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Archive for April, 2008

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Did China Happen?

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

I’ve been home for a week now. While traveling through China, I had forgotten about home and the stress here. I was at peace, and for the first time in a long time, I was myself. The girl I use to be before I took on the stress and responsibility of my current job.

China is home now. Even if at this moment, it’s merely in my mind for the moment. I loved the people, even though they were sometimes rude or too friendly! haha. But most of all I miss the culture, history and the friends I made there.

For this reason, I am seriously contemplating moving to China. Although it may be for only a year or two, the idea is very intriguing. I had a glimpse of life there and a taste of the hunger for knowledge that the Chinese people have. They’re always so surprised to discover that foreigners know facts about China.

My goal now, is to enroll in Chinese classes at the University here and do some studying while I save money and get ready to cross the ocean again.

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Open English Forum w/ Chinese Students & Professionals

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

My last night in China turned out to be a more symbolic and interesting night than most nights here. As I was sitting with some of the staff here at BackPax, a Chinese University student approached me and asked if I would come sit with her and her friends, so they could practice their English. I naturally said yes!

Moving to the sofas in the other room, the 6 of us settled down. Each of the students had given their English names… Tommy, Phoebe, Katrina, Grace and Mary. It was cute to see how proud they were of their chosen Enlish nicknames as they giggled away. We had a lot of fun as they each sang me a song in either English or Chinese and asked questions about Canada, music and film. Although some students were shy, most spoke freely and their English was pretty good.

The buzz about BackPax and what they’re trying to do here in China, seems to have spread within the short time they’ve been open, as even more students and a couple of professionals trickled in. At the peak of our conversation, our little group of 6, had swelled to a group of 13. With our new arrivals, came new and more controversial topics.

My original 5 students became very shy and quiet as three “Urger” Chinese walked into our discussion. Urger (I think that’s what he said) are a visible minority here in China and live in the North-West regions of the country. I imagine having them walk into the room would be similar to an African American walking into a public “white” business in the 1960’s in the USA. We had the opportunity to discuss heritage as one person had stated that Urger were not Chinese. Stepping in a little bit I tried to explain that they all live in China, and therefore they were all Chinese, even though their culture and traditions maybe be different.

It was fascinating to watch as the discussion turned towards media, politics, dictatorship, education and so on. I felt as though I was under the spotlight as I was asked many questions about Canada, and my views of China, and tried to open the discussion for them to express themselves.

One things they expressed was their wish to understand why people around the world do not know the real China. Explaining about misconception and pre-conceived notions, we further discussed the assets of travelers and foreigners in China. It’s hard to know China without visiting China and experiencing it first hand. The days of Chairman Mao have ended, and China is slowly evolving and progressing on their own, although they have far to go. Many Chinese people wish the world to know what the differences are, as many think that China is a lot better now, then it has been in the past.

I belive this is why they are excited of the Olympics, as they hoped that more people will come and know the real China. Tonight has been very educational and there is a lot to think about and process. I hope to sit down when I get home and write more about our discussion and the views of the Chinese people, as I think it’s important for all of us to understand one another.

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A day in Xi’an

Friday, April 18th, 2008
Last night the crew at BackPax hosted an Expat event with a Mexican theme. What a great time for them to launch their new menu and mark the opening of the hostel's restaurant. The food was great, as ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Insights into China

Thursday, April 17th, 2008
China is full of organized chaos. For some reason things work here that would NEVER work in a modern and organized world, such as Canada or the USA. Take traffic and driving skills for example... 1. Most Chinese do not know ... [Continue reading this entry]

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When you turn into your parents, do you run screaming into the night?

Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Anyone who knows me well and knows my family is well aware of the family trait... the large MacNaughtan ears, you know the ones that stick out a bit? Well thankfully I was blessed with my Mother's ears, small and ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Wuhan & The Pathways Hostel

Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Wuhan is the first city in China where I have literally seen mounds of garbage in the streets of the poor section of town. Now before you jump to conclusions, No, my hostel was not in the slums this time! ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Trusting in strangers

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
So being in a foreign country and not speaking the language, there is a certain amount of trust that you have to put in complete strangers. Thankfully, nothing too terrible has happened, although there were times when I wasn't sure... This ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Yangtze River Cruising

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
My bus ride from Chengdu to Chongqing was long, however the Chinese woman beside me made things more interesting as she continually offered me snacks. I have no clue what I was eating! Some of it was pretty good, others, ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Chengdu

Saturday, April 12th, 2008
I'm amazed at how well I slept last night, the bed felt like heaven. I'm still waking up fairly early in the morning, although I didn't wake up at 3am this morning like I have been. Although it was raining ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Holly’s Hostel- A Review

Friday, April 11th, 2008
I have no clue how a hostel in the Tibetan Quarter of Chengdu can cook such fantastic western and chinese food, but they do! This woman is amazing. Her fries are to die for, not to mention the massive banana ... [Continue reading this entry]

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