Hey there, Today is officially launch day for China Blonde! It's also the beginning of Mid-Autumn Festival across Asia, and National Day in China (and Ava tells me it's also Star Stable's birthday....*trying not to roll my eyes here*) ;) So lots of good reasons to celebrate!! No book launch yet, due to the 'Covid situation' but hey, it could be worse, this is a very first world problem, so until then I'll continue scurrying around Sydney, swilling a champers here and there with a few friends, delivering China Blonde into their hot little hands. Today though I want to share with you an interview (well it's more like a chat) I did a few months ago with three beautiful women who lived in Xi'an China with me at the same time. We have a wine, a giggle and give you a little insight into what life is like living in China. Enjoy..... And if you still want to get your copy of CB... just click here. … [Read more...]
The Lord of the Rings! My Journey to China…And Back. (Podcast)
When Michael from Global From Asia wanted to chat to me for his show, how could I possibly refuse? An American who's kicking butt in Shenzhen, married to a Chinese lady, together they are giving others the knowledge and tools to take their business from Asia and make it 'global!' Pop over to his website to listen to the podcast. It's about 35 minutes and we chat about everything from culture shock to finding friends in China and learning how to navigate the Middle Earth that is China. So grab a coffee or stick those head phones in and carry on, carrying on. https://www.globalfromasia.com/to-china-and-back/ … [Read more...]
The Digital Kingdom: Will China be the First Cash-Free Society?
Written by Nicole Webb and Chao Huang, Edited by Nicole Webb Living in China, my purse was usually stuffed with wads of cash. Sadly, not because I was super rich but because I couldn’t use my non-Chinese credit cards in any stores other than those western brands like H & M and Zara (Oh dear, you feel my pain right?). And opening a bank account in China was like pulling teeth, so cash it was all the way. Counterfeit money is a huge problem (almost every cashier slides your notes through a scanner) so the biggest note made in China is 100RMB - which is equivalent to about US$14 - so you can imagine, this makes your wallet even fatter! Mind you, I wasn’t alone in my cash stashing ways; as the first country to introduce paper money in the 11th century, most of the Chinese population have long been cash converts, renowned for carrying briefcases full of cash to buy everything from jewellery to cars, even houses! A few years ago, the New York Times reported a guy showing up to a dealership in China in a beat-up old Honda carrying a black rubbish bag stuffed with cash. He bought a brand new BMW with it. In Xi'an, I heard about stories like this all the time! But it seems that's all changing...with China on track to become the first cashless society! What does that mean and how does that even work? Guest writer, my dear friend and local Chinese, Chao Huang from Xi'an, gives us the low down! A quick question: what do you take with you when you leave your house? Keys, wallet, and your phone, right? And people from China? I can tell you, most of the time, I just take my phone and just like me, there are now millions of people in China enjoying this cash-free life. You may have heard the news that some ardent 'Apple' fans in China sold one of their kidneys (sure, we have two of them - a spare one - so it isn't that big of a deal, is it?) to buy a new iPhone 4 when the revolutionary smart phone first came on the scene, sending fans into a frenzy. Of course not everyone goes to such extreme measures and most of us keep our kidneys and settle for cheaper Chinese brands like XiaoMi, Huawei and Vivo. ;) In February last year statistics showed 1.28 billion mobile phone subscriptions had been registered in China, which means more smartphone users than the US, Brazil and Indonesia, combined. It's an understatement to say that Chinese are now living in the People’s Republic of Digital. And it's no surprise that this year a study found China's smartphone users spent an average of 98 minutes a day using their phone. You might be wondering what we do with our phone given it's no secret we can’t go on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram or Google?! But let me tell you, when the internet censorship Gods handed Chinese lemons, many of the smart and diligent Chinese internet companies made so much lemonade, that most of the Chinese people don't even care about those Western websites. Super app, Taobao, is one -- and if you haven't read Nicole’s article about the company that has changed