New Year's in Haining!

      For New Year's Hui came to Haining. He came at lunch time, so I got a hot pot ready. Hot pots are always great and easy. After eating, we went to a KTV and sang our hearts out. We also had a drink with a nice toast, called my family, watched Big Bang on tv, and went out to the qiantang river. There was still no big tide there, but it was Hui's first time to go, so it was really fun. If you were wondering, the Chinese call New Year's 元旦(yuandan).

He is hiding from the camera, but I know he had a great time. We didn't take many pictures, but we got to eat some great street food, and see some nice things. 

NEWS FLASH! WEST LAKE IS NOT THE ONLY FUN PLACE IN HANGZHOU!

       Well, I think I've summed up the theme of this post fairly well. On Boxing Day this year Hui and I went to a place that I would call the most interesting place I've been in Hangzhou. Forget xihu, I'm talking about 灵隐寺(lingyin temple) and 飞来峰 (feilai peak), also known as the Lingyin Scenic Area. I had a great time going through here the day after Christmas. It was so fantastic, and the first time I've been to a place like this. I have a picture here of an explanation to introduce this area. The English is not totally clear, so I will explain a few things. First, I believe they have translated feilai peak as "peak flying from afar", but I  honestly am just going to call it feilaifeng, because it sounds better. Second, I don't know why, but for some reason here they've called the Buddha by his proper name, Sakyamuni, so if you were wondering, that's who that is. I know this, because I studied Buddhism for a while in my university, so I can confirm that for all of you. The rest is pretty easy to understand. I know you all really appreciate their effort.

      We started by climbing 飞来峰, which was filled with a ton of little niches with Buddha statues in them, which I thought was soooooo cool! Below this, you can see a really neat history of the statues at feilai peak, and this time the English is much better.

      Now that you've seen everything, including the sign for the toilets in five different languages, how about some pictures of the actual place? haha

a buddha statue at the top of the cave

inside a dark cave, taken with flash

      Lingyin Temple is a very famous temple in Hangzhou. It is home to China's largest sitting Buddha statue, and also the home temple of master Jigong. He is very famous in Lingyin Temple, because he lived there, so there is a special shrine to commemorate him inside. One of my favorite parts about this temple was the wall behind the giant Buddha, which was filled with hundreds of little statues of different Buddha, and one giant statue of Guanyin. Actually, taking pictures inside the actual halls are not allowed, and a little bit rude, but I took pictures anyway just for you all, but don't be like me. Don't do it! I said a little apology when we were showing our respect to Guanyin (sorry, Guanyin, you are just too good looking, I had to take a picture of you to show my family and friends). By the way, the thing you do when you go to a temple is called 拜佛(baifo), and there are a lot of different ways you can translate this. I wouldn't say worship is the right definition, because most people who do it don't really believe in Buddhism. I think I would just call it what I've said above, "showing respect", and you show respect by kneeling down on the pillows in front of the statue, and bowing three times with your hands forward. Though most people who go to the temples to just have a look don't actually believe in Buddhism, you will be able to tell that some of the people are really there to worship, so please be quiet and respectful when you are inside the halls!

this is the largest single story building in China

there he is! 

Guanyin

an explanation of master Jigong, who I didn't take a photo of

a photo of the master Jigong statue from Lingyin temple's website

If you are someone who really wants to take pictures of the inside of the halls, here's an idea. If you have a really nice camera, you should be able to focus enough to see the inside (providing that the weather is good) like the photo above. I took that one with my camera, which really extremely impressed me. With my past phones, the cameras were terrible, but I am super happy now after seeing this picture.
       I was just online looking up some information about one of the places in Lingyin temple, and I have been seeing the funniest translations for feilaifeng. I think one of them I saw was "the peak that flew hither". What does that even mean? haha I mean, technically its right, but what?! Peaks cannot fly, so there. lol
      Anyway, another one of my favorite things in Lingyin Temple was 五百罗汉堂(the hall of 500 arhats), and if you don't know what an arhat is, its like a kind of Buddhist saint. This was a really neat hall that was filled with 500 statues of arhats (every one different) that were arranged in hallways that formed the shape of a swastika, the symbol for peace. Yes, if you're going to go to China, you should be informed. Before it was a symbol for Nazis, it was a symbol for peace, and people in the east don't know otherwise. Also, in the middle of the swastika are four Bodhisattvas, with the names of China's four largest mountains above them. This is one thing that Hui and I suddenly noticed when we were walking through. So cool! I didn't take any photos there, so I am going to look up a few online, because I'm sure my description is not as good as the real thing. 

