the life of elyssa

The past week has been a whirlwind. We went from Hoi An to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Mihn City) to Mui Ne. After Mui Ne, we headed back to Saigon and then down to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta. Then we took a boat to the Cambodian border and worked our way through there. Sound exhausting? Yes, it was. Sound incredible? Yes, it was.

Where to begin?

Saigon, take one. We spent a day or two in Saigon, which was a 16 hour train ride away from Hoi An. Arriving at 5am, Riina and I were naturally exhausted. Perhaps that led us to initially believe we didn’t like the city very much. Very loud and noisy with thousands of motorbikes everywhere. The pictures are worth a thousand words in this case, so just wait for them.

I got in touch with some UVA alumni in the city and we met up for coffee. It’s always a good feeling “knowing” someone in the city, even if you don’t really know them. I ended up chatting with an older alumni about web and new media. It was fascinating.

The next day we headed to Mui Ne beach for some fun in the sun. Mui Ne is your stereotypical surfer town. Very relaxed, lots of seafood, lots of sun. We spent the first day we were there at the beach….and naturally didn’t think suntan lotion would be very important. The second day was spent in the shade covered from head to toe.

Riina was excited to randomly run into a classmate from Estonia. It turned out there were two houses full of Estonians, so we headed there and hung out with them on our first night there.

Our second and final night in Mui Ne coincided with the full moon, so we naturally took advantage of the location and partook in a bonfire beach party. We joined a group of mainly Australians and collectively taught Riina how to play UNO.

A five hour night bus ride later, we were back in Saigon. Not because we actually wanted to be back but more because it was the best hub to get to the Mekong delta area. With this being said, our second trip to Saigon gave us a better impression of the city. It’s one of those big cities with few big sites to see but many subtle nuances. One of our favorite things was going to the park early in the morning. We went to the park at 6am and were shocked to find it bustling with runners, aerobic classes, salsa dancers, etc. Perhaps because it gets so hot during the day, but it looked busier than Central Park at its peak.

After a day or so, we took a bus to the Mekong Delta area, or, more specifically Vigh Long. We went on a morning boat tour through the small canals and streams, visiting the floating markets where people on boats sail to other boats with goods. As the infrastructure improves, the towns are slowly transforming to conventional markets, which is probably more efficient but not half as beautiful.

There were only two other people on our tour and we quickly became friends with them. Tessa and Niko ended up traveling with us to the border and throughout much of Cambodia.

To get to Cambodia, we took a bus to the Vietnamese border town and then a boat across the border. We then took a “bus” to Phnom Penh. The boat ride along the Mekong Delta was beautiful. The river is relatively narrow at that point so there was a lot to see. The “bus” to Phnom Penh, however, was a joke. The company had apparently run out of space on the bus so they squished the four of us (and our stuff) into a Toyota Camry circa 1991. Hilarity ensued as the driver swerved so as not to hit the various bicycles and animals that considered the road to be their playground.

The next morning, Riina and I hit up the beach town of Sihnoukville for a few days of fun in the sun before I went off to meet our friends in Siem Reap/Angkor Wat. Sihnoukville was a riot. It was one of the first times we didn’t feel like we were in the company of people like us. There were families and pure party people (aka those who travel to destinations just to party and not as part of a whole tour.). Many of the shops, restaurants and bars were owned and run by foreigners. We spent a relaxing day at the beach drinking fruit shakes and indulging in $3 beachside massages

As I mentioned, I split up from Riina about this time due to time constraints and met up with Tessa and Niko in Ankgor Wat, the former mighty kingdom of the Khmers (and site of the Tomb Raider movie). The area is about the size of Manhattan, though a different type of jungle entirely. We rented bikes for three days and explored the grounds and temple remains. It was pretty incredible to see the complexity and enormity of the place. There was so much attention to detail; it was astounding. Every piece of stone was carved to perfection. Pretty impressive when you realize the site is roughly 1000 years old.

