Yays & Yucks of China

I've been here in Shenyang for nearly a month now. That's not a terribly long time, but certainly long enough to discover things that I like and things that I can do without. I'm sure my list will evolve over time. In fact, I'll try to make it a point to revisit this list and revise it periodically throughout my stay here. Keep in mind, these thoughts are purely from my point of view and are limited to my exposure to the city of Shenyang. Okay, here we go...

Yays

1. The people are extremely nice! The "golden rule" is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. I love it!
2. Shoes! There are department stores with entire floors dedicated to women's shoes all over the city. I'm not in the market for shoes at the moment, so I can't speak to the quality; however, a floor full of shoes can't be a bad thing. :-)
3. It can be very inexpensive to live here. The caveat is that you must live like a native. Those items geared toward us westerners are going to cost you a pretty penny.
4. Keeping Yay #3 in mind, you can find many familiar brands in food, clothing, and electronics here.

Yucks

1. Smog. Shenyang is a model city in China for environmental awareness, but it is far from standards in the states. The morning air is always thick. Fortunately, we live in a more suburban area, so the air quality around our home is fairly good.
2. Potable water is a precious commodity. We live in a beautiful apartment with modern appliances and electronics, but we cannot drink, cook with, or even brush our teeth with water from our sink. The good news is that we have a ready supply of bottled water and a water cooler.
3. Crowds. It is ALWAYS crowded. I have never been one to handle being shoulder-to-shoulder in public spaces, so this is especially tough for me. I literally have to sit in silence for a few moments to regroup when I get home.
4. Pushing and shoving. It may seem contradictory to say that the people are nice and they also push and shove, but it's true. There is no concept of personal space in Chinese culture. The mentality is, "We're all in this together." They don't find it rude to push you out of the way as they move forward. I’ve learned not to take it personally and to just go with the crowd.
5. I’m illiterate! I cannot read, write, or speak the standard language here. The discerning consumer I once was has been whittled down to a three-year-old, jumping for joy when she recognizes the "Oreos" logo. I must note that I have graduated to a few two-word sentences. However, I've found that not everyone is comfortable with my accent. What Xing, our driver, perfectly understands evokes a wrinkled brow on the cashier at Wal-Mart.

There are days when those yucks really get under my skin, and other days when I find the experience fascinating. All in all, I'm continuing to accept each moment as it comes and remembering to appreciate the journey.  

Mr. Xing

At first glance driving in Shenyang seems to be quite similar to driving in the U.S. However, it only takes a moment before one realizes that the unspoken rules of the road make driving in Shenyang a much different experience. For drivers here, yellow lines don't exactly mean do not cross (even if a city bus is coming in the opposite direction!) It's also quite obvious that there is no such thing as "right-of-way", only "you'd-better-get-out-of-the-way". Cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians simply share the road (and the sidewalk) in a way that is foreign to us. That being said, it should come as no surprise that we do not drive here. We, like many expatriates in Shenyang, have a driver. His name is Xing.

Mr. Xing, as the kids call him, takes us wherever we need to go. At about 5'10" tall, he stands much taller than the stereotypical Chinese man. He has a warm smile and a gentle disposition. He speaks no English; we speak no Chinese. While this has made for many interesting exchanges over the past couple of weeks, we've managed to get where we need to go and share a few laughs along the way.

Fortunately, we have established somewhat of a routine in the past week which makes the communication much simpler. He picks us up at 7:15 each morning to take us to work and school. The car is full of our chatter. "Christian, do you have your lunchbox?" "Mama, can you go over my science vocabulary with me?" "Where's my water bottle?!" Mr. Xing is quiet.

After we get the kids off to school, Mr. Xing and I take the 30-minute drive back to the hotel. It's the most quiet car ride I've ever taken. As I take in all of the sights around us, I want so desperately to make some sort of small talk. "What are they building there? Is that a park? It sure is foggy this morning." For weeks I wondered, "Is he married? Does he have children?" Farell asked around and got the answers from for me a few days ago. Mr. Xing is married with a 17-month-old son.

