Our First House Guests

Heather and I live in an 800 square feet apartment. As a point of reference as to what this means, a tennis court is about 2,400 square feet. So it’s safe to say our place is about the size of two service boxes. While playing tennis for the University of Richmond I was known as the “albatross” for my ability while at the net to reach across both service boxes with my outstretched racket to snare passing shots. Why is this relevant? Well because for 14 days in May we welcomed another albatross, my father in law John, along with my mother in law Susan to our home. That’s a lot of bird for our little nest. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it’s a lot of bird just having Heather around. Was I concerned we might have the makings of a Hollywood romantic comedy where the new husband alienates his in-laws by making outrageous comments about the effectiveness of George Bush’s foreign policy, only to win them back by letting them sleep in his bed? Let’s roll the tape to find out…

Let the record show that before we arrived we received exactly 11 requests from friends and family to serves as hosts while in Hong Kong. After four months we had begun to wonder whether we were ever going to need the additional set of hand towels Heather bought the fourth day we were here. When John and Susan walked through the front door I felt like my own parents were arriving; it was exciting to see some familiar faces again. We had a busy two weeks expertly lain out by Heather, and we were all eager to catch up, and experience taking some sites in together.

So it was that after letting Susan and John catch up on their jet lag for two days…..we got back on a jet to Beijing. While on the Dragon Air flight there we all discovered that though John and I are the same height, he in fact has longer legs. His knees were in his chin, mine were only in my chest. God bless “chicken class”, but hey, at least the sodas were free. On the drive from the airport to the hotel it became clear that Beijing is on a major public relations blitz to get ready for the Olympics’. Road signs are being changed to add spelling using Roman lettering (called pin-ying), trees are being planted at a staggering level, spitting in public is now banned, and everywhere you see cranes building new roads, train tracks, and office buildings. The new Olympic stadium is one of the most impressive structures I’ve ever seen. I personally liked Beijing much more than I thought I would. It’s sprawling, but is organized around a well thought out system of roads with decent zoning. It’s an interesting blend of Chinese and communist flavors with first rate food and accommodations. There are colorful markets where the vendors seem to have as much fun bargaining as you do. Who doesn’t love being called an “evil man” for insisting on $3 instead of $4 for a silk tie? Perhaps the greatest moment however, occurred in the Forbidden City when a group of Asian tourists asked John if they could be photographed with him – guess it was the long legs. Acting like he’d been there many times before, John happily acquiesced. Just as I thought I was going to be left out of the fun, I was approached by a young Asian family. In a confusing and awkward and humbling moment, the father handed me their daughter who wasn’t really that small. I felt like I was saving a refugee from the Tsunami, and I’m not sure who was more confused, me or the kid. Pantomiming that he wanted to pose with me while I was holding his daughter, and his wife video taped the entire affair, I realized my 15 seconds was ticking. Unfortunately Heather did not manage to get a picture of the episode, but when our guide told us they wanted our pictures only because they thought our noses were “big and funny looking” I didn’t mind as much. No one said fame was easy.

After blitzing through the Forbidden City, ancient Hutong neighborhoods, Great Wall, Summer Palace, Silk Market, Pearl Market, and Kentucky Fried Chicken we were ready for the “rural and pastoral” retreat of Yangshou. Located in Southwestern China due North of Vietnam, Yangshou delivered as far as its scenic beauty, but fell short on its cultural charm. After two days there we had the impression that Western standards of the tourism industry have not left the big cities in China yet. Perhaps unfair to use Western style tourism as the standard of excellence, but I’m sorry to say that, though I can’t speak to how accommodating the Chinese were before Communism, they are absolutely clueless today. Don’t go to China looking for Cape Cod or the Catskills, for when it comes to providing an undisturbed, authentic, quality experience they simply don’t “get it”. Heather saved the experience by getting us moved from the decrepit hotel where our travel agent Maybelle (we should have known never to trust a Chinese travel agent named Maybelle) had originally booked us to a place where we were reasonably sure rodents weren’t living under our beds. We actually ended up having an enjoyable time, despite the accommodations, as we lounged poolside, took a bamboo raft ride down the river, and watched John buy half the art in the hotel gift shop – for which he got a great deal, it should be noted.