Huê was the former capital of Vietnam. Thanks to the shelling of bombs, it’s a shell of it’s former self. Riina and I ended up spending a day there.

We could see traces of beauty in the city. We walked inside the citadel, which is a basically a city in and of itself, and along the lake. The people were some of the friendliest we had met. Some let us in there homes, which were positively dreadful and made us understand why the food was so cheap. Everyone was smiling. It was the first time we didn’t feel like we had to haggle like hell. Even if they were pocketing a quarter or so extra from us, it’s fine. Let them enjoy it.

I convinced Riina to go to a vegetarian place for dinner and it was amazing. It ended up being vegetarian vietnamese tapas and we feasted for $3 each. Our favorite dish was the tofu and mushrooms in a citronella and pepper sauce. It was absolutely divine — very fresh and full of flavor. A close second was the sautéed aubergines.

However there was just too much working against it. The weather was grey, damp and cloudy. Granted I understand that the majority of people reading this are sitting in a foot of snow or subzero windy weather. But do understand that we have windbreakers, not coats. And flip flops, not uggs. 50/10 is chillllllly.

So after a day in Huê, it was time to go away. Off to Hoi An, a four hour bus ride away with much better weather…

Perhaps because of the warm weather (finally), thebwonderful people we met (foreigners to be honest) or the shopping (heavy suitcase)…. Whatever it was, Hoi An is easily my favorite place we have visited so far. We spent two days there eating, drinking, shopping and lounging on boats. Ahh, what’s not to love by the thought of that?

In hindsight, perhaps we should have visited the touristy destinations that make the city a world heritage site. But really, who has time for that when you can get clothes and shoes customed made for you? Certainly not us. We are now the proud owners of matching custom black pumps and well as several dresses we don’t actually have the space in our luggage for. Riina got a beautiful long silk summer gown and I came away with a smart black business dress as well as an impractical party dress (I couldn’t resist . I may have to seek or create an occasion to wear it, but it will be so worth it.

The food in Hoi An was incredible. We went to one restaurant on the waterfront creatively named “Restaurant Cafe 96″ located at 96 Bach Dang (Beach Road). For $11, Riina and I feasted and drank to our heart’s content. Highlights included the fried spring rolls with shrimp and grilled fish with lemongrass and garlic wrapped in a banana leaf.

At the restaurant we met some girls from LA. I think they might have been a little too “peppy” for Riina, but I had fun with them. We all shared an affection for mango mojitos and ended up splurging on $5 ones at the local hot spot. It was nice to be around similar people and talk about New York hotspots (Nicole had lived there for a few years) and be reminded about some of the highlights to look forward to when I return home.

On our second day in Hoi An, we ran into two girls who shared a hostel with us in Huê. We ended up spending the day with them, which included a $3 meal (for all of us) in a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant and a $2.50 hour long boat ride. Hopefully we’ll get to meet up with them later in the trip.

All in all, Hoi An was the perfect relaxing escape from all the action-packed traveling we’ve been doing.

Riina and I were commenting about how lucky we’ve been thus far. Knock on wood, but it’s been an amazing trip. We were smart to travel from north to south, getting the cold out of the way while we were overdosing on adrenaline. The weather, while not perfect, has been fair. Today was the first day of downpour and coincidentally the first time we took a day train.

Next stop: Saigon.

Salut mes amis! For the past few days I’ve been in heaven. Well, a strange hybrid heaven. I have been enjoying cold pain avec beurre, reading about Vietnamese events in French and eavesdropping on countless conversations between Quebecois. Finally, years after studying the subject, my knowledge of French had been put to good use. In Asia of all places.

However, it hasn’t all been amusante…

After an interesting sleeper bus trip from Kunming to Hekou on the Chinese border, Riina and I arrived around sixish. We walked around the town until we could find a place serving food. Riina was able to find food; I just found myself getting lectured on how stupid it was that I didn’t eat meat. A word of advice to those who might want to continue trying to convince me to consume clucky, taking a whole, boiled chicken (head intact) out of a pot does not help matters.

