This was one of the first pieces of advice I was given when I arrived. What I find the most curious about this statement is how obvious, yet under appreciated it is. Living in another culture,one should adapt to the customs. Not just adapt but embrace them and make them part of your life. When I arrived in China I was a bit perplexed by some of the customs, to where I was not sure if I would stand out even more as a foreigner if I tried them. But, when in Rome (or China).
1. Chopsticks - I was pretty blessed to know how to use these upon arrival. I used to have a sushi habit, so using them came quite natural. I imagine if I had not been the sushi connoisseur that I was, I would have a lot of cold food or be very hungry. At the very first staff meal they were quite impressed that I could use chopsticks and it was that extra pat on the back that told me, "You're going to be great here!" I recently went to a Western restaurant and was handed a fork and a knife. For a moment I forgot what I was doing. Even when handed a spoon for soup I hesitate. After a month I find chopsticks much easier to use, even if my hands occasionally cramp.
2. Umbrellas as parasols- I know my skin will always be olive. But carrying a parasol has a certain old-fashioned appeal for me. In high-school I was in a production of "Hello Dolly", and you bet we used parasols. During the turn of the century they were considered elegant. Women used them mostly as a symbol of status, but also to shade themselves from the sun. Here they are used as a sun shield, but also because it can rain at any given moment. I mostly use mine for the rain, but occasionally sun. Even when I am in yoga pants and a pub shirt I can pretend for a moment that I'm fancy as I open my parasol. Then I remember, my outfit speaks otherwise.
3. The cheesiest hair accessories in existence- I say this out of adoration. The more gaudy and feminine the better when it comes to hair accessories. At home it was difficult to find obnoxious hair accessories that weren't for a child or punk rock. Neither really match my persona. Here I can walk down the street and find a street vendor selling giant bows with pearls, sparkles, and polka dots, headbands with floral prints, and every shade of pastel for hair clips. I have restrained myself from purchasing any because once I do I will buy too many of them.
4. Meat with bones- I love cooking. I view it as a very marketable domestic skill. I used to spend an extra hour removing bones from the chicken or pork I purchased from the supermarket. Because who wants their meal to have bones? Well, here the bones are left in. They add a lot of flavor to the food. It is also perfectly acceptable to spit them out and set them on the table or a small plate. Being raised to have perfect table manners I was aghast at this practice. I would discretely put them in a napkin because I felt like I was being so rude. I finally got over this and now I spit them out naturally. My comfort level did not stop there. I recently had a dinner party where I served Thai coconut curry. I saw my supermarket chicken filled with bones and thought, "Fuck it! If it isn't rude why spend the extra time cutting out bones?" My guests didn't seem to mind, because well, it's acceptable . I am fully expecting some reverse culture shock on this one.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Friday, September 26, 2014
Morning article musings
Anyone that knows me well knows of my affinity for reading articles. I try to read the news every morning with my coffee and oatmeal. This is my only guaranteed undisturbed time during the day. Yes, one of my favorite kinds of coffee other than Cuban style, is the kind where I drink it in peace. But back to the articles. I typically select a few current events of interest and follow the story from start to finish. It makes me feel current to be able to have discourse over trending topics. Then there are times when I need something frivolous, this is when I read Buzzfeed or Elite Daily.
It was a morning this week where an article struck me with a certain solidarity, of which I have not experienced very much of. It was about the purgatory of being overqualified and underemployed. It struck a chord with me, after my two years of job search defeat. To be truthful, I have been employed the past two years, and have sincerely liked my jobs and co-workers. My only frustration was not finding a way to be where I wanted to be career-wise. I have scoured job boards, but my desired field of social media marketing has very few to no offerings.
The protagonist expressed in the article that after excellent interviews, they would receive no offer. When they inquired why they were not selected the answer was always the same, "You're overqualified, we are worried you won't feel challenged." So it was a matter of being too good, and not not good enough. This idea stuck in my brain for days. Was I in fact too good for the positions for which I was rejected? I'll never know. My frustrations still remain the same.
1. Why did I stress myself the hell out in university to start clubs, run multiple organizations at once, and maintain Dean's List when all it has proven to me is that I have no limit for biting off more than I can chew. There seemed to be a facade alluding to the idea that more extracurricular involvement would equal more job offers. This has not been the case for me.
2.What qualifications do the ultimately selected candidates possess that I do not? I understand that experience is crucial. But if I am missing skills I need to get hired, I want to know what they are, so I can develop them. Or in accordance with the article, am I not giving myself proper credit? In fact, I got Google Analytics certified because I want to work in social media marketing. I even did some volunteer freelance work to pump up my resume.
