From Brooklyn to Beijing

So for the last month (yes! It's my month-iversary!)  I've been hearing about this market that has 'everything' I need in it. Avocados? check. Muesli? Check. Cheese? Check. Live crabs in a bucket? Check. It was time for me to find it and see what all the fuss was about. What an amazing place! So unassuming on the outside.... but when you enter... just booth after booth of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, western items, spices, teas, you name it. And no one really hassles you or annoys you (even better!) I found green AND red lentils, tahini, unsweetened soy milk, fresh mozzarella, garlic powder (yes this is hard to find in china!) and more. The prices are not as low as the veggie market by my apartment way out in Fengtai but it didn't break the Chinese bank. Life is good.

I can ride my bike around the city and not get too lost. I got a printer. I got it home. By bike. And by subway. I got new sneakers. I had dumplings. I got sweet potato chips from the woman on the street by my subway station that I used to be too scared to talk to. I saw the Forbidden City. I went to yoga. I made a friend. I planned my lessons for the week. I cooked some Chinese eggplant. I atoned with other Beijing Jews. I ate Mexican food. Twice. I learned a new word: haowan (fun!)

Well that was a terrible Chinese rhyme. But pretty awesome. So.... Pollution. Smog. Dirty air. Gross. Unhealthy. Whatever you want to call it. It is here in Beijing, and China, and very much a real problem. See for yourself out my window.  And this is a 150 kind of a day. Here's a day over 250 downtown... So it's here and in my face and i'm learning to deal with it. At first, I thought, oh, is it raining? Are these rain clouds? And then i realized. No. no they are not! How do I deal? Some wear masks... I've worn a mask a little bit. It's hot and stuffy and makes me sweat. I also cannot quite understand how it works because I have to put it on and off, air gets trapped inside, and what about the subway? or inside a store if the windows are open anyway? These are the questions going through my mind. And then the issue of exercise. It is 10000 times worse trying to wear a mask on a bike when you are huffing and puffing. They've created these ...

As a language teacher, I firmly believe in learning the language of where you are living. That being said, I've been here three weeks, and even with my three weeks of Chinese language class from July, I am not doing so well at communicating. Numerous times I don't know if I'm being ripped off (are the street apples really 50 cents each?) or if some sort of miscommunication has occurred (I only wanted 35 copies, why am I paying for 60?) or really, I just don’t like behaving like a 2 year old (e.g. Silently, Rose points to an item on the menu and nods her head). So just a few stories to show you how pathetic I am. But I’m learning fast and will find a tutor soon, I swear! In the Target-like store, looking for face wash. Yes, I brought some from NYC but my skin is going crazy here with the pollutants and new foods and new environment. I was thinking that maybe the Chinese brands have something the American brands don’t. After 20 minutes of perusing aisles of beauty p...

So today I tried something new. No, not sheep guts or pig ears or scorpion on a stick. I tried Roller Derby. Yup, roller derby exists in Beijing. Never had time to try it in Brooklyn, so why not Beijing? Beijing Roller Derby is a real league http://www.beijingrollerderby.com/ and they had an open session for anyone wanted to try it out in Tuanjiehu Park. So off I went to the park, which is just beautiful on a chilly September Saturday (it's fall already??): I can't get over how there is so much green space in this city! It's pretty incredible. The folk dancers were out, the sword fighters were out, the music was blasting.. and then I found a skating rink with about 20 people, expats and chinese, all covered up in padding and helmets. What am I getting myself into? Turned out roller derby,  is not for me. It's like skiing and I don't like skiing! But it was a great day to try something new and I had a blast.

Well, my first day was not quite like the movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but it was interesting. I showed up 20 minutes early to find a very cute, but empty and dark classroom. I had been nervous I wouldn't even be able to get into the room, so having the door already open was a nice touch. To review, lest you didn't know: I have no ID card, no office, no keys, no internet information, and no student rosters. But remember, I do have my copies. Day 1 was gonna be awesome. I try to open the technology console and, as I had thought, it was locked and I was key-less. Ok, my beautiful PPT will have to wait. Well, at least there is a white chalkboard for me to use. That was placed on the wall for a giant. So I climb up on a chair to attempt to wing it with no technology. NBD. STudents start trickling in and act surprised to see me. When I say hello, they giggle. One lovely student, Annie, calls the IT guy for me and low and behold, technology! So I can use my PPT afte...

China is such an up and down place. From one moment to the next. One situation leaves a bad taste in my mouth and an hour later, I'm flying high. For example yesterday I had to go to the foreigner hospital about 1.5 hours away from school to get another physical so I can get my residence permit. Why another physical even though I just got one in order to get my work visa?  Because that's China for you. All disconnect. So I wait in line for 45 minutes will 300 other foreigners and show the woman all my tests from America. Where is the signature she asks, pointing to my blood work from queer diagnostics. There are initials on each page I reply. No they are not original. You Must do the tests. But that's how they are done in America. And this worked for me to get my z visa I do t understand. No signature means test. I am so frustrated. I won't want to deal with the Chinese hospital. And I just had a physical! 6 weeks ago! Into a new line. It's gonna cost me 100 USd. ...