Week 9: Seoul Ink

This past weekend for Duan Wu Jie (Dragon Boat Festival Holiday) I was able to experience Seoul, Korea for the first time. Although only two hours away by plane from Beijing, it was a very different culture and an all-around great experience. I feel like my writing doesn't have its best stuff today, so I'll try to scrape through five innings with the help of some junk balling and a pitch-to-contact approach.

• First and foremost, I really appreciated the Korean culture of being polite and courteous. Even though all I said was Kam sa mi da and Anion Haseyo, it was still a nice change of pace from the Chinese people who just ignore you after you make a purchase.

• Apparently I can pass for Korean pretty easily, because a bunch of people came up to me asking for directions (I assume). For the first time this trip, I was a true foreigner who couldn’t fake it. Props to the few shop vendors who called out to me in Chinese from the get go.

• Once when another shop vendor started talking to Vanessa and I in English, I said “No English!” just for kicks, and he switched seamlessly to Chinese.

• Korea is cutesy central. I’ve never seen so many cute socks available for sale on the street, and I’ve never seen couples actually dress the same from head to toe on a normal day basis. All the cafes and eateries also seem to be very “cute date place” oriented. Also, couples have some sort of rule that they must be holding hands or touching at all times.

• Korean guys are very comfortable with their masculinity. They go above and beyond murses and reside safely in the straight up man purses and man clutches zone.

• I’d also say that Koreans on the whole dress more stylishly than Chinese or American people.

• I still don’t get why instead of selling everything for thousands of won, they don’t just simplify everything to one dollar, two dollar etc.

• Korean street food was pretty unique, but I didn’t find a go-to item that I had to get every time I saw it. Shikae on the other hand, I was obsessed with the entire weekend. Also, chilled Makgeolli is delicious.

• It was surreal having Korean BBQ in Korea for the first time. But I guess you shouldn't expect the 8 dollar AYCE to have rice paper or radish.

• I officially like Kimbap better than Japanese sushi. I could have eaten that stuff for every meal. Not such a big fan of the spicy red sauce they lather on everything, nor the extreme-carbohydrate dokba (?). Overall, a big thumbs up to Korean food, even though I didn't even get to have soondubu.

• Other things that will have to wait until next time… authentic Korean Norebang and sleeping overnight at a Jjimjilbang.

• They have these things called Love Motels in Korea apparently, where it’s rather blatant that they’re there for R rated activities. One place I saw had a silouhette of a guy in a top hat and cane plus a heart next to it, with the Chinese character for love on top. Apparently this was also a byproduct of living in Janghanpyeong haha. I digress.

• I was really excited to watch my first international baseball game in Korea, where we saw the Lotte Giants take on the LG Twins. The Lotte pitcher threw 7 1/3rd perfect innings, so it was a fun game to watch and try to see history unfold—there apparently has never been a perfect game in Korean baseball history. We also got to wear orange bags on our heads as fans of Lotte for the day, which was a bizarre but cool sight to see. Unlike American baseball games, fan engagement is most excellent, with support for both the home team and the visiting team roughly 50/50, and the crowd breaking out into songs and cheers constantly throughout the game. The Lotte side sang a version of Glory Glory Hallelujah as their main fight song, while the LG side switched it up between “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson (in Korean) and Happy Together by The Turtles.

• More funny moments from the baseball game: when the pitcher throws over to first base too much, the crowd antagonizes him, and in unison says something like ‘MAH!” while the other side responds with another monosyllabic shout. In addition, the Twins featured four mascots, a set of boy twins and a set of girl twins. They break danced. Also, there were four cheerleaders on both sides that danced every time their team was at-bat.

• Nanta! Is like a Korean version of Blue Man Group. I recommend it.

• People are out at crazy hours in Korea! And not just young college kids out partying—old dudes and even families with kids are out eating and stuff at like midnight.

• The amount of public drunkenness is ridiculous.

• They have done a really good job with their Olympic Park from 1988. It was a pleasure to bike around.

