Fellowship and Fries

It may say "Big Mac" on the box, but it didn't say it on the menu.

Let’s get to the point:  I ate McDonalds today.   I refuse to feel guilty about it.  It’s what I wanted and what  I needed.

Backstory:  I have always thought it was ridiculous when people ate at McDonalds when they were traveling in other countries.  I don’t eat McDonalds at home, why would you want to on the road?  Well, let me tell you why:  1) it’s predictable; 2) It’s cheap; and 3) their fries are good and sometimes you need fries.   

The food here in Chengdu has been really good.  I’ve enjoyed every meal I’ve had out with my hosts, and especially have appreciated the opportunity to have them share their favorite dishes with me.  I’ve discovered, to absolute no surprise, that I love dumplings.  They have several different kinds of dumplings here, and I love them all.  But I’ve tried fish, pork, vegetables, rice, noodles, and it’s all been good.  I’ve gotten sick a couple of times after meals, but I think it’s because they use a lot of oils in the local cooking, and I’m not used to it.  But overall, I’ve loved the food.

But for the past couple of days, I’ve been craving fries.  I want the texture and the salt, and the familiarity.  I considered going to a nicer restaurant, but who knows how good their fries are but really what I wanted are plain old McDonalds fries.  So I went out and got them.  But I ended up getting so much more.

When I arrived at the counter, I was faced with a menu on the wall that had pictures, but only Chinese writing.  Thinking the easiest thing would be to order the quintessential McDonalds sandwich, whose name must be the same everywhere (ok, I forgot the whole discussion of it in Pulp Fiction – forgive me, I hated that movie), “Big Mac”.  Only they had no idea what that meant.  I kept talking in English and eventually they pulled out a card with pictures for me to point to.  I still ordered the Big Mac meal – why change course at this point.  While I was waiting the man next to me said hello – I looked up to see an American who immediately started a conversation with me.  When our food came, he invited me to sit with his family, and I eagerly agreed.  I haven’t had a conversation with a native English speaker in two weeks, so this was a treat.

I ended up talking with this family for over an hour.  William and his wife Becky came to China as missionaries, but are a bit unique.  They aren’t affiliated with any official organization, and in fact, William is a student at SCU, studying Chinese.  They’ve been here for 9 years, and have three children, with another due soon.  They also own a café that serves bagels and smoothies, which I’m going to hike to tomorrow (it’s a good 30 minute walk, so it will balance out the calories of the all carb breakfast).  Their 9 year old son was very friendly and imaginative, and I enjoyed chatting with him. William and Becky gave me some tips about local sites to see, and places to eat, but that's not what I enjoyed most about talking with them. It just felt nice to have a friendly conversation without worrying about my word choices, and to have a meal that I didn’t need to stress about using chopsticks.  When it was time to go (the 1 year old was clearly past her expiration point), I thanked them for being so generous with their time.  I would describe our conversation as good old fashioned fellowship, which may have been the last thing I expected to find at the McDonalds in Chengdu. 

Burger, fries and a side of community.  I’ll take that.

At the Movies

Movie popcorn and Coke: universal movie snacks

One of the things that has kind of surprised me while getting to know some of the librarians here at SCU, was how popular American tv shows.  They tell me they watch tv shows online, or buy DVDS (which are not produced by the studios/networks/production companies).  I’ve been asked how accurately life in the United States is portrayed by the shows.  I had to explain, more than once, that no, not everyone lives in the kind of house or subdivision as they show in Desperate Housewives, and no, teenagers aren’t all like the ones on Gossip Girl. 

It turns out that American movies are quite popular here as well.  They are shown in regular theaters (not a special “foreign film theater”), and almost always have the original English dialog, with Chinese subtitles.   Liu Liu offered to take me to the movies today, another day off, and I happily agreed.  I was curious to see what the experience was like, and how movie theaters comare with the ones at home.

First of all, the ticket window looked very similar, but I couldn’t read any of the film titles, so I couldn’t tell at first what American film was being shown.  Liu Liu then pointed to a poster with no English words on it, but clearly depicted Oz:  we were going to see “The Great and Powerful Oz”.  I had been curious about it when I saw a trailer for it a couple months ago, so I was happy.  Actually I was thrilled because it had been suggested that perhaps I’d be stuck watching that terrible Nicholas Sparks movie that was out in February.  Thankfully I was spared that. 