the way Chinese live, please click here. (Oh and did I tell you, I made 2.6 yuan last week just by putting my un-used money on my Alipay investment account?) Super apps in China have changed our life, blown our minds, and introduced a new era where small change and cash has been left behind. Credit cards weren't brought into China until the mid '80s, so it's fair to say, China has largely bypassed cards....and looks to be going from cash, straight to mobile! Software and gaming giant, Tencent monopolised an entire generation of Internet users in China with its clever multi-use platform WeChat. Not only can you communicate with friends via text messaging and calls, use it as a platform to share moments and pictures but it’s also your Trip Advisor, Amazon and Uber equivalent, and most importantly, your cash card. Alibaba’s Alipay digital wallet has been around since 2004 and easily trounced its US counterpart PayPal. The Alipay Wallet, currently sees 80 million transactions a day. The company has cooperated with a growing number of wet markets selling fruit and veggies, to install a QR code at each stall. What's a QR code? It's a Quick Response code which is a two dimensional barcode with a random pattern of tiny black squares against a white background, capable of holding 300 times more data than a traditional one-dimensional code. Shoppers scan the code with their phones after selecting their goods. The days of plastic buckets and polystyrene boxes filled with cash, lining the pavements are truly on their way out. In a sign of the times, everything from supermarkets to convenient stores, shopping malls, hospitals, restaurants, parking tickets and cabs can now easily be paid by the scan of a smart phone. The fact is, every morning when I go to buy breakfast at the street cart vendor, my 4RMB (US58c) Chinese jian bing (a kind of pancake with vegetables and eggs inside, which is really yummy by the way) I can just scan, beep and walk off with my pancakes! There are even reports of homeless people wearing QR code tags around their necks, so passers-by can easily give them money with a quick scan. A bridesmaid even wore a QR tag to collect gift money from guests at a wedding ceremony! The South China Morning Post reported, "Some restaurants have pinned barcode tags to the chests of waiters, waitresses and even chefs. Customers can scan the code to leave a tip if they are satisfied with service." It sounds like China's started the transition to a cash-free economy faster than anyone could have imagined, but what about those older generations so used to paying with cash? My parents and a large number of their friends (most are in their late 50s or early 60s) all own smart phones and are daily users of WeChat, but say they never use any form of digital payment. And this cultural preference for carrying large sums of cash instead of credit cards has travelled together with the new wealthy class out of China. Chinese tourists are the prime target for pickpockets and muggers because it's known they carry far more cash than visitors from other countries. This reminds me of a childhood memory whenever our family went on holidays, my parents would wrap a red cloth around their money bills and stash them inside their underwear! Today not much has changed, my mum protests, “If you go to any local markets without cash, it’s like going without wearing clothes.” (Which of course you need to stash the cash!) But it looks like she'll have to get used to bearing all, because experts say by 2030 China will be for all intents and purposes, cashless! Stay tuned. This is China. … [Read more...]
Dear China, Thanks for the Memories!
Dear China, I feel like a bit of a traitor just taking off and leaving you like that but rest assured, while I've reached out to greener (fresher) pastures, you will not be forgotten. I want to thank you for taking me into your arms two and a half years ago when I was wide eyed and let’s face it, more than a little petrified as I stood in the rain, peering up at your famous 1300 year old Pagoda, opposite our new home (the hotel), trying to understand its significance. Your world looked anything but familiar to me, and that was (surprisingly) despite having lived in the oriental harbour city of Hong Kong for four years. I smiled through clenched teeth and fought back tears as I tried to stay calm for my excited but nervous three and a half year old, who was yet to comprehend why her old world had been replaced by this new, raw version of the Orient. Back then it felt like English was rarely spoken, even in the confines of the hotel, a conversation was, at best, challenging. I remember finding that one single foreigner working