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Madame metro

Last Thursday I was heading out of the metro and walked past a guitarist who was packing up her stuff for the evening. "Are you free on Saturday," I asked, "I'm having a house party and we need to some live entertainment." So, we exchanged contact info and made the plans for her to come play for an hour at my party.

Saturday, 10 pm. With the lights dimmed and candles setup around the room, she began to play for the 20 or so people who came to my party. Her voice was strong and we all wondered how someone of her size projected her voice so powerfully. As she was playing, I sat back and thought about the randomness of hiring a metro musician. Is it typical to invite a metro musician to entertain? No, but why not try it?

The past two years, between living in China and New York, have been the most consistently happy and fulfilling time of my life. Now I'm starting to understand that "why not try it" has been driving a lot of that life satisfaction.

Why not pack up everything and pursue my dreams of living abroad in China and seeing the Great Wall? In the 18 months in China, I learned about an ancient culture and language, tasted wonderful food, traveled to 10 Chinese cities, got firsthand accounts of the nations recent and tumultuous history; and generally transformed my mindset into a truly international one.

Why not try out CouchSurfing? Now that I've tried it in Beijing, Sichuan, and Hong Kong, I can say that it was one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done in that I got to interact with people who have such open and trusting spirits.

Why not move to New York and try out investment banking? The first three months were risky: no insurance, no apartment, $1,500 per month, and no guarantee of a full time position. Taking the risk was worth it, however, and now I'm full time and having a wonderful experience learning how cross-border, mid-market mergers and acquisitions works.

We need to know that our friends and loved ones will be there for us, we need to know where our next meal will come from, we need some level of predictability and stability. Yet, as these past couple of years have reinforced, we must have variety, spontaneity and a little spice in our lives.

NYC and Me

April 2009 was my last posting. Damn. It's interesting what happens to one's desire to blog when the Chinese government goes Commi on you and shuts down your blog. I digress.

NYC has been my new home since the first week of December when I landed here from the Pearl of the East. Simply put, New York is salsa. It's alive with spice and zest. The streets overflow with restaurants, cafes, and bars. It's alive at sunrise and it sizzles at sunset.

Dinner with government officials

Late last year, I had the opportunity to coach some people that worked for the XuHui district office of the Association of Industry and Commerce--China's regulatory body for business. They were participating in a city-wide English competition with about 20 other district offices, and they took first pace. So, they invited me and four other people from EnglishFirst to attend a celebration dinner.

"This is going to be expensive" was one of the first things to cross my mind when entering the restaurant. As we walked to our private room, we passed chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, formally dressed hosts, and remarkably clean halls (without cigarette stains covering the floor--a rare sight). Our dining room was fully furnished with a TV, two couches, and a private, Western-styled bathroom. We then sat down into the cushy seats at the table for 15 and the waiters began pouring wine.

Based on the amount poured, I thought that these people are either uber-light-weights or there wasn't enough wine to go around. My curiosity was soon satisfied. One of the government leaders raised his glass, said a word or two, then everyone drank. This was only the beginning. One after another, someone would get up from their seat, and walk to a powerful or respected person to toast with them. This went on for about 45 minutes, and, needless to say, I requested that subsequent wine refills match the amount of my fellow diners.

To do business in China, colloquially speaking, you need to drink. It doesn't really matter whether or not you enjoy or hold your alcohol, it's socially compulsory. My friend from the AIC, who sat right next to me, is a case-in-point. He hates drinking, and even threw up some wine into his napkin, but he kept drinking because he needed to conform with the culture.

Winning business in China is mostly done at the dinner table, not aftering discussing actual business, but after you bond with the decision maker through endless toasts. It's about establishing (perceived) trust and credibility here.

Equally interesting was how the people were seated at the table. The most powerful man faced the room's entrance, and then people were seated according to power and respect.

Although the dinner was quite nice and I'm thankful for the opportunity, I am nevertheless confronted with the fact that the dinner was a waste of taxpayer money. Sure, it was cool for them to win an English competition, but did it necessitate spending over 2,000 RMB on dinner and 1,000 RMB on silk scarves for the EF people (of which I had no use). If these officials wine-and-dine for a (relatively) pointless event, what kind of waste happens at higher-levels of government. But, hey, why should the government care? There's really nothing for them to fear in terms of accountability to the people. The futility of the dinner was highlighted when I walked past beggars in the streets on the way home.