A few hours later, we exited the country, walked across no-man’s bridge and entered Nam. Twenty minutes later after the immigration guard had looked at all our passport stamps, we arrived in the Vietnamese border city of Lao Cai.

The border city was nothing special, so we hopped in a car and headed to Bac Ha, a small ethnic minority village with an awesome Sunday market. It was pretty amazing seeing all the women wear their colorful minority outsides, but, unfortunately, the place was littered with tourists who ruined the feeling of authenticity a bit. Or, well, a lot.

The rain also didn’t help matters. I was a dumbass in flip flips, which splashed mud all up and down my pants. After the market, the group we were with stopped to tour some “authentic” ethnic village. Riina and I lasted roughly ten meters before we realized the full effect of how stupid trekking through mud with forty others was and headed back to the car.

We took a night train to Hanoi, reaching the city around 6 or so. For the two of you who haven’t figured it out by now, Vietnam was previously occupied by the French. Thus, Hanoi is very much infused with bits of French. From the large proportion of French-speaking tourists to the bread served everywhere to the architecture, it’s all elegant and beautiful.

Riina and I spent two days wandering Hanoi’s old quarter, strolling through the embassy area, and amusing ourselves in various Pagodas and Temples. Unfortunately some stupid foreign country bombed most of the authenticity out of the various touristy sites, but it was still nice to see the rebuilt One Pillar Pagoda and the Supreme Court.

The weather was chillier than we had expected (50*F/10*C), so we stayed warm by eating and drinking our way through the city. The food was much cheaper than we had been expecting. It was about two dollars for seafood dishes and less than a dollar for street food (after immense haggling because the laowai tax is steep). My favorite food was probably the Vietnamese sandwich which mommy had been urging me to try. I also enjoyed this banana dipped and then fried in some batter. While granted it wasn’t the healthiest and quite a pain to haggle down to its normal price, it was a delicious mix of crispy and creamy.

Last night we hopped on a train to Hué where we plan to spend a day or so before heading to Hoi An and eventually down to Ho Chi Mihn City. I’m excited for it to get warmer and hit the beach. The cultural experience might be nice as well.

My trip through southern China and Vietnam officially began yesterday when I flew to Kunming to meet up with Riina, my travel buddy. She had been backpacking throughout Yunnan province with some others.

My flight left at eight, meaning I had to wake up quite early to catch it. I had my cell set to maximum volume to prevent me from sleeping through my alarm. Silly, silly Elyssa. Naturally my phone went off five times or so. Sleep is for the weak anyway.

The shuttle bus to the plane was an interesting experience. I got on the bus and it went suddenly silent. A quick glance to my right and left made me realize everyone was staring at me. I’m always surprised by this because I always see so many foreigns around town. I guess we hang in different circles.

I did meet one girl on the bus who spoke English and was genuinely awesome. By chance, we were seated next to each other. Turns out she does marketing for Harley Davidson. A Chinese motorcycle enthusiast. Totally random, but definitely helped the flight pass quicker.

We had a stopover in Wanzhou. Picture a small town bus station with one outlet. Lengthen the road and widen it a bit. Add two circa 1933 US/1977 CN planes for (hopefully) display purposes. That’s Wanzhou airport. I can’t decide if it’s terrifying or fascinating that someone can enter the aviation system there, fly to Beijing, and then head to New York or wherever they want to go.

Whilst in Kunming, Riina and I stayed with my friend Nathaniel who recently moved there from Beijing. He took us to a club aka one of the two places to go in Kunming. Though the club was called “Banana VIP,” Circus would have been more appropriate. Imagine pyrotechnics, laser beams, a violinist, a guy in a dinosaur costume and alien mask… I could keep going but the point has been made. Let’s just say it was an entertaining accompaniment to the vodka redbulls I was enjoying.