This post would be amiss if I didn’t mention how appreciative I was to have Vanessa and Tim (if only for an afternoon) as my gracious hosts during my time in Seoul. I realized what a huge difference it makes when you get to travel with old friends instead of by your lonesome; there’s really no contest between the two. While some independence and silent pondering while exploring is okay once in a while, I much prefer the reminiscing and old jokes that naturally play out even amidst a new setting. It confirms my inherent extrovertedness, as well as the value I place in personnel over location. While Seoul the city was a great deal of fun on its own, it became that much better with a few familiar faces, and I’d rather hang out with good company in a thoroughly boring place than be stuck all by yourself in the greatest amusement park there ever was.

Week 8: Notes From a Company Cafeteria

During the many lunches I’ve had with co-workers, one of the recurring topics of discussion is a cultural exchange between how things are in the states and how things are in China. Through these chats, I’ve gained a better understanding of not just how things are in China, but a possible explanation of why they are the way they are. (Disclaimer: I’ve been reading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, which may have influenced the blog content this week. However, none of this is all that well researched, and more speculation than actual research.)
Some of the topics we talk about are fairly simple. For example, Chinese people eat much less meat, drink less milk and eat no cheese in their diet, which is why most Chinese kids are shorter than their ABC counterparts. The breakdown that follows however, struck me as a minor revelation.

My initial prompt: When you think about it, China has the history, manpower, and early advanced civilization that should allow them to be a global power. Not just an emerging one that is making huge strides in recent years, but one that should have been duking it out with the Soviet Union and the United States decades ago. The Chinese are known for their four original inventions: paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing, so how come today China can’t make an automobile that can compete on the global market?

My co-worker’s response: In short, Chinese culture is too conservative (loosely translated). Throughout history, they spend too much time stuck in one era while other civilizations moved on. A feudal China remained intact for much too long, which eventually led to the Communist takeover which further set back industrial growth. Whenever China latches on to something, it seems like they don’t want to let go. They grow comfortable and prefer not to change things up.

For example, buddhism, which originated in India, but is no longer the main religion of India... still the most prominent religion in China. Socialism, which originated with the Soviet Union, but is no longer in power... China steadfastly refuses to abandon it. An alphabet system, which pretty much every other symbol-using language has adopted (Japanese, Korean, and going way back, Egyptians)... China still largely has no alphabet.

***

Call it loyalty, or preserving tradition, but in the long run, it has set China back. Compare this to the founders of the United States, who not only had the courage to rebel against their former countrymen but boldly establish a new form of government, and it’s a stark contrast. Of course, how China and America are now operating in the 21st century and how things will look going into the future is a whole ‘nother topic for another day.

Obviously, this is an overly simplifed synopsis, and there are plenty of alternate explanations, missing pieces and huge loopholes, but it’s an example of what I get to ponder about out here. Hopefully I’ll return to the states with a broader understanding of things that expand beyond the Socal bubble.

Note: Happy 150th post, Proverbial Putts! Special thanks to those who have been here all along.

Week 7: Lost in Translation

Despite my subtle boasting about my improving Chinese conversational skills last week, this week brought that all crashing back down to earth. The scene of the crime? Mickey D’s.

To preface the situation, earlier this week when my co-worker took me to Starbucks (a luxury destination in China), I ordered the drink name in English, and not only did the barista understand, but she called out the drink in English to her fellow workers. Thus, at Mickey D’s, I figured that I could do something similar since the English names are also written on each packaged item. Usually, I get around ordering directly by saying "What kind of chicken dishes do you guys have?" or “Can you recommend a good soup?” and then just repeating something that sounded good. Very rarely have I been in a situation like Mickey D’s, where a menu (although without numbered value meal choices) is simply before you, visible all at once.

(regular font is translated from Chinese. Italicized font is spoken English)

Mickey D’s Cashier: Hi.
Me: Hi, can I get a Oreo McFlurry?
MDC: (puzzled frown on his face) What?
Me: Uhh, that ice cream?
(pudgy middle school kid next to me turns around, wondering who this idiot is)
MDC: … which kind of ice cream?
Me: (starting to panic, I point in the general direction of the Mcflurry on the menu. I desperately try to read the Chinese letters again, even though I know I can't. I only recognize the last word - wind - and so mutter something to myself instead)
MDC: Oh, the (somethingsomething wind)? Which flavor. We have strawberry and oreo (pronounced ah-ree-ah).
Me: Right, the… ah-ree-ah.