Putting this aside, I enjoyed the food, the chance to listen to Chinese for 2 hours, and the cultural experience. And next time I'm out at a Chinese business dinner, I'll be sure to go easy with the first round of wine.

Trip to Beijing

Day 1: Monday
When I first arrived to Beijing and started walking the streets on Monday afternoon, I was surprised at some of the differences between Shanghai and Beijing. In Beijing, people are generally taller and more kind, the roads are bigger roads and city layout is more spacious, and the air is cleaner! Everyday last week, in fact, the sky was blue in the mornings and afternoons. It was a fabulous week for traveling.

After getting picked up at the metro station by a fellow couchsurfer who was staying a the same host’s apartment, we walked around a little bit until we met up with our host later that evening. When I first entered the host’s apartment, I was startled to see a huge-wooden-penis ashtray on the table. Brandon and I looked at each other with the kind of face that says, “Well, to each their own.”

My host, Alain, is flamboyantly gay and he’s very open about his lifestyle, which was admittedly awkward at first. After speaking with Alain over the 4 days I couchsurfed with him, I really came to appreciate him. He’s hosted over 30 couchsurfers and he was an incredible host who connected me with other people CSing in Beijing, told what places to see and where to eat, and he has an impeccably clean apartment, all of which made for an incredible first CouchSurf. Hanging out with Alain made me realize what CSing is all about: trusting that people are generally good and meeting a diversity of individuals.




Day 2: Tuesday
Policemen, surveillance cameras, and tons of tourists are how I can characterize Tian’anmen Square, which is simply a huge and unimpressive square of stones with a monument in the middle. What is impressive, however, is the entrance to the Forbidden City where Chairman Mao gave a speech on October 1, 1949, to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China. With the flags gloriously waving in the wind, it really hit me that I was in China and at the country’s cultural and political heart.

Before entering the Forbidden City, however, I wanted to see the location of China’s rubber-stamp congress at the Great Hall of the People. I will spare you from the boring details and simply state that the 30 RMB I paid was wasted.

Not to be deterred, my hopes were still high to see the sights Beijing had to offer, so I entered the Forbidden City (aka, the Palace Museum). This palace took over 15 years to build and I could see why. The grounds are huge and it was a great way to get a feel for how the emperor’s lavishly lived.

Heading the advice of other Couchsurfers, I soon walked north of the FC to climb to the top of Jingshan Park because the view of the Forbidden City is picturesque.

Beihai Park, to the northwest of the Forbidden City, was next of the list of sights. Upon entering the park, I stopped in my tracks to witness the beauty of the day and how majestic it made the park feel. Walking around the center island, I heard the sound of a flute play along with traditional Chinese music, and I eventually found an old man jamming out by himself with a small sound system he brought to the park.

Tuesday night was a time to meet up with more Couchsurfers, and I went to the college part of town (Wudaokou) to meet up with about 7 people, coming from England, the Netherlands, France, China, and Russia.



Day 3: Wednesday
When the sun rose early in the morning, I was still snoring the morning away. When I did awake, however, my fellow CSer and I headed to Military museum near the city-center. Filled with Communist propaganda, this 5-story museum did a pretty good job of showing the history of Chinese war.

Day 4: Thursday
Ring…ring, “Wei, ni hao.” It was 4:15 in the morning and a driver was coming to the apartment to pick me up. On a good day, my Chinese is somewhat intelligible when accompanied with sign language, but at 4:15 AM, my Chinese is horrendous. I’m still wondering how the heck the driver found me.

I opened the car door, piled into the seat, and we were off to pick up 3 more Chinese people (because I was on a Chinese tour to the Great Wall). Once they stepped into the car, I received this look that said, “What’s he doing here?” Undeterred, and with my electronic dictionary in hand, I started chatting with them to mitigate the awkwardness of ride we had left together.

We arrived in Tian’an Men Square around 6:10 AM to see the flag raising. About 1,000 people packed around the flagpole to see the color guards patiently and methodically pace out of the Meridian Gate and into the Square. The flag rose, a song played, and then it was over. Despite the simplicity, it was interesting to witness the culture and observe the observers.

The ride to the Great Wall was quick because I was counting Chinese characters in my sleep—the 4:15 wake up was catching up to me. I was awoken by the sound of the tour guide’s voice rambling on about the Great Wall, of which I understood a little. And then we approached the Great Wall—my energy levels began to increase.

