Mention Xi'an - one of China's 656 cities and more often than not, you'll (understandably) get a blank look. Followed by: "How do you say that? EX-ee-arn? See-arn?" For the record, the general consensus round these parts seems to be Shee-arn - with a slight T sound on the S... which of course if you're a westerner who's never learned Chinese before, sounds about as foreign as having er, mustard on your toast! Mention the "Terracotta Warriors" though and there's usually a collective "Ahhh oohhh ...yes, yes! I've heard of the Terracotta Army!" There's no doubt this legion of clay soldiers has put Xi'an, the ancient capital of China back on the map. If China's on your bucket list and you love a bit of historical mystery - it's usually Beijing, Shanghai and then Xi'an, for a glimpse of these now, world-famous warriors. Of course it was only a matter of time before I went to check out this global phenomenon myself. I'm sure it won't be the last - have visitors, our clay friends will no doubt top the list of must-see sights! They have been declared the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World. (FYI, there are seven 'official' wonders - including the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef - but visiting former French President Jaques Chirac was so impressed, he thought they should be added to the list!) After witnessing the miracle of these majestic warriors on display, I must say I'm inclined to agree! Incredibly, they were only unearthed in 1974 - just 40 years ago. So how an earth did an estimated 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses slide under the radar for a mere 2,200 years? The story goes -- they were so far underground (and most of them smashed into a million pieces) that previous farmers on the land at XiYang Village, east of Xi'an had simply dismissed any fragments of clay found over the years. That is until one day local peasants drilling a well in search of water happened to run into these blokes again… well, pieces of broken pottery along with some pretty impressive ancient bronze weapons! Initially thinking they'd found jars from an old kiln, instead exposing the pottery head of a soldier, they knew they'd uncovered something out of the ordinary and called the village head, who in turn called the government to investigate matters further. And as they say, the rest is history! Exploration and excavation began on what they call the 'first pit' in earnest and one by one this army of troops was revealed; some missing arms, legs, heads, some in a thousand pieces and some still in tact, still standing, perfectly formed!! I'm no history buff, but to put it in simple terms….here's how the Terracotta Army came into being. It was 247 BC and there was a 13 year old boy who'd just became King of the Qin State. (Qin translates to China.) At the time China was made up of seven kingdoms and this young boy who was smart and ambitious set out to unify China. By the age of 39 he had successfully completed his mission, calling himself the First Emperor of China. Emperor Qin of the Qin Dynasty. Clearly as well as being industrious, he also carried a bit of an ego because soon after becoming King he designed his own mausoleum where he would be buried when he died (with a piece of gold in one hand and a piece of jade in the other to protect him in the afterlife)! Bearing an overwhelming fear of death, the Emperor believed that life underground after death was a continuation of life on earth. Thus, his mausoleum wasn't just any old grave, it was the largest tomb in the world! At 56 square kilometres, standing 100 metres high, he drafted a labour force of 700-thousand people to build it. It took 38 years! Constructed between Xi'an's Mount Li and the Wei River for good Feng Shui…it was an underground treasure house. This subterranean palace contained replica rivers and streams in quicksilver; pits of rare birds and animals, bronze chariots and horses, plus precious stones; while his outer coffin was made of molten copper and surrounded by candles made of whale oil to ensure they would burn eternally. Guarding the entrance to this palatial tomb stood the Terracotta Warriors, each one made to reflect individual real-life soldiers. Every single one was different. Made from local clay - that is clearly unique - allowing the warriors to survive to this day -- it's believed the torso and arms of the soldiers were hollow, using thick clay coils in the middle, with the clay moulded around the outside. The legs were solid and the facial features sculpted by sharp bamboo. It's thought they were put into the natural