After a lunch meeting with my 'editor' I took a stroll around the district around the news office. I stumbled upon a place called 'The Yummy House' which offers ex-pats like myself the luxury of western goods. It's western prices (~$3 US for taco shells, $2 US for Kraft Mac & Cheese Spirals) but worth it just for a small treat from home. So, I have found my hook up for everything from chips and salsa to Fabreeze. Nothing says 'first world' quite like being able to de-odarize your close without washing them. Thanks Yummy. You're good peoples.
Body Movin'/Body Body Movin'
This morning while I was teaching I heard quite possibly the best euphamism for 'making whoopie' (i.e. sex). In small groups my students had to present one American holiday to the class. One group chose Valentine's Day. They talked about how it was a day for lovers and how romance is the main theme. They said that boyfriends will take their girlfriends to the park for a romantic night. I asked, "Why do lovers go to the park?" My student, Chris, replied, "to mutually organize a romantic movement."
Don't fool yourself, we're talking BODY movement here, nothing of the social kind. I had to take a 5 mintue break just to stop laughing. Props to him for adding the consentual qualifier 'mutually'. Way to go Chris, way to go.
peace. paul.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The Roof of Iowa
Hey. I just got a shipment of new reads from Minneapolis. Thanks Dad. One article that I read in The Rake - a Mpls. free of charge magazine - really caught my eye. Click here to read it from the Rake online (www.rakemag.com). It made me smile/chuckle/almost belly laugh. It's a great idea that's up there with visiting the historic Corn Palace in South Dakota.
Also on media watch, you gotta check out the futuristic love story "2046" from Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. The story jumps around but offers an interesting concept. "Dot the i" is another great indie film, but this one's from Spain/UK and stars Gael Garcia Bernal (Ché in "The Motorcycle Diaries").
Zaijian, peace. paul.
Also on media watch, you gotta check out the futuristic love story "2046" from Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. The story jumps around but offers an interesting concept. "Dot the i" is another great indie film, but this one's from Spain/UK and stars Gael Garcia Bernal (Ché in "The Motorcycle Diaries").
Zaijian, peace. paul.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Just coffee?
Here is my second contribution to the Zhongshan Ribao. In China's major cities the green mermaid logo of Starbucks is becoming as prominent as Colonial Sanders and the golden arches. While Starbucks has not yet moved to Zhongshan, local cafés are springing up around the town. I enjoy them because I like coffee. The Chinese have other reasons...
JUST COFFEE?
By Paul Wegerson
March 25, 2005
Since coming to Zhongshan I’ve traded my morning cup of coffee for a glass of green tea. Packed with anti-oxidants, green tea seems more healthy and less heavy than a cup of coffee. Despite this, a cup of coffee and a good book will remain my recipe for relaxation.
Although tea will remain the traditional drink of China, a craving for all things western has turned on China’s coffee makers.
A perfect cognate in almost any language – coffee, café or kafei （咖啡) – love for the caffeinated bean is almost universal. With more and more cafés opening in Zhongshan, a distinct coffee culture is beginning to emerge.
In the highly trafficked area around the Metro Mall (Da Fu Yuan- 大福园) 4 classy café restaurants are jostling for business on the same corner. Yet, the clients don’t come just for the coffee.
Hip twenty-somethings and young professionals are flocking to these coffee shops to unwind and chat with friends. Many patrons enjoy a light dessert of cheesecake, flan or a social basket of French fries with their iced mochas. Business is booming for these cafés, and the coffee culture is becoming a status symbol. The draw is not always the drinks but rather this Western atmosphere. They want to pay for it too.
Near the Metro Mall, where quality is second to cost, a cup of Colombian coffee at the ultra swanky Kimo Coffee goes for 25 RMB ($3 US). Included in that cost, however, is a white-gloved piano player tickling the ivories to an easy listening Western hit. The décor is more like a Manhattan wine bar than a bohemian café.
These trendy coffee shops serve international coffee blends from bilingual menus and they even don English names like Kimo Coffee, Conception and Jack & Magic Pea. With Kimo being the exception, the atmospheres of the latter two cafés are reminiscent of the java joints in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN – right down to the pillow-soft couches, the smooth jazz vocals of American artist Norah Jones and wireless internet connection.
Tucked away from major roads, Just Coffee offers a great cup of coffee for only 8 RMB (less than $1 US). However, owner Li Li Wei complains that quality and value are not alluring to this new blend of coffee drinkers. “They think that [8 RMB] is too cheap. It must not be good. They pay for the atmosphere because they don’t really know what good coffee is,” he said.
Whether customers are attracted by their palates or their pocketbooks, coffee culture is percolating in Zhongshan. If this trend continues, I’ll surely have more company in China. #####
*This article is property of Paul Wegerson 韦保罗 and The Zhongshan Ribao 中山日报. It may not be reproduced without permission.
