Living at the 100 Ring Zoo

I've moved to my fourth apartment in Beijing, and the third in the Shuangjing area.

View Larger Map



While I haven't moved beyond a 1km-circle, I feel that I've upped my status by a degree, and I don't intend to back down. For me the selling point was the dining table; for the first time in two years I'm not bending over a tv-facing coffee table to eat every day.

The new digs weren't necessary, but certainly invited. At first I wasn't so keen on moving, as I was signed on to a one-year contract that would require breaching. But my 'family' was growing, and needed more space. My girlfriend Liuliu took the initiative of seeking a new pad. For a while I was resistant, but when she booked a viewing I obligingly accompanied her, and what I saw changed me.

My new apartment is about 50% bigger than my old one. It also has a dining table, and a large living room. But the clincher was the rent, only 4% more than my previous place. I now pay 3500CNY/month (about $630 at the current exchange rate), and I live in the same area as before, only a 10min walk from the Guomao city-centre (of course, Beijing is too big to have one downtown, but this one is the 'traditional' downtown). It's 110m²(1200sq.ft) and fully furnished. My last place was short a bed in the spare bedroom.

My area is called 百环家园 (baihuan jiayuan), which means 100-ring park. Not sure why.

The New Digs

the spare bedroom

ANIMALS

Another good reason for the move was the small zoo I'm now supporting. I have a kitty and a puppy; my life has blissful moments, and of course, many more are absolute chaos and frustration. Our cat (Asa) was born around July '08, so is now about 10 months old. Our puppy (Bailey) was born on Feb.2nd, '09, and so is only 2 month old as of now. We had our cat first, and when they first were introduced to eachother there was some predictable furor on Asa's side, but now they play together all the time.

Here are some photos of the new members of my family.

Bailey

Asa

A mature cat

Asa - The Adventures of (acquiring) Super Kitty

THE LEAD-UP

Living in China is not easy. There is much to be embraced anew, and much left behind. One of the hardest parts is living away from family, and that includes my three cats in Toronto. I miss them a lot. Previously I was worried about getting a cat here. On the forefront of my worries were questions about purchasing cat-products (there are no Pet Smart's here), laws (there are so many I don't know, why not be paranoid about a law against foreigners having pets) and lastly, what to do if I have to leave the country. But my yearning grew too strong, and I caved, allowing those questions to be answered as they come. I got a kitten.

My girlfriend helped me look for it online. Picking a kitten from pictures is a tough task, since you feel like you're neglecting some because they're not cute enough. But alas, we chose the one I thought looked the cutest, an orange, long-hair female (the lady-cats tend to tear up the house a bit less in my experience).

THE PICKUP

Picking her up was an adventure in of itself. For those who don't live in Beijing, one word can summarize a lot of the character of this city: HUGE. I don't have a car, nor do I plan on buying one at any time, as driving is much slower than taking the subway. Subwaying does have its cons though: crowds and transfers. The subway system in Beijing is pretty complex now, and is on its way to becoming the most comprehensive (longest, most stations etc.) system in the world (see the wiki, or see the plan for 2012). According to Wiki, and corresponding to similar information I've heard here, ridership doubled from 2007 to 2008, to 1.2billion/year, mostly as a result of the addition of three new lines. On Jan.2nd I went to Xidan shopping district, and that day alone the subway ridership was 6.6 million, a new one-day record. That's, like, 2.5 Torontos. Though there are many lines and many cars to distribute this volume across, it still boils down to a pretty squashed ride. Rush hour is bad. On top of that, many of the transfer stations require walking distances that would be about 5min if unhindered. However the rush-hour crowd forces you to penguin-walk it, taking sometimes up to 10min depending on the transfer station.

On this day, I went to work as normal, walking to line 10, which I take from one extreme to the other (overall 16 stations), transfering to line 13 which I take for one station, and then walking a bit to work, which takes me from 65 to 70min. I got the call from my girlfriend that the kitty had been secured, but that we had to travel to a place called Shijingshan to get her. I used the very useful Baidu map of Beijing (baidu is the Chinese equivalent of google) to find that it was in the far West of the city, nearly as far as the subway can take you. I left work at 4. By the time I got home it was nearly nine.