Like cattle walking through a bottleneck, we eagerly exited the bus and prepared to head to the Wall for the climb. The Great Wall challenges visitors with a climb up its daunting steps from the very beginning. And from the look of the smoothed steps, millions of people have been here. It took a while to climb to the top, where a Communist-red flag waved in the wind, but upon reaching the peak, my breath was taken away.

For about 4 years, I’ve carried a piece of paper in my wallet with a list of my dreams. One of those was to see the Great Wall. Timely as it was, I pulled out the list and ceremonially checked off and dated the dream.


Climbing the Great Wall is about more than witnessing humanity’s ability to construct awe-inspiring structures. For me, standing atop the Wall was one of those reality-checking moments. It made me stop and realize that I was not only fulfilling my dreams by living in a foreign country and seeing the Wall, but that my life was significantly different from one year ago.

Later that evening, as I was about to open the apartment door, I heard people singing next door. Being the insatiably curious cat that I am, I knocked on the door to find people singing Karaoke to the TV and found my fellow Couchsurfer joining the fun. We sang a couple of numbers, then headed back to the apartment.

We didn’t want the fun to stop, so it was time for a little movie making. Dressed with rainbow wigs on our heads, we decided to make a pseudo-infomercial for Couchsurfing. Needless to say, we won’t be airing the infomercial.

Day 5: Friday
It was time to switch hosts because my host and fellow CSer were heading out of town, so I backed my bags and headed to a coffee shop early in the morning, waiting for a good time to head to my new host’s house.

My new host was 27 years old and co-owned a carbon-credit trading business that had about 5 employees. Her apartment, like my previous host’s, was spacious and clean. We talked for a little bit, then she handed me the spare key before she went to her office.

It’s worth noting the ease with which she handed me a key to her private residence despite knowing relatively nothing about me. It was one example of what Couchsurfing truly represents. The whole CS idea is predicated on the notion that people are essentially good and trustworthy. It took a tremendous amount of good faith for her to open her home to me and it reassured me that there are plenty of good, trustworthy people on this earth.

Around 6:30 it was BBQ time! Beijing CSers were having a BBQ on the roof of a bar that overlooked a beautiful lake. Forty-or-so people joined the party that night and it was good to meet people who either lived in Beijing or were CSing.

With beer and BBQ in the belly, I needed to lose a couple of calories, so I went salsa dancing with a group of people around 10:30.

Day 6: Saturday
Early (aka 8:30 am) the next morning, I took the metro to see the Beijing Capital Museum and met up with my buddy Kai with whom I went to the Great Wall. The museum did a great job of showing the history of Beijing and it showed how and why the capital of China has changed over time.

Being cooped up a little too long inside the museum on a beautiful, we need to get outside and enjoy the day, so we headed to the famous Summer Palace. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with that brilliant idea because the place was packed with foreigners and Chinese. It was a fabulous day to walk around the lake and the palace grounds.

My host had a break in her busy schedule, so later on that evening we had a chance to sit down, eating chocolate and drinking a bottle of wine for a couple of hours.

Day 7: Sunday
It was time to get on the plane back to Shanghai after a long week of meeting new people and wearing in my new sneakers walking around Beijing. In many ways, I think Beijing is a better city than Shanghai, but I feel that Shanghai would be a better home for me in the next 2 years as I study Chinese and try to continue working here in the People’s Republic of China.

CouchSurfing Video Request

中文介绍

CouchSurfing Request (English version)

Teacher photo!

Nine months have passed since I left the sunny shores of a San Diego for the ever-changing environment of Communist China. Here's a picture of the teaching staff I've shared these months with.

Zhouzhuang Day Trip

Every now and then it is necessary to vacate the noisy, polluted environment of Shanghai (上海). Yesterday, despite the cold, cloudy, and damp day, we travelled to the nearby town of Zhouzhuang. With over 900 years of history, this town epitomizes the Chinese the canal town, with waterways weaving through and defining the town, and Buddhist temples displaying hundreds of years of religious tradition. To my surprise, about 60% of the houses were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, 1368-1644 and 1644-1911, respectively. Selling art, assorted candies, "pearl" necklaces, hair brushes, and Maoist memorabilia, the variety of goods sold paralleled the racial diversity of Utah.

When you see one temple or Qing dynasty home, you see them all. So, that part of the trip was a little boring because I've already been exposed to those in Suzhou and Hangzhou. However, it was good to walk about the and experience a Chinese canal town.

