Mint Mocha Musings

The hotelier's wife: an expat affair around the globe

Shaun the Sheep, Poisonous Plants and Butter Lettuce Bouquets. This is China.

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  The Wheels on the Bus to Xi'an's Agricultural Fun(ny) Farm It began much like a lot of my outings in China. On a bus…. on route to, absolutely 'no idea' where! There were about 20 of us, a jovial mix of Australians, Americans, English, Singaporean, Malaysian and Chinese. It was 9am Saturday morning and we were in China on the happy bus to the funny farm! (Who wouldn’t be laughing!) Some of us had been in Xi’an longer than others, so the ‘unusual’ sights looking out the window, weren’t as hair raising; some were long-stay guests at the hotel, who come for a month, then (said without a hint of jealousy) escape. Some were friends visiting — the eye boggle more prominent than ever as we drove through ramshackle villages. Lunchtime? In my mind we were going to a farm to “pick veggies”….which as much as I’m not really a farm kind of girl, I was intrigued. Xi’an is after all, the cradle of farming civilisation. (True Fact: There’s evidence of farming around these parts as many as 7000 years ago!) And with our apples the size of bowling balls, not to mention the reddest of red, juiciest strawberries and baseball-sized onions, it’s hard not to think of China and agriculture without thinking about those scandals involving exploding watermelons, melamine tainted milk and detergent-soaked pork. This trip was all part of an outing the Westin Hotel had lovingly prepared for valued guests to see Xi’an in all her glory. And let’s face it, I know they’ll always be packed with action and amusement! (You may remember the cultural day out?!) This day was clearly going to be no different. After a 20 minute ride or so, we found ourselves mid country-side, rather arid looking pieces of land splayed out either side of us…..and then amongst it every so often, a rare patch of growth…spring vegetation. We came to a halt and let out a cheer, but alas this wasn’t our stop; our bus was just pulling over to the side of the road to ask for directions. We were a little lost. The gate had mysteriously moved, as it so often does in China. Ten minutes later we arrive….at the Fendong Modern Urban Agricultural Demonstration Park. It’s a showpiece ripe for the tourist’s picking. Leading into the grand theme park, lavish lawns, streams gently trickling, arched stone bridges, magic pathways and sheep. Plenty of sheep in all manner of poses, all looking suspiciously like that well known British character, Shaun the Sheep! Unsure of his relevance apart from the obvious, the kids loved him. On the way in, a few cartoon cut-outs, for good measure, where you can pose for a (sheepish) Disney shot…or not. Then before us, four giant greenhouses…. The first one packed with rows of lush, oh so green vegetables growing in all their fresh hydroponic, organic glory!  (Which I’m pretty confident is a rarity around these parts.) We’re each handed a red basket. Our mission: to pluck the veggies we hope to cook and eat later. Many of them look familiar: tomatoes, lettuce in all sizes and shapes, radish, chives… but there are others we don't know. Many are medicinal herbs, of which I'm eager to know more about! Should I be secretly stowing them in my handbag? We’re told the butter lettuce makes great bouquets for Valentine’s Day. And it’s no joke. Their exclusivity means they’re expensive but not as expensive as a dozen red roses and of course they last longer….until she gets hungry. Once we've got our stash, it's handed over to the chefs (the real ones), while we continue our glass house tour. Stalls are ever so conveniently set up on the short walk between each green house, selling everything from strawberry juice to trinkets, lavender potions and strange tasting nuts. I waver and cave, purchasing a bottle of blueberry juice. The other greenhouses are like overgrown jungles….very exotic we're proudly told!  Mostly they appeared to be of the tropical variety which I dare not tell her, can typically be found in many a back yard Down Under. Up here though, in north west China, a stone’s throw from the desert, they’re clearly an anomaly. Paraded before us, among other flora and fauna, banana trees, flowering hibiscus, a Frangipani, and a group of cacti…I try my best to look impressed. (Unlike the little boy who takes it upon himself to relieve himself in the midst of all these cherished nursery plants)! For the locals this is akin to a tropical oasis in the middle of a dust coated plain …it’s regularly booked for wedding shoots; loved up couples happy to pose in a hot house amongst the geraniums for the perfect shot. Lettuce bouquets optional. Just don’t get too close to the poisonous flowers….we're repeatedly told they are highly toxic, but that doesn't stop one local getting extremely up close and personal with the pollen.  