My Thanksgiving options

The jury is still out on whether or not I will actually get to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. It's not something sold in grocery stores over here. Don't ask me why.

Like most things in China, I can't explain it.

There are a few Western restaurants doing dinners complete with all the fixings.

Owners had to have turkeys shipped in from the US. How they found the other ingredients to make goodies like stuffing, is beyond me.


Either way, I am grateful or should I say thankful?

If I can't get off work Thursday night to join in one of these organized expat dinners, I do have other options...

For example, I did try duck throat. As you can see in the above picture, it wasn't pleasant or shall we say, tender. Stringy is how I would describe it, yeah, like meat string cheese.

And yes, that guy is holding a piece of meat on my head. I will explain that in a second.

To the left here, this lovely little lady is getting her fill of intestines on a stick. Street stalls sell all sorts of "meats" like this. The Chinese love snack time and often go for kebob treats like this one.

Ok, back to the meat head- HA! I kill myself. This guy is munching on a duck head- the entire thing.

You can quite clearly see the bill and eye holes. Sorry to gross you out, but if I have to see this stuff then so do you.

He had a bag full of heads to snack on while we were playing cards. I was thinking more along the lines of popcorn.

This, I did not try and will not try- even if I don't get any turkey.


Of course the safest option out there for me is probably the Italian Red Meat Flavored potato chips. Bon apetit.

You know what though, this Thanksgiving, no matter what I end up eating, I will give thanks for being allowed this wonderful international opportunity.

I really have loved it so far.

I will also give thanks for all the people, family and friends, helping me to do this. Without them, I wouldn't be picking duck throat out of my teeth...

New Nephew!

So I became an Aunt for the 3rd time.
I am very excited for my sister and her husband Heath, new big sis Olivia and my new nephew, Gregrey.

Sam went into labor via induction when her water broke at 12:48 PM Friday. She received her epidural at 2:30 and little Greg was born at 3:21. 6 lbs 12 oz 18 inches long.

They said he was the first 10 rating they have given out for a baby at the Monroe hospital that anyone remembered, although I have no idea what that means.
More importantly, Mom and baby are doing well.

Check out the Bartelt cheeks!!

Panda Breeding and Research Center

It's hard to believe, but I have lived in China now for almost three months. I've seen things that gross me out (see previous posting) and others which are simply amazing. The Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research center is the latter.

According to the center's website, there are less than 1,000 Giant Pandas left in the world, 80% of them are in this region of China. I saw so many it is hard to believe they are endangered.

We got to the center at the perfect time- feeding time. It was about 3 in the afternoon and all the pandas were hungry. Some were given big piles of bamboo, others were fed what looked like canned cat food. I shot a great video of it- watch it here.

I had no idea pandas sounded like that! Have you ever heard a panda make noise? Amazing.

That was cool, yes- but nothing really compares to baby pandas. Lots and lots of little furballs in their "cribs". Wanna see em? Yup here's more video. I nicknamed one Jim because he kept on trying to "break on thru to the other side."

Of course, it's me, so I couldn't visit someplace without something odd happening...

In the panda nursery, I look over to see a worker pull out a cub. She weighs him and then places him on her lap. As he is laying there she starts to rapidly massage his belly. (You can see it in the background of my video). I can't figure out why until I see another worker pull the trash bin over.

Sure enough, the little guy starts to poop. Pandas are so lazy, they can't even poop on their own when they are little. Oddly enough, they are still cute even when doing this. I would gladly massage poop out of a panda if I got to hold one. (Wow that is an odd thing to type.)

The other thing I learned, is that there are Red Pandas. They look more like Red Raccoons to me. Still pretty cool. They also eat lots and lots of bamboo. So much that the center has to truck the stuff in.

If it weren't for that (and the fact I would be arrested) I would take one home.



Om nom!

Mucus

The Chinese are obsessed with mucus. They hate the stuff. They hate it so much that they have to get it out of their bodies all the time.

