Beautiful and exciting, Beijing is like Manhattan - shimmering buildings all lit up in neon. We understand why Ca likes to come here. Great shopping at several markets and every day, more tasty food. And I mean delicious food, whether it was the Korean bibimbap or the Peking duck or the hot pot. Thank goodness we are walking all day or we would be rolling back home!
Down on the street, well --- that is a bit different. Quite the adventure! Haha, today David and I tried to get back by ourselves to the Silk Market (for the 3rd time) since we were certain we remembered the location. Here is where it is like being on Mars. Of course we were hopelessly out of whack, guiding ourselves by visual landmarks ... And ended up lost again!! Hmmmm, what to do? NO recognizable street names, no understandable "you are here" on the map, VERY rare to see someone who might speak English, taxi drivers that just shake their heads "no" after looking at your hotel business card, aaarrrgggh. We were determined to figure it out ourselves and not bug Ca to death... She had her own errands to do. God bless her, we would have gone crazy without her!!
Finally we made it home. And of course, Ca took us off to yet ANOTHER market. I can't explain how crazy it is. Masses of vendors soooooo hungry to sell you. It's frantic!! "Hey lady, you need a "______"? The vendors know EXACTLY how to express ALL they need to bargain away. And my gosh, greed has set in!!! How couldn't it with acres of stalls? Pearls, jade, coral, purses, watches, ceramics, oh my goodness. Bargained prices make me want to buy more, more, more. Beautiful pearls of every quality, size, color, it's like a shoppers dream. You could go ape!!! Jade for miles. A girl can create a masterpiece of threaded pearls in 30 minutes... Ask Ca, she did it!!
I love the history, love walking in the Forbidden city, thinking of the many Imperial dynasty movies we've seen. It IS just like that. Excellently maintained and glorious. Like Chinese Versailles! It is super frustrating on the language side, but so amusing that folk are impressed just because you are from America. On several occasions giggling teens or rural people would ask for pictures with us ... just like you are a movie star!
Ca says America is known as "the beautiful country." Hmmm, I miss home but am thrilled to have accomplished what I wanted...
1. After two years of PT and surgical aggravation, I stood on the Great Wall. I made it!
2. Shopped in pearl heaven
3. Ate, drank, and was merry with my great kid
Xie xie Ca, Wo ai ni.
What an amazing time and world view of somewhere completely wild for us! I will never forget it. It's a big world out there...so excited to see and share it w David and Ca.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
David Does Shenyang! Day 2: "A Perspective"
Shenyang: In a word ~ busy, colorful, cold, snowy, bustling, open and friendly.
Following a very long flight from Detroit to Beijing and then to Shenyang, Deb and I were at the baggage claim carousel merely looking to grab our stuff and head out to the wilds of Shenyang.
Instantly, it all became more than worthwhile when we saw beautiful Ca, a big bouquet of flowers and an even bigger smile welcoming us to Shenyang. Tears, laughter, hugs, kisses and smiles ensued.
We were carried away to her home at The Somerset. Following more tears, laughter, hugs and kisses, we settled in for a well-deserved coma at her lovely apartment.
Easter Sunday morning greeted us with snow. Perhaps a more accurate description would be slush, followed by puddles. Undaunted, we went for shopping, snacking, exploring and getting a feel for the city. Larger than one would imagine. Much. It's a city certainly "under construction" with cranes and new buildings at every turn. Ca explains that some of it is due to China's Olympic games held here later this summer. Other 20+ story buildings are what we'd all call "spec." Great looking, full-service, modern places, all looking for tenants. My guess is that it's a case of "If you build it, they will come."
The folks in Shenyang are very open, pleasant, helpful and friendly. Ca's command of Chinese, however, was essential throughout our sightseeing, food ordering and getting around.
We had dinner with no less than a dozen State co-workers last night. It could best be described as Sichuan ~ again, lots of great food shared by all. Spicy, varied and delicious. Great company of friends.