Once the tour's over, we're herded out back for a Masterchef cook off!  Several cooking stations set up for each team to mimic the chef's dish using our own handpicked produce! With Ava, my girlfriend from Down Under and I on the hotelier's team….he was going to have to work for his supper. Masterchefs we're not! Thankfully others were! It was a stark reminder that while many of us take fresh, safe produce and lush green gardens for granted…here….it's still a luxury that's by no means afforded to all. It seems like a strange contradiction though, when I read that China ranks first in the world for farm output and feeds 22 per cent of the world's population with seven percent of the planet’s arable land but is also the biggest importer of agricultural products, unable to feed its own burgeoning population. A little over a decade ago China had 700-million farmers, today there are around 200-million. Farm land is still owned and controlled by the state and leased to farmers, so they can't sell it. With little reward for their efforts, and China’s rapid urbanisation plan, farmers are moving in their droves to the cities. China plans to move 250 million rural residents into newly constructed towns and cities over the next decade! (And that's a story for another day.) Farming in China is still very labour intensive with heavy reliance on fertiliser and pesticides to maintain high food production; as a developing country, keeping standards acceptable on a global level is challenging. (Errr hello fake eggs and rotten meat scandals.) Following a string of these food safety scandals, China’s people are now demanding better standards — but the reality is, while China has advanced agricultural research centres and laboratories for research, getting that data and educating the the millions of small, rural farmers on the ground is extremely difficult. The majority of farmers don’t know how to produce organically, let alone what it stands for. The Fengdong Agricultural Centre website boasts it’s recruited more than 2,000 local farmers to work for them, who mainly grow corn and wheat. No matter how hard they struggle, the best gross profit they can make is around 1,500 RMB a year (US$230). According to Fengdong, one farmer can earn at least 1,800 RMB per month with them plus extra income to rent out their land.  One of the local farmer's is reported to have said: “I've only seen such a modern plant factory on TV and I feel thrilled to personally work here and get exposed to the latest agricultural technology!” A telling quote. They say their goal is to transform traditional farmers into modern agricultural labourers.  So perhaps this agricultural theme park is on the money. One small step in the fight against scandals like those exploding watermelons? Butter lettuce bouquets all round?  Don't even think about it. ;) This is China.     … [Read more...]

Looking in From the Outside: Toto, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore – This is China

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As we hurtle towards the two year mark living here in Xi'an, China, it's slightly unnerving how much of it becomes your 'new normal' ...the little things you learn to live with, learn to accept...learn to tolerate...no longer see. So when one of my best friends announced she was making the journey from Sydney to Xi'an to visit us in China, I was excited for many reasons; mostly to see her, but I was also eager to show her a place that is so far removed from our reality in the West. What would she think? Would she officially right us off as "completely bonkers" or would she understand the fascination. I was intrigued to see what she saw, through fresh eyes. And of course, as a fellow journo, I hit her up for a guest post. Of course, she nailed it. This is China. By Susanne Latimore My dear friend at Mint Mocha Musings suffers from a Second World Problem since moving to China. Starbucks has moved in across the road from her digs, so she can safely order a morning Mocha, but she has to import her own Mint syrup. How could she Muse without it? It’s a small thing, but the funny thing about China is the millions of small things. Like becoming a bigger tourist attraction than the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Built 1300 years ago, it attracts hordes of mostly Chinese tourists on a blue sky Sunday, but with our two small blonde people in tow, I reckon we were neck and neck for digital space. As we sat in the hotel cafe, I watched a man leaning over the hedge staring. If this happened at home you would run interference in a heart beat, with a loud “piss off” and a threat to call the police, but we didn't and it was fine until a Grandma clenched the stomach muscles with a stolen kiss on the cheek! Xi'an is the ancient capital of China and a second tier