there and clinging to his words like bees to honey. Outside of the hotel bubble, those early months felt like I was treading water, desperately trying to stay afloat. Routine was everything, yet we had none. A trip to two “international” schools set up for those few expats in town and wealthy Chinese had me anxious when I learned five full days in class was the norm for my Small Person, one of the few Westerners on the block. A trip to my local hairdresser for an attempt at colouring my blonde hair had me in tears. Not because I’m vain (ok, maybe a little) but because it was then I realised I was completely alone and had no clue how to communicate my thoughts to a group of people looking at me like I really was an alien. Our first visa run had me in shock as we were shoved this way and that, poked and prodded in full view of a very inquisitive audience. A bizarre visit to the local doctor who asked me for advice on which drugs I needed and then wanted a photo together! It was all indicative of everything we attempted to do in a bid to set up a life in China, in those early days. Back then, I didn’t realise that while you boast the world’s second biggest economy and churn out much of the world’s goods not to mention the world’s most travellers ….. essentially much of you is still developing, still learning and still adapting to life in the 21st Century. I soon found out that you are a nation full of contradictions. Xi’an may have been your capital for 13 dynasties, but her lack of exposure to the modern world meant for the most part, you were still learning much of what the Western world had already conquered. I learned that despite how far you’ve come, authoritarian rule is still your preferred mode of governing. Censorship is par for the course. A quick Google soon confirmed that, as did watching my television go to black regularly, simply because it was something your government wanted to shield us from. Controls over things that involve people’s safety and livelihoods though seem minimal. Smoking is still in force like it’s the 1970’s… when it comes to the roads, rules are few and far between and riding motorbikes without a helmet, with phone and at least three or four passengers (including children) is completely normal. Pollution during those winter months is literally off the radar, at least north of the Yangtze River. When you walk outside and it smells and tastes like an incinerator and pollution levels are '20 times' the healthy limit, you have no choice but to shrug, put your mask on and get on with it -- as much as your head tells you, it’s a ludicrous way to live (and some locals will tell you to "go for a run, it'll strengthen your lungs")! I’ve learned to strategically avoid those small wet patches of spit that litter the ground; and not to bat an eyelid when I see small (and big people) relieving themselves, mid squat in the middle of a busy footpath. Fast forward almost three years and like a toddler emerging into childhood, I can appreciate you’re changing and developing at a rapid pace, perhaps unparalleled in world history. English doesn’t seem as hard to come by, both spoken and written… but perhaps that’s just because I’ve added a little bit of my own Chinese into the mix to help with our communication. Those things that seemed incredibly hard are still incredibly hard, but perhaps our indifference or constant exposure to it, has made it all the more bearable. They are now just "China moments." A city of nine million that had very few restaurants and bars outside those local watering holes overflowing with spicy noodles and bbq skewers now has an abundance of new hotspots of every flavour on every corner. There is an element of the West weaving its way into society, rightly or wrongly and the nouveau riche are dividing classes like never before. Despite the hairdresser telling me I’ve got "farmers hands" one day and am a little “alien” like the next, as he rifles through my shopping bags to see "what she buys", we have become firm friends. That day I cried, clearly still etched firmly in his mind he tells me, as he bids Small Person and I farewell with bear hugs and promises to visit Australia. Those hairy car rides to school no longer have me in a state of shock…. Frank (the driver) and I have settled into a comfortable daily routine. Every morning, come rain, hail, shine (or snow) he waits downstairs, standing at the car door, ready to greet us with a smiley “Zao Shang Hao” (Good Morning), helps to buckle Small Person in as she squirms and fidgets, and off we roar into the morning chaos... Despite never having spoken a word of English bar “Ok” - he quite possibly knows more about us and vice versa than