Fact: There are 158 Starbucks retail stores to serve an 'urban coffee experience' to the Chinese coffee drinker. Most of them are in the cultural hubs of Shanghai (47), Beijing (44) and the Hong Kong SAR (34).
Fact: Most of the new coffee shops mentioned in this article (Just Coffee, Conception, Jack and Magic Pea) are owned and operated by Taiwanese investors who also own factories in districts of Zhongshan.
JUST COFFEE?
By Paul Wegerson
March 25, 2005
Since coming to Zhongshan I’ve traded my morning cup of coffee for a glass of green tea. Packed with anti-oxidants, green tea seems more healthy and less heavy than a cup of coffee. Despite this, a cup of coffee and a good book will remain my recipe for relaxation.
Although tea will remain the traditional drink of China, a craving for all things western has turned on China’s coffee makers.
A perfect cognate in almost any language – coffee, café or kafei （咖啡) – love for the caffeinated bean is almost universal. With more and more cafés opening in Zhongshan, a distinct coffee culture is beginning to emerge.
In the highly trafficked area around the Metro Mall (Da Fu Yuan- 大福园) 4 classy café restaurants are jostling for business on the same corner. Yet, the clients don’t come just for the coffee.
Hip twenty-somethings and young professionals are flocking to these coffee shops to unwind and chat with friends. Many patrons enjoy a light dessert of cheesecake, flan or a social basket of French fries with their iced mochas. Business is booming for these cafés, and the coffee culture is becoming a status symbol. The draw is not always the drinks but rather this Western atmosphere. They want to pay for it too.
Near the Metro Mall, where quality is second to cost, a cup of Colombian coffee at the ultra swanky Kimo Coffee goes for 25 RMB ($3 US). Included in that cost, however, is a white-gloved piano player tickling the ivories to an easy listening Western hit. The décor is more like a Manhattan wine bar than a bohemian café.
These trendy coffee shops serve international coffee blends from bilingual menus and they even don English names like Kimo Coffee, Conception and Jack & Magic Pea. With Kimo being the exception, the atmospheres of the latter two cafés are reminiscent of the java joints in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN – right down to the pillow-soft couches, the smooth jazz vocals of American artist Norah Jones and wireless internet connection.
Tucked away from major roads, Just Coffee offers a great cup of coffee for only 8 RMB (less than $1 US). However, owner Li Li Wei complains that quality and value are not alluring to this new blend of coffee drinkers. “They think that [8 RMB] is too cheap. It must not be good. They pay for the atmosphere because they don’t really know what good coffee is,” he said.
Whether customers are attracted by their palates or their pocketbooks, coffee culture is percolating in Zhongshan. If this trend continues, I’ll surely have more company in China. #####
*This article is property of Paul Wegerson 韦保罗 and The Zhongshan Ribao 中山日报. It may not be reproduced without permission.
Fact: There are 158 Starbucks retail stores to serve an 'urban coffee experience' to the Chinese coffee drinker. Most of them are in the cultural hubs of Shanghai (47), Beijing (44) and the Hong Kong SAR (34).
Fact: Most of the new coffee shops mentioned in this article (Just Coffee, Conception, Jack and Magic Pea) are owned and operated by Taiwanese investors who also own factories in districts of Zhongshan.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
My Secret Garden
Hey ya'll. This is the text copy of the article I wrote for the Zhongshan Ribao (Daily News). It ran in the English Edition for overseas Zhongshan residents. The article is full of warm fuzzys for Zhongshan. Oh yeah, those strange spaces after some words are the Chinese translations for certain local monuments. Enjoy.
When I discovered that I’d be teaching English at Zhongshan College, the first thing I did was consult my travel guidebook, Lonely Planet: China. The passage describing Zhongshan was unflattering to say the least, it reads: “An industrial city, there is little to see or do here. If you get stranded here for an hour or so, the one and only scenic spot in town is Zhongshan Gongyuan…” (____)
Well, I’ve been ‘stranded’ here for 6 months and while the guidebook’s assessment is misleading, but I’m not about to correct them. My ‘secret garden’ is great just the way it is.
To the hurried tourist, Zhongshan might be seen only as the birthplace and namesake of Dr. Sun Yatsen. To me, my new home has hidden wonders that I’m glad have not been heavily trafficked and trampled by too many people. Parks and green getaways weave effortlessly in and out of this city serving as compliments to the atmosphere, not only as tourist attractions.
On any given day, small groups of people can be seen enjoying a quiet stroll in Yatsen Lake Park_______. Some people come here to have a quiet lunch break and others come for a leisurely workout. Within a brief 20-minute walk from the tree-shaded campus there are several oases to sit and chat with my students or to relax and reflect on this experience.