air to dry before being fired at around 1000 degrees. Remember this is 2200 years ago but the technology used has been praised as quite remarkable. Each warrior was painted in bold, bright colors, believed to be a layer of lacquer on the surface and then colored with paint made of minerals. The Emperor's obsession with his mortality, made him determined to find the elixir of life and at 50, he reportedly took a potion to ensure his longevity which ironically contained mercury and killed him! The following year the Qin Dynasty was vehemently overthrown and the Terracotta Warriors surrounding the mausoleum smashed to pieces and burned, submerged for the next 2,200 years…. That is until, their miraculous discovery! Following the discovery of pit no 1, pit no 2 and 3 were also uncovered in 1976. All three pits are five to seven metres below ground level, the warriors lined up in battle formation, standing on paved pottery bricks with a wooden roof covered by layers of thick fibre mats, fine soil and tilled earth to conceal the army. Each pit is different in shape - pit three the smallest at 520 square metres - pit one the largest at 14,000 square metres. First opened to the public in 1979 as 'Emperor QinShihuang's Terra-Cotta Museum', 2000 square metres had been excavated and 1087 terra-cotta warriors and horses were on display. The XiYang Village became world famous. In 1986, the Queen of England came to visit the site and wanted the main founder of the warriors to sign something for her, but as a peasant farmer he was illiterate. From that day on a famous Chinese calligrapher was called in to teach him to sign his name. And it seems he's never stopped. When we visited, the former farmer, now 80, was there signing book after book! Standing inside these massive hangar-like structures (the original site of the pits) it's a breath taking sight. Rows upon rows of life-size warriors stare resolutely forward, in a ghostly manner. Each section of warriors is representative of infantrymen, cavalrymen, archers and charioteers all with varying weapons according to rank, along with different hairstyles and clothing to mark their authority. Seeing them assembled as they originally would have been, it's hard to comprehend this spectacular excavation process. In the beginning there were just two people reconstructing these soldiers, piece by piece, bit by bit. By 1990 there were 24 and today hundreds of skilled men and women from all over the world work on piecing together thousands of clay fragments, in piles waiting for connection. If the workers can find one piece that fits in a day, it's considered "a lucky day!" To complete one soldier it takes around seven years and many cannot be restored. There are no new pieces used. And what's even more incredible? There are still many hundreds of warriors buried, yet to be unearthed. As technology expands, there is a tendency to leave the warriors until more is known. You may remember I said these warriors were painted bright colors, bold blues, reds and yellows? When they have been uncovered, in the past, many of them still wore flakes of colored paint - which in the open air quickly oxidates. It's hoped over time, archeologists will discover new technologies to keep them in their preserved state. Also uncovered near the mausoleum were two sets of bronze chariots, namely the biggest bronze work in the world. A chariot weighing 1100 kilos! It's believed these (modeled at half the size of a real chariot, horse and driver) were to be used by the Emperor when he went on inspection tours in his afterlife. In the last 20 years, it's become the biggest museum in China bringing in 40,000 visitors a day. Considered to be one of he most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, there's no denying Xi'an's gone to the pot! The terracotta type that is! A jigsaw that once completed will surely stand the test of time. Visiting Xi'an? Fast Facts: Where: The site of the Terracotta Warriors is around 45 minutes (or 35 kilometres) east of Xi'an city. When: Open all year round. Costs: CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) Time: Allow yourself at least half a day to see this spectacle. What: Wheelchairs available. BYO child's stroller recommended. Eat: There are tea houses/restaurants plus tourist stalls selling memorabilia. How: Find more information here. Tips: If you can, I recommend hiring a tour guide to take you through the pits so you can understand the fascinating history behind the phenomenal Terracotta Army! … [Read more...]
China – Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Backwards.