We lunched today at (believe it or not) at a Korean shop that Ca had recommended highly ~ even before we left for China. Korean bibimbap is an absolutely delicious culinary treasure. Simultaneously simple and complex, it's a combination of vegetables, bean sprouts, carrots and many other ingredients placed over rice in a HOT ceramic pot and an egg is cracked over the concoction. The heat of the food and the pot itself cook the egg which is then mixed into other the yummy ingredients. Comfort food extraordinaire!
Our visit to the U. S. Consulate today will surely be remembered as a highlight of the trip that we're only half-way through. We met privately with the Consul General and were then introduced to most of the staff. We're certainly proud of Ca; she and her co-workers do good things.
Deb and I went out afterward, locally, to explore on our own and had a very nice eight-story department store in mind ~ perhaps a city block away. Who knew the store we actually wanted was right next door to the store we entered? A half hour of looking for an exit and finding the entrance with very few English signs and international symbols, we found our way into the right store. Here too, very friendly, helpful folks assisting two clearly lost window-shoppers were nearly everywhere.
A KFC across the street beckoned Deb and I (believe it or not). They had coffee, fries and best of all, pictures of food! Lots of nodding, smiling, and charade-like movements, and we were happily back at Ca's who (typically polite) was very understanding of our "adventures in misadventures" this evening.
Back tonight for a delicious hot shower and (no doubt) another excellent and well-earned coma. Photos of all of the above ~ and then some ~ are sure to follow.
Following a very long flight from Detroit to Beijing and then to Shenyang, Deb and I were at the baggage claim carousel merely looking to grab our stuff and head out to the wilds of Shenyang.
Instantly, it all became more than worthwhile when we saw beautiful Ca, a big bouquet of flowers and an even bigger smile welcoming us to Shenyang. Tears, laughter, hugs, kisses and smiles ensued.
We were carried away to her home at The Somerset. Following more tears, laughter, hugs and kisses, we settled in for a well-deserved coma at her lovely apartment.
Easter Sunday morning greeted us with snow. Perhaps a more accurate description would be slush, followed by puddles. Undaunted, we went for shopping, snacking, exploring and getting a feel for the city. Larger than one would imagine. Much. It's a city certainly "under construction" with cranes and new buildings at every turn. Ca explains that some of it is due to China's Olympic games held here later this summer. Other 20+ story buildings are what we'd all call "spec." Great looking, full-service, modern places, all looking for tenants. My guess is that it's a case of "If you build it, they will come."
The folks in Shenyang are very open, pleasant, helpful and friendly. Ca's command of Chinese, however, was essential throughout our sightseeing, food ordering and getting around.
We had dinner with no less than a dozen State co-workers last night. It could best be described as Sichuan ~ again, lots of great food shared by all. Spicy, varied and delicious. Great company of friends.
We lunched today at (believe it or not) at a Korean shop that Ca had recommended highly ~ even before we left for China. Korean bibimbap is an absolutely delicious culinary treasure. Simultaneously simple and complex, it's a combination of vegetables, bean sprouts, carrots and many other ingredients placed over rice in a HOT ceramic pot and an egg is cracked over the concoction. The heat of the food and the pot itself cook the egg which is then mixed into other the yummy ingredients. Comfort food extraordinaire!
Our visit to the U. S. Consulate today will surely be remembered as a highlight of the trip that we're only half-way through. We met privately with the Consul General and were then introduced to most of the staff. We're certainly proud of Ca; she and her co-workers do good things.
Deb and I went out afterward, locally, to explore on our own and had a very nice eight-story department store in mind ~ perhaps a city block away. Who knew the store we actually wanted was right next door to the store we entered? A half hour of looking for an exit and finding the entrance with very few English signs and international symbols, we found our way into the right store. Here too, very friendly, helpful folks assisting two clearly lost window-shoppers were nearly everywhere.
A KFC across the street beckoned Deb and I (believe it or not). They had coffee, fries and best of all, pictures of food! Lots of nodding, smiling, and charade-like movements, and we were happily back at Ca's who (typically polite) was very understanding of our "adventures in misadventures" this evening.