THE ROUTE

To give you a feel of the complexity of my route, let me explain my travels. First, you must look at this map of the Beijing subway system as it is now. In the morning, I walk to Shuangjing station on line 10 (10min). I then take line 10 North and West to Zhichunlu (45min) and transfer to line 13 (5min). I take line 13 North for one station to Wudaokou (2min) then walk to work (7min). My girlfriend asked me to meet her at her work, so I walked back to the subway line 13 (7min), took it South to Zhichunlu (2min), transfered to line 10 (5min), went West three stations to Suzhoujie (8min). We then decided we should take the subway to the kitty since there was too much traffic, so we took line 10 back East to Zhichunlu (8min), transfered back to line 13 (5min), went South to Xizhimen (6min), transfered to line 2 (10min, super busy), took line 2 South three stops to Fuxingmen (8min), transfered to line 1 (6min), and took that West to Guchenglu (35min). At this point, we walked to the bus station (4min), took it one stop in the wrong direction due to bad directions by kitty owner (3min), crossed the road (4min!!!!!), then took the same bus in the opposite direction to our destination (15min). When we had acquired the kitty, we took a different bus to Bajiao Amusement Park station (15min), then boarded line 1 with the kitty in my jacket, took that East to Guomao (55min), transfered to line 10 (6min), and took that South for one stop to Shuangjing (2min). Finally, we walked to the grocery store (5min), bought some kitty things (10min), then walked home (10min).

This accounts to 298min, just under 5 hours. I also underwent 6 transfers, accruing 37min of transfer time (if someone complains about their 40min commute I may just punch them), and managed to travel in all directions using 4/6 subway lines currently open. The photo below shows this on map scale (time not accounting for walking and transfering):

Without a car, traveling 45km in Beijing, and crossing 6 transfer stations in one day, is very taxing on the soul. But Asa made it all better.

THE REWARD

Chinese Number Superstitions - Basics

In the West, we are apparently scared of the number 13. And some people would consider seven a good number, probably because of lucky triple 7's at casino's. However, we don't really have universally agreed upon lucky number, rather individuals decide their own, unique lucky number(s). Mine is 23. More on that later.

In China, there are generally agreed upon good numbers, and bad numbers. First, the bad ones.

Some Western superstition has made its way here, in the form of 13. Many buildings will skip the 13th floor. But that's only occasional, and not deeple engrained in the general consciousness of the people I encounter.

The real bad one is 4.

In Chinese, the word four is very similar to the word for death. How does this manifest itself then? At weddings, money-gifts (yes, they only give money at Chinese weddings, so much more useful than a cheese-fondue kit), the value should never contain a 4. Also, the fourth floor is skipped in many buildings. But it goes deeper. Any floor with a four is skipped (eg. 4, 14, 24, 34, 40-49 etc.). So you could be on a floor labeled 60 and really it's the 44th floor above ground level, the worst ever. I try to educate people I know about this phenomenon, but they are certain that it is simply the 'number' four that causes problems. So why then is 'four' hundred yuan bills a problem? It's all very convoluted, as superstitions usually are.

Then there are some good numbers, many actually: 6, 8 and 9. If you consider that there are only 9 base numbers (0 doesn't really count), this is a pretty staggering proportion. Each has its own 'type' of fortune.

I'll begin with 6. In China, a series of 6's is quite good. The number of the beast, 666, is not connected to anything demonic whatsoever in Chinese culture, but rather "smooth transaction". The Chinese expression for this is "liu liu da shun" meaning "six six big smooth" in direct translation, or a more idiomatic translation would be 'six for smooth sailing'.

In Canada I could not imagine an ad with a '6' being purposely placed in a row of three in a major subway station, where I snapped this.

All-6 plates are quite common. This plate is actually a police car, but you can bet that the particular officer didn't get this by chance.

Eight is all about the cash. The expression goes "ba ba fa cai," meaning "eight eight get rich". As such, if you can afford it or have connections in the government, a typical Chinese aristocrat will have a licence plate loaded with 8's.

Here is a compilation of '8-plates' I found online by searching in Chinese "good licence plates." It is generally understood that to get these you have to have serious cash or government connections.

Nine is for longevity. "Chang chang jiu jiu" means "long long nine nine." Nine, pronounced 'jiu' in Chinese, sounds the same as another word pronounced 'jiu' which means "long time." So if you want a long life, you horde the nines.

A compilation of '9-plates' I found online, again just searching "好车牌" -> good car plates. Nines are not as common as eights.

And to completely contradict what I said earlier about 4, it also has fortune attached to it as well. Yes, it may be death under certain circumstances, but it can also represent wishes coming true. The expression goes "si si ru yi" and translates to "four four dreams come true." I guess Chinese people dream of death.

Clearly this guy didn't spend the dough on an H2 to be screwed by an ultimate death plate.

Finally, I'd just like to say that my favourite number being 23 has nothing to do with Michael Jordan, or the movie, but rather something I have preserved since young childhood. My address being 23 Clarendon Ave. in Ottawa probably got it all started. But it really kicked in when I realized (as in the movie 23) that 23 is everywhere. Seriously. Next time you're watching a random movie pay attention to the table number as characters are eating or the price, 23 makes it in there. And I'm not talking about decomposing numbers and adding them again, because you can make up any number theory doing that. As well, 23 is a prime number, and the largest multiple which fits into 69.