Similar to the new AMC theaters at the Biltmore, you get to pick out your seat when you purchase your ticket.  We chose some in the middle, and then headed to the concession stand for popcorn and a coke.  I had been told that movie theater popcorn here was the same – with butter – so imagine my surprise when it turned out to be sweet, like a cross between kettle corn and caramel corn.  Liu Liu insists that all movie popcorn here is sweet.  I kind of liked it, but I was missing the salt a little bit.

When we got settled in our seats I noticed some ads running on the screen, but couldn’t tell what they were for.  Then all of a sudden the movie started.  No previews / trailers.  I was disappointed – I was totally looking forward to what trailers looked and sounded like here.  Plus – isn’t that often the best part of the movie experience?  The seats themselves were rocking seats, very much like the standard seats at Harkins Theaters.  Also it wouldn’t be a movie outing without someone in the audience taking a call on their cell phone, and having an extensive conversation to boot.   It’s amazing how many social behaviors are universal.

The movie itself was nothing to be excited about.  But I had to try to explain the original “Wizard of Oz” movie to Liu Liu afterwards, as she has never seen it.  It was fun to try to connect the story and characters from this film with that one.  I hope she watches the original sometime : it was a much better film.

Pandas, Art and Fine Dining

I'm a little envious of these pandas' napping ability.

The last two days have been all fun, and no work.  Wednesday Liu Liu took me to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Park, and then yesterday she took me to meet a friend of hers who is a local artist.  Both days were wonderful in very different ways.

The Panda Park was absolutely beautiful.  I’ve been amazed at how green and lush the landscaping is here.  There were long windy shady paths that led to the different enclosures, as well as to a Swan Lake filled with carp.  I’m not sure what I expected of the pandas, but they were fun to see.  They all were napping in various positions, many high up in the trees.  I don’t understand how they got up that high, as many of the branches didn’t look to be that strong. 

The park was filled with school children visiting on a field trip.  I loved seeing their happy faces and hearing their high pitched voices.   Many of them had back packs with familiar cartoon characters (Mickey Mouse, Transformers, Cars), and some of them made a point to yell “hello” to me as I passed by.  Liu Liu kept commenting on how noisy it was, but it didn’t feel as bad as most American amusement parks.  I guess it’s normally quiet and peaceful though.  We did have a lovely picnic lunch on a park bench and wandered around for quite some time.

I also encountered the first Americans I’ve seen since I arrived, and instead of feeling a kinship, I felt embarrassed.  There were signs all over the place, in both Chinese and English, to speak quietly to not disturb the animals.  I turned a corner at one point and standing directly across one of these signs was an American couple and their child.  The mother kept yelling – loudly – at the kid, reprimanding him for some minor infraction.  Her voice sounded harsh and discordant, even among the din of the school children, and the juxtaposition with that and the sign asking for quiet was too much.  Instead of saying hello and having the conversation in English I had been craving only the day before, I walked by, not wanting to connect with them at all.

Liu Liu (left) with her friend artist Shen Yunquing

Thursday marked the beginning of a national holiday, which I believe is “Tomb Sweeping” day,  a holiday to visit the graves of deceased relatives.   Things were quiet on campus, but it did seem like many businesses were still open.  That afternoon Liu Liu picked me up and took me to visit a friend of hers, a local artist named Shen Yunqing.  I enjoy art, even though I’m not knowledgeable about it, and appreciated the opportunity to visit with an artist and ask about her work.  The studio was in an industrial neighborhood about 10km from campus, and was in a block with several other artists.  Shen has worked with many different materials, including iron, bronze and paper.  I couldn’t believe how many beautiful pieces were in her studio, on dusty shelves.  Two sets of works in particular drew me in:  one was a series she did for the Beijing Olympics depicting athletes in different activities (two of these pieces remain in Olympic Park), and another was a set of dancers.  I took a few pictures (like this one of a discus thrower), but they don’t do the work justice at all.

After the studio visit, we went to dinner at a restaurant recommended by my boss Sherrie.  It turns out Shen is a bit of a local foodie, and has connections with local restaurateurs.  I got to sit back and relax, and let Shen and Liu Liu order an amazing array of dishes.  Some were typical local specialties, and others were new to Shen and Liu Liu as well (they had never tried fennel before – I had to draw what one looks like for them).  I did at one point give up on my chopsticks – I was too hungry and darn it I wanted to eat this good food so I did make use of a fork for a while.   Imagine my surprise when the final dish of the night arrived : a small plate of oranges and grape tomatoes, accompanied by, of all things, a fork.   