Riina and I spent today prepping for the trip. We really should have spent it mentally prepping for this sleeper bus we took to the border. Due to landslides/flooding, it’s the only logical way to get to the Vietnamese border. The bus is three narrow beds wide and filled with people who haven’t quite realized that when using a cell phone, you don’t actually have to scream to someone who is far away. Quite ingenious technology if you ask me.

I finally got the chance to leave my little Beijing comfort zone and hit up Shanghai for a long weekend. While I didn’t get to see the World Expo (it ended in October), I got to attend the Girl 2.0 Expo. You may remember I helped to launch Girls in Tech China back in May. This was phase two of the program. The Girl 2.0 Expo was the culminating event for Girl 2.0 campaign, a cross-border initiative to catalyze female business and innovation between China and the US.

While I didn’t have as big of a role in the planning process, I was flown in for the event to help in the final stages. I think my adventure actually began in Beijing. My flight left at 7am, so I woke up quite early to catch my flight. Friends, let me give you a word of advice: the locals and the lys do not mix well before the sun rises.

There are examples galore to illustrate this, but the best I can give you involves me at the security checkpoint. Now, everyone who knows me in the Middle Kingdom knows there are a few things I never leave home without: tissues, a kuai or two and hand sanitizer. Hand Sanitizer and I are best friends. Hao pengyoumen you might say if you were here with me. Before I knew where to find it here, my fabulous mommy would ship it to me in special packages. Now, if I stay somewhere for an extended number of days, I leave a bottle there for safe measures.

With this being said, you could imagine my disgust when Mr. Security Officer tried to discard my beloved product. Not because it was too large, but because it apparently was flammable. To prove his point, he squeezed some of the sanitizer onto his table and tried to light it on fire. Naturally, nothing happened. He discarded it anyway. I through a fit and demanded to speak to his manager. He manager took one look at the product and gave it back to me. To summarize a long (but hilarious story), ten minutes of my life was wasted because of an idiot. Thanks.

Anyway, I think it was love at first sight when I landed in Shanghai. Due to its history, Shanghai is a melting pot of European and Asian culture. It’s extremely modern, with 90+ story skyscrapers, but also has its fair share of tiny tree-lined streets, especially in the French Concessions district. I spent my time traveling between the two areas, which have a way of blending nicely together.

Friday was spent working on the event with the core team – tying up loose ends, creating presentations, etc. In the afternoon, we visited the venue of the event – the massive Himalayas Center – for a private tour of the still yet-to-be-completed facility. It was impressive — I had never seen so much pink in one area. They had our logo on their ceiling, which features the largest LED screen in Shanghai. There must have been 50 workers handling the event to ensure everything would be completed in time. It really put the whole project into perspective.

If that wasn’t enough, we hit up Chateau 599 for a VIP dinner. My job? Keep everyone happy. I ended up talking to Larry Namer, co-founder of E! Entertainment Television. He is now currently in China helping to bring television shows popular in the States over here, localizing them in the process. His latest venture? Gossip Girl Shanghai. Look for a crossover episode or two in the coming months.

After dinner, work continued into and throughout the night, with a short break for sleep at some point around 5 or so. Jenny thinks we slept for 15 minutes; I tend to think more positively and put the number at 40. Note for next year: working in taxis on the way to the event doesn’t work very well. Especially not in Shanghai, when the drivers are nuts and leave me feeling nauseous afterwards.

In the interest of brevity, I’m going to just say that the event itself was amazing. We had a packed audience. Seating for 170 with over 200 showing up. We were able to spread the word about the growing number of female innovators and various projects they are involved in, and, most importantly, get people hyped about things to come in the future.

The real fun began after the actual event ended and the weight had been lifted from our shoulders. We starting by having dinner with fellow team member Jing’s family, who insisted we drink shot after shot of the ever-potent Chinese baijiu. One of our Chinese friends kept warning us to be careful – these dinners can turn into total shitshows – but what were we supposed to do after Jing’s family bought a case of the liquor?