3. Oftentimes, it is who you know, not what you know, I watched some of biggest morons I went to school with get hired into great jobs because they knew someone. To be truthful I was jealous at times that they got to bypass all of the frustration and waltz into a great position with minimal effort.
I could continue to complain but the point is this, I am not alone on the roller coaster of frustration I felt the past two years. I think my problem was I never met too many people or had enough discussions about it. I finally gave up on trying to find a job at home. After more than two years of trying I was spent, defeated.
It has always been my dream to live abroad, probably since I was 17. I always imagined Europe, but I find myself in Asia. To be truthful I am much happier now. I found employment quickly, and I am finally living abroad. Being fully outside of your comfort zone is a truly liberating experience. I have gained an even stronger sense of independence than I could have imagined. With each mention of returning home my sentiment is dread. It is the people I want to see. What I don't want to deal with again is the job market. That being said, I no longer want to live in the states. It is too early in my new job to decide if I will keep teaching in Asia after this school year, or pick a country and move there. Decisions such as these take more precision than throwing a dart at a map. I am thinking about Spanish speaking countries at the moment.
I have spoken two languages my whole life. I constantly forget that it is not only a valuable skill, but not everybody can. Perhaps that is why I find myself drawn to Spanish speaking countries. My native English is a regarded skill, and my near fluency in Spanish will help me as well. Only time will tell where the year will take me. It's the journey not the destination.
This is the article that inspired this post.
Overqualified and Underemployed
It was a morning this week where an article struck me with a certain solidarity, of which I have not experienced very much of. It was about the purgatory of being overqualified and underemployed. It struck a chord with me, after my two years of job search defeat. To be truthful, I have been employed the past two years, and have sincerely liked my jobs and co-workers. My only frustration was not finding a way to be where I wanted to be career-wise. I have scoured job boards, but my desired field of social media marketing has very few to no offerings.
The protagonist expressed in the article that after excellent interviews, they would receive no offer. When they inquired why they were not selected the answer was always the same, "You're overqualified, we are worried you won't feel challenged." So it was a matter of being too good, and not not good enough. This idea stuck in my brain for days. Was I in fact too good for the positions for which I was rejected? I'll never know. My frustrations still remain the same.
1. Why did I stress myself the hell out in university to start clubs, run multiple organizations at once, and maintain Dean's List when all it has proven to me is that I have no limit for biting off more than I can chew. There seemed to be a facade alluding to the idea that more extracurricular involvement would equal more job offers. This has not been the case for me.
2.What qualifications do the ultimately selected candidates possess that I do not? I understand that experience is crucial. But if I am missing skills I need to get hired, I want to know what they are, so I can develop them. Or in accordance with the article, am I not giving myself proper credit? In fact, I got Google Analytics certified because I want to work in social media marketing. I even did some volunteer freelance work to pump up my resume.
3. Oftentimes, it is who you know, not what you know, I watched some of biggest morons I went to school with get hired into great jobs because they knew someone. To be truthful I was jealous at times that they got to bypass all of the frustration and waltz into a great position with minimal effort.
I could continue to complain but the point is this, I am not alone on the roller coaster of frustration I felt the past two years. I think my problem was I never met too many people or had enough discussions about it. I finally gave up on trying to find a job at home. After more than two years of trying I was spent, defeated.
It has always been my dream to live abroad, probably since I was 17. I always imagined Europe, but I find myself in Asia. To be truthful I am much happier now. I found employment quickly, and I am finally living abroad. Being fully outside of your comfort zone is a truly liberating experience. I have gained an even stronger sense of independence than I could have imagined. With each mention of returning home my sentiment is dread. It is the people I want to see. What I don't want to deal with again is the job market. That being said, I no longer want to live in the states. It is too early in my new job to decide if I will keep teaching in Asia after this school year, or pick a country and move there. Decisions such as these take more precision than throwing a dart at a map. I am thinking about Spanish speaking countries at the moment.
I have spoken two languages my whole life. I constantly forget that it is not only a valuable skill, but not everybody can. Perhaps that is why I find myself drawn to Spanish speaking countries. My native English is a regarded skill, and my near fluency in Spanish will help me as well. Only time will tell where the year will take me. It's the journey not the destination.
This is the article that inspired this post.
Overqualified and Underemployed
Monday, September 22, 2014
Hiking adventures...extreme stairclimbing
As much as I dote about spending my weekends at street BBQ, KTV, and ex-pat bars it does get rather repetitive. I need new activities and adventures or else life becomes somewhat of a predictable merry-go-round. Fun, but the same experience repeated. I spent this Saturday in rural Bao'an hiking in the mountains.