       Well, that's all for this post. I hope you learned something, and I hope you'll come check out this great place someday! Also, I don't know why all this text at the bottom is highlighted, but whatever. 

I'm learning about Chinese economics today! Yay!

Here's a quick (or really long if you watch the videos) little blog post for today, since my internet has been so horrible lately.

       So, I thought it might be fun if I share those videos I enjoy watching here on my blog. I'm learning a lot about China, and you can learn along with me if you would like. Today I'm watching a video about Chinese FDI in the US. FDI (foreign direct investment) is something I learned about back in my Chinese business class, and I don't remember much about it, but this was definitely an interesting talk to listen to while I was just relaxing in my room. I can't say I know anything about business, but if I'm just sitting here dreaming things up, I'd love to see the Chinese company 小米(xiaomi, sorry I don't know if it has an English name), come to America. I don't think it will happen, but I think it would be cool, just because I really really love my phone. I can't believe it only cost me like $200 and came with 32GB of storage. Anyway, you might be really into business and talking about FDI even more than I kind of am, so here's this video to peak your interest. I've got a lot of these to watch this week, so I can't wait to see what else they've got.

      Last week I watched a video of a talk about energy in China, and I have to admit it got me both really excited and really depressed. I don't like pollution! I don't actually know anybody who likes pollution. haha However, it looks like we are going to have to live with bad pollution for more than 15 years. I was really happy to hear that China is decreasing dependence on coal, but I also wish more Chinese people would buy electric cars. I think that would help so much! I mean, they already buy so many ebikes, and it is so convenient, because different vendors all over the place have places for you to just plug in your ebike. If they did that with electric cars, I think it would be awesome. Is there any kind of electric Maserati? I think it would sell well in China. I don't know though, the city I live in is really rich, so I see a lot of Maseratis here.
      Also, after watching this, I read up on Xi Jinping's One Belt One Road that the fourth speaker was talking about, and it sounds like a really cool idea to me. I can honestly say that I myself don't feel threatened by it. I mean, it doesn't really even have much to do with America at all. I'm just one person, and I'm not really worried about the prospects of China trying to "increase the sphere of influence" as they say. It's not really got anything to do with me. I just think it seem like a really historic and cool idea. Anyway, I'll quit rambling and let you watch the video for yourself.

Christmas in China

      For this blog I'm going to be talking about what Christmas was like for me in China. Now, one thing you have to understand is that Chinese people don't really truly understand what Christmas is all about. I mean they know its time for exchanging gifts, that its the day that Jesus was born, etc, but Christmas in China truly lasts for literally one or two days, unlike in America, where it starts two or three months before the actual day. With that being said, if you are expecting to have that warm fuzzy feeling, pretty lights, and generally happy people all around for two months, you are going to be sad, because for me the feeling of Christmas was around for about two weeks. Also, if you are expecting to hear a ton of Christmas music around, you will be disappointed too. You can expect to hear jingle bells on loop everywhere you go, because that's really the only Christmas song they know. Well, actually, those two things aren't entirely true. If you go to Starbucks every day for those two months, then you will get about the same feeling we have back in the US, but who can actually afford that? haha
      Now, for all of you back in America, or whatever country you are in that celebrates a good old fashioned Christmas, you might think that all of this sounds really depressing, but its actually not. I was actually working up until, on, and after Christmas, so I didn't really have much time to think about it. Plus, if you are a foreigner working in China, the people around you are probably going to have events set up trying to make you feel right at home during the holidays, and, I have to say, it kind of worked.
      I was invited to a Christmas banquet for the foreigners in Haining that was held in a super luxurious and fancy hotel, that was probably one of the nicest events I have ever been to. It really reminded me of my parents' company's Christmas parties that we used to go to when I was a kid (minus the monkey king spear twirling performance....I don't think I ever saw that at those Ontario Systems Christmas parties). To me, it was just the greatest thing! It was so fancy, I felt like I was at a wedding, and the buffet was just the greatest buffet I have ever seen in my life, and when I say that I'm not exaggerating at all. They had turkey, fried noodles, a long row of different Chinese food, as well as a long row of different western foods that I've never tried before. In the middle they had a long row of desserts from every different culture, many of which I've also never seen before. Then on the far end they had a whole other buffet that I was too full to visit that had sushi and other things. The best thing was that sitting in the front was this elderly Japanese man, who got himself pretty drunk, and at the end, when most of the people had left, he got up on the stage and started doing karaoke. Afterwards, he came over to our table with a handful of rose pedals and threw them up in the air and yelled "Merry Christmas!" It was fantastic. As a gift, the Chinese government people who put on the event also gave us big boxes of chocolate truffles, that were amazing and aided me in my winter weight gain. Thanks for that!