Luckily, we all survived and made it to the next destination: the Music Room on the 92ndfloor of the Park Hyatt hotel. The venue: a bit disappointing. Though we were in the tallest building in the city, the venue surprisingly enough did not lend itself well to viewing. Plus, the drinks were shit. Cosmopolitans should NEVER be on the rocks in a lowball glass. However, the people: they made the night fabulous. I was privied to the notorious and legendary dancing of Dave McClure, which is sort of like watching a real life Night at the Roxbury, and (let’s be honest) it’s really hard for even the worst of bartenders to mess up champagne. All in all, it was a crazy 46-hour “day.”

Sunday was spent in the most fascinating place I’ve ever seen – and yes, I have been to Disney World. This tops it. We went to this place called 东南东(East by South East). Just outside the city center of Shanghai, it’s a compound that will eventually feature residential and commercial buildings, the largest mall in China and an “innovation college,” complete with an area for the innovators to turn into entrepreneurs and sell their products. Please make sure you take a look at the pictures because the place is incredibly. Steve Liang, the chairman of the product, designed the first mall in Taiwan. It bleeds creativity. Words don’t do it justice.

On Monday, I was invited to tour Xindanwei, a collaborative workspace building with a social media platform. It gives growing entrepreneurs their own workspace in an inexpensive setting surrounded by others just like them. The idea is that people can feed off each other, and, rather than competing, they can complement each other. In theory, the concept is great; from a business perspective, it’s a hard concept to sell. I wish Liu Yan and the rest of the team luck. She seems to have surrounded herself by a number of experts in the social media community of Shanghai, evidenced by the luncheon I attended that she organized.

As I was leaving Monday night, I freaked out around 2pm that I had seen a ton of cool innovative aspects of Shanghai, but no touristy sites. My friend Isaac to the rescue. In lieu of a planned coffee break, we went on an expedited tour of the must-see sites, where he gave me his expert commentary on The Bund and Xintiandi, home to the first meeting of the CPC. Isaac, I know you’re way too busy to view my little and inconsistently updated blog, but THANK YOU. I finished up my weekend in Shanghai by grabbing all the vegetarian street food I could find and indulging.

I gained a lot from my trip to Shanghai: weight, experience, new clothes (yes, I snuck in some shopping), spray hand-sanitizer and friends. Overall, a very successful trip.

To see pictures from my trip, please click here.

I have returned… to what, you may ask? Well, to several things. Let me break it down for you.

- …to writing in my blog. What a lovely two month unexpected hiatus I had. Please accept my dearest apologies and understand that I have been quite the busy bee. From traveling to changing jobs, it’s been a pretty overwhelming past few weeks for me. Doing it was crazy; thinking about it enough to jot it down – altogether unbearable (until now, of course).

- …to the US. I made a surprise trip back at the end of September. The mommy, daddy, and baby sister had no idea I was coming until the day before I saw each of them. How did I keep it under wraps, you may ask? Avoiding my mother’s 3+ skype calls a day helped a bit. Plus, the whole non-reporting of my life in China didn’t hurt.

My trip back to the US was not just about surprising my family, of course. I needed to procure a new visa, remind my old friends that I was still alive, and check out the job situation/market for PR wannabes. Altogether, all missions were accomplished, making it a highly successful (though hectic) trip.

During my two weeks “abroad,” I visited five cities, staying in eight different places. Of course, I started in Richmond, home of the mommy, daddy, and my favorite Trader Joes. It was so amazing to have home-cooked food (using ovens) again. By home-cooked food, I mean Chik Patties and Progresso Minestrone soup. Ahh, the little things make me so happy.

The baby sister was too important to come down to Richmond, so I trekked up to my alma mater. Charlottesville is truly at its best in the fall. Between the leaves changing colors to the football games and their respective tailgates, I was reminded of how magical the place can be.