We all have those days don't we, where everything we attempt to do is just plain difficult! The Gods are not smiling on us…..we usually just put it down to one of those days….and hopefully, move on. Tomorrow is after all, another day! At the moment as we try to settle into a new country, namely big bad China - those days, typically tend to be more frequent than not. (Don't mention the power cuts!!) The hotelier, Miss A and I have at times felt like we are living out a scene from the Griswolds… (If you don't know the term....the movie National Lampoon's Vacation is aptly a comedy series about the misadventures of the Griswold family, whose, quote: "attempts to enjoy vacations and holidays are plagued with continual disasters and strangely ridiculous predicaments.") Say no more! In a nutshell, everything we attempted required an almighty dollop of patience with a splash of humour on top! "I'll have a Sprite thanks. Actually make that two lemonades for us." Waitress returns ten minutes later, "So do you want one Sprite and one lemonade?" "Isn't that the same thing?" "No it's not." And breathe….. Clearly our confronting and extremely inconvenient lack of Chinese is mostly to blame for the shenanigans that ensue, but there's also a cultural divide that means ways of doing things aren't necessarily aligned amongst all parties. (Note how I say that in the politest way possible!) To top it off, Internet is intermittent at the best of times. VPN's drop in and out….phone service is patchy…with plans seemingly chewing through data at a rate of knots. Banking can be a painstaking affair in any country, but here in China, we managed to find ourselves both credit card-less and cashless for a (thankfully) brief period of time. Our Hong Kong credit cards it seems are not geared to work online (something about 'activation' is eventually revealed) and banks back in our home countries have gone into lockdown mode, blocking our cards after suspected suspicious activity in a foreign land. While I appreciate their quick action - attempting to book a flight online for the 15th time (what? of course I'm not trying to escape!) with dodgy internet and cards that are stalled at every turn, can turn even the most patient man I know into a frazzled, bug eyed cot case!! For a few days our eft-pos cards refuse to work in the ATM's and it's difficult to decipher the problem laid out before us in Chinese… and well… getting a Chinese bank account, of course, is no simple task for a foreigner. Obviously the lap top the hotelier uses for his day job is not happy with so much frenzied activity because it has a meltdown and promptly packs it in. Of course getting it fixed is like asking asking for the winning lotto ticket numbers, as is getting a straight answer! With the hotelier diligently downstairs working, I get a phone call in the hotel room - a man we can call 'MR I.T' says he is here to fix the laptop. I reply that Mr Walkden is working in his office. "No he's not, the door is closed," he says. Me: Ahhh OK, well I guess he could be anywhere in the hotel, I'm sorry I don't know. The dialogue continues something like this. Mr I.T: Can I come back later to fix the laptop? (Brief experience tells me if I let him go now, we may never lay eyes on him again) Me: Can you call him to see where he might be right now? Mr I.T: No. Me: Okaaaay, Where are you? Mr I.T: Outside room 5306. Me: (half dressed) realize Mr I.T is at my front door. Hastily throw on some clothes and greet him, reiterate, no the laptop isn't here and nor is Mr Walkden. Would you like me to call him? Mr I.T: OK. I call the hotelier…who's conveniently just up the hallway, in the executive club having a meeting and tells me to send him that way. Mr I.T nods enthusiastically in agreement….but apparently he doesn't make it there for several hours!? Lap top is eventually fixed that evening, but by the time the hotelier boards a plane the next day, it is no longer operating. And breathe….. So all the while I am negotiating with Mr I.T, we are told the hotelier's visa is ready and he must fly to Hong Kong asap! We also discover we need passport photos for everyone, pronto! Not an easy task it seems. We find out nowhere in Xi'an is able to specifically take this kind of photo, bar some photo booths on the other side of town in the underground train station. (While China is home to the globe's biggest 'new travellers' - in reality, only a small portion of the 1.3 billion population actually holds a passport.) So we are advised we must get to a photographer's studio at once! We meet downstairs and are bundled into hotel car and driven five minutes to a slightly ramshackle area and dropped off at a shopfront door, literally. (Actually, I think we are on the footpath.) Picturing the site of us three 'Gweilos' entering, has me chuckling to myself. We enter the nondescript shop where a lady sits at a computer, with a few aptly framed photos on display. She babbles to us in Chinese and when she realizes we can't speak her lingo, promptly turns around and goes back to work on the computer. (Pesky Gweilos, I know!!) I try a few lame words in Chinese