It was a 45 minute ride out to the country. When we arrived we got snacks, drinks, and then met up with another CITA teacher. We got to see her school. It was probably the largest school I have ever seen with such nice facilities. I think the running track was a full kilometer around.
About a quarter mile down the road were the trails. I was honestly not knowing what to expect (which makes for the best adventures right?). After the Chinese amusement park I expected the hiking to be flat, serene, and not too strenuous. Wrong perception. It was indeed serene and beautiful, but I climbed more stairs than ever in my life. I am going to have legs of steel if this becomes a regular activity.
This is the entrance to the trails. It was a really beautiful park with lanterns everywhere.
Then began the stairs. Oh the fucking stairs. This trail was winding so just when you thought you had made it to the top, you hadn't. You would see another monstrous set of stairs to scale.
My legs were trembling from overexertion, but I pushed ahead. Because there was a temple at the top.
The temple was just the beginning. After the temple there were more stairs, you guessed it. We kept climbing and taking intermittent water breaks. I will say I have never sweat so much in my life. It was worse than a hot yoga class. I was drenched to where I was worried about dehydrating. When we finally reached the top of the trees the view was incredible.
I think what I experienced on that mountain was a full body detox. I certainly sweated out all the beer I drank the night before, and probably every toxin in my body. But as this was all happening there was always something interesting to see, or climb on. There were great conversations and it was a wonderful day with my new friends. I left the mountain feeling so refreshed. I had experienced something not touristy and off the beaten path. Something that the locals will know about , but us not.
It was a 45 minute ride out to the country. When we arrived we got snacks, drinks, and then met up with another CITA teacher. We got to see her school. It was probably the largest school I have ever seen with such nice facilities. I think the running track was a full kilometer around.
About a quarter mile down the road were the trails. I was honestly not knowing what to expect (which makes for the best adventures right?). After the Chinese amusement park I expected the hiking to be flat, serene, and not too strenuous. Wrong perception. It was indeed serene and beautiful, but I climbed more stairs than ever in my life. I am going to have legs of steel if this becomes a regular activity.
This is the entrance to the trails. It was a really beautiful park with lanterns everywhere.
Then began the stairs. Oh the fucking stairs. This trail was winding so just when you thought you had made it to the top, you hadn't. You would see another monstrous set of stairs to scale.
My legs were trembling from overexertion, but I pushed ahead. Because there was a temple at the top.
The temple was just the beginning. After the temple there were more stairs, you guessed it. We kept climbing and taking intermittent water breaks. I will say I have never sweat so much in my life. It was worse than a hot yoga class. I was drenched to where I was worried about dehydrating. When we finally reached the top of the trees the view was incredible.
I think what I experienced on that mountain was a full body detox. I certainly sweated out all the beer I drank the night before, and probably every toxin in my body. But as this was all happening there was always something interesting to see, or climb on. There were great conversations and it was a wonderful day with my new friends. I left the mountain feeling so refreshed. I had experienced something not touristy and off the beaten path. Something that the locals will know about , but us not.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Phone, wallet, keys....no you're forgetting stuff
Perhaps I was spoiled in the states that when I went out literally all I needed was a credit card, ID, phone, and keys. The utter simplicity of it seems like a bygone time. I don't think that it is living in the city that is causing me to have to carry so much damn shit around. It's living in China. Apart from phone, wallet, keys you never leave without an umbrella or tissues.Being the camera-queen that I am, I need to always be prepared for photo ops. That being said, I need a bigger purse.
Your umbrella serves many purposes. It has become my permanent accessory, like a wristlet that does nothing. People here don't really wear sunglasses, your umbrella doubles as a parasol. It's said to keep your skin fair and the sun out of your eyes. I can use it as a parasol all day, but I'll always have olive skin. The skies can also open up at any given moment. With the flip of a switch sunny and beautiful turns to monsoon. I learned my lesson one day while walking to Bao'an stadium for a coffee. I showed up in the shop like a drowned rat wondering if they were going to serve me in my state. They did, I dried off while enjoying my coffee. About three minutes into my walk home it started pouring again. Umbrellas are essential.