While we sat in silence waiting for the kids after school yesterday, I used hand motions to ask him about his family. He put on a huge grin, then showed me their pictures on his cell phone. When I noticed Christian coming out of the school alone, I started to get out to meet him. Instead, Mr. Xing motioned for me to stay in the warm car. He met Christian at the gate, placed his arm around his shoulders, and lovingly walked him to the car. My thoughts at that moment..."We're in good hands."

What I wish most right now is that I had a better grasp of the language. In my long rides with Mr. Xing, I often think, "How arrogant of me to come live in his country without knowing his language." He doesn't seem to mind, though. I'm grateful for his patience and for his sincere care for our family. As I learn more Mandarin, I'll ask his permission to post his picture here. I'll then be sure to share with you our new family friend, Xing.

When in China...Do As the Chinese

During our transition period here in Shenyang, we're staying in a hotel. The rooms are nice, but not the most practical for a month long stay. We have no kitchen, so eating-out is the only option for most meals. Needless to say, we have done more than our share of eating out this week. As you can imagine, we were thrilled to see familiar names like KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, and Pizza Hut when we arrived. Perfect! We could play it safe for the first few days and ease our stomachs into Chinese cuisine. I, myself, wasn't so sure the local delicacy of dumplings would ever appeal to me. Chinese dumplings, or jiao zi, are thin dough pockets filled with many varieties of meats and vegetables. The jiao zi are then boiled, steamed, or fried. The presentation can appear somewhat bland - nothing compared to a crispy two piece and a biscuit. :-) Well, unfortunately, you will find lots of choices at any one of the dozens of KFC's in Shenyang, but a two piece snack is not one of them. So, on our first visit, I settled for popcorn chicken and fries. As I popped one in my mouth, I immediately realized that all popcorn chicken is not created equal. Apparently, this city likes their chicken spicy...and their ketchup...and their dipping sauces. So much for the Colonel's original recipe! I was disappointed to say the least.

A day or two later, we had our official tour of the city. Our tour guide helped me to get a new cell phone, walked us through banking and shopping transactions, and showed us key locations throughout the city. For lunch, she escorted us into a beautiful two-story restaurant specializing in...yes, you guessed it...dumplings. Chinese culture dictates that the host order for the entire party, so as we settled into our chairs, our host held a brief exchange with the waitress who then hurried off to fill our order. YIKES! (I'll have to save my apprehension with table etiquette for another post. The focus of this post is the food.) The waitress filled the enormous lazy susan with every type of dumpling we could imagine. Our host quickly explained the filling in each, and then offered a lively, "Eat, eat!" We did. We tried everything on the table...and loved it! Since then I have eaten several "Western" meals, but nothing so far compares to the delicious dumplings we devoured.

My tiny take away from this experience is that in many cases the modified adage applies: When in China...do as the Chinese. For now, I'll leave the fried chicken to my fellow Americans in the States.

Appreciating the Journey

Well, we're here! Worlds away from home in more ways than one. I'm a small-town, southern girl accustomed to a familiar "Hey, y'all!" every now and then, an occasional 70 degree day in winter, and ice in my tea. Now, here we are in big-city, northeast China where greetings are warm, but absent the drawl. The snow mounds are 3 feet high and apparently not planning to melt by morning. Tea is abundant, but there's no ice and it's certainly not sweet. To top it off, we're staying right in heart of this city of 8 million people. The street below our hotel window is bustling with honking cars and hustling pedestrians. The view of the night skyline is breathtaking for a small-town girl like me. I would think we were in an American city were it not for the brightly lit Chinese characters at the top of the buildings. It's like a work of art.

It truly seems like yesterday when Farell asked me what I thought about making an international move. That was last spring. By September, it was a done deal, and these last four months have been a whirlwind. One thing, however, that has remained a constant theme throughout our journey is God's perfect timing. He has known what we've needed much better than we have. I'm learning to release control and acknowledge His sovereignty. There will be many new experiences for us over the next few years, but after a wonderful conversation with our creator and right-on-time sermon by our pastor this Sunday, I pledge to greet them without anxiety and simply appreciate the journey.