either party would care to. We know he likes to put on the morning talkback shows in Chinese while he fiddles with his beads all the way to school, weaving in and out of tuk tuks, two wheelers, and overcrowded busses, beeping the horn with gusto. We know that after dropping us off, he’ll usually sneak in a cigarette at the bus stop until he sees me coming back and then does a six point turn in the middle of a crowded school street - traffic banks up, while I wait awkwardly at the side of the road, pretending it’s all completely normal. And it is. We have reached an 'unspoken understanding' and perhaps an appreciation of each other. That's evident when my girl draws him a goodbye picture and we give him some new beads. Then there’s the security guards at the school gate that greet me with a big hello and goodbye every day, proudly in their few English words… and once in an unexpected downpour, run out to the car with me holding an umbrella over my head…yet still won't let me inside the school gates unless my I.D is hanging around my neck. My last week in China was no different to the entire two and a half years… unpredictable and challenging! If nothing else China, you are consistent in that nothing is ever straightforward! A book interview with an American-English teacher in the north of the city; a lunch with school mums from China, America and Brazil at a kitsch Chinese restaurant, overflowing with statues, local red wine, a warm drink made from dates, Peking Duck and spicy noodles. All followed by a twenty minute wait in zero temperatures (outside the school gate) and then a regular school pick up that unexpectedly becomes the end of the school term, closing abruptly due to extreme pollution levels! This also unexpectedly makes it my Small Person’s last day, ever, so I'm forever grateful her teacher has the foresight to run out at the eleventh hour and get her a goodbye cake! Then a farewell night out that ended at a “Gentleman’s Club” which isn’t as risqué as you might think! Curious to see what it was all about…we enter the shiny, new establishment (one of many that has sprung up in our local neighbourhood) all in the name of checking out the "competition!" Chandeliers, leather sofas and karaoke (China’s other love). In the spirit of a 'proper' Chinese night out, we find ourselves agreeing to hit up the microphone with a few tunes. A dozen beers are delivered and then... as an added bonus, we're treated to a line up of suitable men of all 'shapes and sizes' to choose from (including the token 'foreigner' who hails from Kazakstan)!! All for ‘company’ we're told…or as we soon find out in between giggles, a university student to sit amongst our group, make strained conversation, drink our beer, smoke cigarettes and sing the odd Chinese pop song! China, you will forever have me bamboozled by your extremes - from the overwhelming poverty that envelopes you, to the ever-increasing number of Rolls Royces cruising the streets; to the intense effort given to academic education yet lack of life guidance; to the seemingly selfish public acts yet incredible acts of kindness, to the strict censorship but overly flexible road rules; the human trafficking and domestic violence but feeling of peace and safety on the streets, to the emphasis on Guanxi (networking) and family but the inability to lose face…and those layers upon layers of ‘bureaucracy!’ China, both your complex and simple personality traits have made it possible for me to love you, yet loathe you - all in the same breath. But just as you’re changing, I hope that I am too. Still fresh out of your grip, it’s too soon to tell how you've changed me. Only time will tell. One thing’s for sure, you’ve taught me to be more open and tolerant and definitely not to sweat the small stuff. I’ve learned that trying to understand cultural differences, nuances and a country’s history is not always easy but it is the key to understanding a nation and every thread that intertwines to makes up the fabric of your society is to be appreciated. Your spirit and strength in overcoming a recent history of oppression and poverty is admirable. As different as China can at times seem from the world in which we know, and as much as that old mantra, ‘survival of the fittest’ still rings true for many of you….there is no mistaking, you have a nation of people only too willing to show an outsider kindness. And that for me, has counted for a lot. (If only someone had told us what's in the tap water sooner!) ;) It's not goodbye, it's see you later! This is China …. and you’ve stolen a little piece of my heart. … [Read more...]
Traditional Chinese Medicine: That Time I Tried Acupuncture in China….Alone!
