Forbidden Fun

The inner courtyard, looking at the 'Building of Supreme Harmony'

Beijing has many gorgeous historical sites.  We hired an English guide and driver to get us around the city and to teach us all we could learn about ancient Chinese history.

The 'throne' where the emperor did his business

Excited girls dance inside the outer gates of the City

Chairman Mao's gate

The Forbidden City is on one end of Tiananmen Square, in downtown Beijing.  Tiananmen Square is simply a large traffic circle, which can accommodate a gathering of 500K people at one time.  It also has the mausoleum for Chairman Mao (who proclaimed the People's Republic of China in 1949).  Chairman Mao's body is in a glass case that is on an automatic elevator which rises each morning for people to give their 'respects', and lowers each night into a refrigerator. *gag*

Forbidden City's happy grounds staff

Through the Chairman Mao gate (off the square), we entered the Forbidden City.  The city is huge, with 980 buildings, 8304 rooms and over about 300 acres.  It was built from 1406-1420, requiring more than a million workers.  Since it's completion, it was the home for 24 emperors, generally housing about 5000 people at a time (with all staff).  It was called the Forbidden City because no one could enter or leave the City walls without the Emperor's permission.

These door knobs can be rubbed for good luck

Rubbing the door knobs for good luck

The Emperors were paranoid.  There were many security measures to the city that our guide pointed out to us.  First there was a large moat surrounding the outer wall.  There were three sets of gates to get inside with big solid doors and brass knobs.  As well, for extra security there are 15 layers of brick that go into the ground under the city, to ensure no one could 'tunnel' to gain access.  Finally, there are no trees on the inner courtyard, where the Emperor did most of this work, because he was afraid people would hide in them.  Nicely enough there were many trees in the area where over a hundred concubines lived.

There are certain symbolic elements to the City that we found interesting.  First, it is all built on a Meridian Line that runs through the center of the City.  Everything on either side of that line mirrors itself, for perfect feng shui (a perfect balance).  The most important buildings in the city have three levels of stairs leading up to them, symbolizing land/ocean, mountain, heaven.  Anything on the third level is 'in heaven', like the building of 'supreme harmony' where ceremonies (enthronements, weddings, etc.) took place.

Male Lion, controlling the world 

Female Lion, controlling the family

My favourite elements of symbolism were the animals used.  For example, in front of every major doorway were a pair of lions.  One male (with a paw on a sphere, controlling the world) and one female (with a paw on a baby, controlling the family)... yes, the male ego has some serious history behind it.  These two lions must appear together, to balance each other, otherwise it's poor feng shui.  The dragons on buildings were symbols of the Emperor, the Phoenix were symbols for the Empress.  Statues of cranes were for prosperity, and turtles were for longevity... the symbolism goes on and on.

Double Happiness Symbol 

Prior to our vacation, we watched "The Last Emperor", thanks to a recommendation from some friends (thanks Tom & Wolfi).  It was a great suggestion, as it largely takes place in the Forbidden City and gave us some history of the final Emperor of China, "Puyi" who was the last ruler of the Qing dynasty.  He became emperor when he was less than 3 years old.  There were many references to this final emperor in the City, and we even met his nephew, who is one of only two living descendants in the lineage (the other lives in Vancouver).  Having just watched the movie, we were a little 'star struck' meeting this descendent of the last Emperor.  As if on cue, the man working the shop explained to us, "it's his nephew, but he has no title or power, so you don't have to pay any attention to him."

Puyi's nephew signing our names on our artwork

All emperors and families are taught proper historical chinese calligraphy.  It's a culturally important art form, so we bought one personalized piece from the nephew... seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up.  We got a traditional Chinese saying in taoism, which is "do nothing".  It doesn't mean to be lazy, simply not to be aggressive in business, to do well and allow opportunities to come according to fate.  [Perhaps I love it because it makes me feel less 'guilty' about my lifestyle in Hong Kong?  Keeping with the philosophy, it has yet to be hung in our apartment, as it does nothing in a box.]

Beijing Full of Surprises...