I thought it was super funny that they called me distinguished madam lol

with roast duck in the background, yes!

      The week before Christmas, Hui took me to Shanghai to buy my Christmas presents and visit a Christmas fair. If you know me, you can guess that we went to the Disney store! After we finished shopping, we headed over to the mall to eat at a Thai restaurant, because I haven't had Thai food in forever. It was authentic and great. The Christmas fair was a great chance to see some Christmas lights, and get in the Christmas spirit. It was a medieval themed Christmas fair, so you'll see pictures of us shooting arrows, as well as a food vendor dressed as a court jester. It was really fun, and I bought a big nutcracker! We also ate gyros there, which is another food I have really been missing. All around, it was a fantastic day!

the great tsum tsum tree 

      As far as the week of Christmas goes, it was pretty busy  for me. I mean, it was actually more Christmas stressful like during November, because we needed to buy all the presents and get them shipped to America, but I just had so many things scheduled, and so much going on. A couple days before, on the 23rd I think, our international class wanted to have a Christmas party, and they invited me to organize the whole thing. We did a gift exchanging game, and ate fried chicken, which was a special treat for them, because they usually are not allowed to order fast food, because its not healthy. What really impressed me was that the class bought a real Christmas tree, I mean like a real tree! I don't think I even know anyone in America who still does that. Way to go all out, class. Awesome!
      I also got a really great gift from my bestie, which was the cutest friendship necklace ever (we really have a thing for the friendship necklaces). It said you've got a friend in me, and it had a little cowboy hat on it. Yeah, we are the best of friends forever just like Buzz and Woody. Yeah, I really loved it, and I am so going to wear it when we hang out this summer. I can't wait!

one of my gifts from Hui, a chip and dale sweater from the Disney store!

      Now its time to talk about Chinese Christmas traditions! Yay! There aren't many of those, because, to most people, Christmas is just another holiday, plus we don't get any break, but China does in fact have one unique Christmas tradition that centers around a certain food (which is similar to that Japanese tradition of eating KFC on Christmas, but not really, because I just wanted to mention that haha). On Christmas, Chinese people exchange and eat apples. This is because the Chinese word for Christmas Eve is 平安夜 (pingan ye, peaceful night), which has a similar character to the Chinese word for apple, 苹果(ping guo). During Christmas time, apples are super expensive, and you can see some of them have some designs on them. I have no idea how they got the design on the apple, and I received one, so I can tell you they taste the same. I celebrated Christmas by telling my students the story of A Christmas Carol, and watching my mom's favorite Christmas movie, Elf, which they really enjoyed.

      On my Christmas Eve, my dear friend, Junlin, came from Nanjing to visit me. I invited another friend over, and we had hot pot together and chatted all night. It was a great time. The next morning Junlin, Pikachu and I video chatted with my family, and we were sad to find out that my package hadn't made it in time for Christmas. Then, suddenly, as I was about to get on the train to go to Hangzhou, Hui called me and said the package was ready to be picked up, so I picked it up and headed to Hangzhou with it. It was a huge package, so the people in the post office made a handle for me to carry it along with my suitcase. That was a fun time! haha
      In the evening Hui got off work early, so we went out to eat. Going out to eat for dinner on Christmas Day was, apparently, another Chinese Christmas tradition, because it was crowded, and the road was full of traffic. We had a nice Christmas dinner wearing our matching Christmas sweaters, and then we walked around to see what we could see. All the Christmas lights were great. I don't know about you, but seeing a giant Christmas coke bottle just fills me with all the Christmas feelings. Finally, I'd like to mention that, unlike in America, there is no due date for when you have to finish putting your Christmas away, so as of right now (April 26th), a large portion of the places that decorated for Christmas still haven't taken the decorations down.

pikachu skyping with my family

my giant package

activities in the mall

matching!

Christmas dinner

a Star Wars lego display

Hui's company even had Ant Financial themed Christmas lights

Hui's favorite Christmas gift!

My favorite Christmas gift!

      Well, that's all for this post. I can't believe I finally got it done! The internet everywhere I've gone has just been horrendous! I hope it won't take me an entire week to do the next post.