By jenny on Sun, 03 Jun 2007

Aaron and I finally got the chance to see “Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End.” It was a rather trying experience getting into the theater. We attempted to book seats at two different cinemas in Hong Kong Central but none were available. We ended up at Cyberport, which is on the south side of Hong Kong island. There were seats to be had but the theater was nearly full when the credits rolled. All the while I was wondering why the cinemas were so full. They hadn’t been like this for the other “box office hits” that we’ve recently seen.

Before I move onto the theme of this blog, Chinese Stars, I must first admit that the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie was by far the best pirate movie I’ve ever seen. It was everything a pirate movie should be.

So as Aaron and I were watching the pre-movie commercials (which only last a few min in comparison to 15 min in the States) a very involved VISA ad caught our eye. Starring Jackie Chan, Hong Kong native, the commercial was also set in Hong Kong. In his own comedic way, Jackie Chan bought athletic gear left and right to try and compete for a spot in the Olympic Games (which is a huge source of hype in these parts).

It didn’t take long for another Chinese star to take the screen. At the opening appearance of Chow-Yun Fat, someone cheered out “Chow-Yun Fat!” This was all very shocking because Chinese people don’t lose composure in this manner. But for such a super-star like Chow-Yun Fat I guess there are exceptions.

China doesn’t have many “Hollywood” names. Hong Kong at least has Jackie Chan and yes, Chow-Yun Fat. But Chow-Yun Fat didn’t grow up in the city. He was raised in a house without electricity on the southern side of Lamma Island. Yes, our fair island is home to a most beloved Chinese star. Chow Yun-Fat grew up working in the family fields and selling dim-sum and vegetables in the mornings with his mother. Before he turned 20 he responded to a talent search ad. Twenty-some years later he would star in “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”.

I wonder, along with other wondering and hopeful Chinese, if Chow-Yun Fat and Jackie Chan are the beginning of a trend in Chinese culture.

By jenny on Tue, 22 May 2007

Expect no one to talk to you on a Hong Kong subway. Expect everyone to give up their seat to a mother or to the elderly. Always read over someone’s shoulder if you’re bored. It’s okay. Everyone does it.

Hong Kong’s subway system is full of quirks just like any other city. For example, it’s impeccably clean. Chinese cleanliness and smiley-face Wal-Mart prices come from the same source… cheap labor. But the passengers play their own part in keeping aluminum benches shiny and laminate flooring sparkling. I’ve never seen a subway rule broken: no eating, drinking, or spitting. (The no spitting signs are everywhere in an attempt to eradicate a bad habit of older Chinese generations.)

And then there is securing an empty seat in a crowded car. It took me four weeks of consistent riding before I figured out how to be Chinese in getting a seat. I can’t rush in too fast or I risk looking like a jerk. I can’t be passive or I’ll forever be standing. The main trick is to situate myself in an aisle where it looks like people might be getting off. Someone clutching their bag is a good sign that they are getting up soon. And when they get up, I pause for a moment, like I’m waiting for a pregnant lady to take the seat, then walk to the empty seat at a speed that isn’t too forced. I can’t look greedy.

If there are a few inches of space on a bench seat it’s okay to approach the seat with full intention of sitting down. Not wanting to be sat on is a common human sentiment. And making like you’re going to sit on someone is completely Chinese and not offensive at all. I’ve lacked the bravery to try it but the Chinese successfully execute the “I’m going to sit on you” move all the time.

Here’s a final pointer about subways in general. If you don’t like to touch strangers or be touched by them, don’t ride.

By jenny on Sun, 20 May 2007

Today my mother boarded a plane in Beijing. After one full month in China she’ll likely go home and kiss US soil. I admire her adventurous spirit and never have to wonder where I get it from.

Almost two hours before my mother’s plane left Beijing, my mother in-law boarded a plane in LA headed for Hong Kong. They fly past each other with neither of them realizing it.

My mother in-law arrives tomorrow morning and is scheduled to stay for a whole 6 weeks. With no viable summer day-care for Maeli, good ol’ grandma comes to the rescue. This visit being longer than the last, we’ll take our time exploring Hong Kong. There will be no race to the finish but more lazy days on the beach.

Maeli is a pretty lucky kid to have been gone for a mere five months and already both grandmothers have flown exactly half way around the world to see her. From the look on her face she knows the power that she wields.

By jenny on Tue, 15 May 2007

95% of Hong Kong residents own Octopus cards. As of today, Aaron and I each have our own. Why did we join the 14 million other card holders?