 Last week Foley had a conference in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, so we extended the stay, and I tagged along for my first venture into mainland China.  Following Foley's lead in the last blog post, yet unable to keep as concise as him (despite his sincere attempts to train me accordingly), I have a list of five 'surprises' from being in China-proper.

No Naked Flames sign

1 - Mandarin

Welcome you too.

For expats living in Beijing, learning Mandarin is pretty much compulsory.  There is minimal English around and it can be very difficult to shop, order food, or get around without some basic Mandarin (of which we know how to say 'hi' and 'thank you').  Even our classy 'Park Hyatt' hotel had some interesting signs ['Welcome You'] and some staff completely unable to communicate in English (though they always knew which staff member could talk with you, and the RAN to retrieve said person).  Apparently there are essentially zero taxi drivers who speak English, which made the one that we found a rare treat.  It was also a treat to hear his singing talents (though it seemed to be at the expense of watching the road.)  [See the video here.]




2 - Dirty

The smog and pollution in Beijing is pretty gross.  The air quality is very poor, and often it would be difficult to see more than a couple of blocks from our stunning 66-story hotel, thanks to the smog.  Beyond the environmental issues, there are 'human issues' too.  For one, public urination is generally acceptable... gag.  Although I embrace the environmental impact of saving millions of diapers from the landfills, the babies are not put in diapers and instead have a slit between their legs on all pants, for doing their 'business' (number one, or number two) wherever they are.  Even snow suits are made with a slit for their business.

3 - Acrobatics

We went out one night to an excellent Acrobatics show, showcasing various insane human tricks and feats.  The talent was incredible, and yet there were just enough mistakes to make you know that it was all believable and there were no illusions or tricks.  Highlights of the show included a guy who stacked ten chairs on top of a platform and then did handstands on top, SEVEN motorcycles in a ball of death, twelve chinese girls on one bicycle, plate spinning, fan jugging with their feet, and a ballerina who did point on her partner's head!  We were in awe.



4 - Shoppers Welcome

Pearls in the pearl market

From high-end Cartier and Gucci stores to bargaining in street markets, Beijing provides shopping experiences for anyone willing to spend a dollar (or yuan).  I went with a couple of friends to the Pearl Market, which housed an insane amount of jewellery at hundreds of booths.  We also went into a 'back alley shop', when you walk up to the metal door, it magically opens to a small market of knock-off shopping (sport clothing, including Canada Goose jackets, purses, shoes, watches, glasses, etc).  Ironically, this door had a police car parked in front... clearly warranting a photo.

Sword routine

5 - Crowded much?

As a city with ~30 million people, Beijing is huge, by population and by area. The city centre is densely populated, with small living spaces.  Most people don't have houses with yards, so instead they truly use their city parks.  On a stroll through Jingshan Park (across from the Forbidden City) we saw everyday life activities underway.  People were gathered doing everything from line dancing, ballroom dancing, playing electronic harmonicas, tai chi, juggling of sorts, and playing chinese checkers.  It was a wonderful glimpse into the community life.

Walking through hutongs

Gorgeous river through hutong area

In the heart of the city, we visited 'hutongs' which literally mean narrow alleys.  Hutongs are the traditional homes in this area of China.  They are small walled compounds with a courtyard in the middle, and rooms around the courtyard for the family members.  These family abodes are becoming increasingly rare in a city where most hutongs have been torn down for wider streets and high-rises, but I'm happy we got this glimpse into historic living while it's still here.  Driving back to the hotel after seeing the hutongs was a 7km drive, which took over an hour... yes, it's crowded, and traffic here is a bit@&.

The Forbidden City, view from Jingshan Park.

Because they deserve their own entry... stay tuned for photos and stories of our incredible days in the Forbidden City and on the Great Wall.

Foley on his Soapbox

Three random observations from Mike Foley (my better half), after living in Hong Kong for almost six months.