like 'now' and 'photo'? but for some reason whenever I am in a 'situation,' the Chinese I have supposedly learnt, eludes me. I am blank!? Please explain!! Again she replies in Chinese and turns away, ignoring us. The hotelier decides it's time to use the 'bat phone' to call for help. Tina - our 'ever patient personal translator' is on the line and speaks with the lady on the computer and it all seems clear. She will take our photos but she doesn't know what size passport photos are, so this is going to take some organizing. So we hang up and wait….and wait….. and wait. Nothing is happening. Time is ticking.....people are starting to stare through the glass at us and some are taking photos! We call our ever 'patient personal translator' again and this time we get the green light! She's ready to do the photos! We are shuffled into a studio. James goes first and is told (we think) to do his jacket up and straighten his collar (these are clearly not just any old passport photos). She pulls at her ear and I think she's telling me to listen, but eventually work out she wants my earrings off. It's a bit like playing charades, we stifle our giggles. Ava's turn and for the 'ever posing show pony,' sitting still without cracking a smile is proving difficult. The lady is faffing abut with Ava's hair until she's satisfied and gesturing madly at her to keep her hands by sides (this is not a modeling shoot young lady)! Finally, we are done. We pay about US$20 and are whisked out of the shop into our waiting car. I feel like Brangelina again (clearly minus her looks and money...oh and the six kids)! I am then off to the hair dresser where I decide, as well as getting a blow dry I will be doubly brave today and ask to get my nails done. I have practiced the word for 'doing nails'….so they seem to get my gist -- but immediately start to wrap tinfoil around each finger. I know this is the way to remove a certain type of gel (you ladies will know it as 'soft' gel) but alas I have 'hard' gel and never the twain shall meet! I know that it is not going budge with some mere tinfoil, so I try explaining it's hard gel, I even use my trusty chinese app, but appear to be failing miserably. Time to call Tina our 'ever patient personal translator' again - she explains and again it all seems clear, they know it's hard gel but this will certainly work. Ok, you're the boss, I think, so I sit back and relax….a few minutes later the foil is off but the gel nail is not. Hmmm dilemma, now I can see they are really confused… there's a lot of spirited chatter back and forth. All I can do is smile meekly. She attempts to scrape it off and so I make the noise for machine….bzzzzzz…..but they look at me like I am slightly crazy. I point to the nail file and she attempts to file it off. It takes a looong time, but it sort of works. I am sure they are stumped with the weird 'white' lady with her 'white' hair and ironically strange 'white' nails….Who is she and why does she keep coming back!! But they bring me two tiny apple-like looking fruit to try (I later find out are called Nai, or Crab Apples), so I figure maybe they aren't too annoyed with me. Meantime, my new found hairdresser has been learning English and is like an excited puppy dog, sitting next to me while my nails are finished. We both decide in our broken English/Mandarin this relationship could work! I teach him, he teaches me. I decide to really push the boat out and test the waters to see if he can 'colour' my hair. My slightly er darker/grey roots are showing through and it's not going to be pretty. He seems to understand eventually and shows me his colour chart with two types of blonde. Just two. Not a lot of choice but perhaps that's a good thing. I learn the word for foils and show him pictures on Pinterest. Here's where it gets tricky as I want to explain that I don't want my hair too gold, so I find the word for 'gold' and say 'not want' in my best chinese, so he thinks I want 'white' but I say no. I search for the words, caramel and beige but these are lost on him. If I say ash, I will surely get grey hair. Xi'an is greying my hair by the minute so ash colour won't be necessary. He proudly shows me a picture of the only white woman's hair he has colored and says she likes red. Does she ever. It is the brightest, boldest fire engine red I've ever seen! He tells me again he is the best hairdresser in Xian after all, and says "just let me try." But to me that alarmingly sounds like a toddler asking to "just let me try pouring the milk on my cereal." We all know how that ends! I remain noncommittal and decide to do a poll on Facebook that night. Enthusiastic hairdresser and I connect on We Chat (the What's App/Facebook equivalent) and I leave with some 'Zai Jians' and see you next week - it's been an intense maintenance session…I'm not really sure what just happened, but it was reasonably successful, I have my hair done and my nails look reasonable enough for public display. Two steps forward, ten steps backwards. This is China! And breathe....... Proud to share this one over at Seychelle Mama's for My Expat Family. … [Read more...]