I will be walking down the sidewalk when suddenly I hear, "bluhck bluhck." Then the person proceeds to hock a loogie. They can be any age, any gender. Although, I do have to give credit where due, old women are particularly good at spitting.

Besides dodging pools of mucus on sidewalks, you have to watch for it everywhere. It seems to me that people spit wherever and whenever they feel like it.

For instance, I find it on the floor of the bathroom at work, just inches away from the squat pot. I have to ask myself why the person wouldn't just spit in the squat pot and flush it down. I am still waiting for an answer.

I saw one lady hock a big one on the floor of Walmart, in the fruit section. One man spat on the floor of a bus. Subway station platforms, work hallways, even outside my apartment's elevator- spit is everywhere!

At first I thought this was a quirky little Chinese trait. Now, I am annoyed almost to the point of hostility.

It never fails, someone will spit while I walk behind them. Just the thought of that sound, that engine in the throat revving up to dispel their mucus, drives me bonkers! Then you have to hear it splat on the ground and visually search for it so you don't get it on your shoes. It is like a horrible accident, you try not to look but you are compelled from somewhere deep inside.

Spit isn't the only obsession over here. Snot. Oh how they hate snot. I don't see people blowing their noses in tissues. Mainly, I see crusty old men doing what is known as the "farmer blow," aka the act of plugging one nostril while forcefully blowing air out the other, causing the snot from the open nostril to shoot out onto the ground. (I am yet to see a woman, young or old, due this, although it wouldn't surprise me.)

I have seen men do farmer blow's in the US but typically it is in the woods or in a farm field. Here in China, they do it outside their shop or restaurant door- in PUBLIC!

Another treat is provided by Beijing's cab drivers. My mouth hung open the first time I saw a guy go full force up his nose with his finger. I quickly then shut my mouth to prevent anything from flying in it.

They pick their noses whether you sit there and stare or not. Some just go for the boogs at the edge, others try to reach things stuck way up by their brain. Note to travelers: Do not shake your cab driver's hand.

I have even encountered the occasional cabbie who does all of the above. We can be driving along, he has one hand on the wheel, the other busy with his nose. Then the window will come down and the act of hocking loogies commences. Unreal.

Depending on my mood, I am either grossed out (which is a really hard thing to due) or I think the whole act is hilarious. There are no in-betweens.

The point of this all, in a round-about kind of way, is to explain why it is that Chinese people take their shoes off before entering a home. You just never know what is coming along with you for a visit.

Election reaction

Because I am a journalist, I was given access Wednesday to an event I might never witness
again. I got to watch presidential election results
roll in at the US Embassy's party in Beijing.

It started at 8:30 in the morning over here. I hopped in a cab and made my way to a hotel where the event was being hosted. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect.

You had to have your name on a list or pay a bunch of money to the American Chamber of Commerce to get in the door. Thankfully, my name was on the list. As is the norm post 9-11, I had to go through metal detectors and have my bag searched.

Once inside, I was able to get a feel for things. I thought it would mainly be Americans watching the results, but we were almost outnumbered by Chinese. It turns out the Embassy was using the day more as a PR event than a party.

There were all sorts of ways to learn about good ol' Democracy. People could vote in mock booths, watch campaign commercials, even take home fake ballots.

Communists having fun with democracy- the press was eating this up.


Clark Randt, Jr. gave a speech. He is the longest serving US Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (7 years). Seemed like a nice guy. Didn't say anything very political, however.

CNN made its prediction Obama would be our next president right around noon. People (both Chinese and Americans of all ages) were cheering, hugging, snapping pictures and even crying. It was a very moving moment. Even I got a bit teared up. I wouldn't say the feeling was relief so much as overwhelming hope, although I am relieved.

You can watch my short video shot in the minutes after the announcement by clicking here.


It's been a very interesting experience, seeing how the US election is covered internationally. I must admit, I had no idea how interested the rest of the world is in what happens in America. I knew we were a powerful country, but since being here, I really feel that the US is a land of hope and influence.