city but much of the 8 million population is still made up of dwellers who ultimately hail from surrounding rural villages. This coupled with tight controls on media, means there is an enduring naivety. The Hotelier reports finding a driver washing his car from the water feature out the front of his Five Star Hotel. Fair enough perhaps, given the city is always coated in fine, desert dust. Unfortunately it's also marred by bodily fluids. Babies and toddlers squat in the streets and spitting is rife. The traditional wisdom being that it's better out than in, and carrying it around with you in a tissue is considered a filthy habit. Hygiene anxiety is high and hand sanitizer an essential. Despite this my little one picked up a bug. When asked how she liked China she replied, "It's good, except for the vomiting."  We called house keeping to "change the bed" and barely prevented them from hauling in a new heavenly mattress and base. Of course, the language barrier is partly to blame for these funny moments and we journalistic pedants had a ball Chinglish spotting. The cup below is a particular favourite. I've travelled to China once before for the Beijing Olympics. Then, it was a city utterly sanitized. The most telling moment for me was when I stumbled into an underground walkway to discover rows of armed, baby faced soldiers, sitting on tiny stools in the near dark. So much of China is there, just below the surface. On this trip we visited Xian's famous Terracotta Warriors, as you do. They'd been just below the surface since 221 BC. Our impassioned tour guide repeatedly mentioned it was the eighth wonder of the world. A quick Google search turned up a list on Mental Floss of 10 other claimants to that title including the Taj Mahal and Andre the Giant. Of the thousands sculpted no two are the same and there's no doubt they are impressive but they failed to move me until bossy commanding Tour Guide mentioned that Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China for whom they were made had every last craftsman and labourer put to death to protect the location of his mausoleum. He also had his three thousand concubines buried alive with him upon his death, some of whom he'd never actually met. This is China's original declaration of Nationhood. Glory to Emperor Qin (China) no matter the cost to the people. I did enjoy meeting Yang Zhifa, the peasant credited with finding the Warriors. He is wheeled in to a Museum building to sign books for tourists, his only income. It was impossible to resist this strong arm tourist trap and I'm embarrassed to say I paid $60 Australian for a small warrior statue just to get out. Although I was assured by said Tour Guide that unlike the cheap fakes outside, this statue was made from the very same clay as the original warriors. Xie xie!  I thought Heidi Lao was an odd name for a local Hot Pot restaurant, and it would be if it wasn't spelt Hi Di Lao. The broth was so hot my rosacea errupted just from the steam coming off it. There was no chance of actually eating anything dipped in that cauldron. This was a scene, the place to be seen. The minute we arrived our small blondes were hauled off to the child play area two floors down, surrounded by adoring staff, where they were given gifts and narrowly avoided having their hair brushed! By this time I just shrugged my shoulders and waved them off. As the Hotelier entered the courtyard outside he was hailed by a host brandishing a photo of his daughter on his phone. (How on earth did he know we were together?) Hello, I'm Heidi Lao... I was definitely warming up to Xian but it was a trip to a local art school that cemented my affections. With a few words of Chinese, "Wo Jiao Susanne" and a big smile, I entered the room. A blonde Amazon with nowhere to hide. "Teacher" spent an hour demonstrating traditional ink and watercolour painting of a plum tree in blossom. Joyful, graceful, masterful. Then it was my turn. Fear, fumbles, blobs. My comrades laughed along with me and did their best to interpret instructions. "Teacher says, to do Chinese painting you must breathe", so it's true, the language of art is universal, I've heard that before. After three hours of learning, new students lined up to offer our seated teacher a cup of tea and ask him questions. A lovely ritual of respect and appreciation. Then I was gifted Teacher's painting, which I'll treasure. Don't forget to breathe.... The Plum Blossom is beloved as both a symbol of Winter and a harbinger of Spring. It blooms most vibrantly against the Winter snow, an example of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, just like the people of this great country. Imagine if they were given enough light to flower fully.   Susanne is of course Sky News Reader extraordinaire, Artist, ambassador for Redkite and a Mum.... You can find her on Instagram and Twitter      … [Read more...]