The Karaoke Experience

Chinese people love karaoke, or KTV as it is called here, and I felt like it was time to hit the mic again, so I arranged a group of people this past weekend to go singing. We had a great mix of Westerners and Chinese people, 21 in all, and we went to "Party World," which felt more like a luxury hotel with the marble floors and columns.

After filing into the room, we went into the buffet area for food and drinks to have before our version Chinese-Expat Idol commenced. My Chinese friends and students kicked-off the night with a number of contemporary and traditional songs. Unlike my Western friends and me who should have handed out ear plugs, my Chinese friends could all sing well. What happens is that one person stands and sings while everyone else is quiet and basically admires how well that person sings--and rightfully so because they have great voices. Once the song is complete, everyone claps and then its the next persons turn.

Westerners, as my Chinese friend commented, experience KTV a little differently. For us, it's about singing together and making it a group activity with singing and dancing. During one of the numerous Backstreet Boys songs we regrettably sang (OK, I enjoyed it), we all tried huddling around the 2 mics to join in the harmony.

A little later, I thought it was time to put my Chinese to the test, so I got two of my Chinese friends to sing a Chinese song with me that I had been practicing for the past week.

After 4 hours, 5 cases of beer, and too many BSB songs later, it was time to head home 回家. The interesting thing about that night was witnessing how each culture experienced KTV and how we express ourselves in various ways. My vocal chords were shot the next day, but I had a great time with my friends bonding over ballads such as Sweet Home Alabama.

Inspiration

We all have times of doubt and despair, but things should always be kept in perspective. 

And the fireworks continue...

Last night seemed to be a futile attempt to speak with my mother over Skype. No, there were no technical problems; there was a small fireworks display outside my apartment. No, actually, Shanghai was lighting up once again with fireworks. The whole city skyline was covered with flashes and bangs. I couldn't even hear my mom through the computer without headphones and I had to turn the volume up on the TV to hear the movie--it was ridiculous.

Chinese New Year's Eve

War zone. Last night was the closest thing to what I can imagine a war zone sounding like. Although they were sporadically being set off throughout the day, the firework frequency really picked up around 6:30. Because I was having friends over to celebrate Chinese New Year, I had to walk to a nearby restaurant to pick up food. Every street that I walked on had people setting off fireworks. You could really feel the festive spirit when walking into the local fruit store, for example.

As the night worked it's way towards midnight, the war zone started heating up. The flashes and bangs outside became so loud that our conversation at the dinner table was interrupted, so we went upstairs to the room that had a great panoramic view. For about 30 minutes, our eyes were glued to the window as the Shanghai skyline lighted up with fireworks. I've never seen anything like it--4th of July celebrations can't hold a firework to how the Chinese celebrate New Year. The moment was truly amazing to witness!

Now, one would think the city's firework supplies would be thoroughly depleted after the display we saw at midnight, yet people continued to set them off all morning. Seriously, I awoke at 7 am to the sound of fireworks going off. Throughout the day on Monday, you could hear fireworks and firecrackers randomly going off, and this is supposed to continue all week! The story behind the celebrations is basically that the smoke and loud noise is supposed to scare away evil spirits. So, people, especially businesses, will use lots of fireworks so that they will have good luck in the new year.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

This Thursday I had the honor of joining my friend's family for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year, which based on the Lunar calendar. After sitting down at the table, the family started to file into the room that had two, large, circular tables. Aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, grandparents, and parents (20 in all) gathered together today for the Chinese equivalent of Christmas. Initially, the tables were segregated by generations. Almost all of the men and elders sat at a table, while the women and children sat at another table (I was at this one).

We began dinner with cold dishes, then moved onto the hot dishes. The room was filled with babies crying, mothers soothing them, and family members talking. Surprisingly, there were three people who spoke quite good English, of which one was an elder uncle who wanted to talk with me about politics and business. It could have been because of the baijo he drank, but he was quite emphatic and passionate when describing his opinion on the Chinese political system. After our discussion, he pulled me over to the elders table because he wanted me to opine about Obama becoming President, which made for interesting conversation.

I feel lucky to be invited to join my friend's family for dinner on such a family occasion, and it was great to experience how they celebrate their most important national holiday.

Praying at a Buddhist Temple before dinner.