An Octopus card is a money smart-card. These cards are so versatile as a payment method that I might as well give up credit cards and quit carrying cash. Although the biggest allure is the touch-and-go system. It is common to see people drag their purse or bag over this. That yellow infinity symbol means “Hey…lucky you! Don’t worry about fiddling with small change. Just get your card near this thing and then you can pass through the metal gate, or buy groceries, or pump gas, or even get some salty dried fish out of this vending machine.”

It costs about 6 USD to own one and “add-value” machines are sprinkled all over Hong Kong. I feel so high-tech carrying one of these. And honestly it shaves off 10 minutes from my daily commute. Two days out of the week I have to take a ferry, subway, light rail, and then bus to the school I work at. It’s an hour and forty-five minute commute. Before my octopus card I had to have exact change for each of these transits. Now I just breeze on through like everyone else.

The octopus card is only 10 years old in Hong Kong. In the early years only the subway systems accepted them. Now every public transportation system in Hong Kong does. That’s not to mention the 7-Elevens, McDonald’s, and other shops. In fact, so many people now use Octopus cards that some stores no longer take small coins (the little shop down the street from us, for example!).

Despite culture shock and daily misadventures, Hong Kong is becoming our home. Joining the card swiping masses is just another sign.

By jenny on Tue, 08 May 2007

Our first visitors to Asia have come and gone without any major trauma. My mother spent two weeks in Hong Kong while her friend joined us this past weekend. Tonight they leave on a two week hike and bike tour that romps through rural and urban China. They will cover thousands of miles on their way to Beijing.

I was able to warm them up with some adventurous days in Hong Kong. The following itinerary supposes you stay on the Kowloon side, which is common for tourists. Aaron and I recommend the Salisbury YMCA for a reasonable rate in a phenomenal location.

Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong. Begin the slow process of adjusting your body to a very foreign time zone. When night takes the city, stroll down the promenade in Kowloon and stick around for the daily 8 PM light show. The choreographed music and dazzlement of Hong Kong cityscape will take the edge off the plane ride. Don’t forget to take some sleeping pills at night and have some melatonin on hand for when you wake up in the wee hours of the morning.

Day 2: Adventure back to the Kowloon promenade and visit the Hong Kong Art Museum. Familiarize yourself with relics of ancient worlds. Jade, copper, bronze… you name it. Then hop on the MTR subway transit to the Flower Market and Bird Market in northern Kowloon. Blocks and block and blocks of fresh flowers overwhelm the urban pollution. Rest at the Bird Market while watching old Chinese men gush over their caged beauties. Anytime after 4 PM hit the Temple Street night market in Kowloon for a dizzying array of knockoffs and Chinese gifts. Stop at one of the outside restaurants for some very fresh seafood with loads of MSG.

Day 3: Get ready to enter the belly of the beast. Take the seven minute ($0.27 USD) Star Ferry to Central. Walk to the Peak Tram and disorient yourself with a steep accent as skyscrapers fall behind. Hope for a clear day lending a most spectacular view from Victoria’s Peak. If you have the time and energy, take the one hour Morning Trail for more views of Hong Kong. Hop back on the Peak Tram and head to Maxim’s Restaurant on the 2nd floor of City Hall. Dim Sum anyone? They even have an English menu accompanied by a long line.

Day 4: Submerge once again into the MTR subway and head to Tung Chung. Transfer to the SkyRail for a 3.5 mile cable car ride overlooking Lantou Island. Arrive at Po Lin, home of the famous vegetarian monastery & cafeteria and giant Buddha statue. This trip is worth the commute because getting there is half the fun.

If you happen to be in Hong Kong on a Sunday, don’t miss the Kung Fu show in Kowloon Park. It’s a free show from 2:30-4:30. These amateurs put on a lovely show.

I’ve omitted dining options. Anywhere you go, it’s impossible to avoid a slew of restaurants in Hong Kong. However, expect MSG poisoning if you stick to Chinese cuisine.

Our first visitors enjoyed this schedule. They also got to visit Lamma Island (our home), however it’s a bit of a hike from Kowloon. If you happen to explore this eccentric side of Hong Kong, make sure you take a whole day to do it.

By jenny on Sun, 06 May 2007

Teaching in Hong Kong is rather hard to describe. It’s like explaining air travel. You could say, “It’s exciting but nerve wracking at the same time.” But that doesn’t provide the whole picture.