Get Up & Away with Mint Mocha Musings WIN This Stylish Passport Holder

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HUGE CONGRATS TO MAY'S WINNER @ANJULI GLOBAL for her hilarious #LostinTranslation moment THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! Simply tell us what your funniest or most bizarre "Lost in Translation" moment has been while travelling the world.  Up here in China, as you know, I have them all the time!! Actually, I was saving this one for the book...but I'll share it with you quickly...It actually happened during a recent interview for the book with a hotel staff member. She told me, how, in the middle of the busy breakfast rush hour, an elderly gentleman had decided to take a "squat" in the pot plant, beside his table! Naturally, I was horrified. Even more so when she said, they did nothing...."because he would probably do it again." "He didn't even use a tissue," she cried! Well you can imagine the look on my face, a lot of head shaking.....only to find out the next day, when I questioned this 'incident' again, he had actually 'spit' in the pot plant. Still not desirable, but you can imagine a lot more acceptable. And breathe....  :-P  So! Give me what you've got!!!! In ten days time, we'll choose the best "Lost in Translation" moment.... (make me giggle) and you'll win yourself one of these superb passport holders for your next travelling experience.  Super smart and stylish, I'm thrilled Up & Away has agreed to give one of these chic travel accessories to Mint Mocha Musings readers. These are multiple passport holders that help you keep everything together, so that you can skip across those time zones better, no matter what the size of your travel party.  They come in seven amazing colours from basic black to groovy green, it was actually hard to choose! I ended up going for the purple one ('zi si' in Mandarin) which fits me, the hotelier and our small person's passports perfectly. Check out Up & Away's website here for the full spectrum. What are you waiting for!! Fill out your LOST IN TRANSLATION moment in the comments below, for your chance to WIN! Oh and to boost your chances, we'd looove you to like our Facebook and Instagram pages....while you're at it. ;)  Instagram: @getupandaway & @mintmochamusings  Facebook:  GetUpandAway  &  MintMochaMusings                         … [Read more...]

The ‘Little Things’ I Took for Granted Before Living in China…

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You know you’ve landed ‘down under’ when the waitress at the local pub tells you, the chef forgot one of your meals because he had an...um.. “brain fart!”  My eyebrows arched in amusement, I gigged…but it was oddly comforting. I was home. Then, later, she seemed to have no trouble keeping an eye on our table should we need anything else, like say, another drink! Yes please! I didn’t have to frantically wave my arm off and shout at the top of my lungs “Fu wu yuan!” (Try saying that in a hurry!) She even offered to clear away the empty plates before the table resembled a 15-plate pile up!  It’s the little things.  Like the ‘small talk’ for instance….yes, it can be slightly annoying sometimes when you just want to do your thing and the retail assistant is asking you how your day’s been and you want to tell her it’s been crappy but remain polite…and then it gets even more intense when she won’t stop… and practically asks what colour undies you’ve got on! FYI, in China, when they can't speak English they just follow me around very very closely, almost nipping at my heels, eagle eyeing everything I glance at. Sometimes, I'm not sure which is worse.  But what about when you really do want to engage in small talk, just a little “how’s your week been?” In a country that speaks a totally different language to you, where ‘hello,’ ‘see you this afternoon,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘see you tomorrow’ is the limit in small talk, it’s enough to have you crying into your Chinese book.   Watching television is also one of those little things I used to take for granted. You don’t really ever stop to think about how it might be if they weren’t speaking English. It’s a guessing game at best. There might be fifty-plus channels on China television but none are in English (apart from BBC and CNN, of which I am extremely grateful to have access to, living in the hotel). You can appreciate my recent obsession with Netflix….and absolute devastation that it’s soon to be banned to all those using a VPN. Let it not go unsaid though, I do try to watch local TV. I’ve found myself on more than one occasion watching a Chinese soapie, in silence. This one’s set in the military (actually most of them are) and I think I’ve even worked out the plot. Enough said!  You can imagine how mesmerised we are in Australia by the little things like, those pesky, annoying adverts! And don’t get me started on those new shows like “Married at First Sight!” One treasure-laden episode of trashy TV and I was utterly hooked! And of course, there’s morning television, which, as intended, makes it feel like I’m hanging out with my mates (English alone is enough in common, for a lasting friendship, surely?)    