Moving on - Part 2

I thought the photo below was also blog-worthy... it is the same traffic jam Johnny talked about in the previous post, yet shows how at one point the buses managed to make their way through the mess, while the cars still remained clueless as to who's turn it was to go or how to clear the intersection, besides just honking at each other. The honking was so loud and constant enough for Johnny and I stop our movie and look outside. 

 

For those that like happy endings, here is a picture of the traffic jam when it's starting to unwind... I honestly think it took about 20 minutes though:

More updates coming... including our trip to Yangshuo, and Chinese Food.

Moving On

Enjoy taking the time to look at the position of the cars and the color of the lights. Sorry the picture is so small.

We discovered this mess at 10 in the evening while watching the movie "Up." I feel like I should write a movie review about the film and discuss the social ramifications of a maniacal adventurer whose lust for self-worth leads him to a home-blimp in South America that houses dinosaur bones and the skeletal remains of numerous other fierce creatures, all the while sheltering an army of fascist talking dogs... An odd film that's just so profound, yet enjoyable. Krackers, you will like it.

I'm not going to get into anymore of the details, but do want to say I came away feeling that it was totally unbelievable. Never mind.

Anyhow, the traffic jam occurred for no good reason. At one point, two buses and a cop car were involved. As it should be, the cop was disregarded and the jam further obstructed by the logic of the Chinese... which is simply very different. What i do love most of all of their logic, for there are many things to be in love with, is it's nothing personal. That word does not exist here, "personal." Even when they elbow you or push and shove you to get on a bus that is clearly not going to leave until everyone has boarded, it is in no way personal. Just the herd mentality at work and the way they do things.

What's this all about? Not our depressing fridge but Snickers candy bars. My wife is addicted to them here. She buys them by the bucket load. Those of you that know Kristin to blush at food she loves then know how much she loves these little candy bars. It's been like a spiritual rebirth for her. She's buys them buy them at the Chinese version of Costco or Sam's and goes through perhaps 4 or 5 small ones in a day, 2 or 3 full bars if we aren't stocked up on the small ones.

In her liberty I'm allowed to have some when I want. I wanted to post this because I love it. I love the Snickers addiction.

Also she is in love with the milk in the fridge.

Our First Apartment

It's true, I did give him a hair cut... but it's not too bad. Just looks like he stepped out of the 70's/80's with a chili-bowl shag. It's just beautiful.

*Johnny wanted to go back and add some comments. They're in yellow.

Speaking of, I owe you people some photos... sorry for the delay. Our electricity was out for a while because they were doing construction of one of the apartments near us. Oh China.

Oh China is right.

As Jonathan mentioned, we found an apartment and moved in on our one-month anniversary. As we discovered, it's not so easy finding a "clean" (Chinese clean and Western/American clean are two totally different concepts) apartment here in Kunming, especially if you're staying for less than 6 months. But, we were up for the challenge and found a brand new apartment close to downtown and not too far from the University. Between the time we arrived in China and moved in to our apartment, we stayed with one of Jonathan's friends, Pamela, who is American but has been studying in Kunming for about a year (he met her last year in Kunming because they studied at the same private school). She is extremely generous and has helped us with everything... getting bus passes, signing up for classes, showing us good places to eat, and of course, providing us with a place to stay before we found our apartment. More about her later.

So, here is our apartment... 13 floors up with an incredible view.

This is the view when you walk into our apartment. What you see is the living room/dining room out to the balcony. This is where we watch all of our DVD's that cost us 50 cents a copy:

Next comes the kitchen (to the right of the living room)... what you see here is everything, minus the refrigerator. When you look through the blue blinds, you can see our neighbors across the hallway - a cute little old lady married to a cute little old man. She is always in her kitchen cooking and it always smells delicious. I've named them Mr. and Mrs. Rogers because they just seem so friendly.

Here is our bedroom. Notice the lovely rose curtains they put up for us. So romantic.

If you want to talk about romance then know the mattress matches the curtains and to the right, not in the picture, is an invigorating shiny black and white wardrobe that looks like it may have come back from the future.

