Chinese Restaurants

One of the best things about coming home to China is the food, which I will probably mention often in my blog. However, I wanted to focus this post on the unique phenomena of (real) Chinese restaurants.

As the economy has boomed, so apparently has the restaurant business in China. Back in the poverty of the 1980s, going out to eat was reserved only for super special occasions: the departure of a close relative to another country, the centennial birthday of an elder, somebody winning the lottery, etc. Nowadays, everyone goes out to eat, as it can be cheaper than eating at home. The diversity of restaurants is equally stunning in its dramatic change. Walking down the streets of Anshan (which is not considered a major city in China, although it does have the population of all of Georgia), there are Western-style fast food joints, Korean BBQs, joints devoted to nothing but hotpots, little dives which serve some of the best food in China given that you've brought some Imodium, and fancy multistory resaurant/clubs that allow you to eat in private dining rooms.

In that last type, I had my first invitation to eat out (this is customary when you are trying to show respect and hospitality to a guest). Here is the general scenario: You walk in through revolving glass doors, a 20-yr old in an evening gown directs you to a hostess in a skirt, who leads up to marble stairs to a private dining room equipped with televisions and its own bathroom and lounge, you greet the individual who invited you with bow or a racous round of hellos, and then you commence to the ordering of beers and hard liquors. Oh, and the host is traditionally obliged to order an entire tableful of food, so much that one could not possibly finish it all. In fact, having plenty of leftovers is considered the trademark of having a good dinner party, as it is considered a mortal faux paux for your guests to leave hungry. It used to be that this was a horrendous waste of food. Fortunately, todays it is no longer seen as impolite to take leftovers to go, although you should still wait for your guests to leave before asking the waiter to box it all up.

A fancy dinner like this costs about 500 -1000 RMB, where roughly 7.5 RMB is equivalent to one US dollar. In other words, about $70-$130 for a meal. This doesn't sound like much, until you consider the average paycheck of a Chinese citizen: 500 RMB/month on the low end, 2000 RMB on the higher end. Imagine spending half your paycheck on a meal!

Another thing about this particular restaurant: an absolutely FABULOUS surprise waiting for me outside the ladies' room. At first I thought the colored things were balloons. Then I looked a little closer. Still not quite sure why this picture was hanging by the sinks, but it sure made me laugh.

Where I Used To Live

The 1st drop-off point was the home of my paternal grandparents, the home where I spent a good portion of my childhood. For those of you who are unfamiliar with me, my parents left for America well before I did, so I was raised by (and spoiled by) darling relatives until the age of 6. Here is a photo of my grandmother and grandfather, who, at the ages of 81 and 80 respectively, still look pretty spry!

According to them, the secret is to live an active life, starting every mornig at 5 am. That's when my grandfather walks the half mile to the outdoors market by the park. I wish I had a picture of the market to show you guys, as it is truly amazing. They sell everything there: fresh flowers, doorknobs and electrical gadgets, bootlegged DVDs, and of course, all manners of fresh produce and freshly prepared foods. For about $6, you can get a veritable feast for breakfast: doughy chinese buns (called mantoh), hot soymilk, soft breads filled with red beans and jam, scallion pancakes, and one of my favorite regional foods, a soft tofu porridge called doh-nao that you eat with a little bit of bean sauce and green onions. Yum!

5 am is also when my grandmother wakes up to care for my youngest aunt, who became mentally retarded at the age of 6. It's sort of a reminder of the chaos of the Cultural Revolution whenever my grandmother recounts how my aunt became that way. Long story short: she was given the wrong medication for her fever, and in the disorganization of the times, there was simply no authority to complain to and to seek reparations. Today, my 40-something aunt still lives with my grandparents, which is a reflection of how strong family ties are in China.

It all sounds terribly depressing, but somehow my grandparents manage to come through as incredibly happy and optimistic people. I really admire them for that.

Here are some images that remind me of my gran and granps :-)

Getting There

You sure don't beat around the bush when planning for an extended trip abroad with 4 people with extremly disparate vacation schedules. We left the house a week after I finished exams, and a mere 3 days after my sister finished hers. With us were 8 suitcases full of presents and clothes, those requisite materials for any visit to Chinese relatives. Check-in at Hartsfield-Jackson was surprisingly quick, so we ended up waiting at the gate for over an hour. Since Mom and Lisa get airsick, I brought some Dramamine, although it didn't seem to do much good.

The suckiest part about international flights? The impossibility of getting decent sleep in those 10 inches of space they give you. That and the four connections we made (Atlanta --> Chicago --> L.A. --> Beijing --> Shenyang) helped me acquire the BEST case of jetlag in years. I was waking up at 4 am regularly in China for the next 10 days :-(

The best part about international flights? They actually serve you food. I'd forgotten how much I missed real in-flight service, as I literally hadn't had it in years (darn airline cost-cutting!). In contrast, the AirChina stewardesses (all under 30, all gorgeous) insisted on feeding us every half hour. Or so it seemed. I don't think my tray table was up for more than an hour at a time. The food wasn't crap either, which was another pleasant surprise. I still remember my 1st international flight - back in 1990 - when the pungent smell of the stewed duck they served us made me want to puke.

A picture of the Chinese plane we took (note enormous catering car nearby):

Introduction

This blog, written after the fact, is a travelogue of my vacation in China the summer of 2007. It serves 2 purposes: to help me digest my own experiences there, and to serve as a tangible memory box. After all, who knows when I'll be able to return to my homeland again? I'm going to put as many pictures as possible on this blog as well. I hope you guys enjoy this blog!