Motivation

I know this is fruit and not vegetables, but I forgot to take a picture of my lunch.

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again, right?  I’ve been avoiding the hotel restaurant after my unsatisfying experience last week.  Food here is so cheap that I haven’t really cared that I could eat for free at the restaurant, plus I’ve gone out a few times with Liu Liu.  But I decided that one can live only so long on savory pastries, chips, peanut butter, ice cream and the stash of protein bars I brought with me:  I started craving produce.  First I conquered buying fruit at the market (they have weighing stations in the produce area – someone weighs it first before you take it to the check out stand), but I hadn’t figured out how to get vegetables.  I was told not to eat raw vegetables here (due to the water), so I couldn’t just buy things at the market as I’m not allowed a microwave or toaster oven in my room. 

Not too long ago I would have laughed if someone told me I would be willing to face confusion and awkwardness again in a quest for vegetables, but there you have it.  I confessed to Liu Liu that I hadn’t been eating at the restaurant because I didn’t understand how it worked (part of it you order, and part is self serve, and the menus aren’t on the table), and she felt really bad, which is why I didn’t tell her to begin with.  I couldn’t quite explain to her that’s a personality quirk of mine – I hate not knowing how things work, and it’s worse when you can’t ask anyone to explain the process.  So after our morning meeting yesterday she came back with me to the hotel, spoke with the staff and explained  the process and menu to me.  The first dishes I tried are pork with mushrooms, and a big plate of mixed vegetables.  It came with rice, and I added a soda and the entire meal only cost 32 RMB (about $5 USD). 

The meal was delicious and filling, but was very rich.  So rich, in fact, that I can’t quite imagine eating there multiple times in one day.  But I’m happy to have that as an option, and I’m sure I will be returning to sample more dishes, and to have my servings of vegetables.  But for now, I think I’ll content myself with some cheese, crackers and an orange.

Counting Steps

My FitBit readout for Monday April 1, 2013

A couple weeks before I left, my sister Aimee and I got FitBits: these small devices that measure your activities (steps, mileage, flights of stairs) each day.  The basic goal is to try to hit 10,000 steps a day, to have a decent level of activity.  What I found out in the time leading up to my departure is that even on days when I felt like I was walking around campus a lot, it was very difficult to reach 10,000 steps if I didn’t go for a hike or run.  I guess I’m much more sedentary than I thought.

Things have changed dramatically since I arrived at the Sichuan University campus.  I had forgotten what it is like to live on a campus:  you walk for transportation everywhere.   Do you need some bottled water?  You need to walk three blocks to the market.  Coffee?  Go to the south gate and find the café (15 minute walk).  WalMart? Walk out the west gate, across the flyover and down the street.  Work?  Walk to the library.  I haven’t had a “workout” since I’ve been here, yet I’ve been over 10,000 steps every single day except one. 

On Monday, I had a particularly active day, and was at 10,000 steps before dinner.  I was in my hotel room at the end of the afternoon and decided I wanted to find a western restaurant for dinner.  I wasn’t particularly craving western food, but I just wanted to order something in English – and maybe even have a banal conversation with my server.  I did some research online and found a place that seemed to be within walking distance that promised decent burgers, and seemed to be fairly well-known to local ex-pats.  I triangulated it on the map with two places I knew well (the North Gate and Pete’s Tex Mex – another western restaurant), found pictures on their Facebook page of their signage, and headed out.  I strode across campus and out the west gate with confidence, crossed the busy street on one of the “flyovers” (high pedestrian bridges), and … never found it.  I walked and walked and walked, and walked and finally gave up.  It wasn’t meant to be, at least for that night.

While I was disappointed that plan didn’t work out, I only briefly considered going to McDonalds or Hooters (can you believe that’s here?) for a burger.  But I realized that neither of those options would leave me feeling good about the night, so I implemented plan B: going to the nice supermarket Liu Liu showed me on my first day, and deciphering the dairy case for yogurt and cheese, and the produce section for fruit.  This market is at the far opposite end of the main road as where I was trying to find the restaurant, so I walked and walked and walked to get there, including through an incredibly dangerous construction site that seemed to not care one bit that pedestrians were traipsing through the area.  I finally reached the market, and finished my quest.  I even used my dictionary app on my otherwise useless iphone to ask a clerk the location of forks and spoons.  I managed the check out process fine, somehow even conveying my regret that I forgot my own bag, and headed back towards campus feeling a bit satisfied with the outcome of my evening. 