Out with Friends (a.k.a. expat family)

One of my favorite things to do is organizing groups to meet for drinks and socializing. Over the past 7 months, meeting with friends at a bar on a Friday or Saturday night has led to some of the most interesting conversations, and it has been a good way to bond with the other expats who usually come out for drinks. We've gone dancing together, had Thanksgiving dinner, and consumed copious amounts of inebriating substances. Sometimes we share in the occasional miseries of living abroad in China, while sometimes we have in-depth conversations about politics and business. Most fascinating, however, has been to witness the networking effect. One friend will bring another friend, who brings another friend to the next meet up, and the effect continues to compound. The relationships between expats, moreover, seem to be catalyzed by our shared expat status. Of the many shared experiences and emotions we expats have, one of the most common threads is the sense of uncertainty and unpredictability about our futures, in terms of careers, relationships, homes, etc. All in all, these meet-ups over the previous months have been truly fulfilling to me and I am glad that "the group" continues to grow in size and in the strength of friendships.

Spring Festival Concert & Random Factoids

Spring Festival Concert

Today I was lucky to receive a random invite to a concert in Shanghai's premier concert hall and auditorium to see a government-sponsored concert celebrating foreign experts in China (of which I am oddly enough considered as an English teacher). It was a variety show for the performing arts, with performances from a classical orchestra, dancers, acrobats, a pop singer, opera singers, a Peking opera group,  and many others. Aside from the astounding acrobatic performance, in particular, I simply liked getting the exposure to the various traditional forms of music and dance.

Random Factoids

-University students are uber-controlled and treated like children: When nighttime rolls around on campus, uni students must be in their dorms (around 11 PM) or else they'll find themselves sleeping outside for the night. At some universities, they even take roll of the dorm residents and shut off the electricity to force the students to stay inside and sleep.

-Trash on the streets: Whether it is a taxi driver, a child, or a random pedestrian, people tend to litter here and the streets show it.

-Marriage traditions: I'll preface this by saying that traditions vary by city and province, but I learned the other day about a marriage tradition here in China. On the night before a wedding, the bride and groom each sleep at their respective parents homes. When wedding day arrives, the husband-to-be drives over to the bride's parents' home. He knocks on the door, waits a while, then must knock again until a child (usually) opens the door, after which the groom must pay money to the little extortionist before allowing him to pass. Then the bride and groom eat together at the table, before heading to the hotel for the wedding party (there usually aren't Christian-style wedding ceremonies), and at the party, friends bring red envelopes stuffed with money to help pay for the wedding costs and buy things for their new home.

Suzhou Day Trip

It may come as a surprise considering that I've been in China for almost 7 months, but today was the second time that I have ventured outside of Shanghai to see the country. Today's jaunt took us to the nearby city of Suzhou (Jiangsu province), which has about 2.7 million people. One of the things Suzhou is famous for is "The Humble Administrator's Garden," which epitomizes a Southern Chinese Garden. The garden is huge, with bridges connecting little houses that were built throughout the pond area, and we walked around the paths seeing various rock art and garden designs. Afterwards, Alison and I went into the city where the main shopping street is so that we could sample local food, see temples, and pay a visit to the local KFC for coffee.

To end our day trip, we took at taxi over to Tiger Hill to see the water canals and the Pagoda. This was my favorite part of the excursion to Suzhou. Making our way to the hilltop, we wandered the multitude of pathways that led to ancient tea houses,  courtyards, and huts overlooking the valley below. Upon reaching the summit of Tiger Hill (as if it was a grueling hike), the "Leaning Tower of Tiger Hill" awaited us in all its Buddhist-Pagoda glory.

Taking a day to travel to another nearby city was well worth the time and 200 RMB. On the short train ride over there, additionally, I learned more about Chinese culture from Alison--my co-worker （同事）, Chinese teacher, tour-guide extraordinaire, and friend （朋友）。It was a great time and I look forward to taking my longer trips throughout China this March and April.

Year-in-Review & New Year's Eve

Last year was quite eventful for me, to say the least. I worked as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch for 9 months, but then decided to leave given the fact that it would require a miracle (or someone's stupidity) for a 24 year-old man with no investment experience to find $15 million to manage within 12 months, compounded by the fact we're in a bear market that has baby-boomers clinching their computer mouse every time they check their declining portfolio values. So, given 1) that reality, 2) the dire economic situation in America, and 3) the fact that I'm unmarried and without any (known) children, I figured it would be a good time to SEE THE WORLD.