After Charlottesville, a brief return to Richmond and a stop in Maryland, I made my way into the Big Apple. At first it was a bit strange. I arrived at Penn Station, luggage in tow, feeling a bit disoriented and overwhelmed. That feeling ended after an hour. New York is filled with excitement and promise. Ever the melting pot, all aspects of my life seemed to mix together during my week stay there. I saw family, University friends, people from China, former colleagues, etc. Details are too wordy. New York never sleeps, and neither did jet-lagged Elyssa.

Following another brief return to Richmond, I trekked to Northern Virginia/DC to complete my whirlwind of a trip. I was so impressed by how successful the people I met up with had become: Justin the homeowner, suited-up Art, Jamie the soon-to-be Congresswoman… I envy you all the inroads you have made. I hope to join you in success shortly.

- …to China. Yes, after my great trip back to the US, I returned to China. This time, however, my time and plan here feels more focused. Before leaving for the US, I started working at the American Chamber of Congress – China. I have been given a great opportunity to mix and mingle with interesting people (including Jane Goodall!!), while continuing to gain experience in web content production, video editing, magazine writing and event organization.

My time in the US helped me confirm what I knew all along – my future is in the States, not China. Almost definitely, I see myself returning to the US early next year. However, China is playing a significant role in my life. It’s teaching me patience and independence, introducing me to spectacular people and a culture intrinsically different to what I grew up with, and helping me figure out exactly what I want to do with my life.

Before, I mentioned I hope to have the success my friends are showing. I don’t want to take away from what they have accomplished, but I do think I have been successful too. While I don’t have a career yet, I have gained so much life experience and insight in the past year. I wouldn’t change that for the world.

I just realized I have been entirely negligent about reporting about my time in Mauritius… and since I am embarking on another trip this afternoon, it’s now or never to discuss my trip.

First, the basic itinerary. We left on a Wednesday and returned the following Wednesday. Devote the first and last day to travelling (and Binbin’s duty-free splurges) and you are left with the chunk of our trip. We spent three days on sight seeing tours — visiting waterfalls, other islands, extinct volcanoes, the tops of mountains, 7 colors of class tourist traps, and harbours. The other two days were spent relaxing and shopping.

However, what I did was not the interesting part. It’s what I observed….

1. I think the Chinese were much more excited about the Duty-Free Shopping than about the trip. The sad part – the prices were arguably worse in the duty free shops. Want a $20 bag of Snicker’s that I can get in Costco for $10? A $10 bottle of carry-on friendly shampoo (conditioner separate)? Knock yourself out, Chinese people. With my criticisms being said, there’s something to say about how happy it makes them that they think they can “cheat the system” and not give the government more money. If they can be that happy in a terminal waiting for their flight, all the power to them.

2. 2. While the sun technically makes the rest of the world happier (yes, it’s been scientifically proven), the Chinese are in a class of their own. While I was dousing mosquito repellent on my skin (what can I say – I’m too sweet), they were soaking up the SPF 50+. When SPF gets that high, can it still be absorbed into the skin? I’m not sure, to be honest. Before I left, I had tried to find a decent suntan lotion, but was unable to find anything less than SPF 30 (I settled for the spray bottle for light application). But of course, SPF 50+ was not enough for them. They made sure their little bodies were covered with pants and windbreakers and hats and sunglasses and even umbrellas. Yes, umbrellas on a speedboat. Hilarious.

3. 3. The Chinese like to take already created items and make it their own. Shocker, right? Case-in-point: food. Did I ever tell you the Chinese think they invented pizza? Yes, despite the fact that many of them are lactose intolerant and it’s impossible to find an oven and cheese in this country without moving over to the dark, international side, they believe their breakfast crepe (a folded crepe topped with egg, soybean paste, pepper, cilantro, and a crispy cake) is the foundation of pizza. Well, now Mauritian food is Chinese food. Their trick – add la jiao to everything. The men of the trip brought their own pepper – and added the heat to EVERYTHING. Nothing was safe: steak, omelets, salads, sweet crepes, BBQ chicken, garlic bread, pizza… it wasn’t edible to them until it had pepper.