My dream job would have been at an international school. The pay is excellent, facilities are top of the line, and it’s good for networking. But most importantly the curriculum is loose and creative in comparison to local Chinese schools.

In mainland China it would have been easy to land an international position. Not many guilios (white ghosts) are willing to work in mainland. Frankly I just don’t have the proper credentials or experience to compete with Hong Kong ex-patriots.

So I work in Chinese kindergartens like other unqualified guilios in Hong Kong. And now that I’m with a placement agency, I’ve already been to four different schools in two weeks. Thus far my short experience as a teacher has spun me in circles.

Chinese kindergartens are much more strict than my own pre-school experience. For starters, there is the uniform. Every school has multiple uniforms that are required for different days of the week. This seems pretty hard to keep up with for the little ones. I always chuckle to myself when some of the kids are wearing the wrong uniform. Score one for diversity!

In kindergarten, the students are three to six years old. Once they turn six they can attend primary school. Kindergarten is like boot-camp for primary school. They beat the kids into submission with listening and rule-obeying skills.

The impression I get from the Chinese teachers is that fun is an after-school activity. Because this opposes my learning philosophies, I enter Chinese classes and get the kids moving and engage them in dramatic play. The teachers look worried. It’s like I’m the phys.ed. teacher in elementary school. Phys.ed. is the one class that EVERY student likes because thinking is not a requirement.

I often wonder how this strict environment effects these small children. Every class bows and chants in unison “Good Morning Miss Jenny” and the Chinese teachers are so proud. I wonder if these kids need to be making a mess with paints and getting muddy in the nearby creek.

The one reason that I appreciate this serious classroom style is because it nullifies any behavioral problems. Even three year olds will obey without a complaint. And they don’t pull the normal three year old trick of pretending that they don’t hear you. It would seem that respecting authority is drilled into Chinese from the womb.

But mostly I worry if the child-like spirit is drained at an early age. It makes me sad when I ask the students to play imaginary games and they look at each other in confusion.

Getting up in front of the class is also hard for these kids. They are used to collective games, not independent activities. I am sanding against the grain.

Over-obedient Chinese children make western children look like crazed squirrels. But Chinese children have trouble thinking for themselves. Although I prefer a western upbringing, when Maeli takes a fit in public I secretly praise what millions of Chinese mothers and teachers are doing.

By jenny on Mon, 09 Apr 2007

It’s official. We have moved into our first overseas (long-term) apartment. Aaron and I have begun to settle in and already Aaron has calculated and charted everything we still need to make our apartment a home. I took my time at the grocery store and happily spent the evening making guacamole. We accepted an invitation to a roof-top barbecue with our new neighbors. We ate fish balls with Allen, an Australian editor. He was sure to point out the quirks of the island such as the foot long centipedes that like to bite you in bed. This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Maeli acquired a tricycle and push along dump truck from the former tenants. Since I’ve been eyeing riding toys for three months now, they make a wonderful housewarming gift.

Our new home feels warm and safe. Aaron and I are mostly relieved that the move to Lamma went so smoothly. We both had our concerns with toting three very heavy suitcases on and off Hong Kong’s public transportation. Even this morning when we told the bellhop that we were headed for the light rail line he looked at us sideways. Without skipping a beat we attracted all sorts of looks today but for different reasons.

Our luggage situation has changed slightly. We discarded our smallest suitcase for a large one. We could barely contain our belongings within the seams of our cheap Sears luggage. When we travel, Aaron handles the two largest suitcases, also the two heaviest, while I get one suitcase plus one little two year old. Even if I were to attempt the two biggest suitcases I would still get stuck with the two year old. Everyone knows that little girls like their mommies.

To review the order of operation, we started off on the light rail. We rode that until the end of the line and then had to transfer to the subway system. Mostly this involved a lot of walking to find the lifts. No one says elevator here. We rode the subway to the end of the line, dropping us off in Hong Kong central. We ended up walking through IFC Mall with lots of stares. I could hear people thinking, “Who are these lost travelers? Are they looking for a hotel?” After a long walk we made it to the ferry pier. Upon arrival to Lamma we walked to the real estate agent office who thankfully let us use their trolley to cart our stuff to our new place. All told it took us two and a half hours for the entire journey. I think we made excellent time and in the end we were wholly astonished that our journey avoided stairs of any kind.

Tomorrow we will make a trip to Hong Kong to pick up some essentials that are hard to get on Lamma. Now if only we have this much luck with me finding a job.