Prior to setting foot on Communist-Chinese soil, I interned at the City Council of San Diego for a little over one month and I stayed  with close family friends who were kind enough to let me live with them. In San Diego I learned how to drive a stick-shift (stalling out of the highway once), observed both the wonders and lunacy of American democracy through the lens of city-level government, bonded closer with family and friends, chilled out on the beach watching the waves, ate too many carne asada burritos, took early-morning hikes up Cowles Mountain with Jim, visited some of the California wine country with my sister, and I got to see San Diego as an adult.

When mid-June rolled around, it was time to embark on a new journey, down a path that still has an unknown end. I vividly remember the first couple of months here in China. Everything was new and interesting, I was starting to get my bearings, and I was trying to avoid getting hit by taxis (still a problem). Six months later, my experience in China is equally interesting as the first couple of days. I've started to pick up the language (which is by far the most difficult one I've ever tried), sampled all sorts of Chinese food (and gotten food poisoning twice), traveled a little, salsa danced around Shanghai, met many friends, gained an appreciation for my own country, and learned a lot about Chinese culture. Most importantly, however, the past 6 months have been very important because this time away from America and the "corporate world" has given me time to think about life and it has allowed me to live in another country, which is one of my life goals.

At times, I feel down when I think that my career is being side-tracked by this teaching job, especially when I compare my situation to friends who are working in top-notch companies and in positions that are preparing them for a great career. I have to remind myself, however, that it is okay not to know exactly where I am going in life and that it is okay not to be on a clear career path. What is important, though, is that I have never been as consistently happier as I have over these past 6 months.

New Year's Eve Party

Christmas in China

From dancing on bars in clubs to studying an Asia language, I've had a plethora of first-time experiences over the past 6 months of living in Communist China and today I can add one more item to the list: the first Christmas away from my family and country.

It was difficult to awake this morning to a cold, empty apartment in which there is nothing to resemble a Christmas decoration. Sure, it was great to speak with my family, but that can't replace sitting on the couch with my mother and brother as we sip coffee and eat breakfast together on Christmas morning. Although I awoke to an empty home, I didn't spend the day alone. A good friend of mine invited 8 people over for lunch and dinner, which turned out to be a fabulous time. He ordered lots of food, including a delicious turkey that I had the pleasure of carving, or should I say tearing apart with my claws. We sat at the table for a good 3 hours, watched movies, drank and ate, and spent a total of 12 hours together lounging around the flat.

The realization didn't come to me at first, but I'm starting to see and understand the new life I'm living and the emotions felt when living abroad, away from family and close friends. It's difficult to take in initially, yet there are always trade-offs in life and this time abroad has been a growing experience for me. As I've said since first arriving here in mid-June, I am truly living a dream and this has been the best time of my life thus far. Will I return to the colonies in 6 months for work? Will I go to another country? Or will I live in China for longer than originally anticipated? I have no clue, to be honest, but I am not opposed to living here for another 2-3 years. Only time will tell!

Last Sunday our EF XuJiaHui office had a Christmas party for the teachers and students. My official job was to be the MC for the event and make sure Santa didn't chase too many women. Throughout the part, we had copious amounts of drinks and candy, games, and also performances for the students. Three of those performances were songs, which I sang with other teachers, and needless to say, I don't think I will be performing at any weddings or birthdays anytime soon.

Chinese Basketball

A student and friend of mine invited me to attend a CBA game tonight to watch the Shanghai Sharks play another professional Chinese team. It wasn't like watching an NBA or college game by any means, but it was quite enjoyable. Another interesting thing to see was the Chinese players interacting with the foreign players on their team (a max of 2 are allowed per team), and to see how they communicated with each other.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving was unique and I have a lot for which to be thankful. It was the first time that I spent a major holiday away from family. Without family in town or country, I've found that friendships between foreigners tend to develop quite rapidly, and I've realized how much I depend on my friends here in China. So, I wanted to get a group together of foreigners and Chinese to share in the occasion. 

Although we didn't have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner by any means, the fourteen of us had a great time over the three hours that we ate together. Laughs filled the air, stomachs were stuffed, and good times were had.

What am I thankful for?

a roof over my head and a bed in which to sleep, loving family & friends, a job that provides an excellent living  by Chinese standards, the opportunity to travel the world, great health, and many more things