On the way back to the airport we spent the day in Guilin which was notable for the rate with which the government was making efforts to transform it from an agricultural village to a tourist hub. The scale and depth with which workers were going at these civic projects is not possible in a democratic state. Taxpayers simply would not stand for it. We watched as a four lane road – seemingly to nowhere – was being built. The road had sidewalks for bicycles on either side that had to be 15 feet wide which were being laid with beautiful granite slabs mined from the nearby hills. The damn sidewalk was nicer than any patio I’d ever eaten burgers on, and the road was in the middle of nowhere. Our guide explained to us that the government was going to be “encouraging” people to move to this now empty part of town. The country’s increasing wealth is quickly transforming former agricultural and industrial centers into tourist hubs, but until they figure out what tourism means, I would stick to the major cities in China.

Of course the beauty in visiting a place off the beaten path over here is that when you get back to Hong Kong, it REALLY feels like home. So our first night back we all piled into a booth at Aqua, a trendy spot overlooking the Hong Kong skyline that specializes in Italian food. No better way to cap off John and Susan’s stay, and though we don’t always see eye to eye on our politics, this was one trip that had a Hollywood ending.

I love my Mom and Dad; I don't love mainland China

Everyplace I’ve been this year has had at least one redeeming quality, that is until I visited China. Okay, so maybe that’s an understatement (most places have had tons of great qualities) and an overstatement (China wasn’t totally miserable)…but not by much. My parents deserve lots of credit, for this particular adventure was their vacation. They endured the very long flight to Asia to make sure Will was taking proper care of me, and after stopping in Detroit and Tokyo, landed in Hong Kong. My Dad wanted to see China, and who could blame him, it’s full of a fascinating history and lore. His hit list included Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Great Wall – a worthy who’s who of the country’s cultural monuments all in and around Beijing. Then I enter picture, along with my travel planning skills (you recall the Philippines blog entry) and you get the second part of our trip, two and a half days in Yangshou, a ‘picturesque’ town on the Li River in the southern Guangxi Province. Oops.

There were parts of our trip that were wonderful – and most of them centered on Beijing which captivated all of us. I got to see one of the seven wonders of the modern world, with my parents no less. We lucked out with beautiful weather - sunny, clear days which afforded great views in what can be a typically harsh and polluted environment (word has it that they are cracking down on factory emissions in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.) I was able to practice my Mandarin. We involuntarily visited a government run store and learned how silk was made, which was surprisingly interesting. And not all the food was terrible. One restaurant we visited had delicious Sichuan fare. Our chicken dish was so tasty (and spicy) that we could only assume the great flavor came from all the chicken parts that were used in its making including the head (beak included) and feet which were included in the serving dish.

Yangshou was stunning; a panorama of lush karst hills sprinkled among rice paddies and dotted with mist and clouds. It’s the classic Chinese painting in real life and a setting that has inspired artists for centuries. Its position on the Li and Yulong Rivers adds an additional element of natural beauty as well as a plethora of water oriented activities including river cruises, tubing and raft rides. The town is a playground for activity and sporting enthusiasts who enjoy the area for not only its scenery but also its great biking, hiking, rock climbing and water sports.

Vendors, downtown Yangshou

Rafting along the Yulong River

So what didn’t I like about China, as the above sounds pretty good. Well here is a brief list: the billions of people (it didn’t help that we visited over a holiday week and the crowds were horrific); the MSG – think of syrupy, hot pink sweet and sour pork; a lack of sophisticated tourist infrastructure outside of the major cities and no concept of customer service or what is necessary when being a host to international travellers.

What I realized in the end was that I was glad I made it to China; it piqued my interest in Chinese history while simultaneously squelching what can often be an unrelenting desire for extended travel in a place I’ve just visited. The trip was a great bonding experience with my husband and parents and though John and Susan were a bit squeamish about Yangshou when we first arrived, they agreed that the magnificent limestone hills were worth the visit. The final conclusion being that Beijing is a beautiful city resplendent in culture and history, and I'd like to go back, while Yangshou possesses unequivocal natural beauty … and it’s okay to visit a place once and leave with no desire to ever return.

Big Red

Big John among a pack of locals who requested to have their picture taken with the white giant (note the peace sign, very popular.)

Tiled roofs, The Forbidden City

Mao