4. 4. The only food that wasn’t their own: the Chinese food in Mauritius. Don’t misunderstand: it was DELICIOUS. I thoroughly enjoyed myself: sweet and sour shrimp, duck sauce, a chef who actually understands I am a pescetarian – heaven. It tasted like the grub I feast on in the motherland. They were just confused. Luckily, the pepper helped a little. However, it didn’t diminish their disappointment.

5. 5. Everything is a photo opportunity. More often than not, they were seeing Mauritius through a lens and not directly. Perhaps the lens protected their eyes from the dreaded sun?? I’m note sure. Liu Liu (every rich person doubles their name for double the impact: Lulu, Liu Liu, Binbin…) nicked his ankle and decided to go to the hospital: photo opportunity. People were waiting for their rooms in the lobby: photo opportunity. There are several sequences of me walking. Here’s some good news for them: if any of their über high paying jobs fails, they can always turn into private investigators or paparazzi.

6. 6. The Chinese travel agent was simply as clueless as you would expect. Rocking the popped polo, bellbottoms circa 1972 with the cutout flower design, plastic blue kitten-heeled sandals complete with electric blue nail polish, and LeSportSac across the chest bag, she was a sight to behold. Hearing the only English words she could say – “good, no, yes, I know, how much” – it was a pure comedy show. Part of me enjoyed it a bit – finally these idiots who claim to speak English can’t get away with it. The downside – I became the translator for the group, speaking a strange mix of French, English, and Chinese. My brain was fried by the end of it. Also, I had to explain how an airport functioned. Namely that your flight hasn’t been cancelled just because the gate hasn’t been assigned 4 hours prior to liftoff. Idiot.

Overall, it was a great trip. Absolutely exhausting though. Definitely not the escape from China I had been hoping for. Biggest lesson I learned: you can take the Chinese out of China, but you can’t take away their essence that makes them the Chinese.

My next escape will be this afternoon as I make my second trip to Seoul. Seoul, for me, is the next best thing to being in the States. I know most people say to stay away from Itaewon (the Americanized area) in all the travel tips, but I relish in it. I enjoy my Quiznos and my military boys. When things get too stressful in the Middle Kingdom, Seoul is only a short trip away.

So tonight I got a bit hungry and decide to scavenge around my kitchen looking for food. As I opened my fridge, I realised that I have the fridge I always dreamed of: one filled with tapenades, olives, pesto, chocolate, almonds, water and wine….aka nothing substantial. This is what happens when you leave a 23 year old to fend for herself foodwise. The packed family fridge filled with basics goes out the window. Instead, I’m left with things purchased on a whim because “I like it” and nothing filled with the normal stuff “everyone should have.” Add to that the fact that most Chinese supermarkets make me want to vomit with their useless aisles of ramen, oil, and rice and the western markets are exponentially more expensive that you really only should use it as supplemental and I’m totally s.o.l.

No, that doesn’t stand for the not the education test I took in school.

When I was in Mauritius (more on that later), I went with el bosso to the supermarket and got so excited I nearly cried. She didn’t understand me as I exclaimed, “This is what a supermarket SHOULD be.” Then again, as she reminded me, she hasn’t been to a supermarket in years. And, for the record, yes, I did go food shopping. It was highly enjoyable. The olives are magnificent.

I guess in some regards, I really don’t need to have a stocked kitchen in China. I mean, let’s face it… when was the last time I last cooked? With the exception of the pasta (with pesto) I feasted on for lunch today, it has to have been months. And that was a freak occurrence – me being in my apartment during the day. The food here can be so cheap that it just doesn’t make sense to cook. Cooking becomes too time consuming and messy. Costly too when I think about all the little extras I need to buy. At my first apartment, my roommate did not even want to buy kitchen supplies because he didn’t see the need. That’s a bit extreme, but the point nevertheless remains the same – it’s possible financially and healthwise to survive here without turning on the stove.