Then there’s driving. When you drive everyday, well.. I can hear you thinking it’s kind of a burden isn’t it?! You jump in the car, throw your bag in (forget the keys), start it up, sigh…petrol’s low…go through five hundred toll gates, in bumper to bumper traffic. It’s all a bit tiring. (And let’s not forget the expense of owning said car…let alone the cost of petrol. (It’s been so long since I’ve fuelled up, I’ll admit, I’m a little nervous at the pump. Last time I put petrol in, I was a bit flustered, walked off and left my phone on the car roof!)  You probably think having a Mercedes waiting at your beck and call is “like totally awesome!” Sounds all a bit celebrity-like doesn’t it. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to shy away from a bit of Hollywood action, but in Xi’an having a driver is a necessity not a luxury.  Driving here would be sure to send you into cardiac arrest. And while it’s easy stepping into the back of a waiting car  jolted off, horn’s screeching whisked away to your destination without much thinking (apart from the brain strain of trying to use your mandarin to communicate where you’d like to go to the non-English speaking driver), it also means a distinct lack of freedom. With a detailed itinerary of your week required well in advance, spontaneity is right out the window. Want to head to that cafe on Friday, you need to let them know on Monday! Change of heart on the way home…errr it’s not in the itinerary love, forget it! The car is booked for another event. (Except of course, he wouldn’t be saying that and I would need to make a few phone calls to someone who speaks English first to find that out.) And just quietly, in celebrity land, I’m sure the driver is not slumped over the wheel, asleep when you come to get in the car. So these days, jumping in the car and cruising up the road, music humming, is one of those little things that gives me a tingly feeling of immense joy and freedom! You can picture the scene! Yes, I can go anywhere I like without being held hostage by my itinerary and my language! Road trip, anyone?!!   I would like to point out though, having become a little bit used to China’s slightly ‘laissez faire’ attitude on the roads (i.e. seatbelt optional, helmet not required, eating/talking on phone ok, five people on a bike perfectly acceptable -- (side saddle if necessary), sitting in the tray on the back of a small three wheeler ok, road rules optional, every man for himself...) it’s fair to say, I did find Australia a little… rigid. ;) I mean, drivers actually waited at pedestrian crossings for people to cross the road, they managed; for the most part, to stick to their own lanes and drive at a similar speed, let alone abided by rules of wearing a seatbelt, a helmet, not using phones and parking in a manner you might regard as courteous (aka between the lines).  There is also that feeling in Australia that somebody’s watching over your shoulder. Oh wait! They actually are (and that’s not just the hundreds of street cameras, waiting to catch you out for any minor mishap).  Indulge me for a minute while I relay this little tale. It’s the Easter weekend holiday - we’re cruising down the highway (the police presence is in overdrive, as you’d expect), I am NOT driving. I am in the back seat, seatbelt on! But…one of my bad habits is putting it under my shoulder. (I know!!) I mean really, they should be lucky I’m wearing one, I am after all Chinese now.  Anyway as I was saying, I had an eery feeling someone was watching over my shoulder, glanced out the window….and… a few expletives under my breath…there’s a police officer on a big, bad motor bike right beside me, peering in my window, madly gesturing at me…in the middle of the highway!! Did I mention we are not stationary! I looked up in a panicked state, I couldn’t for the life of me think what I had done, except perhaps I wasn’t even allowed to be on my mobile phone in this country anymore, in the back seat?! Was it a new rule, I’d missed? Then it dawned on me, my seatbelt!! I quickly shifted it over my shoulder and he gave me the big thumbs up and roared off! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but in all honesty, I was pretty impressed. Now that’s looking after your people isn’t it? FYI, the road toll over Easter was zero. Did I mention I’m on the market for a scooter in Xi’an? If you can’t beat ‘em, join 'em, I say! (May start with push bike first!) So, while I found myself giddy with excitement over the driving, I also found myself in a frenzy over the food! It seems cafes and restaurants have taken things to a whole new level. Just between you and me, I am ‘advised’ to eat gluten free food, but living here in Xi’an, it’s nigh on impossible, unless I live on one type of bland, boring piece of bread for the duration of my time here.  My excitement at gluten free wraps and well, pretty much GF everything was palpable, let alone the ordinary staples…one trip to the supermarket and I’m in paradise (and I don’t even cook!).  Of course, I don’t mind Chinese food (in fact I had it for dinner last night) and I’m especially partial to a good plate of Dim Sum, but in Xi’an, spicy may be everything, but variety is not the spice of life.  