By jenny on Fri, 06 Apr 2007

We have booked a room in the Gold Coast Hotel for 9 nights. Along with the weekly discounted rate we also receive free use of the gym, pool, shuttle buses to Hong Kong Central and 8 pounds of laundry service. Gold Coast is treating us royally and frankly, just being on the property can make you feel rich. But because it’s in the middle of no where, the rates are cheaper than what we could find in the city. No complaints here as I was able to take a dip in the pool, hang out in the sauna and listen to music in the garden. It was the first time in a while that I was able to feel relaxed and begin to collect my thoughts about this trip.

Aaron and I have been migrants for three solid months now. About halfway into our trip we thought we had selected a home base but in the end, Zhuhai didn’t pan out. Now we’re searching for a new home and of course the sky is the limit. Being back at square one again is not the best feeling.

To begin our search we started on Lamma Island. Known in Hong Kong as the hippie island, Lamma is complete with organic farm, vegetarian cafes, smoothie shops, and lots of dogs. Weekends are flooded with tourists taking advantage of the cool bar/music scene and remote hiking trails. However, there are a few things that deter Hong Kongers from living on Lamma. One must take a half an hour ferry ride to get to Hong Kong central. Over here, that short commute is asking a lot. To us, it’s a trivial factor. The other drawback of Lamma is the coal burning power plant that sticks out like a sore thumb. The pollution is minimal and all I noticed emitting from the stacks was a stream of white smoke which means they must be using scrubbers. The coal plant is so high that the smoke most likely blows right into Hong Kong island. The air on Lamma is the cleanest I’ve smelled in all of Asia probably because no cars are allowed on the island. Consequently everything is in walking distance. With a population of 6,000 it’s also not too crowded. Bikes are popular but it only takes an hour and a half to get from one side of the island to the other on foot. Surprisingly enough, Lamma is Hong Kong’s third largest island. In short, Lamma is remote, charming, and cheap with the excitement of Hong Kong central only a half an hour away for a $2 USD ferry ride.

We like Lamma so much that we dove in and put down a deposit on a three bedroom apartment today. In two days we’ll pack our bags with relief that we’ll be unpacked for at least one year. Living on a quaint tropical island wasn’t what we expected when we started our adventure but I’m glad that life took us down this path. When Maeli grows up she can confuse people by saying that she grew up on a hippie island in Hong Kong.

By jenny on Tue, 27 Feb 2007

Throughout cities in the far east I have seen a common sight…the homeless. I’ve been in many major US cities like New York, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans (before Katrina), San Diego, Seattle, and Portland. My impression of the US urban homeless is that they are either in a transitory state, addicts or mentally ill.

When I was at The Evergreen State College I wrote a short narrative non-fiction piece about the homeless in Olympia, Wa. About five times a week for a month I went to the local soup kitchen and tried to pose as a homeless person. I don’t think I fooled anyone but almost everyone was willing to talk to me. After all, they had a lot of time on their hands. Some were convicts that just became freed men not really knowing the next step. A lot of them were hard on their luck, coming from bad families, or general outcasts.

Here in Asia the homeless scene seems to be very different. You don’t see as many but when you do it’s painful. About 80% of the homeless beggars I’ve seen have missing limbs and they want you to see it. It hurts to walk by them without helping. But as I learned from my oldest sister, Angela, never give a homeless person money. Give them food or clothing or a helping hand. Angela worked one year for a Catholic Worker House in San Antonio TX. I visited her for 3 weeks and she gave me a first hand look at how the homeless operate.

But are the homeless in the US that much different from those in Asia? That question is going to take a lot more research than I have done. An article from China Daily stated that there is usually aid in urban settings for the homeless. However, most homeless are from rural areas and they are unaware of any relief organizations. A report written by a graduate student from Osaka City University said that urban homelessness is increasing because of the recent migrant movement in China.

Through my narrow research, it was difficult to find statistics or case studies on certain types of homeless. Maybe this research isn’t available because it’s a newer issue. I’ve always considered the Chinese to be very good at taking care of their own. It’s hard to find nursing homes in Asia. But modern China is on the move. For a young person to stay in the same place for a lifetime with a close social network is becoming a thing of the past.

Even though I’m uncertain about the homeless situation in Asia, I’m still reluctant to give out monetary handouts. I’ll be reverting back to my days in the US with food handouts. But the big difference is that in the US I haven’t run into many disabled beggars, and if they were handicap it wasn’t in my face. I’ll have to address my fears and remember that whatever the circumstance, we are all merely human.