When I finally made it back to my room, I looked down at my FitBit and was astonished to see the reading:  20,000 steps.  In my bizarre quest for conversation and groceries, which were only half accomplished, I had walked the equivalent of an entire day.  What I have to say about that is:  thank God for Clark Privo shoes, because even after 20,000 steps and many many miles, my feet didn’t hurt one bit.

Spicy Food Strategy

It is very important to get the ice cream *before* you eat the spicy food. If you wait until your mouth is on fire it is too late.

Despite the fact that I've lived in Arizona for 13 years, I haven't developed a tolerance for spicy food.  That is a problem here, as Sichuan food is notoriously spicy.  But Liu Liu showed me a strategy for approaching spicy food:  get ice cream first, and also order a side of dumplings.  Yes, I was suprrised when the ice cream she wanted to get was a good old fashioned DQ blizzard.  The dishes you see were chicken (in the middle) and two kinds of bean jelly noodles, that were all very tasty but very spicy.  I had to go back and forth between the spicy dishes and the ice cream.  The doughy dumplings also served to dull the heat, and were probably my favorite part of the meal.  I do like my bread after all. 

Maybe when I get home I will now be able to tackle New Mexico chile dishes ... as long as I stop at DQ first.  

Setting Small Goals

One of the principles I try to follow when trying to accomplish a big goal, is to set smaller, readily attainable goals or milestones that build into something bigger.  After Friday’s frustrating start, I decided to start over Saturday with two goals:  finding a café Liu Liu recommended for a pastry and a coffee for breakfast, and later going to the supermarket to find peanut butter, yogurt and fruit to have for breakfast in my room. 

Unlike my friend Juliann, I am not blessed with any sort of internal navigation, so figuring out my way around this campus is a challenge.  This is not Phoenix, and is not in any way built on a grid.  I have a campus map and know a few landmarks already (especially the gym/track, which has signage that looks like it was from the Olympics, although it couldn’t have been – this is very far away from Beijing).  My approach is to try to retrace my steps as often as possible, noting landmarks (buildings, business, etc) along the way.  I knew that the café was out the south gate of campus, and it actually only took two turns along the path to get there.  I successfully bought a breakfast sandwich looking pastry and ordered a cappuccino.  I didn’t understand what the woman told me my total was, and the cash register didn’t show any numbers on my side, so I extended my hand with a bunch of cash to her and she picked out what I should have given her.  Not too bad an outcome.

Buoyed with success, I then decided to try to find the lotus pond near the north gate, which I recalled seeing twice on Friday.  The path was more circuitous, but I kept trying to remember what I had passed yesterday with Liu Liu:  the gym, the bank of Chengdu, the elementary school, the business building, the soccer/football field.  And voila : there was the pond!  I had a lovely breakfast sitting on a bench, listening to “This American Life” on my ipod and watching the variety of people enjoying the morning.  There were people of all ages walking, talking , reading, and even jogging around the pond.  I found my way back home with ease, and felt my confidence rising.

After taking a break to do some work in my room, I headed back out for goal #2:  operation peanut butter!  I had been told that there was an inexpensive supermarket out the West gate and across the street.  I found it:  Trust Mart.  Does anyone have any guesses what Trust Mart means in China?

That’s right:  WalMart is here.  And it was like every WalMart I’ve ever been in:  crowded, chaotic, loud, full of merchandise, and very inexpensive.  It took me a while to wander the aisles and figure out the layout of the two story store, but I eventually found what I was looking for:  Skippy Peanut Butter and strawberry jam, along with some bread and some more Coke Zero.  I’m beginning to think that Coke Zero is the only “diet” coke here.

On Sunday morning, I found my way to the last main gate of campus, the North Gate.  This gate seems to be the most official gate, as it has formal traditional gate structure and the university administration building is directly in front of it.  It creates a beautiful courtyard, but unfortunately the lotus ponds in this area were drained.  I left the gate and explored the commercial area surrounding it, and found my way back to campus via the west gate.  I was so happy to have been able to determine my way. Who needs a map they can read or GPS?  Ok, ok, me.  But for now I'll take this as a win.