The following picture might be my favorite thing in the whole apartment. It's the light fixture for the study/nursery... the Chinese LOVE silly things like this. Even the lights in the living room have a red and blue disco light option that blink on and off. Everything is very (cheap) modern these days and based on entertainment, although you can still find the old, sophisticated chinese apartments with wood trimmings and carvings. Those are just stunning but hard to come by, as they are tearing all of the old stuff down...

Sorry, this is sideways, but it's the study/nursery. you can see the monkey tail hanging down.

Last but not least is the bathroom... this is a very westernized Chinese bathroom and is a delicacy over here.

There is no separate stall for the shower, it just goes to a drain, it doubles as and really is urinal. It pays to be rich.... or just a westerner in China. The western toilet (the 'sit-down' toilet that we are used to) is such a beautiful thing considering what the norm is for potties. Typically, everywhere in China has "squat toilets," or so they're called. I included a picture below of a decent one for those who are curious. It's disgusting.

And to end on a good note, here are some views from our balcony. That Suning electronics shop across the street (second picture) loves to blare Backstreet Boys' "Quit Playing Games with My Heart," and Celine Dion over and over. Hours of operation are 8am to 10pm. They are obsessed with American music (including rap), and therefore, it brings flocks of people into the store. I don't get it, but I'm not Chinese.

I think the intersection from the view deserved a little more attention. Like most third world countries, China is immune to traffic lights and any system of reasonable driving rules. That said, it's a real pleasure to go on our balcony and see two buses stopped head-on in the middle of the intersection with cross traffic piling up on either side while bikes and scooters filter through the larger vehicles like water through rocks, and all of that for no apparent reason save utter disregard for thought and regulation.

I've seen two cars face off in the intersection at two in the morning when there wasn't another car on the road. They simply sat in the intersection honking at each other. I felt like it was a big mess and apparently they did as well.

Zai Jan. More coming soon.

We've had a place for a while (a week) and Kristin gave me a hair cut.  That's the big news I've got for now.  I'm not too sure which I like more but I'm leaning more toward the dynamic multi-length multi-layered haircut.  It's something to behold. 

I suppose I ought to keep off the hair subject and focus on something else.  Fine,  I'll write about China.  It has changed a lot in a year.  The cities are more crowded than before, a result of the slowing economy.  Farmers that no longer have work have come to cities in search of just that.  With crowds come more trash and traffic which is something that Kunming was relatively free from in the past. (In China terms)  It's interesting to see the changes knowing how things were before.

Perhaps the most interesting change is the prevalence of Chinese Christians.  It could be that I have simply run into more Christian on this visit because of contacts and "coincidence", but I don't think that is the case, that's now how things work.  There is a growth, especially among the women, which is easily understood given an individual knows about gender preferences and treatment in China.  We've learned quite a bit about rights to gather and worship, rules for how many people can attend a "meeting", and private versus public display of religion.  I'll not write out a critical assessment on on the subject (which would please me more than it ought) and so end the topic here with the concluding thought that it is a  pleasure seeing the growth.

We didn't do much blog or email at first because we were staying with a friend and either traveling or looking for places to live.  It was a mild strain on our new marriage but I think it was/is good.  (Note. Excuse the prevailing "I."  I forget that I am now "we")

As it is, it humors me that we found our first place to call our own one month to the day we got married and that, in China.  I doubt anyone that knows me is in the least surprised.

Our apartment is new, and it is fortunate that everything in our apartment is also new because the condition of used Chinese apartments range in quality and cleanliness from a Chinese prison to a Chinese petting zoo where all the animals smoked two packs of cigarets a day.  If the reader lacks in imagination to conjure up in their imagination what would rightly justify how bad rented places get, I/we will gladly provide pictures.  Speaking of which, I'm going to stop writing and let the Monster post some.  

China via San Fran

Hey Everyone

You found it! This will be our blog for posting pictures and updates during our adventures in China and beyond. Most of you know by now that we arrived safely and have been enjoying ourselves quite a bit over here.

Sorry for the delay in setting up the blog... Access to blogs is blocked over here, and we just figured out a way to get around it.

Many pictures and updates coming soon, but to keep you busy in the meantime, one of Jonathan's posts from his last time in Kunming is posted below.

Also, thanks for all of the prayers and thoughtful e-mails. Here's  a few picture from our stop in San Fran before heading abroad.