The Chinese Nation

Brock finally gets off his couch and ventures through China

Things to Love about China: 39 of 100

The Beach

When I joined thirty of my fellow teachers for a three-day beach vacation, I didn’t quite know what to expect. In Wisconsin our beaches are all on lakes and in Kazakhstan… well, let’s just say it is, literally, the furthest geographical location from any ocean. So when I stepped off the bus and found a long sandy coastline with giant waves and blue water, I was a little culture-shocked. Did I really live near the ocean? The real ocean? I guess so.

The sun was out, the tide was out, and there were giant islands and monoliths jutting out of the water. My first inclination was to explore, so without any supplies (or sunblock) I ran off with my wife, my friend Matt, and an art teacher named Brittan.

We were hiking towards an inlet -or is it an outlet- at any rate my friend Matt had the need to climb a giant cliff face at the end of the beach. He figured it was about a ten-minute hike, but I could already tell that the part of his brain that estimates distance wasn’t functioning properly. To me it looked like a half-day hike.

Eventually the beach turned from sand to rock and we stopped at a little store for some beer. I also bought some sandals because I had been hiking barefoot and I somehow knew that I was in for some crazy adventure. After we threw a few back and set out, one of the store workers (who we later named Gollum) followed along.

When hiking with my friend Matt I am often reminded of a ADD teenage boy who sets out for something big without planning ahead. Though the other three of us had at least brought a shirt and a pocket full of money, Matt had left behind even these essentials. He did bring a Frisbee, but since he didn’t want to carry it he kept pawning it off on the rest of us.

When we reached the rock we had been hiking towards, Matt again showed his caution-to-the-wind attitude. “You guys climb the stairs. I’m climbing the rock face”

I was getting thirsty and my neck was starting to burn, so I wasn’t in the mood to argue. Cathy and I pushed ahead, while Matt and Brittan took the long-way-round.

At the top of the cliff Cathy and I found some stairs leading up to an observatory. I figured we came all this way, why not a few more steps. Cathy followed because she thought that there might be water and a magical doorway home at the top of the mountain.

For-hundred or so stairs later Cathy was feeling really dehydrated. I asked her if she wanted to turn around, but she insisted that we push on. “There will be water and a fast trail home at the top”, said she. The advice of a dehydrated woman going into panic mode, I thought.

We reached the observatory and found a lone guard inside. Cathy immediately, and without shame, banged on the door and begged for “Schway, Schway” (Water, Water). The guard came back with a nice cold bottle of water, free-of-charge, and pointed us to a magical road that would take us back to the beach. I hate being wrong, but sometimes its a good thing.

Before we got to the road, Matt and Brittan caught up with us. Our quasi-guide (slash stalker), Gollum had pointed them up the staircase so that they would not lose us. We all drank some more of the magical water that Cathy had conjured for us and then walked down the “Deus Ex Machina” path that so brilliantly saved our butts.

That night, under the harvest moon, it was all barbeques and fireworks. We sat on the beach and conversed with the locals. They wanted to hear American songs and all I could think of was “American Pie”. They reciprocated with some Rick Astlley song that had somehow made it big in China- but they thought the lyrics were “Take me to your house” instead of “Take me to your heart”.

As the night grew longer and we grew more intoxicated, I thought back to my time in Kazakhstan. I had only been in China for a week now, and already had more positive experiences with the locals than my entire two years in Kazakhstan. People in China are very friendly and approachable. They aren’t around you because they want something from you, they just want to talk, laugh, and get you to sing Rick Astley with them.

There’s something about beaches that put people on an equal playing level. Whether you are a teacher or you make LED light blubs or you are the Prince of Wales, on the beach you are just a schmo with a Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks. Maybe that’s why Kazakhs are so unrelateable- they have no beaches, just fancy sports cars and high-heeled shoes.

As the fire shrinks into coals and the Chinese begin to retreat to their tents, I gaze at the Autumn moon. I’ve gazed at that moon from many places, but never from China. I realize that there is probably no better place to be right now than under this moon on this beach. Here’s to you China- “Take me to your House”.

Things to Love about China: 38 of 100

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Things to Love about China 37 of 100: Mooncakes

Hello all. After a long summer of traveling, partying, and getting married, I have landed safely in China (and have been living two crazy weeks). There are so many experiences that I have not yet been able to capture on camera or in words, but please know that Cathy and I are very joy-filled and satisfied with our new lives.

In the next few months I have a lot to blog about as I explore this strange world called China- but when contemplating where to begin I can think of nothing better than Mooncakes.

I first discovered mooncakes when one of my little Chinese students brought a plastic-wrapped pastry to my desk and said "For you, teacher," she said.

I took the pastry, cautiously, and asked "What is it?"

She smiled and said, "Mooncake".

Often when I encounter new foods in China I pick up my chopsticks and dig-in without asking too many questions, but this Mooncake looked to me like a pandora's box - anything could be inside. I carefully took a nibble and was surprised to find that I did not despise it. It tasted, if nothing else, a little bit like Pecan Pie. Now don't get me wrong, i'd rather eat a pecan pie any day, but this little Mooncake wasn't too bad.

I took a bigger bite and ventured in further. There were seeds and nuts and some cubes of geletin-like substance. It was almost good! I kept chomping when I happened upon a small surprise: a round orange thing about the size of an egg-yolk. I didn't quite know what to do with this globular-treasure. I know that Chinese love to mix up textures as you partake (bubble tea is one example of this), but I wasn't sure about this orange ball stuck in my pecan-pie.

I scraped the orange thing with my teeth. Salty- an interesting flavor to find in a pie. I decided not to finish the ball and ate around it. I proceeded to find first one, then two more of the orange-mysteries and ate around them as well. When I took my last bite, all I had left were three salty spheres (later research would reveal these to be salted duck eggs)

Later, when my student saw me she asked if I had enjoyed the mooncake. I rubbed my tummy and smiled (although I wasn't quite sure if I enjoyed the experience or not). Never-the-less eight new mooncakes had arrived on my desk by the next morning. "For you," she explained.

And now I am a mooncake connoisseur. Those of you Angry-Bird players may have even spent time searching for them in the new Angry-Bird-Seasons update: "Mooncake Festival". Indeed, Mooncakes are the traditional gift given away during the Mid-Autumn festival for lunar-worship coming up next weekend- though, connoisseurs should be warned, the average mooncake packs in 800 - 1200 calories and are not friendly to those looking to drop a few pounds.

More to come!

~Brock