Back tonight for a delicious hot shower and (no doubt) another excellent and well-earned coma. Photos of all of the above ~ and then some ~ are sure to follow.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Burma Day 2: Yangon - Bagan
 |
| The Bogyoke Market |
-/-
 |
| Myanmar Beer > Chinese Beer |
 |
| Hand-written boarding passes |
 |
| Our oasis of a hotel in the middle of paradise |
Let's see: in that time I have---
Seen a temple at sunrise
Walked through the streets of Yangon
Ate at a delicious Asian breakfast buffet
Attended a church service in Burmese (random but lovely!)
Shopped at the busiest market in Burma
Swam in a rooftop pool
Flown to Heho, Mandalay, and Bagan
Ate traditional Burmese dishes
Swam in the dark
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Buying Items Online & Chinese Meals
I had a mini-Christmas of sorts yesterday when two packages came for me. The mailroom called and told me to come pick them up before the afternoon was over. One was from the Sister, a package of Christmas cookies, my favorite variety!! She must have remembered that white chocolate raspberry are my favorite!
The second package was my order of clothes from the Gap. Unfortunately when I ordered a bunch of things, about half were out of stock. Even more unfortunately, when I received them, almost all of them were too big. :( The super-cute plaid pleated mini skirt I bought is supposed to be a size 8, but I guess I'm no longer a size 8 OR their sizing is way off. Could this mean that at Gap I'm always going to be a size 4?
I got to the gym yesterday, which felt good. There are times I don't feel like I'm in China, especially when I'm working out or running on the treadmill. If I shut my eyes or focus on the TV while I'm running, I can almost imagine I'm back at Penn in Van Pelt running after work. There are times when I'm out at restaurants when I think that too, especially in Western-type food chains. But then I look around at the people or pay my bill and I'm distinctly reminded that I'm in China.
Lunch yesterday was my first experience at spicy noodle guan. The girls (the BFF, L, and D) go out to a small noodle shop down the street from the Consulate to get their spice fix. Knowing that my tolerance for hot things is minimal, the BFF didn't insist that I come but suggested that I would be able to find things that I liked that weren't too spicy. It was a success! The staple dishes were the bowl of noodles in beef broth with chili peppers and veggies.
We also had one of my favorite easy dishes: szechuan green beans with garlic and MSG (yes, it's used as the main spice here in China). As bad as these things are for me, they taste fantastic. I'll hopefully learn to make them myself and use salt instead. Realistically, though, the MSG is what makes this dish awesome. It's SO China.
The food in general wasn't crazy spicy, but I can't say that it was mild, either. I had a bit of a runny nose afterward, which was quite refreshing :P Buying meals in China is always an adventure. Between getting what you want ordered properly, seeing ALL THE FOOD you ordered come out, and then paying for it. The four of us got one order of fried tofu with chilis, one plate of shredded sweet potatoes with chilis, two noodle bowls with soup, one large order of shredded pork with veggies, two cups of rice, and the green bean platter. Each of us paid about 12.5 元, which equals... oh about US$2.00. Fabulous, huh? ;)
The second package was my order of clothes from the Gap. Unfortunately when I ordered a bunch of things, about half were out of stock. Even more unfortunately, when I received them, almost all of them were too big. :( The super-cute plaid pleated mini skirt I bought is supposed to be a size 8, but I guess I'm no longer a size 8 OR their sizing is way off. Could this mean that at Gap I'm always going to be a size 4?
I got to the gym yesterday, which felt good. There are times I don't feel like I'm in China, especially when I'm working out or running on the treadmill. If I shut my eyes or focus on the TV while I'm running, I can almost imagine I'm back at Penn in Van Pelt running after work. There are times when I'm out at restaurants when I think that too, especially in Western-type food chains. But then I look around at the people or pay my bill and I'm distinctly reminded that I'm in China.
Lunch yesterday was my first experience at spicy noodle guan. The girls (the BFF, L, and D) go out to a small noodle shop down the street from the Consulate to get their spice fix. Knowing that my tolerance for hot things is minimal, the BFF didn't insist that I come but suggested that I would be able to find things that I liked that weren't too spicy. It was a success! The staple dishes were the bowl of noodles in beef broth with chili peppers and veggies.