Poor air quality has been an issue for many of the promising cities in China. However, recent investment in factories here has done little to alter the view of the mountains from the college classrooms. In my experience, few Chinese cities can brag about this blend of development and environmental preservation.
Quaint streets nestled behind the rising skyline also offer kind people with warm greetings. Perhaps my stature (I’m 1.8m or 6 feet tall) or my fair skin makes me a local novelty, but their enthusiasm when they say ‘hello’ is always genuine. Plus, they politely exhibit patience as I trip over the 4 tones of Mandarin Chinese –Putonghua_____– in my attempts to make small talk!
Lastly, as an American accustomed to a different pace of life, Zhongshan’s proximity to the cultural and financial hubs of Hong Kong and Guangzhou provide a taste of the big city life without its distractions. When I am visiting our metropolitan neighbors, the temptation to eat western food and protect my cultural habits is too great. Here, I am thrust into Chinese culture and I must adapt, grow and learn in order to thrive.
Growth occurs when we overcome the challenges we face. If I were seeking complacency, rather than a cultural challenge, I would have stayed in my home state of Minnesota.
Through this weekly column I offer a window into the life of a foreigner in China. After receiving a B.A. in political science I came to China with open eyes to observe and experience the pleasure and pains of the world’s fastest growing country.
I hope that you enjoy my columns. Zaijian____. ####
peace. paul
When I discovered that I’d be teaching English at Zhongshan College, the first thing I did was consult my travel guidebook, Lonely Planet: China. The passage describing Zhongshan was unflattering to say the least, it reads: “An industrial city, there is little to see or do here. If you get stranded here for an hour or so, the one and only scenic spot in town is Zhongshan Gongyuan…” (____)
Well, I’ve been ‘stranded’ here for 6 months and while the guidebook’s assessment is misleading, but I’m not about to correct them. My ‘secret garden’ is great just the way it is.
To the hurried tourist, Zhongshan might be seen only as the birthplace and namesake of Dr. Sun Yatsen. To me, my new home has hidden wonders that I’m glad have not been heavily trafficked and trampled by too many people. Parks and green getaways weave effortlessly in and out of this city serving as compliments to the atmosphere, not only as tourist attractions.
On any given day, small groups of people can be seen enjoying a quiet stroll in Yatsen Lake Park_______. Some people come here to have a quiet lunch break and others come for a leisurely workout. Within a brief 20-minute walk from the tree-shaded campus there are several oases to sit and chat with my students or to relax and reflect on this experience.
Poor air quality has been an issue for many of the promising cities in China. However, recent investment in factories here has done little to alter the view of the mountains from the college classrooms. In my experience, few Chinese cities can brag about this blend of development and environmental preservation.
Quaint streets nestled behind the rising skyline also offer kind people with warm greetings. Perhaps my stature (I’m 1.8m or 6 feet tall) or my fair skin makes me a local novelty, but their enthusiasm when they say ‘hello’ is always genuine. Plus, they politely exhibit patience as I trip over the 4 tones of Mandarin Chinese –Putonghua_____– in my attempts to make small talk!
Lastly, as an American accustomed to a different pace of life, Zhongshan’s proximity to the cultural and financial hubs of Hong Kong and Guangzhou provide a taste of the big city life without its distractions. When I am visiting our metropolitan neighbors, the temptation to eat western food and protect my cultural habits is too great. Here, I am thrust into Chinese culture and I must adapt, grow and learn in order to thrive.
Growth occurs when we overcome the challenges we face. If I were seeking complacency, rather than a cultural challenge, I would have stayed in my home state of Minnesota.
Through this weekly column I offer a window into the life of a foreigner in China. After receiving a B.A. in political science I came to China with open eyes to observe and experience the pleasure and pains of the world’s fastest growing country.
I hope that you enjoy my columns. Zaijian____. ####
peace. paul
Friday, March 18, 2005
Happy St. Patty's Day!
It could be something in the old Irish Catholic blood, but St. Patty's day has always found me on a high note.
Two years ago I was enjoying fresh pints of Guinness at the source of the sauce - Dublin, Ireland. In my company was none other than Mike Mullan, who has been one of my best friends since we met in 3rd grade. The friends, pints and parades created a great memory that lingers to this day.
Last year on St. Patty's day I was nervous. I was nervous because I had a big interview with some real tough-guys from the Maryknoll China Teachers' Program. It wasn't so much the questions they were asking, but the heavy lights they used to warm the room. Wearing a sweater was a bad choice. Not to mention that the lights were so bright I couldn't see their faces. The whole scene was like something out of the Wizard of Oz where I couldn't look "at the man behind the curtain." The electro-shock switches they attatched to my temples were quite unpleasent as well I'm just glad I didn't screw up too bad... Which brings me to...