Tissues? Why would you carry tissues? A personal story. My friends at home were in the habit of teasing me for always carrying baby wipes and ibuprofen. "You're such a mom!"they would say. And there were many moments when they were legitimately needed. I don't like to cook on the beach with sand hands, or get sun headaches, ergo my mom kit. Here, toilet paper is rarely provided so tissues are a must. Oh and the toilets. You best practice your squats. At first I was quite opposed to using them. I wondered how people didn't pee all over their shoes. Or if they did and it was normal to walk around in pee sandals.The sooner you get used to them the better.
I had my first hot pot experience. It is a broth with vegetables and spices and you can choose the meat you would like in it. They serve it on a stove in the middle of the table. I had the pleasure of sitting right on top of the propane tank. There were a couple of occasions where the metal ladle heated up and I nearly dropped it. We asked that it not be too spicy, they must not have listened because I was dripping sweat halfway through the meal. We had duck, sheep, and lamb. All absolutely delicious.
I also had a night out in an expat area. It is at the a worthwhile ride on the metro, Sea World. It looks like a downtown Disney without the Disney. We found an Indian restaurant, which I immediately had to see their menu. Not like I don't already overindulge in curry. Then there was a German place. I also had to see their menu. Come fall I am constantly craving German food. I occasionally miss my habitual pretzel with spicy mustard to accompany my beer. Then we found an Irish bar and took advantage of the shot special. When in Rome.
Your umbrella serves many purposes. It has become my permanent accessory, like a wristlet that does nothing. People here don't really wear sunglasses, your umbrella doubles as a parasol. It's said to keep your skin fair and the sun out of your eyes. I can use it as a parasol all day, but I'll always have olive skin. The skies can also open up at any given moment. With the flip of a switch sunny and beautiful turns to monsoon. I learned my lesson one day while walking to Bao'an stadium for a coffee. I showed up in the shop like a drowned rat wondering if they were going to serve me in my state. They did, I dried off while enjoying my coffee. About three minutes into my walk home it started pouring again. Umbrellas are essential.
Tissues? Why would you carry tissues? A personal story. My friends at home were in the habit of teasing me for always carrying baby wipes and ibuprofen. "You're such a mom!"they would say. And there were many moments when they were legitimately needed. I don't like to cook on the beach with sand hands, or get sun headaches, ergo my mom kit. Here, toilet paper is rarely provided so tissues are a must. Oh and the toilets. You best practice your squats. At first I was quite opposed to using them. I wondered how people didn't pee all over their shoes. Or if they did and it was normal to walk around in pee sandals.The sooner you get used to them the better.
I had my first hot pot experience. It is a broth with vegetables and spices and you can choose the meat you would like in it. They serve it on a stove in the middle of the table. I had the pleasure of sitting right on top of the propane tank. There were a couple of occasions where the metal ladle heated up and I nearly dropped it. We asked that it not be too spicy, they must not have listened because I was dripping sweat halfway through the meal. We had duck, sheep, and lamb. All absolutely delicious.
I also had a night out in an expat area. It is at the a worthwhile ride on the metro, Sea World. It looks like a downtown Disney without the Disney. We found an Indian restaurant, which I immediately had to see their menu. Not like I don't already overindulge in curry. Then there was a German place. I also had to see their menu. Come fall I am constantly craving German food. I occasionally miss my habitual pretzel with spicy mustard to accompany my beer. Then we found an Irish bar and took advantage of the shot special. When in Rome.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
It's not goobye, it's "See ya real soon!"
Almost three years ago I completed my Disney College Program. It was by far one of the best things I ever did in my early 20's. I spent seven months working essentially an indentured servant to the mouse. Housing and transportation was provided to work and rent was taken directly from our pay, ergo indentured servant. Other than the 60 ish hours spend working every week I made some incredible friends from all over the world who I still talk to today. When we get together it is like we never left, picking up where we left off. On our last night of work, New Years Eve 2012 we counted down together to the fireworks display near the castle. I'll never forget this moment with all my fellow cast members, it was tearful, joyous and the icing on the cake to an unforgettable seven months. Although unspoken, it was known that much of us would not ever see each other again. None of us spoke the words "goodbye", but in the tradition of Mickey Mouse, "See ya real soon!" Life tends to get in the way of making plans if you don't pause. I have been blessed to have my Disney roommate live so close so I've gotten to see her a lot. Some of my other close friends I have seen as well as Skyped with.
These first two are from New Years Eve. Me circa 2012
Animal Kingdom on one of my days off. In the blue is my roommate.
One of the friends I made Becky is from China. I really was not expecting to be in Asia at any time in the close future. But wouldn't luck have it that I pick the same city to teach that she lives in???!!! She invited me over for Mid Autumn Festival with her family last night. I was so excited to experience Mid Autumn festival in the proper Chinese fashion. Part of the reason I chose China to teach was the rich history and traditions.