Week Three: So this is China…
So, it's almost three weeks into this "journey" and I've had some time to exhale and gradually ease myself into life in China. Ahhhh 'Life in China' -- even saying it out loud feels like a strange out of body experience. Me? In China?! How did that happen? I'm rediscovering that adjusting to a new city is by no means a quick process. For me, it's about slowly ticking the boxes, finding a routine of some description and getting used to the surroundings. In Xi'an, our immediate surroundings are by no means alien; a plush 5-Star hotel, leafy green streets, trendy cafes, bars and big shopping centres….all seemingly normal things, found in many parts of the world, right? But it's the little things that jolt you back into reality. Did somebody say NO chocolate?! 'Toto we're not in Kansas anymore.' (Care packages welcome.) Yes, the little things...for a start, cars are driving on the wrong side of the road! Now, that I can cope with…but they are also driving all over the road, not to mention on the footpath! (Yes, you can imagine the less robust pathways are in a constant state of repair.) There are no rules, or so it seems! If there are, they are of the unspoken variety. It's perfectly ok to cut across four lanes of traffic without so much as a flick of the indicator, or heaven forbid even the slightest pressure on the break. Drivers obliviously weave in and out from one lane to the next, all the while incessantly beeping (which in itself is enough to cause a small migraine, let alone the narrow misses and heart failing site of cars coming directly at you)! It's fair to say the one road rule that does apply, is 'whoever's biggest gets right of way,' and that includes pedestrians. You know those little green pedestrian lights - usually people or signs that say 'walk' or 'cross'? -- they differ in every country but generally it's universal for 'you may cross safely, cars will stop.' But not here. Here, you take your life in your own hands. Bikes, cars, trucks, busses and tuk tuks - will just keep on coming without slowing down (not even a little). In fact if you're in the way, you're likely to get a rather filthy look and a shake of the head. Miss A is learning relatively fast to proceed with caution in any public space! (Explaining to a small person why the cars don't stop when they should is a little challenging.) To add to the rather hairy situation, motorcyclists don't wear crash helmets, like ever. And it's a mode of transport that more often than not applies the "kid sandwich" theory. Dad on the front, mum on the back and junior in the middle…or juniors! I am impressed though, with their nifty raincoats and umbrellas attached like mini tents for those wet and wild days. Speaking of the weather, there's the little fact that the sky is more often than not a hazy shade of grey. Of course having lived in Hong Kong for four years, I am used to 50 shades, but here the pollution, brings a slightly more consistent shade to the mix. Having teased my British husband for being the eternal weather optimist for years (Him: "I can see a small patch of blue sky in the far, far east…there, can't you see it??!" Me: "NO, it's raining!") I now find myself desperately throwing open the blinds each morning, looking up and searching, squinting, scanning the sky, for a more favourable shade of blue-grey. To Xi'an's credit, we have had some beautiful summer days I must admit, to keep me sane. (Whistles tune "Always look on the bright side of life.....") What the weather lacks in colour, the city's architecture certainly makes up for. Oriental and ornate, rooftops are classically Chinese traditional styles and Xi'an is not short on stunning monuments, to gaze at in admiration. The city is vibrantly lit up with red lanterns and there is a genuine love affair with giant LED screens. For the most part there are no English signs, that's zero, zilch! Unless the retailers are going for the quirky "look I have hip English store name" that doesn't make a whole lot of sense - (but of course that's not the point). What these shopping centres may lack in Gweilo-friendly fare, they certainly make up for in kid friendly fun! There are more 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' style 'fun centres' than any parent could dare to hope for. (For the record, I have discovered Zara, H & M and Starbucks, so I am essentially able to survive, despite the distinct lack of good chocolate and Mint Mochas!) Fun centres and chocolate aside, there is however, the small problem of bathroom visits, which with a three year old, come far more often than I'd like and naturally at the most inopportune moments. I'm used to hightailing it to the nearest loo, but even when you make it in time, the challenge is not over. The ever present 'squat toilets' occupy most shopping centres and public places. (Note to self and anyone visiting: never leave home sans tissues.) Squatting is clearly an art one must master and one I'm not all that keen on getting the hang of... but, I fear we have little choice round these parts. Good for the thighs they say! Anywhere in a public space, the level of staring is at best intense….I am now empathizing with Brangelina as I walk the streets, acutely aware there are pairs of curious eyes everywhere giving us the once over. (Who needs Hollywood!) The number of photos taken/asked for is slightly overwhelming…. Mostly they want a piece of mini blondie and it usually evolves like a scene from The Bodyguard - me at close range, sizing up the crowds for any sneaky phones pointing in our direction and fending off over excited locals who can't help themselves from reaching out to pinch Ava's white chubby cheeks or twirl that long golden hair. Anyone requesting photos is told to ask the celebrity herself and if she says no, then the red carpet is unfortunately not rolled out. Then there are the children who are literally thrown at Ava, their parents desperate to hear little Johnny or Jill rattle of his or her newly learned English. Say "Hello!!" they implore (the poor child often anything but keen to drape her arms around a child she's never laid eyes on). The parents unwilling to lose this photo opportunity, smile through clenched teeth, refusing to leave the scene until child cooperates and much wanted picture is captured. And all this, just on our way to coffee! Thankfully they are generally friendly and (provided we're not in a hurry) we can manage the paparazzi - but I can't help but notice the tiny toddler fact that many of them are wearing pants with the bottoms cut out! (FYI - that's toddlers not parents.) Ah yes, you might guess what comes next…apparently it makes for easy toilet access….. I can't quite grasp the concept but it appears to be a popular one. I guess there's nothing to say but, bottoms up! After all...This is China. … [Read more...]