Nothing like McDonald’s to humble the spirits.

***

For the most part, it seems like the general American to Chinese translation is better than it was in 2004 when I first came to China. Grammatical signs aren’t so egregious, and misspellings are forgivable. One thing that I still get a kick out of though, are the weird English words that people print on shirts. Many times it will be just complete randomness like “Machine IPSQ X PP.” Other times it’s some poetic phrase that’s just a bit off, like “Live to Laughs… Love in the Quiet… Flow like a River.” My top three favorites so far though:

3. A balding 50-60 year old guy wearing an oversized fake ECKO shirt
2. A peppy 20-something year old girl wearing a shirt that just says “STOIC” in huge block letters
1. A stocky 8-9 year old boy wearing a shirt that says “Goddess” in a bland font

One more thing. Angry Birds is all the rage right now in China, and I’m not talking about people playing the game. Little kids love Angry Bird T-Shirts like fat kids love candy. I’ve also seen hats, watches, and even entire outfits that come together… I’ve even seen a Chinese style Angry Birds fan. It’s much more common than Mickey Mouse or really any other cartoon figure that kids should like. It’s a decent game for your phone, but the birds are not that cute. They don’t have much personality. There is basically zero storyline besides what is implied with their name. There are no jokes, heartfelt moments, epic scenes, hero figures, nothing. It’s just a simple slingshot game where you try to knock things down! Simply baffling.

Week 6: In the Absence of Twitter

It's a bit surreal that I only have about a month left in China. 30 + days still seems like a good amount of time, but the last 30 seem like a blur. I also feel like I have been writing too much on each blog post, to the point where I am no doubt oversupplying my readers with content. So, I will try to be more laconic in the coming weeks while holding out hope that my few remaining voracious readers will voice their displeasure and demand more proverbial putts going forward.

A few random thoughts that I probably would have tweeted if I were able to do so in China...

• Mark my words: lung cancer is going to be a major problem in Beijing in the future. Although the air quality has been much better (or maybe I'm just getting used to it, who knows) in the past couple of weeks due to a healthy amount of wind blowing the pollution away, you can't go anywhere without running into smokers. Sometimes I will be walking on the sidewalk and there will be four guys walking in a row ahead of me, all smoking at the same time. In times like these, it is nearly impossible to avoid breathing the secondhand smoke that inevitably comes drifting my way in this miserably large cloud. Then there are the hardcore smokers who smoke without using hands and while biking. Remarkably, they puff in and out without ever removing the cigarette from their mouths. People also openly ignore "No Smoking" signs in restaurants and stairwells, puffing away at the table while the waiters and attendants do nothing to stop them. [Matt: I've thought about you several times in these situations and how you would probably enjoy being in my shoes.]
• Watch where you step. That pool of liquid on the ground might be baby urine. It always strikes me as odd when parents let their little ones simply pee on the ground outdoors, sometimes in a tree planter patch of dirt, other times right on the side of the sidewalk. Instead of diapers, babies simply have a slit in their pants, providing convenient access for peeing in public. I even saw a mom let a 10-year old pee on the side of a wall, in a heavily trafficked area. C'mon people. [Trace: I wonder if you'd still find these babies cute while they were urinating in public. The jury is out on this one.]
• There's something pretty fun about meeting new people in a foreign country. Everyone has a more interesting story to tell, something different from what I'm used to. Whether it be English-speaking expats or Chinese middle-aged white collar workers or even the barbers and masseuses I happen to encounter, everyone has a wonderfully different story to tell. I take a bit of pride in being able to talk to anyone among these drastically different groups of people, and especially enjoy trying to pass off as a Chinese native who doesn't know English. Sometimes I'm successful, but other times people can see right through me. One of the taxi drivers I encountered bluntly asked me if I grew up in a foreign country, because he noticed that I reached for the seat belt upon entering the cab. [Mwen: you'd be proud of me. It's like I'm you at Tea Station, but all the time.]