Still on eating, kind of…one thing I’ve come to take for granted living in China, is that, just about every cafe has a power point at the table to charge up your phone….here I was in ‘Straya’ - staking out cafes looking for a plug! Never mind about the food they were selling!   I’ve said it before, and you’ll no doubt agree, everything is made in China, right? But, to most people’s surprise, it’s not sold in China! This means I am faced with the awful task of living and breathing the shops for much of my days, for the entire holiday. Such a chore isn’t it?! ;) The mere fact that I no longer seem to know how to use the card machines has not stopped me in my tracks. I keep apologising and find myself embarking on a big explanation of how I don’t live here, only to be looked at like I am indeed an alien. “Just put your bloody pin number in, love!” (But I don’t have one…..) Now, many of you who’ve lived in China, will say 'bollocks', you can get everything you need here….and while that may be true….partially…..if you can in fact get it, usually it’s just one single brand and usually there is no English on the packet/box/tube, so how do you even begin to know what it is? I am learning Chinese characters but with 50,000 of the buggers, at this point, I’m unlikely to decipher much more than 'made in China'. (Like the time I bought face wipes that were actually wipes for um, ladies’ parts.)  Of course, there is as always an upside to this shopping frenzy I must embark on …..for the rest of my time in Xi’an I don’t ever have to go to the shops out of necessity. Nor do I have to have any appointments because I’ve just spent my entire holiday stocking up, replenishing, rebooting, reinventing, reinvigorating!!  That includes ’maintenance’ …as a woman over, um 29…I need stuff! Waxing doesn’t take place in Xi’an, period. Facials are not really the order of the day, and well don’t get me started on hair! I will say though being able to get a decent blow dry for under $20 in my Xi'an ‘hood is not to be sneezed at!! (Yes that's US$20 ladies.)    Then there’s medical! I used to take the fact that I could go to a doctor, whenever I need to, for granted. Who doesn’t? Now any trip out of China will have me booking into a doctor, usually begging for an arm’s length list of drugs.  Of course before I lived in China, a sunny, blue day, was just that, a sunny blue day. Nothing more, nothing less. Today as I look out of my window at the hazy, brownish sky, I’m trying hard to remember the high definition, oh so blue, sharp, clear skies that had me staring up into the cloudless wild blue yonder more times than is probably deemed 'normal'. And, don’t mind my husband, who’s launched himself onto that brilliantly green grass alongside the footpath to take a feel! “Is it fake”, he says? “No honey…this is just normal grass.”  And I guess that's just one reason stepping outside your comfort zone is totally worth it.  To make you appreciate the little things.     … [Read more...]

Why Sleeping in Ikea is Perfectly Acceptable, in China. 

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The more I live here, the more I realise that China is a force to be reckoned with. As I begin the mammoth task of researching for my own book on life in China, for me, it’s really about the people in China. Who are they? What makes them tick?  Whether I’ll ever really know, remains to be seen….. in the meantime, it’s intriguing and a lot of fun trying to work this nation of 1.3 billion people out! A visit to Ikea in China - the world’s biggest furniture supplier is a classic case in point of watching locals at play.  Entering the store is like entering a vortex and if you’ve ever been to Ikea (anywhere in the world), you’ll know once you’re in, there’s only one way out, FOLLOW THE ARROWS! It was Sunday afternoon and as you might expect, it was chaos. Cars, motorbikes and trikes all making a beeline for the place many have come to call their second home.  Making it through the carpark without getting run down….we take a deep breath and enter the vortex.  There are trolleys everywhere and I note they are being manoeuvred in much the same way cars are driven on the roads.  They are on full throttle - powering ahead, but beware they may stop, dead in their tracks at any given moment. Usually in the middle of the road or aisle as it may be. Sometimes two or three trolleys at a time, their drivers stopping for a chat. There will be no indication this sudden stop is about to take place, and after it does, no sly look up to see if they’ve inadvertently stopped anyone else in their tracks. And they may well meander in that lane for as long as they see fit, seemingly oblivious to the two thousand other trolleys/cars on the road.  