Garbage

I’m not the greenest guy on the planet, but I’m telling you, China is heading towards a garbage crisis.  And based on the math I did in my head while waiting in line for my lunch, I think it is eventually going to be an absolute disaster.  Now, this is a government that has figured out how to control the weather, so I’m not ruling out the possibility that they are building a large rocket to shoot all the trash into space directly at the sun.  But, I doubt it.  The issue is that while it does exist in certain places, there is effectively no recycling here.  It certainly doesn’t happen in my office.  In the little bin beside my desk, there is currently two Pacific Gourmet coffee cups (I miss you Tim Hortons), about 30 sheets of paper (more on paper in a minute), a banana peel, an apple core, some saran wrap, the plastic tub for my salad, a bunch of napkins/paper towels, the plastic fork that came with my salad, and the packing my pineapple came in.  I agree I should print less research, and use a metal fork and a ceramic coffee mug.  That’s not the point.  The point is that all this stuff is going to end up in the exact same place, which I’m assuming is a big landfill somewhere.  Back to the math, I have no idea how much garbage the average Chinese person produces in a day, but I’m sure it is a couple of pounds each.  So even if everyone produces just one pound of garbage a day, that is 1.3 BILLION pounds of garbage a day.  That’s one TRILLION pounds of garbage every three years.  What the hell do you do with all that??  I’m telling you, China is heading towards a garbage crisis.  It’s scary stuff.  Somewhere out there, for no apparent reason at all, a single tear just rolled down David Suzuki’s cheek.

Paper

When I first arrived, it took me a few days to figure it out why things looked slightly different, but the size of paper they use here is A4.  It’s not that big a difference to what we use back home, but sometimes emails print out funny, and it obviously doesn’t line up perfectly with anything I brought from Toronto.  So, I looked into it, and know what I learned??  Except for the US and Canada, EVERY other country in the known universe has adopted A4 as the standard sized piece of paper.  I’m all for independence, and doing your own thing and all that, but c’mon North America.  I think we can concede this one.

Pants

I’ve never been accused of exactly been ‘fashion-forward’, but I’ve noticed a disturbing trend that is occurring in Men’s fashion in Hong Kong.  Aside from the fact that everybody’s suit pants are generally ill-fitting… WAY too tight, and usually three inches too short… there is now a movement towards going beltless.  And I’m not talking about Morty-Seinfeld-beltless-trenchcoat kind of beltless, which I can dig.  This is just like you were too lazy to put on a belt, and instead use these little straps on the side to secure your pants to your waist.  Maybe I’m just old fashioned (and am admittedly an old man), but for me, it is kind of like the super colorful sock thing…  I just think it looks stupid.

That’s it for my soapbox.

Cine-MAZING.

Gillian, wrapped in the blanket, loving the cine-mazing experience...

I recently had my first experience in a Hong Kong movie theatre.  I went with a friend to a weekday matinee of "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" (because we can...).  The movie was great and much funnier than I expected, but what really impressed me was the Hong Kong movie theatre experience.

Here are the top five reasons why movie theatres in HK are cooler than home:

5) Cheaper than home.  Ticket costs about $8 CAD, popcorn & pop (for relative comparison) cost about $6.50 CAD... that's like 1989 prices in Canada.



4) Seats are HUGE, theatres are small, legroom is plentiful = happy me.

3) Assigned seats.  Here you buy your ticket on line in advance, select your exact seat, then show up when the movie is going to start.  No need to wait in line or go super early for a new release... I love that!

2) Blanket service. Simply ask as you walk in and you'll be brought a cozy fleece blanket to curl up and watch the movie in.  At the end of the movie, leave it on the seat and they'll wash it.  Genus, especially when the temperature difference from outside in summer to AC inside can be a good 20 degree swing.

 AND...


1) Stocked bar AND cocktail specials.  This wasn't a big theatre, but nonetheless, the selection of beer, wine and cocktails were impressive.  Even better were the 'combo sets with beer' and 'combo sets with wine' options! And yes, you can even take your drinks into the theatre with you.

We have much to learn here Canada... much to learn.

Mike 'n Moe

Ever since his first 'guest entry' I've had many requests for Foley to write again.  He hasn't shown much interest, so instead I'm going to start sharing some of his funny tales.

