni

L'arrivo a Shanghai è stato d'impatto. Nonostante il lungo viaggio e l'immediato jet-lag Shanghai affascinaa prima vista.

La diversità tipica della città, dell'architettura, delle abitudini di vita cinesi, non sono state d'ostacolo per sentirsi a casa, i cinesi sono proprio un popolo accogliente!

Oggi , secondo giorno a Shanghai, abbiamo avuto l'Induction Day presso una casa del te. Il tutto è stato molto interessante e illustrativo di quella che sarà la nostra esperienza di "Internship" e di vita a Shanghai.

Il team dei manager di CRCC Asia è disponibile per qualsiasi cosa, ci hanno davvero messo a nostro agio! 

Questo  primo fine settimana visiterò Pechino, la sua Città Proibita e le altre affascinanti parti storichedella città!

Sono curiosa di vedere la differenza tra una città internazionale come Shanghai e una più tradizionale comePechino!

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Camping on the Great Wall!

‘Morning everyone! Il mio ultimo venerdì al lavoro sta volgendo a termine, questa è stata l’ultima settimana e la stiamo vivendo nella maniera più intensa possibile: non ci si ferma mai!

Ogni sera con tutti gli intern ci inventiamo qualcosa da fare, perché il tempo stringe, il giorno delle partenze si avvicina, e nessuno vuole tornare a casa! Quindi tentiamo di passare ogni momento libero dal lavoro tutti insieme, perché il gruppo che si è creato è davvero come una piccola famiglia, con la quale condividi gioie, stanchezze, disagi e soprattutto “funny moment”.
Oltre ad essere l’ultima settimana in questa suuuuper-caotica-divertente città, è stata anche la settimana del viaggio più bello della mia vita.

Con due amiche infatti abbiamo deciso di vivere la REAL Great Wall, .. e quando scrivo Real, è perché lo è stata veramente. Abbiamo organizzato un camping sulla parte originale (non restaurata), una parte nascosta alla maggior parte dei turisti perché di difficile accesso (abbiamo letteralmente scalato una montagna per arrivare in cima), e soprattutto non essendo restaurata il percorso da intraprendere è impegnativo, quindi bisogna davvero volerlo per godere a pieno di questo viaggio e delle bellezze che può regalarti!

La compagnia con la quale siamo partite è stata davvero incredibile, avevamo due guide originarie del villaggio dal quale siamo partiti, cibo acqua e tutto il necessario per il camping , tutto organizzato benissimo. Siamo partiti da Beijing la mattina molto presto, e con il nostro gruppo di camping ( una famiglia francese, una coppia di ragazzi canadesi in giro per il mondo, ed un ragazzo Indonesiano) siamo arrivati in questo villaggio a nord-est di Beijing, Gubeikouzhen, nel quale abbiamo pranzato in una fattoria molto caratteristica, e poi abbiamo iniziato la scalata verso la cima! Arrivati nel punto più alto della muraglia si può ammirare un paesaggio davvero mozzafiato, che non è possibile descrivere a parole… dovete andarci per poter credere a vostri occhi.

Abbiamo percorso la muraglia per 11 km, visitando le torri, arrampicandoci in alcuni punti per poter godere della splendida visuale, ed infine siamo finalmente giunti alla zona del camping, una zona leggermente più bassa rispetto alla muraglia, e quindi più riarata dal vento freddo che alza verso sera. Abbiamo montato le il Camp e tutto il necessario per la notte,e abbiamo mangiato tutti intorno al fuoco una cena meravigliosa preparata dalla stessa fsttoria dalla quale siamo partiti.. e vi dirò, non ho mai mangiato cosi bene in cina come in questa cena.

 

La notte è stata davvero dura, la temperatura di notte scende tantissimo, e per quanto ci si nasconda dentro coperte e maglioni, è davvero difficile riuscire a dormire… ma alla fine, dopo 11 km e il freddo, siamo decisamente crollate!

Il risveglio forse è stata la parte più bella .. alle 6 siamo uscite dalla tenda e abbiamo aspettato che il sole sorgesse… ed è stato davvero uno spettacolo meraviglioso… il miglior risveglio della mia vita, che certamente ricorderò per sempre.

 

 

Questo è l’ultimo racconto che potrò regalarvi della mia splendida esperienza con CRCC Asia perché mercoledì prenderò un aereo per tornare nella mia amata Roma..  ma l’umore non è certamente dei migliori.. perché vivere qui, con tutte queste persone che sono entrate nella mia vita, lavorare e gestire ogni giorno in una maniera diversa e sempre divertente, ormai era diventata la mia quotidianità, e sarà davvero strano tornare ad una “normalità” così diversa da questa..

 

 

Quindi ragazzi, non abbiate paura di lanciarvi un questa folle esperienza, prendete questo aereo e lasciatevi VIVERE da Shanghhhhhhhhhai, perché questo mondo vi cambierà per sempre!

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Hasta las mejores historias tienen un final

Tras tres meses que han pasado como un abrir y cerrar de ojos, cientos de personas con las que me he cruzado (sí, cientos, aquí conoces gente nueva casi a diario), días que pasaban volando en la oficina y otros que se hacían demasiado largos, y una incontable lista de historias y experiencias… mi pequeña gran aventura por China llega a su fin tal y como empezó.

Solo unos días de vuelta en Madrid y ya tengo la sensación de estar en un “pueblo”, sin enormes rascacielos ante los que tengas que inclinar el cuello para alcanzar a ver su cima, ni el agradable caos y bullicio propio de una ciudad de unos 25 millones de habitantes que ve desde hace tiempo como se avecina su colapso y que dan como resultado impresionantes contrastes urbanos entre la China rica y moderna –con sus enormes rascacielos de cristal, sus coches de lujo en cada esquina y sus cócteles a 30€- junto a la tradicional y pobre –con sus viejos edificios casi en ruinas, sus ruidosas partidas de cartas en la acera y sus deliciosos noodles callejeros acompañados de una Tiger-.

Echaré también de menos esas batallas de todos contra todos a la hora de bajar y subir del metro, KTV para rematar las noches de fiesta, señoras bailando coreografías en el parque, juegos de dados en el bar, hombres paseando con la camiseta levantada enseñando la barriga, miradas clavándose en tu nuca allá donde vayas, hot pot, reuniones con clientes e inversores, centros comerciales de 8-10 plantas, partidas de póker hasta el amanecer, lluvias repentinas que parecen anunciar el apocalipsis, yoga de “postureo”, impresionantes paisajes de montaña, fake market, monos callejeros al salir de fiesta, Sturbucks en cada esquina, el “ejército de motos de “ele.me” que reparten comida a domicilio, mareas de chinos hipnotizados con el teléfono móvil, Ganbei!, construcciones y más construcciones, mango, durian y otras frutas tropicales, edificios con muchas luces, “massagiii”, la ópera de Shanghai, tablas y gráficos en Excel, lujosos coches de Uber, los 30 minutos de siesta sagrados que todo el mundo se echa en la oficina después de comer, reservados gratis en todas las discotecas para extranjeros, sushi, pachangas de baloncesto, terrazas en edificios con vistas al mejor skyline que te dejarán perplejo y… un millón de cosas más que solo conocerás si vives esta experiencia.

Como señala el título de esta entrada efectivamente toda historia tiene un final y este que os cuento es el mío en China… por ahora.

Wǒ ài nǐ, Shànghǎi!!!

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