It’s actually quite pitiful when I think about how many delicious veggies I can buy just around the corner from my apartment here. Cucumbers, cabbage, aubergines, spinach… yum, yum, yum. It all sounds so delicious until I think about cleaning it or cooking solely by stovetop. Mommy, please, I beg of you… tell me it’s possible to make eggplant parm sans oven. So many aubergines… such a waste.

In this regards, my current job is a bit of a godsend for me. It ensures that I have home cooked meals. In my longing for a family here, I sometimes pretend like my boss is part of my surrogate family (she would just love me for saying that). I call her aunt my current momma (SanMa). Her uncle is my Chinese father. And I eat a lot of meals with them. They know what I like and cook for me. It’s fantastic.

On my way to Mauritius (off the African coast). Back to Beijing in a week (full of stories I’m sure)!

This week Beijing entered its rainy season. I must admit I did not know such a thing existed. I also must admit I’m not really a fan. After ten months of living here, my body got used to the dry environment. Obviously my skin hated it at first, but we compromised when I brought lotion into the mix. My hair, on the other hand, and I were having the time of our life. Some days, we would go straight, other days curly, other days wavy. For the first time in my life, I was in control of it.

Of course, what I should have remembered is nothing stays the same in Beijing. The rain began on Friday and has steady poured since then. What’s more is that the forecast predicts rain, rain, rain all week long.

I think all of us in Beijing have become a bit spoiled by the perpetual dry spell. In some ways, maybe we think we’re deserving. We live in a city that constantly gives the illusion the weather is overcast (although those of us who have an ounce of intelligence know its just pollution). We don’t get the pleasantry of the sun so we don’t get the misery of the rain – fair compromise, right?

Once in a while, it rains. And when that happens, the city shuts down. Seriously, gridlock galore. Beijingren can suddenly afford taxis. Either that or they multiply. Quadruplify. Basically, don’t bother trying to move around in the city. It’s impossible. Moving sidewalks move faster than the traffic in rain.

And because it happens so infrequently, I am always left woefully unprepared. When I lived in England and it rained, I was fine. My umbrella was attached to my hip. In Florida, you just stand on one side of the street until the rain passes two minutes later. Here, I just succumb to getting soaked. No taxis, no protection, no dice.

So the roads gridlock and everyone abandons their daily routine. Bars become barren, restaurants roll up their welcome mats. No one wants to do anything but stay in and sleep.

On Friday, when the rain began, I had every intention of breaking my rain habits and sticking to my daily routine. I wanted to go to the mall and purchase some clothes and then head over to Chabad for dinner. I planned to take a bus to the mall since it would be the most efficient way – buses don’t refuse people. I donned one of those 50cent ponchos around my body and plastic bag over my head, but it was completely in vain. Even though I had perfect timing with the arrival of the bus, I was soaked in a second. I did make it to The Place (haha yes, that’s the name of the mall – Shi mao tian jie) and purchased my goods, but decided it’d be much easier to stay in the area to have dinner. Not only would it be a hassle to get to Chabad, I knew (and was right) that my friends would be just as lazy as me.

After dinner I didn’t even bother to stay dry. Much to the chagrin of the Chinese, I let my hair down and walked home, relishing the rain. The Chinese kept staring at me and saying I was going to catch cold; however, in 80* weather with no AC in sight, I consider myself quite safe. It’s like a shower that I don’t have to pay for (it sucks having to pay utilities!!!). There was no point in fighting it. When you know you’re going to lose to the rain storm and it happens so infrequently anyway, smile and give in.

This mindset is perfect when it rains once every two months. However, continuously for a week??? I’m not really sure what we are all going to do. Cocooning yourself in your crib doesn’t really work. We might have to become like everyone else – deal with it. Remember hair spray help, rain boots are rad, and thank god nail salons are often connected to massage parlors and can result in hours of indoor amusement.

Or the government can just do what it does best and change the weather. Dou ke yi.