People stood for hours in line at the US Embassy when I went to cast my ballot. Hundreds and hundreds of Chinese want visas just to come visit our country.

Every news medium, whether it's TV, radio or print had a story about America, especially regarding the election, every single day.

I read a poll over here that said 75% of Chinese supported Obama. They liked him because he was different, young and not George W. Bush. They might not be the most informed about his policies but they knew his name. Can you tell me who the Chinese president is off the top of your head?

We hear a lot about how the world has a negative view of America. I would say that is a minority opinion. Countries aspire to have what we have. People would give anything to live in the US and have the same opportunities as I have had. Expats might not like everything our country does, and I can agree, however, they all know our history, important people and even geography.

Whatever America does, people take notice. The country is still the leader of the free world and hopefully after today, people from all over will begin to believe in it once again.

Good luck President Elect- my thoughts are with you.

Lost in Translation

Halloween isn't a Chinese holiday. Never-the-less, it was celebrated at full force here in Beijing as there are a lot of foreigners as well as foreign bars.

I knew I had to have a costume but its not like China is selling witches hats or tridents at the local WuMart. Creativity had to come in to play.

I decided to go as a serial killer. The look? I taped small cereal boxes all over myself and carried around a fake plastic knife. Cereal/serial killer- get it?

My Chinese co-workers certainly didn't. I put it on Friday night in the office and they all started laughing. I thought they understood my play on words.

Nope. The Chinese don't eat cereal for breakfast over here, in fact many have never even seen the stuff. One person thought I was wearing cracker boxes.

When I tried to explain myself, I realized the costume and my sense of humor were lost in translation. At least, I thought, expats at the bars would get it. I thought wrong. An American guy said he was trying to figure it out and just couldn't. I don't know if he was inebriated or just stupid. Cereal killer people- how hard is that?!

I invited some of my co-workers to experience Halloween with me, so we piled in cabs and headed to a place called Cheers. It was a typical American bar with a pool table, dim lighting and a loud band playing.

We get a table and I turn to the group- sheer fear is on their faces.
1. They had never been in a bar like this as they are used to sitting around tables and drinking at restaurants, if anywhere. They don't just go out for drinks here- it is a very foreign concept for them.
2. There were paintings of naked women, spread eagle on the walls. I didn't know this before we came. Very risque. Pay attention to the background of one of my pictures.
3. Everyone there was in costume, full blown costume. Guys were in drag (complete with heels), one girl was just wearing a leather dominatrix outfit, there were angels, devils, monsters, political figures. You name it- we saw it.

One guy turns to me and asks if he is free to leave whenever he wanted saying that this was a bit much for him. I felt horrible. I had no idea this was going to be that much of a culture shock. I let everyone know they were free to go whenever they wanted and then made a bee-line for the bar. Beer- I needed beer and not just for me.

After everyone had a bottle, they started to lighten up a bit. I explained that they need to be open-minded when trying new things, just like I was open-minded when I came to China. This seemed to click.

Pretty soon I was able to drag a few people on to the dance floor where we met a Chinese Michael Jackson in white-face. Is this politically incorrect?

Oh well, I am pretty sure what I just put my co-workers through could be classified as pretty incorrect as well. China will never be the same....

Either way, at least I am not the only one doing the corrupting. Check out some of my expat friends below:

Mike the drunken priest (he actually bought this real robe at a religious store in Beijing) and Anais the 50's housewife. She is from France. Did they have housewives in the 50's in France?

Jeremy as a Beijing Cab driver. I have to give it to him, this was pretty good except he was not continuously hocking loogies out windows, picking his nose, smoking with the windows up or coming close to maiming anyone. Yes, all of the above are true cabbie traits. He did however, smell like a cabbie. My congrats.

Donna. Ah yes, Donna. Can you guess what she was supposed to be? She is also a journalist who decided to do a non-literal costume and like mine, it didn't go over well. At least we tried. She is VH1 Behind the Music.