In hindsight, I probably should’ve known better than to attempt to go to a local medical establishment in Xi an, on my own! And by that I mean without my walking, talking dictionary in my back pocket - also known as 'a dear Chinese speaking friend' to ease my fears and translate for me. Clearly, sleep-deprived and a little delirious, I’ve obviously forgotten where I actually am! "Ahh hello, Nicole, you don’t speak Chinese, remember?" Well, not well enough for this sort of encounter! But, here I was, hurtling along the freeway with a non English speaking driver, off to see the Acupuncturist or 'Zhen Jiu' as I soon discover it is in Chinese. Everyone has said to me, if you do anything health wise in China, acupuncture it is! And given it's been practiced for thousands of years here, it's hard to disagree. Trivial fact: There is evidence of acupuncture around 100 BC. That said, about half way there, I realise I don’t actually know where the place is. All I have is an address in Chinese characters. Last time I was with said driver, going anywhere other than school, he got us totally lost, despite having the address and several people explaining to him in Chinese. I frantically text the address to Ava's Chinese babysitter….asking her if it has any street numbers in it. I already know it doesn’t…but I’m naively hoping she will miraculously give me some clue to where I’m going. All I know, is that it's near the coffee shop I’ve frequented a few times. It dawns on me, there are a gazillion shops in this area and even more concerning, how the heck am I going to know which one says "Acupuncturist?!" Our babysitter manages to find me a picture of the shop front, but she may as well be sending me a picture of a random door in Timbuktu… it’s a door with gold Chinese characters above it, like oh so many of the shop entrances. By now we are driving around in circles, peering at random buildings that all look similar. The driver eventually gets out and asks an elderly man on a bike. I'm doubtful he'll know so I call the Chinese lady who recommended the place to my foreign friends in the first place and she explains to the driver, but alas, it's to no avail….we keep driving, back and forth. It’s times like this I muse why we don’t have a Sat Nav, but in China everyone likes to give directions referring to the compass. North, East, South or West. For someone who is 'directionally challenged', this is about as helpful as telling me to fly myself to the North Pole. The driver is now muttering under his breath in Chinese and I keep shoving my phone at him with someone different to talk to in Chinese, realising it’s probably futile. By now we’ve done so many circles I couldn’t tell you which way is up, down, north, south, east or west. I’m about to give up and call it a day, with the stark realisation, I should’ve known better than to attempt this mission alone. I give it one last shot and call the hotel concierge with some directions from my friend in the UK, who (thankfully) has jet lag and is awake when I text her. We come to a halt outside a building that looks absolutely nothing like the picture I've been sent, which immediately makes me dubious. Where am I being dropped? I shake my head, but tell the driver to wait (also known as gesturing wildly) while I step gingerly inside to see if it looks remotely like what I expect an acupuncturist to look like. It’s a hot mid summer’s day and the temperature gauge is nudging 36 degrees. My anxiety hasn’t helped my inner thermometer and I feel myself literally fall through the door in a ball of sweat, gazing questioningly around the room. I can see what looks to be traditional medicine and a man says “Hello” in English pointing for me to go upstairs….as if he instantly knows who I am and why I'm here. I have no appointment - none is needed I’m told but I am filled with dread that I could be anywhere….my imagination running away with me and I worry it's some evil medical laboratory that may be about to harvest my organs! I scan my phone trying to find the address I have and thrust it under his nose. He looks amused and nods, yes this is it! I guess this is where I just take a calculated risk and believe it's going to be ok. I run outside to the car and give the driver the thumbs up (although they don’t really use this gesture much in China but I assume he knows what I mean). It soon becomes evident the English speaking male’s vocabulary doesn’t extend past “hello”. Typically, in the height of my angst, my Chinese is all but lost. I mumble about being told someone spoke English here and he simply smiles and shakes his head, ushering me upstairs, where I'm told (I think) to sit down in a row of lounge chairs… The air is stifling and I realise there’s no air conditioning. About now it dawns on me that I need to call someone to explain to the practitioners why I’m here and what I need. I decide the hotelier's PA is probably my best bet, seeing as she called them yesterday for me. I ask the English-non-English speaking man to wait while I anxiously swipe through my phone. With everyone on We Chat in China, finding their actual phone number constantly eludes me. Finally I just message her saying, call me, and much to my relief she does. I put her on to the doctor and then ask where the toilet is. Back downstairs, I seriously consider whether I should just make a run for it….leave and pretend this never happened. But I dust myself off from the squat toilet and tip toe back upstairs, inhaling deeply. This time I am told to remove my shoes and get up onto one of the beds. I eyeball the room for evidence