Wedding Crashers in China
So, our first weekend living on the mainland, somehow we inadvertently became wedding crashers! (As you do!) It was Sunday after all and following a mammoth Saturday exploring Xi'an, we decided the "Beach BBQ" under fairy lights sounded rather inviting for us newbies in town. After a lazy morning, we high-tailed it out to one of Xi'an's 'other' premier hotels where the "beach" BBQ takes place each week. 45 minutes later after some rather manic, bumper to bumper traffic, where the road rules are harder to decipher than Chinese characters (er, what road rules?) we arrived (in tact) at our destination. Ok - so our man-made beach was a little on the disappointing side….but coming from Australia, really who was I kidding! In my mind I was (naively) hoping for this... But what we got - in the middle of China - (of course!!) was this… Not to be discouraged, we settled ourselves back on one of the wooden 'beach' chairs and felt the.... ah... sand between our toes... to watch the evening unfold; meanwhile Ava wasted no time in familiarizing herself with this ever so conveniently located pirate-ship playground! In no time she had a flock of local kids (and adults) around her, apparently keen to adopt her as their English tutor for the day (the adults more so than the kids I have to say)! They no doubt thought they'd hit the jackpot stumbling across this blonde pocket-rocket who's favorite hobby is talking! I'm sure I could hear her revealing our family secrets - (just as well their English wasn't at the advanced stages). It was about now we noticed the big 'faux' beach truck on the gritty fake sand being loaded with pretty pink balloons, and each chair with one pink balloon strategically 'stuck' to the back of it. A rose archway magically appeared, the brightly colored pirate playground making a unique backdrop, along with a couple of blinding spot lights beaming in on the wooden tables with their blue plastic tablecloths and crockery steins bearing serviettes and chopsticks. The BBQ buffet we'd come for was coming to life, so we thought we'd better get ourselves off the beach (as enticing as it was) for a spot closer to the food action. We propped ourselves where we could still see Ava bouncing on the seesaw (or coming face-first down the slide) with her new friends - by now mostly bigger boys about eight or nine, whom she had no qualms about bossing around! The crowd started swelling as the wedding guests arrived for this auspicious occasion. First things first, this was clearly a low key affair. It was mostly a jeans and t-shirt dress code with the odd, sparkly head band and diamante shoes - that came to life under the spotlights. (Pretty much like the city of Xi'an itself, I'm discovering!) So we watched on with amusement as everyone casually took their seats as if it was just another Sunday barbie, which in all reality, it was. By now, we started realizing we might be a little too close for comfort to the wedding party…. but apparently, according to the hotel staff - this was perfectly fine and normal! The regular diners carried on chewing their beef skewers under the stars (slightly obscured by the polluted hazy sky) blissfully unaware of the nuptials taking place. Sooner rather than later, the bride and groom appeared in all their spectacular glory, the bride looking every bit as glamorous as you might expect a bride to be, in her silk white gown and tiara -- dashing groom at her side. I'm choosing to think these two hadn't met at one of China's “Marriage Markets” whereby parents desperate for their daughter to marry put out an ad including their age, height and salary! I wasn't sure what was about to take place but assumed the proper ceremony must have taken place earlier for things to be 'oh so relaxed.' Alas this was not the case, a 'man with a mike' appeared on the beach party bus, looking like he might like to roar off into the Hawaiian sunset at any moment. Rattling off his well rehearsed speech (in mandarin of course), the bride and groom made their way down the "aisle" to a ballad of classical Chinese tunes. It was about now everyone clambered around 'our' table to get a good view of the action! I tried in earnest to hear a word here and there… but managed little more than 'I do' - clearly the exchange of rings helping my cause! Confetti poppers erupted and cheers broke out. I'm sure this is where they said "I now pronounce you man and wife" and I found myself clapping along and snapping photos! What?! Ava's new bestie "Fiona" was the flower girl and when her duty required letting off one of the confetti canisters, Ava was most disappointed she couldn't join the bridal party! Not to be outdone, as the happy couple made their way back to the dining area, I turned around to see her tagging along in line with the bride and flower girl, much to the giggles of several onlookers! According to Chinese custom, professional