On the Road Again

Since Mom flew home on Tuesday, I've moved from 4 star hotels to 4-6 bed dorm rooms in hostels. Instead of delicious meals at nice restaurants, I'm back to eating soup out of a bag or dumplings made out of questionable meat (read: cheap). I miss having a traveling companion too!

I am not too sure what all the fuss is about over Shanghai. Aside from a lot of buildings with interesting architecture and creative lighting to look at, there's not much to do here besides eat and shop! All of the historical buildings were either torn down during the Cultural Revolution (thanks Mao) or have been replaced by massive skyscrapers.

Despite the process to get it the way it is, the skyline of Shanghai is impressive. Mom and I went to Cloud 88 bar on the top floor of the JinMao Tower to watch the sunset over the city and to have cocktails which cost more than the next week of my living expenses! We spent another afternoon walking along Nanjing Road which is the oldest, most famous shopping street in Asia. The little blue guy in the picture is the very classy mascot that Shanghai chose to represent the World Expo which begins here in May. Unfortunately, you can't walk around the Expo sites yet because they are still frantically building all kinds of infrastructure to prepare for it! I said goodbye to Mom at the airport on Tuesday...she was more than happy to be boarding a plane headed for Chance (our dog), Grandma, Gerad and her own bed and bathroom!

I had one of the best meals so far in China at Lost Heaven, an upscale Yunnan Province restaurant in the French Concession District with Julie, a friend of Michael's, and some of her Danish friends. We had coconut chicken soup, eggplant, spinach, a beef dish and a chicken dish, all of which were superb. The restaurant has consistently been voted Shanghai's best restaurant for a date...I can see why. Too bad I had no one to take me there! ;)

It's been cloudy and raining off and on the last couple of days, so I've spent some time wandering around the Moganshan 50 Art District. There has to be over 100 art galleries...I got tired after visiting 30 of them! The graffiti in the picture is on a street within the Art District. I love that they think pandas are cool to spray on a building! On my way to a quaint, over-priced shopping area this morning, I passed a hospital where all of the staff were outside playing tug of war (why?!?). It was hilarious because a lot of patients were looking down on their doctors and nurses working up a sweat on the street. Maybe Obama should try that with Congress to try and get the Health Bill moving in one direction or another? Now, I'm spending a rainy afternoon in a cute coffee shop researching what in the world I am going to do with my time for the next few months!

I am meeting up with Julie again tonight to try out a well-known Italian restaurant and then we'll hook up with some of her friends to try out a few bars/clubs in Shanghai. The night life here is supposed to go all night...I just need to be sure I'm back in time to get my bag and head to the airport! Flying to Guilin in southern China tomorrow morning. After that, I have no idea where I'm headed. Any suggestions!?

Pictures Posted!

Check out the link below to see a small percentage of the 1300+ pictures that were taken while Mom and I traveled together in China. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/jamie1209/MomJamieInChina#

Mom, Jamie and the Rest of China

Mom and I got our exercise in Kunming. We spent the first day hanging out in Green Lake Park, along with the rest of the city. It was the most crowded park I’ve ever been to! We were stalked like celebrities because we were the only foreigners in the whole area. People wanted me to hold their babies, Mom and I had to pose for pictures, etc. It was hilarious! We found a quiet little outdoor tea house to enjoy some red tea. Mom almost choked, though, because the tea here is served with loose leaves!

We spent the next day on a 10 km (about 6 mile) hike to the Dragon Gate in the Western Hills of Kunming, above Dianchi Lake. It would have been a beautiful, peaceful hike if it weren’t for the thousands of other Chinese who were also hiking and driving (and honking!) their way up the mountain. The Dragon Gate is cut into the side of a mountain, with a small temple accompanying it. It would have been great to sit and soak in the views overlooking the city and largest lake in the Yunnan Province, but we were swept forward in a tide of people. It is wise to follow the travel book’s advice and NOT travel within China during their Spring Festival (basically, the entire month of February, aka the entire time Mom has been here!). Mom and I have experienced first hand the largest annual human migration on the planet! We think they all went to Kunming!

The next day we went to Stone Forest, formed over 270 million years ago when the area was underwater. It was a massive park, again very crowded, but there was enough space to crawl on, between and under the limestone forest! That night, we had our worst meal yet: fried minnows with peanuts and chilies and pancakes with sesame paste and mushrooms. I couldn’t read the menu or understand what the waitress was saying. My bad! Mom enjoyed the minnows, but they were too fishy for me!