And just like the cars, the trolleys are being driven dangerously close to one another….our Small Person has begged for a ride in the trolley….I firmly tell her to keep her hands in, at all times! One side swipe and we’re clearly cactus! Looking around, there are people parked (literally) in every nook and cranny. Ikeas are built extra large in China and it doesn’t take me long to work out why. Of the ten biggest Ikea stores in the world, eight are in China! For the thousands making their way through the store’s mock up homes, this isn’t just a Sunday chore, where you get in and get what you need and get out, hoping to God you can assemble the dam thing once you get it home. This is a serious outing! Search Ikea in China on the internet and it doesn’t take long to confirm that I haven’t been submerged in some farcical dream. Here, many locals treat a trip to this Swedish furniture supplier as an all-day event that includes shopping, eating and most importantly, relaxing! True to form, I spy a couple of ladies - clearly friends, who’ve decided, why wait until they hit the cafeteria, it’s BYO lunch, brought out and opened - on the display table - which is covered in tags hanging off both it and the surrounding chairs! Who knows what they’re chatting about… but they are huddled over the table, happily deep in conversation over lunch, despite hoards of people filing past them and their picnic for two. We move forward, battling our way through the traffic, around a few bends and we reach the lounge chairs followed by the bedroom section. Well… say no more! This is clearly where it’s at, the hot spot to be.  This, my friends, takes testing furniture out to a whole new level!  There are people splayed everywhere! On the beds they are lying, legs stretched out chatting on their phone or chatting to each other, or simply getting some well earned rest! (See above!) Other couples are canoodling, one man gently rubbing his partner’s head while she’s having a much needed lie down. If there are no beds available don't worry, grab a couch and a few pillows to snuggle up with (after all, this furniture testing is tiring work). As we cruise through, I try not to let the alarm show on my face… but as I feel several pairs of eyes on us….the foreign family sauntering through the slumber party, I can tell they are almost as intrigued as I am. Probably wondering why we are not feeling the need to get cozy under the blankets. Some people are feeding their children and babies…after all they’re in for a long day ahead. Others in the bathroom section are touching up their make up. While some just play house for a little while. In the kids’s toy area parents have set up a little play area, they’re down on the floor with their toddlers playing cheerily and it’s looking like a nice happy family scene at home, except well, we’re in a shop. Many are just kicking back in those fabulous lazy boy chairs…. sipping their flask of tea, probably enjoying the free heating on a cool winter’s day. When I posted a few photos onto my Facebook page because of course, I took a few sneaky ones; a few people giggled and others expressed their shock, some questioning whether they have any respect. I thought about that…. and while often it definitely appears that way, it’s a situation that is simply indicative of a nation where 1.3-billion people reside….all trying to survive. There’s no time to think of the next person. In almost every aspect of China life, it’s a case of the 'survival of the fittest'.  Many homes cater to three generations under the one roof, all sleeping, eating and living in just one or two rooms. Privacy is not an option.  So the fact that you’re on the bed relaxing, surrounded by a gazillion other people, is all par for the course and in this overcrowded nation, easily overlooked. The furniture is probably more comfortable than they have at home and for many, snaring a spot on the plush double bed is probably a much better option than hanging at home for the day.  Until Ikea arrived in China in 2000 (and just a few months ago in Xi’an) there’s never been anything like it in China, a place where locals feel like they can actually experience the goods on display for themselves.  In 2015, word got out that there would be a Great Ikea Crackdown in Beijing and Shanghai, stopping locals from lounging in the stores; despite newspapers spouting headlines like “Rude Awakening,” Ikea clearly knows which side its bread’s buttered on and power napping remains part and parcel of the China Ikea experience. But, are they just chilling out for the day in this 'furniture theme park' or are they actually buying something? For Ikea, China has been a tough market to crack. It took 12 years to make a profit…. but China is now the fastest growing market followed by Russia. While in the past, locals haven’t had the money to spend on decorating their homes, these days home ownership is growing at a rapid pace (much like the rest of the country) and people are looking to learn how to furnish their homes. Marketers say instead of the Chinese-inspired designs the company quickly learned, people here want the western experience.  While Ikea is seen as a mass produced, cheaper brand in developed countries, in China it’s targeting that new growing middle class. Middle class it might be but prices have still been lowered by half since the year 2000 to draw in shoppers and many products are sourced and made locally to avoid the high import taxes. Ikea has such a following, couples have even tied the knot in the store. Yep, the showrooms providing a chic Swedish affair for a loved up couple in Nanjing.  Here, Ikea is not just a cheap and cheerful furniture store, it’s a phenomenon where Swedish meatballs go down a treat with chopsticks! This is China.  … [Read more...]