Before the meal we had this grapefruit-like fruit. It was not as tart as most citrus and not terribly sweet either. But delicious either way.
This was the dinner. Fish, Green beans, crab, eggs, sashimi with wasabi, tofu with a meatball inside, rice, and soup.
Becky and I at dinner
We went to Sea World to watch a water show. They had this giant fountain that was synced to Mariah Carey.
The ship in Sea Wold.
Snowy mooncakes. They are all different flavors with filling. Some were green tea with red bean, some were peanut, mango and blueberry. Mine was double chocolate. It was essentially chocolate fondant covered in fudge filled with truffle. So rich it hits your stomach like a brick. But I never say no to chocolate.
The traditional mooncake. The filling is duck egg yolk. Surprisingly delicious.
Part of the festival is lanterns.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Look a foreigner!
After my first few weeks living here I have become extremely comfortable walking around and going wherever. I tend to forget how much I stick out like a sore thumb here. When I meet up with friends we pick a metro exit, and every person exiting the station will look at you. It's like having a D-list celebrity status.In Bao'an there are not too many foreigners, you can really soak up how special you are. When you spot them it is like animals in the zoo. I feel the urge to stare like the locals do to me and go and ask them a million questions. But I don't, that would be really weird and awkward.
This weekend I went to one of the ex-pat parts of Shenzhen. It was quite refreshing to see what looked like a western city, western toilets, and somewhat of a western club. I was completely overwhelmed at first by the number of ex-pats I saw in the clubs. It was like I had left China for the evening. I have a theory that clubbing is more of a status symbol here than a place to go dancing. Or perhaps that is my girly perception of clubbing, just to dance. What I noticed about the clubs here was the lack of dancing and dance floor. It was mostly intimate table settings and overpriced liquor. I'm probably wrong about my theory. Either way it was probably one of the most fun weekends I've had since arrival.
Another gem of China is the street BBQ and popup restaurants. During the day it is a building with a garage-like cover over the facade and broken pavement in front. At night it is a hubbub of hotpots and various street food, where the beer is dangerously cheap. A beer is roughly 5-7 RMB, less than $1 US dollar. To make it even better, they don't really close. On many occasions time has slipped away from me and it is suddenly 4:00 AM. I am not over the novelty of the lack of open container policy either. Browsing the popups and other night life while drinking a beer on the street is like enhanced drinking. I fully expect some reverse culture shock when I go home and can't walk down State Street with my unfinished drink.
The other night when I was on the street having a beer I went in a convenience store for another. I came across this off color offering. PBR, WW2 edition.
This is by far the most hideous piece of clothing I've ever seen. I saw the cardigan and wanted to add it to my collection, but then I realized it was attached to a dog shirt that doesn't even match.
This weekend I went to one of the ex-pat parts of Shenzhen. It was quite refreshing to see what looked like a western city, western toilets, and somewhat of a western club. I was completely overwhelmed at first by the number of ex-pats I saw in the clubs. It was like I had left China for the evening. I have a theory that clubbing is more of a status symbol here than a place to go dancing. Or perhaps that is my girly perception of clubbing, just to dance. What I noticed about the clubs here was the lack of dancing and dance floor. It was mostly intimate table settings and overpriced liquor. I'm probably wrong about my theory. Either way it was probably one of the most fun weekends I've had since arrival.
This is my all you can drink wristband from the other evening. It's hard to tell, but to the right is a plate of Western food. Delicious!
Another gem of China is the street BBQ and popup restaurants. During the day it is a building with a garage-like cover over the facade and broken pavement in front. At night it is a hubbub of hotpots and various street food, where the beer is dangerously cheap. A beer is roughly 5-7 RMB, less than $1 US dollar. To make it even better, they don't really close. On many occasions time has slipped away from me and it is suddenly 4:00 AM. I am not over the novelty of the lack of open container policy either. Browsing the popups and other night life while drinking a beer on the street is like enhanced drinking. I fully expect some reverse culture shock when I go home and can't walk down State Street with my unfinished drink.
The other night when I was on the street having a beer I went in a convenience store for another. I came across this off color offering. PBR, WW2 edition.
This is by far the most hideous piece of clothing I've ever seen. I saw the cardigan and wanted to add it to my collection, but then I realized it was attached to a dog shirt that doesn't even match.
This is my lunch from the other day. Soup with duck and noodles. I have found myself eating way more carbs than ever in my life, but still losing weight. Maybe it's all the sweating from the heat.
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