Foley & I joined a gym, called Pure Fitness.  It is similar to GoodLife back home in that it has many of the same classes (BodyPump, BodyBalance, etc.), and it has several locations.  Foley goes to the one near his work.  He wasn't finding the motivation or time to go, so he took a similar approach as he did in Toronto, enlisting a personal trainer.  Enter Moe.

Moe is Foley's trainer, and although I've never met the man, he is already a legend.  Standing a little over five feet tall, he's Chinese and he taught break dancing for 8 years before becoming a trainer.  Two stories of Mike and Moe...

1) Foley returned from travelling and after a week of drinking, eating out, and not working out, he dragged himself to the gym to meet Moe.  Moe poked Foley in the belly a few times, shook his head and stated "it get bigga".

2) Last week Foley was late for his appointment.  Foley: 'I'm sorry I'm late'.  Moe: 'It okay.  I punish.'

Birds, flowers and fish

Mike has been travelling A LOT.  In the past few weeks, he could have circled the world for the number of kilometres he has spent in the air.  I used to get very lonely when he'd travel, but I've gotten better at meeting friends and filling my days when he is away.

I met a friend here, who just happens to be from Kitchener-Waterloo, AND she went to the same high school as I did (just not at the same time)... small world.  Our 'KW roots' and love of hiking meant we got along immediately. Last week, we (Linda and I) were planning to do a gorgeous hike which ends at a beach, but weather being what it has been (grey, poor visibility, very rainy) we altered our plan to spend a day wondering the markets instead.

In Kowloon (an area of Hong Kong, right across Victoria Harbour) there are many markets and cool places to explore.  We decided to check out three markets, all within a couple of blocks or each other.

Lots of fish, on display and ready to take home...

Scary Sting-Ray

Linda with wee fishies...

First we went to the Goldfish Market.  Hong Kongers believe that fish are auspicious, and that having fish as 'pets' will bring good luck.  In a culture that seems to revolve around it, anything here that involves luck is hugely popular.  The Goldfish Market is an impressive street lined with stalls and shops with all kinds of fish and other marine life... there are turtles, snakes and even sting rays available to be purchased and carried home.  The most impressive to me where the huge 'cork boards' with various fish hanging out in baggies, asking for a home.  If it weren't for the necessary task of cleaning an aquarium, I may have come home with some lucky fish.

A short stroll from the Goldfish Market is the Bird Market (also called the bird garden).  The bird garden has 70+ stalls of birds and bird related products (including live grasshoppers on sale for feeding your birds!).  The ornate cages are stunning and the sheer variety of birds is very impressive.  There are thousands of caged birds, but also many 'free' birds in fly around your head, likely attracted to their homeys and the copious bird feed in the area. Taking bird ownership to a new level here, bird owners actually bring their caged birds to the bird garden to WALK THEM.  No joke.  They walk their cage around, giving the bird some fresh air.  Hilarious.

Finally, a mere 30 second walk from the Bird Market is the stunning Flower Market.  The stalls and shops of the flower market have everything from fresh cut flowers, to plants, to outdoor furniture and water features.  In love with the lush greenery, Linda and I were inspired to start indoor gardens in our apartments that don't have balconies.  We chose the pots, soil, plants, seeds and watering cans we wanted.  Then, like everything in Hong Kong, scheduled the delivery of our choices.  You can get ANYTHING delivered to your door here... I love that convenience because it would have been a lot to cart home on the metro.  The following day, Linda and I met at her place and potted our plants.  If I can keep these alive and growing, I will be very proud (I have a track record of killing household plants).

Roses each wrapped in foam.

Beginnings of tomatoes... apparently I put too many seeds per space.  I'm learning....

L > R - tomato, mint, lettuce just sprouting, hot peppers, sweet basil and Thai basil.

On a day when I almost wanted to buy an aquarium with fish, a bird in an intricate cage and a water feature... I'd say it was 'lucky' that Foley only had to come home to some new house plants.