After all that exercise, Mom and I took a day off from China and hung out in our hotel room reading, watching HBO and napping on Thursday. We did venture out for a fantastic Thai dinner and dessert at McDonald’s (I love the hot fudge sundaes!). It was a much needed break from the chaos and crowds!

Made it safely to Shanghai…more to come on the next post about Shanghai. It’s a massive (20 million people) city, the largest in China. Of what we have seen, it’s very modern and more Western than any other area of China I have seen. Unfortunately, Mom and I both have caught some sort of stomach bug. (It’s either that or our bodies are starting to physically reject being in China!). Therefore, Mom won’t be adding any commentary this time. She’ll be flying home on Tuesday. I think she’s looking forward to returning to the comforts of home. If I’m honest, part of me wishes I was heading home to those comforts too. It’s been great having her here. We had a great time together, have experienced some amazing things and have made some wonderful memories together.

新年快乐！

Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Valentine's Day! Since our last update, we've wrapped up our time to Chengdu, spent Chinese New Year's in Lijiang and made our way to Kunming!

We spent our last day in Chengdu at the best of the top four Taoist Temples in Asia, the Wenshu Monastery which is still active. Mom and I burned incense and ate at the only restaurant, a vegetarian one, on the campus. Fresh apple and watermelon juice, eggplant, fried tofu and sweet potato bread filled with red bean paste...it was by far the best Sichuan food I have ever had.

Lijiang is our favorite city that we've been to by far. For starters, when we arrived late in the evening, we could actually see the stars in the sky! I haven't seen the stars since September in Australia! Seeing the stars also meant clear skies, therefore, the air was much cleaner! The old city has three creeks running through it, cobblestone streets, Chinese architecture and the various ethnic minorities still wear their traditional dress to do their shopping, sell their wares, etc. The people are friendly and laid back...not in a rush to get somewhere or make the next RMB ($). We didn't see bikes, hear horns or dodge traffic the entire time - it was so relaxing!

We spent our first day in Lijiang wandering around the old city and through the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park...the picture is of Mom and I at the Black Dragon Pool with the mountain off in the distance. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny clear day...Mom was in heaven and my forehead got sunburned. I am very excited to finally have color on my skin again because I have been pasty white since September! We had dinner at a nice little Naxi (ethnic minority in the area) restaurant on the edge of one of the creeks.

And that's about all that I saw of Lijiang. That night, Montezuma's revenge struck me hard and fast. I had a fever, chills, etc....it was fantastic (read: sarcasm). I spent Friday in bed and did not leave the hotel room until Saturday evening to feast on a yummy bowl of plain white rice (read: sarcasm). Mom was a trooper and kept the room stocked with flat, room temperature Coke, saltines and water. She also ventured out on her own to see more of Lijiang...I was proud of her for going it alone and not wasting her days watching me trek back and forth from the bathroom!

We did make it out right before midnight to celebrate Chinese New Year. The actual striking of midnight was kind of anti climatic as the city didn't have any sort of countdown. But, there were a ton of fireworks going on everywhere around the city. Everyone was happy, all the red lanterns were lit, red balloons were everywhere!

Sunday (aka Chinese New Year aka Valentine's Day), I finally felt well enough to venture around the city. We watched a bunch of kids in local dress dance on a stage in one of the town squares...they were adorable! I nearly fainted when a mouse fell from the roof and nearly landed on Mom, fell to the cobblestone and scattered away. My scream scared Mom to death and all that activity got my stomach upset all over again! I took a risk and ate noodles & "cheese" for lunch while Mom dined on Naxi yak butter tea, a Naxi potato pancake (aka hash browns) and fried goat cheese. And she wondered why her stomach was upset.

After arriving in Kunming last evening, we went for a walk near our hotel and stumbled upon a couple, both blind, who were doing back/shoulder massages on the street. We got massages while sitting on a stool on the side of a busy road with people, bikes, cars and buses passing us by. Despite the lack of atmosphere, mine was still very relaxing...the lady did a great job on my shoulders, neck, hands, back, scalp, etc. When I asked Mom how hers was once we finished, she said, "that guy beat the crap out of me." So much for Mom and blind massages.

The following is contributed by Mom (aka Pat aka Likes Fried Food and Doesn't Like Massages by Blind Men):

Ni Hao...(I like saying that because it's one of the four Chinese words I can say and people here actually understand me...:)

Like Jamie said, Lijiang is our favorite city to visit and the most unique. The population there is about one million vs the other cities having 7-20 million people. It was wonderful to be in really warm weather with hot sunshine (didn't need our coats during the day). It was so relaxing to meander through all the narrow alleys and lanes, people watching and enjoying the warm weather. I'm so glad Jamie felt good enough to get out on Sunday and see more of The Old Town. The best part of our entire time there (besides the blue sky and sunshine) was watching the children. They are just precious all over China.