Another day, another step towards having seen it all

Tonight, as I was casually watching a Chinese tv program whilst simultaneously surfing, playing a game, and reading updates about the India situation, I caught glimpse of something that I really never thought I'd ever see: a 70-year old Chinese lady performing hiphop dance. There was an entire special about her, relating her experiences on tv and different performances, the way her daughter felt about it (summary: shame gave way to acceptance). But I had to see it to believe it. Thought I'd share this with you. If you know of any equivalents in N.America, please let me know. I'm not sure how I'll console myself if I find out hiphop jumped about two generations in age and penetrated a hundred generations of Chinese culture all in one fell swoop.

I'm living next to a (potential) bunker - updated

To the East of my apartment is a wonderful and rare thing in Beijing: an empty field. It's peaceful, serene and even has birds chirping in the morning. And since I face East I'm shielded from the noise of the massive hyper-busy third-ring road about 300m to the West. But that's all about to change, I think they're building a bunker in the field.

The old view of the new BTV (Beijing Television) tower. Hopefully the view won't be blocked.

Looking East, Pingguo Shequ apartment complex, translates to "Apple Community"

A peaceful and tranquil morning as seen from my window.

An exposure shot taken at night. looking NE

I always thought it was a bit strange that the entrance to the field has a "Military Restricted Zone" sign. I wasn't sure what it had to do with the military. I began to notice a lot of night activity in the field. Trucks coming to make deliveries at 4am, waking me up and stirring strong suspicions of conspiracy. Was there an underground nuclear test facility? Were they testing some strange hybrid plant that would be used to reduce smog? Why did a pair of two stray dogs live in the field?

Chinese for "Military Restricted Zone"

About a week ago, the big machines came in. There are now three or four excavators, and a pile of thick-gauge steel cable spools. They've begun excavating minor portions of the field (dismissing my hybrid plant theory), but continue to work at night (supporting my secret underground facilities theory).

The mysterious spools of steel cable, under wraps

I know it's easy to dismiss conspiracy theories. I mean, why would they do it all in plain-sight of my window? But the nighttime excursions thoroughly perplex me. I suppose it's all half-secret, half-open. After all, the buildings on the East of the field also have full view of the field, as well as all the apartments above me for 26 stories.
I asked the guy who runs a little convenience store in the lobby of my building, and he told me they're constructing military buildings. I'm going to try to take some exposure shots at night when they're doing weird 4am digging.

My new view, which will be changing daily. I'll try to take regular shots and make a montage.

UPDATED PHOTOS - OCT 16th to 29th

DAY 2

DAY 4

DAY 6

DAY 9

DAY 9 later
DAY 13
DAY 14
DAY 2-14 composite
The tunnel-drilling crane just outside my window

Rolling with the Olympics

When I say rolling, I'm inferring two things. The first is that I've moved yet again. The second is that I've been rolling with the punches of the Beijing gov't for months now, dealing with visa crap and community police and passport inspections etc etc etc. When people ask me if I'm excited about the Olympics, I'm inwardly spitting and outwardly feigning, for to curse the Olympics I may as well be cursing Mao himself. But the truth is that the Olympics is causing more strain than gain, and the hype is creating a number of mini economy bubbles which are doomed to collapse when people realize it's all artificial (the best example is housing; even with record-amounts of new housing coming into the market, prices have continued to increase more than 10% year-on-year since 2005).

The Olympics is being seen as a supersolution to all of the problems in Beijing, but it seems that few people see how superficial this view truly is.

Example 1: pollution. Because of the Olympics, Beijing has implemented a number of measures to curb air pollution in order to appease the IOC and the international community. Many people are impressed with the swiftness and effectiveness of these measures. But easy-come, easy-go, or in this case, easy-go, easy-come. Most of them are only bandage solutions, temporary measures that will be called off after the event. Starting tomorrow, Beijing will implement the half-car road rule; on even days, only cars with even licence plate numbers will be able to drive; and odd on odd days. Since roughly one third of the air pollution in Beijing is caused by cars, this should eliminate about 1/6th of the air pollution (using very rough math). As well, many industrial facilities in the Beijing region and within regions where wind carries pollutants to Beijing are being temporarily shut down. To top that off, outdoors construction is on halt. To speak truthfully, I've noticed the difference, and I'm sure many others have too. But that means it'll hit even harder when these rules are up and the smog returns. The Olympics is not causing major environmental policy changes that will have long-lasting effects, only temporary. The only long-term solution Beijing has implemented is opening the new subway line 10 (which conveniently is 5min from my apartment and takes me from the East to the Northwest in 40min when once it would take me 1hr20min).