of hygiene standards. It looks pristinely clean, although I note the white doctor’s coat is smeared with dirt. He tries in vain to speak to me but I’m lost….his sidekick, a woman, speaks more slowly and her gentle demeanour calms me. I hope they can’t see that I'm shaking, just a little. Both of them immediately feel my hands and feet and then in unison, gasp in horror. I hear them saying the words for cool and derive they think I am too cold. (Which is kind of ludicrous given the current climate but I understand in Chinese medical terms, it's a possibility). Then they ask me to stick out my tongue and almost recoil in horror with a lot of back and forth glances. The male doctor takes my pulse and then says something to me again. Clearly he’s not giving up. I think he’s asking me if I drink cold water and eat ice-cream. All I can respond with is "sometimes". I know how much this is a mortal sin in Chinese culture, so much so, I can honestly say, hand on heart, I rarely have cold water these days. Mind you, today of all days, I think, I’m sure I could be forgiven for indulging in a little bin xi lin (Ice cream)! Next thing the needles are out. I am relieved to see they come from a closed packet…having heard a few horror stories of needles being reused in China. I recall having acupuncture many years ago in Sydney….apart from the needles, so far, this is not quite how I remember it. There are two in each foot, one in each hand and one in my du zi! Stomach. I note that when it’s time for the one in my stomach, the male doctor promptly leaves the room so the woman can place a towel over my lower half. The needles hurt, more than I remember! I grimace but it’s bearable. To warm me up a little more, I then have two heat lamps placed over me.. One at my feet and one at my stomach…. I feel like a pig on a spit! The male doctor tries his Chinese again and I manage to apologise and say I only speak a little Chinese. …The lovely sidekick, says "Mei Guanxi." No problem. Next thing, she explains, because I’m so cold, she would like to use something else and holds up a lighter and what looks like a solid toilet roll. I nod with caution… I’m a desperate woman and I’ll try anything but still… I’m a little scared. Is she going to brand me with this poker stick? I mentally recall the story I read about the Chinese man who had so much cupping his back was infected with a mass of black gangrenous holes. She lights the end of it and then lets it burn and smoulder slowly like a giant cigar. She spends the next thirty minutes wafting it over my hands, feet and stomach. Thankfully it doesn’t touch my skin but I think she really is literally cooking me now and I try desperately not to choke on the smoke which is filling the enclosed room. Later when I relay this to my Australian naturopath, she relieves my concerns by telling me this concept is actually called 'Moxibustion' and is even used in the Western world…..I Google it and discover it’s an ancient Chinese medicine therapy using moxa made from dried mugwort to among many other things, stimulate circulation through the pressure points and induce a smoother flow of blood and qi. Beads of sweat dripping down me ….clammy and sweaty….I close my eyes and try to relax. I hear the faint click of the doctor’s phone and can see him out of the corner of my eye at the back of the room. I suspiciously think he’s taking photos of the strange white woman on their bed. Finally in what feels like forever, it’s over. The heat lamps are off and the needles come out, painlessly. The doctor says something I don’t get and walks out, closing the door behind me. I’m not sure whether to stay lying there or it’s finished. In the end it’s clear no one is coming back, so I get up put my shoes on and walk out. They are both standing there, waiting for me, big smiles on their faces. I ask them if I need to come back and they point to what looks like a tub with a foot massager in the bottom and say “tomorrow?” I tell them not tomorrow, but maybe next week. My earlier suspicions are confirmed, when, as if it’s mandatory after every doctor’s appointment in China, the obligatory photo opportunity is presented. I try not to look visibly amused and smile politely. I'm glowing with a fine layer of sweat but of course! First with the male doctor then the female. “Piaoliang!” beautiful, he says.…..and then we exchange pleasantries and I remember I need to pay. They usher me downstairs to the man with English, but no English. It’s a grand total that is equivalent to $15 Australian dollars. Then they ask for my phone number which is kind of funny given they have no clue who I am. Any appointment in the West and they would have all of your details before you set foot in the door. After such an up close and personal visit I realise they don’t even know my name. "Wo jiao Nicole", I say and write it for them on the scrap piece of paper, they give me. We say "Zai jian" Goodbye.... and I tell them I’ll see them next week. No need to give them a time or appointment, I guess like today, I’ll just turn up. I tell them my friend will call them to see what they have to say about my 'condition'. Later she rings them and as suspected they tell her about my cold feet and hands and the tongue! Apparently they can see exactly what my problem is from these three things. I’ll need to go five times and tonight my sleep will be just fine, they say. I don’t know about that, but even though I smell like I’ve been roasting marsh mellows over a bonfire, I feel relaxed! This is China. … [Read more...]
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