We also had one of my favorite easy dishes: szechuan green beans with garlic and MSG (yes, it's used as the main spice here in China). As bad as these things are for me, they taste fantastic. I'll hopefully learn to make them myself and use salt instead. Realistically, though, the MSG is what makes this dish awesome. It's SO China.The food in general wasn't crazy spicy, but I can't say that it was mild, either. I had a bit of a runny nose afterward, which was quite refreshing :P Buying meals in China is always an adventure. Between getting what you want ordered properly, seeing ALL THE FOOD you ordered come out, and then paying for it. The four of us got one order of fried tofu with chilis, one plate of shredded sweet potatoes with chilis, two noodle bowls with soup, one large order of shredded pork with veggies, two cups of rice, and the green bean platter. Each of us paid about 12.5 元, which equals... oh about US$2.00. Fabulous, huh? ;)
Monday, December 26, 2011
Back on the Path
First post in a while, finally feel settled enough to comment on life in China.
Shenyang is an amazing little city, and although it's considered a second-tier city in China standards, it's massive in its scope and size. I've explored only parts of the city so far, but I do feel that I have a better understanding of its ins and outs. After two years, I hope to be a master!
Today was my third time to the Wu'Ai Market 无爱市场, a very successful shopping trip. Wu'Ai works like any wholesale market in China, where goods are cheap and must be bargained for. I went with a few items in mind (I had actually made a list to keep myself on track) and got most of them. The two biggest purchases were sturdy brown boots and a warm mid-length coat. The boots were my first purchase of the day, when my bargaining skills were not up to par. I'm sure I could have gotten them for cheaper, but I'm pretty satisfied with a pair of leather riding boots, lined with fur, for about 168元 (~26US$). The coat was my last purchase, and by that time, I had perfected my pout and my confidence in expressing my opinion (tai gui le!). The coat is tan wool, and it has a beautiful fur trim around the neck. The size cracked me up (the ladies fit me in an XXXL) but at least I got it at a huge discount for 190元 (~30US$). Pictures soon to come.
I met the BFF & the husband at Zhong Jie 中街, another shopping avenue east of the market for some hearty dumplings at Laobian Jiaozi Guan 老边饺子馆. Unfortunately, my Chinese speaking skills were not up to par, and we started off pretty rough with ordering some gelatinous items (which we later learned was "frozen skin" -- yum!). But in the end, the BFF successfully ordered us three kinds of jiaozi: beef, pork with celery?, pork with parsley. Scrumptious! I do think dumplings will be the end of me, or at least the end of my figure!
Will try to keep updating daily. Here's for my new year's resolution!
Shenyang is an amazing little city, and although it's considered a second-tier city in China standards, it's massive in its scope and size. I've explored only parts of the city so far, but I do feel that I have a better understanding of its ins and outs. After two years, I hope to be a master!
Today was my third time to the Wu'Ai Market 无爱市场, a very successful shopping trip. Wu'Ai works like any wholesale market in China, where goods are cheap and must be bargained for. I went with a few items in mind (I had actually made a list to keep myself on track) and got most of them. The two biggest purchases were sturdy brown boots and a warm mid-length coat. The boots were my first purchase of the day, when my bargaining skills were not up to par. I'm sure I could have gotten them for cheaper, but I'm pretty satisfied with a pair of leather riding boots, lined with fur, for about 168元 (~26US$). The coat was my last purchase, and by that time, I had perfected my pout and my confidence in expressing my opinion (tai gui le!). The coat is tan wool, and it has a beautiful fur trim around the neck. The size cracked me up (the ladies fit me in an XXXL) but at least I got it at a huge discount for 190元 (~30US$). Pictures soon to come.
I met the BFF & the husband at Zhong Jie 中街, another shopping avenue east of the market for some hearty dumplings at Laobian Jiaozi Guan 老边饺子馆. Unfortunately, my Chinese speaking skills were not up to par, and we started off pretty rough with ordering some gelatinous items (which we later learned was "frozen skin" -- yum!). But in the end, the BFF successfully ordered us three kinds of jiaozi: beef, pork with celery?, pork with parsley. Scrumptious! I do think dumplings will be the end of me, or at least the end of my figure!
Will try to keep updating daily. Here's for my new year's resolution!
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