Example 2: English. There is much reason for people in China to learn to speak English. It's the international language of business, and the language of Hollywood. As such, most students begin English classes here in middle school, and continue to study through high school and university, at which point many students are required to write the CET-4 English test. But yet, their system is so ... Chinese. People here learn to pass tests. They are great at passing tests. But when that knowledge must be taken outside of a row of desks and applied to the real world, many falter. I meet dozens of people who have learned English for over 10 years and can barely speak beyond a self-introduction. And it's not just a matter of ability, but also confidence, and the lack of an environment in which to practice. But, with the Olympics coming, millions have been given a new purpose to study English: an actual chance to encounter a native English speaker and put their years of study to use. But if they have not realized this by themselves, they needn't fear since there has been flood of slogans and advertisements expressing the importance of learning English in order to serve the anticipated influx of foreigners in August. At my school, I have met dozens of students who are blinded by optimism, seemingly willing to spend 3-4times the average monthly income of a Beijinger on English lessons they plan to use to 'volunteer'. Only in China, I say. You could not possibly convince tens of thousands of people to volunteer for the Olympics in a democratic country. But the big-brother mentality still clings here, and aside from some major progression in many fields, people are still willing to take commands and work for the greater good. And spend hard-earned money for the chance to speak with foreigners because they've been told to make us feel welcome. And what's worse is the taxi drivers. Taxis are the most convenient and practical means for foreigners to get around Beijing. They are cheap (when using foreign currency) and can take you to the very door of where you're going. That is, if you can tell them where you're going. I take taxis every day (I'm not that lazy though, I also ride the bus and subway often, just depends on where I'm going), and in 1.5yrs here I've only met one taxi driver whose English was good enough to be able to respond to me in English. The rest may say greet you with a "hello", only to dissappoint you when they raise their eyebrows at hearing 'left' and 'right', and will simply NOT understand the English names of major venues such as The Worker's Stadium (in Chinese, gongren tiyu guan, not much similarity). This despite a major push for all taxi drivers to speak English that started two years ago and has lost nearly all of its momentum since taxi drivers tend to be poorly-educated, and aside from a once-in-a-while encounter with a foreigner have no chance at all to practice their English skills. And many foreigners who live here can speak enough Chinese to get by in a taxi. But in August it won't be so easy. And don't even pretend to try to feign interest in attempting to look at the idea of boarding a bus, since there are no maps and only the Chinese name of each stop is listed. On the plus side, the subways here are very easy to navigate and all English signage is correct.

Example 3: business opportunities. Everyone seems to think that the Olympics are going to open major international business opportunities for everyone. I hate to break it to them, but those opportunities have been available for a long time now and can be thanked for the sustained 10+% annual growth of the economy here. The Olympics is not going to harvest half-a-million businessmen, but rather half-a-million sports enthusiasts and travelers. No doubt that among those there will be entrepreneurs, but the numbers don't tend towards a euphoric super-business state that will magically rise from the semi-constructed buildings that dot the city. That would require policy change, since doing business in China can be quite complicated and generally requires connections.

So the hype for the Olympics is at an all-time high, but I'm keeping level since I just know there will be consequences.

The New Pad

At the beginning of March, I moved into a new apartment. The move was long foreseen, and accelerated by the fact that my landlord was kicking me and my two roommates out. She said that the police were hassling her too much about the proper documentation required to rent to foreigners, and since our lease was near an end she wasn't going to renew with us. What a pain. In my old area, there were 20 foreigners altogether registered at our police station, which I'm guessing looked over 10,000 residents, not exactly a foreigner-friendly area.

So I moved to to Fulicheng 富力城. Literal translation: Rich and Powerful City. As can be said about the names of many new apartment complexes in Beijing, it's ridiculous. But, concordantly it also happens to be one of the most expensive areas in downtown Beijing. Luckily, though housing rates are skyrocketing here, the conversion rate still means that it's affordable. While the average person in Beijing earns around 3200RMB/month ($450), I spend 3800RMB/month on my apartment ($500). A steal? Not really, considering it's about a quarter of my monthly income. But still a pretty sweet deal.

Specs: built in 2002, 68m², single bedroom, 3pc bath, modern kitchen with gas range and double-sink, marble floor in living space, hardwood in bedroom, two enclosed balconies, air con, tv with cable (only Chinese cable, though I could get satellite if I wanted)

Perks: Within a gates community with lots of park area, buildings surround it so there is no city noise, there is a lake with carp and a bridge and several fountains, my building is attached to a modern supermarket (I literally need only go to my basement level and walk about 100m to get to it) and 15min walk to Guomao, financial centre of the city

Negatives: Couch isn't very comfortable, I need to put up new curtains but am too lazy to find someone with a drill to help me install the curtain rack, shower leaks a bit, bed's a bit hard (but big)... that's about all I can think of

The view from the entrance
The view from the living room balcony door

The bathroom

The bedroom, still missing the curtains that I've bought but am too lazy to mount

The kitchen

The washing machine room

My Wii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!