This year, I'm spent a green holiday in a red country. Luckily, the other guy I'm teaching with - Ryan McCarthy - also studied in Cork, Ireland and was eager to reminisce. I went to a Chinese bar, owned by two Canadians, to enjoy a few Beamish beers from the great city of Cork while I talked to a St. John's grad from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Also, I've just completed my first column for the Zhongshan Ribao - my city's local newspaper. It was fun to write and this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
One more for the record books. I wish you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Tip a cold one (or a hot toddy) for me.
Eire go braigh! Slan and slaíte!
Two years ago I was enjoying fresh pints of Guinness at the source of the sauce - Dublin, Ireland. In my company was none other than Mike Mullan, who has been one of my best friends since we met in 3rd grade. The friends, pints and parades created a great memory that lingers to this day.
Last year on St. Patty's day I was nervous. I was nervous because I had a big interview with some real tough-guys from the Maryknoll China Teachers' Program. It wasn't so much the questions they were asking, but the heavy lights they used to warm the room. Wearing a sweater was a bad choice. Not to mention that the lights were so bright I couldn't see their faces. The whole scene was like something out of the Wizard of Oz where I couldn't look "at the man behind the curtain." The electro-shock switches they attatched to my temples were quite unpleasent as well I'm just glad I didn't screw up too bad... Which brings me to...
This year, I'm spent a green holiday in a red country. Luckily, the other guy I'm teaching with - Ryan McCarthy - also studied in Cork, Ireland and was eager to reminisce. I went to a Chinese bar, owned by two Canadians, to enjoy a few Beamish beers from the great city of Cork while I talked to a St. John's grad from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Also, I've just completed my first column for the Zhongshan Ribao - my city's local newspaper. It was fun to write and this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
One more for the record books. I wish you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Tip a cold one (or a hot toddy) for me.
Eire go braigh! Slan and slaíte!
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Wo men shi ming ren!
Don't flood us for autographs yet, but Ryan and I are offically famous. A little write up was put in Saturday's Zhongshan Daily about how Ryan and I have come to China to teach English at the university. I can't read Chinese either, so don't worry...
It's pretty funny because I told the writer that my father came to visit me and a few other details. Perhaps something was lost in translation (my Madarin is NOT that sweet), but she said that my father and I loved the Beijing archtecture and the famous bridge. How we had great memories of feeding goldfish and listening to the sootheing sound of wind rustling through Beijing's bamboo forests. He never went to Beijing. I gotta learn how to say 'sensationalism' in Chinese...
It's pretty funny because I told the writer that my father came to visit me and a few other details. Perhaps something was lost in translation (my Madarin is NOT that sweet), but she said that my father and I loved the Beijing archtecture and the famous bridge. How we had great memories of feeding goldfish and listening to the sootheing sound of wind rustling through Beijing's bamboo forests. He never went to Beijing. I gotta learn how to say 'sensationalism' in Chinese...
Xin Gongzuo (New Jobs)
Well, as I write this there have been some major developments in my life. Lately I've been accumulating new projects and expanding my scope over here in Zhongshan. Just this week, two developments sprung up. First, I've been asked to write a weekly column for overseas readers of the Zhongshan Daily - the city newspaper. A one-page English edition runs every week and is sent to Zhongshan residents who have been transplanted to the other ends of the world. Each week in this edition, my column "Zhongshan through my eyes" will run. I didn't pick the title. Suggestions? I'll also be doing copy editing and an initial "Corrections, Clarifications and Omissions" column just to warm up.
I've also taken on a co-host position on a campus radio show. Entitled "EZ Talk" (again, a title I did not pick...WTF?) it will be a variety show with different themes in Chinese and English each week. I think it will be a great teaching tool if properly marketed and could spiral into something bigger. We'll see...
I've also taken on a co-host position on a campus radio show. Entitled "EZ Talk" (again, a title I did not pick...WTF?) it will be a variety show with different themes in Chinese and English each week. I think it will be a great teaching tool if properly marketed and could spiral into something bigger. We'll see...
Welcome back to the China show!
Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to the China show! Your guide, paul., has been away for a few months but is attempting to make a come back. First, I must apologize for using impersonal e-mail messages to convey my emotions through a series of 1s and 0s. Now, he's back! With 20% additional wit and wisdom for the same low price! Act now! Act now!
Sorry for that brief introduction, but I felt some explaination was necessary. As China develops rapidly, so does the speed and connectivity of their internet access. When I tried this blog back-end 3 months ago it did not load. When I tried today, it worked. I still cannot see the front end (what you see) so please e-mail me if something totally bizarre pops up there. I'll tell you if it's on purpose or not.
Sorry for that brief introduction, but I felt some explaination was necessary. As China develops rapidly, so does the speed and connectivity of their internet access. When I tried this blog back-end 3 months ago it did not load. When I tried today, it worked. I still cannot see the front end (what you see) so please e-mail me if something totally bizarre pops up there. I'll tell you if it's on purpose or not.
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