photographs are taken before the wedding ceremony, so it was time for the newlyweds to let their hair down! It was 'Campai' all round (also known as toasting)! The bride and groom stopping at each table, their steins raised in celebration (did I mention it was a German-themed BBQ)? I wouldn't have been at all surprised if they stopped by our table on their rounds. As I gingerly approached the buffet, I found myself ever so conspicuously in line with the wedding guests. Attempting to work out if the beef on metal skewers being sprayed with hot spices would blow my head off, I really was hoping the ground might just open up and swallow me. Ava, on the other hand, clearly not afraid to made her mark - snagging herself a party favour of chocolates, courtesy of the bride and groom; while I found myself watching the couple's happy moments on the big screen to the tune of Bruno Mars "Just the way you are!' Low and behold a shot of Sydney's Opera House flashed up, showing the loved up couple on Sydney Harbour. Ahhhhh.... way to make a girl feel homesick on a fake beach in north west China, eh! Ironically, rule #7 in the movie, Wedding Crashers was "Blend in by standing out" Well, maybe....just maybe.... we did! PS...it would seem the locals really aren't too fussed about who the guests are at their weddings! We just got an 'official' invite to a wedding next week from someone my husband has only spoken to twice. Oh, and he's been asked to give a speech. I think Ava and I will definitely be crashing that! … [Read more...]
Living in China: Week One – One Foot in Front of the Other
You know the feeling when you visit a city you've never seen before? That dizzying anticipation, the unbridled excitement, the curiosity and wonder of what lies ahead? Well, can I just say - for the record - arriving in a city you've never seen before to live, is nothing like that! Ok, so maybe that's a little over the top. The lead up to moving to Xi'an, China was like that, but actually arriving in one of the world's oldest cities, home to eight and a half million people (the 12th largest city in China), I won't lie - my heart was in my mouth. It's a short two and a half hour flight from Hong Kong, but it also feels a world away in north western China. As we disembarked and entered the airport, my stomach was in knots, as I tried desperately to keep an open mind, at the ready to embrace our new home! I foolishly found myself comparing right off the bat. (Bad move!) The airport was significantly smaller than I'd expected for such a massive city and ever so slightly primitive (of course this is compared to Hong Kong's modern, state of the art, award-winning complex)! I later found out all entrants from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan (China's SARS) come to their own individual terminal, so what I glimpsed was just a minuscule part of the largest airport in the north west! I could feel myself ever so tentatively putting one foot in front of the other as I literally stepped into my new life, in one of China's 656 cities, no less! Driving from the airport was at best 'underwhelming' (apart from driving on the wrong side of the road) it was raining and grey as we sped through a maze of highways and concrete; a deluge of chinese characters beaming out at me in their neon, indecipherable glory! I'm not deeply religious but it was about now I silently had a word to God, hoping James wasn't having a moment of serious delusion when he'd excitedly told me the city was really "quite nice." Meantime, our little blondie Ava was oblivious in all her three year old naivety; her primary concern on the journey, the delightful hotel gift of rainbow-coloured macaroons and how many she could eat in one go! Oh to be so innocent. Approaching the hotel, my spirits lifted… despite the incessant rain, leafy green streets splayed out in front of me and there was a distinct buzz of activity with restaurants, bright lights and traffic mayhem! (We may be in Central China, but it was a comforting sign, I wasn't in the middle of no where, even if I was hanging on for dear life!) The hotel was impressive - it's four stories though, the 'chalk' to the W Hong Kong's 76 story 'cheese.' My grand entry somewhat stifled as Ava's prized macaroons promptly fell out of the car onto the wet hotel driveway and a toddler meltdown ensued. Welcome to Xi'an! We quickly dropped our bags off in what would be our home for the next few weeks (until the hotel residences are finished). A suite that can only be described as embracing the typical minimalist Westin decor brushed with an enchanting oriental flair! With James likely to be bunkered down in his new GM role the next day year, we went for a quick scoot around the hotel to acclimatize ourselves with our new 'home.' We probably could've done with scooters because it's ahem, bloody huge. Unlike Hong Kong, space is no issue here in Xi'an