We both feel normal again and we're ready to explore Kunming. Also, my next massage won't be done by a blind man on the side of a busy street, and I'm not going to be eating fried food....period.

Zai Jian, (Goodbye...one of the other 4 words I know...:)

[Editor's note: Mom said 'zai jian' to the flight attendant yesterday when she handed Mom water, instead of xie xie (thank you)....she sometimes gets confused about when to say one of those four words. Also, I had to write how to say happy new year (xin nian kuai le) on her hand so that she could remember it!!]

Terra Cotta Army, Pandas and a Buddha

We've covered a lot of territory and have seen some amazing things since my last entry! I'm going to backtrack a little and write on Xi'An, then our time so far in Chengdu. I posted the video clip of Mom dancing because I couldn't hold onto material like that without sharing immediately!

Xi'An remained cloudy/polluted the entire time we were there and Chengdu has been no different. We haven't seen the sun since we left Beijing. We went to the highlight of Xi'An, the terra cotta army warriors, which were discovered by some peasants digging a well in the mid-70's. It's a massive (56.2 sq km) tomb built for the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty back in the 1300's. It was incredible to see it in person....way more impressive than the pictures I have seen. The level of detail and advanced production methods of the pottery, weaponry, etc. that were buried with the emperor show how advanced the Chinese were so long ago. I commented to Mom while walking around the museum that if I could have seen and experienced stuff like this when I was younger, I might have studied archaeology or anthropology because it is all so fascinating to me now. Mom, my constant source of encouragement, reminded me that I was still young and could still go back to school to study it. I contemplated this as we continued around the park and realized one very important thing: I hate getting dirt under my nails. So much for archaeology!

We rented bikes on our first day in Chengdu. It's known for being a more 'safe' area within China for tourists to bike. After two near misses and hearing Mom gasp, laugh and scream from behind me...I started to doubt the tour books! It was very adventurous, stressful and fun! We rode to The People's Park (see video in post below!). The Chinese love to perform, dance and sing in the parks....they're making up for lost time after being forbidden to have fun in public for so long. We saw at least 5 performances around the park and at least 50 couples waltzing the afternoon away. Very cool. We sat in the famous tea house in the park where Mom got a head massage and I got my ears cleaned (picture). They stuck long, thin wires into my ears with dandelion-type cotton things on the end. Then, they vibrated the wire with some kind of metal tong...it was a very different sensation and I'm glad that when the guy finished, I could still hear!

Monday was action packed. We woke up early to watch the Super Bowl. I was super excited to be able to watch it, although there were no commercials and it was all in Chinese! So happy for Hank A. that he finally got to see the Saints win a Super Bowl! We spent 5.5 hours round trip on a mini-road trip to Le Shan to see the world's largest Buddha Monday afternoon. It is 71 m high and carved into the side of a mountain. Wearing our ever-so-fashionable state required bright orange life vests, we braved the river (where the Dadu, Minjiang and Qingyi converge) to view the massive structure. It was definitely worth the time in the buses, not only to see the structure but to see some of the country side in the Sichuan province. Monday evening we went to a famous hot pot restaurant here in Chengdu. Hotpot consists of a lot of meats and vegetables that you cook in boiling, flavored water (think there's some oil in it too?!). I ordered spicy flavored hot pot...Mom, smartly, did not. Sichuan is known for it's spicy food, and I love for food to make me sweat. I was chugging beer like I was at a frat party trying to prevent the peppers from numbing my mouth completely. There was a deep burning sensation in my stomach for several hours after dinner last night....luckily, I didn't get sick!

Today we went to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center. I have never seen a panda before, and I am officially in love with them. They are very active in the morning when they wake up. We saw two cubs and at least 12 older pandas. They were rolling around, pulling down bamboo shoots and eating constantly. I could have stayed all day to watch them...such adorable personalities! Like all the other 7 year old boys in the Research Center, I wore my panda hat the whole time in order to attract the pandas to me. I swear I caught one or two of them staring at me like I was a really strange looking panda (the pandas that is, not the 7 year olds!)!

Bargaining Watch: Mom - paid 25 RMB for one red paper cutting. Jamie - paid 10 RMB for 3 red paper cuttings. I'm winning! ;)

The following is contributed by Pat Barden (aka Mom. aka China Jazzercise Queen):

Ni Hao! The pandas were sooo adorable! Watching them eating bamboo leaves, climbing on their platforms, even just sleeping was one of the neatest things I've ever experienced! I could have stood there and watched them all day!

So far, the most scary experience in China has been riding our bikes around Chengdu among all the traffic. There was a bike path, but motor scooters, electric bikes, regular bikes, cars, taxis and people were there too! It was REALLY fun! We made it back to our hostel in one piece!

Honestly, I could write a book on all that we've seen and experienced these past two weeks! It's just been incredible! Hope y'all are happy and healthy. Think of you often. Zai jian!

Mom Jazzercises in Renmin Park

Mom joined a crowd of people jazzercising in Renmin Park (The People's Park) in the heart of Chengdu this afternoon. I never thought I'd have a reason to use the word jazzercise in a sentence, and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! Mom gave it her best shot trying to keep up with the more senior Chinese people! Enjoy and you're welcome.

[to play: click the arrow underneath the picture!]

Zai Jian Beijing, Ni Hao Xi'An!

Goodbye Beijing, hello Xi'An! I must admit that I was not too sad to be leaving Beijing. I met some great friends and had some fun times, but the crowds, pollution and cold have been wearing on me for quite some time now!


BB&T'ers - I FINALLY wore my hat that you all signed and gave me! When Mom and I were about 80 km north of Beijing on our way to the Great Wall Sunday, I jolted up all of the sudden and remembered that I had left the hat behind in our hotel room! I so wanted to take a picture wearing it on the Great Wall. I suppose one of the next most recognizable spots in China is the Gate of Heavenly Peace, where Mao's famous picture hangs, just across from Tian'anmen Square. I got some funny looks while taking the picture! I thought of all of you and the wonderful friends I made while at BB&T! Thanks again to Steve P, Matt L, Jordan B, Hai F, Scott R, Mendy M and all the others who helped put together my going away party a long 7 months ago!!

Monday, Mom and I toured the Forbidden City and then the Temple of Heaven. Mei Xian joined us for the Temple of Heaven and then we went to a really good Korean restaurant for dinner. A lot of the little Chinese kids were following us in the parks, anxious to practice their English with us. They also laughed a lot at my pronunciation of their language!

Tuesday, we slept in and went shopping! It was fun to watch Mom try to bargain with the people at their various stands. We got 90 minute massages for $10, then headed back to our hotel for a dumpling making lesson. Ours were not that good...poor form! But, it was fun making the dumplings with a Swedish family also staying in our hotel and at least they tasted good once the Chinese girls cooked them for us! We had a fantastic dinner at a very nice Chinese restaurant (thanks to Lance & Lenna for my birthday/Christmas dinner!), then Anna-Lina and I put Mom to bed and met Michael for a few good-bye drinks in Hou Hai!

Mei Xian met us at the airport to say goodbye....tears were shed and promises to keep in touch were made. I am blessed to have met some wonderful people during my time in Beijing. I love that I now have even more friends from all over the world. That's one of the best things about traveling and living abroad!

We made it to Xi'An with no problems. Xi'an is very polluted and there is construction going on everywhere. I lost count after 15 cranes on our way into the city center from the airport! The problem is that, in addition to the buildings under construction, there are so many buildings sitting empty all over the place. The Chinese definitely must believe in the 'build it and they will come' philosophy. I, on the other hand, feel that China is most certainly heading for a big correction in the very near future!

I took Mom to a Wal-Mart last night. She was "impressed" with the displays of chicken feet, whole fish, racks of meat hanging and drying, barrels of rice, etc. that sit all around the store. Our hotel in Xi'An is very Western and high end. I took my second bath in 7 months last night! It was wonderful! I don't feel like I'm in China when I'm in our room, which is a really nice break from the last 4 1/2 months!

Clothes watch: Mom bought a new jacket and left behind the massive, teal jacket which was last fashionable back in the 80's (it had huge shoulder pads!) and a black fleece jacket which she wore to my softball games in high school! I'm really proud of her for breaking with the old and getting something new!

The following is contributed by co-author, Pat Barden (aka Mom):

My week in Beijing was one I will never forget!! The highlights of the week were climbing The Great Wall, walking through the Forbidden City, interacting with the Chinese people, especially the children ,and meeting many of Jamie's friends. Simply awesome!

We have eaten Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean food, and I haven't gotten sick. It all has been very good, but I'm about ready for a big juicy hamburger. :)

If you've never experienced a 'squatter toilet', let me tell you...you don't want to! My thigh muscles are getting in shape!

Mei Lan, the panda in Washington DC, will arrive in Chengdu on Feb. 5th and we will arrive there on Feb. 6th. We hope we get to see her when we visit the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Wouldn't that be cool?

We think of y'all often.