and it's spread out, from a luxurious Lobby Bar, to an intriguing museum (yes, Xi'an being one of the four oldest civilizations in the world means, monuments, relics and artifacts are scattered everywhere, even below this hotel!) - to a grand sunken garden swathed in red cloth. (It's lucky my favorite colour is red, because this hotel is literally bathed in a glow of deep red!) To the beckoning cake shop, the three very different restaurants, Chinese, Japanese and Western….and the (wait for it) Rolls Royce show room! (Ahem just quietly the owner has sold 70 of these babies in just two years! Oh how the Chinese looove their luxury!) So, let the week begin. I think I probably spent 24 hours in a 'blur of speechlessness.' It's fair to say the first week is probably the hardest when you move to a new country. I know I bandy about the term 'culture shock' on this blog on a pretty regular basis, but over four years in HK, even I had forgotten what it's really like. Really like to wake up and your husband is at work and you are staring out from your hotel window into the absolute unknown (rain not helping your imagination) it all seems quite surreal. This is your new life and you know not a single soul. There's no routine, no familiarity, you can't order a comforting Mint Mocha or get a blow dry because you can't find the relevant words and even when you do, they can't understand you. You don't even know what's across the road. It's a new beginning on almost every level. And I won't lie, it's bloody scary. Forget being a big fish in a small pond - you're a tadpole in a giant ocean! For the first few days and beyond, tears sit just below the surface, threatening to spill over at a moment's notice, but then you pull yourself together because you know it's not the end of the world and there is a big adventure that you have been waiting for, wanting for! All I can say, is thank God for technology, even if it is slow and more than slightly intermittent (and I may be on the verge of throwing laptop out the window), Facebook, What's App, Twitter, Email all allow you to stay connected (loosely) with friends, family and familiar faces. You'll be amazed at how comforting it is to know online, nothing has changed. (Thanks to a VPN of course.) What's a VPN? In layman's terms, it's a service you pay for monthly that allows you to download an app which makes it look like you are in another country so you can bypass security blocks and access the likes of Google, Facebook, even my own blog (all banned in China). So deep breaths all round, the key to being in a new city, is to get out! So once the rain calmed, first stop - the shopping centre directly across the road; a very westernized Starbucks with all staff speaking reasonably good English (no Mint Mochas though), a peek at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, you really can't miss. This is what this area's all about and it's what tourists from around the globe flock to look at. A roam around the streets, laced with green trees, striking monuments and waterfalls….it's a little European infused with traditional Chinese architecture. On the way back from another local shopping centre (thankfully sporting Zara and a kid's playroom worth it's weight in gold) I spy a street called 'Bar Street' that we eagerly try out a few nights later. A quirky cobblestoned street reminiscent of a Phuket or Bali or even Melbourne with cute, cottage like bars, side by side…live music, humming with people. A day in the heart of the city, we explore the city centre with the world famous Bell Tower and the ancient city wall - a 14 square kilometre cobble-stoned wall that you can cycle along on tandem bikes or do it the lazy way we did (this time) and jump on a golf buggy and hurtle around the historic fortress looking out across a sprawling city. **Quick Fact: It's the most complete city wall that's survived in China and the one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world! We stumble across quaint markets down idyllic lane ways not unlike a slice of Europe with fascinating artwork and oriental trinkets on display. So far, Xi'an is well and truly surprising us on every level….and slowly but surely it's about putting the pieces together. Working out which way is up. (Map reading is not my strong point!) You start to recognize the occasional landmark, hotel faces, and even more importantly remember a phrase or two of mandarin. Nevermind, that I told the housekeeper to come back to clean the room at 13 o'clock. Better luck next time eh? So a week in, it's been tough and more than likely to get tougher, but it's also the beginning of a once in a lifetime adventure, we'll certainly never forget. She chants the mantra, 'one foot in front of the other……' Proud to share this post over on Seychelle Mama's site for her series #MyExpatFamily … [Read more...]
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