It’s easy to run through an exhaustive list of all the big things that China has done.  To call out all of the sweeping expanses, the seemingly unending mountain ranges, and raging rivers that run for thousands of miles.

One thing China does really well is big.  There’s no doubt about that.  But over the course of my one year stay, I have come to realize that there’s more to it than that.

I try to notice all of the little things, the minor details that are not immediately obvious.  It must be the engineer, or the obsessive compulsive, in me.  With that in mind, I’ve compiled this photo essay that portrays some of the little details you may not notice but are beautiful nonetheless.

I’ve tried my best to go for a diversity of subjects as well as locations.  It would be easy to fill this essay with close-up pictures of urns and wall carvings from Beijing.  To be honest, some of these pictures are not my favorites.  I really did want to include a lot more pictures from Beijing.  But I think that no matter where you go in China, there is a certain beauty you can find in the little things.  And I wanted to maintain the theme I was going for.

With that in mind, I give you my first ever photo essay.  Enjoy!

Backdrop Buddhist carvings at Leshan, Sichuan.

Little red people stapled to a tree at Fuxi Temple, Tianshui.

My guess is these are "good luck" or "good fortune" prayer squares. They are tied to one of those giant urns at a small temple in Beihai (North Lake) Park, Beijing.

Columns supporting the roof of the High Mosque at the Aba Khoja Mausoleum, Kashgar, Xinjiang. With over 100 columns, each one is topped by a completely unique muqarna.

A large door at the Daxingshan Temple, Xi'an. I've never seen another door with a chain on it like this one.

A dragon (or is it emperor?) run at a temple near Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou. I found the blue accents particularly striking.

Usually the immediate impression you get upon seeing temple buildings is the sheer size. But sometimes you need to stop and appreciate the intricate woodwork that is going on under the eaves of the roofs. This one is from Heavenly Lake, Xinjiang.

The top of a wall inside the Yu gardens, Shanghai

Some kind of prayer charms at a temple (the name escapes me) in Lijiang, Yunnan. The lot of them made a beautiful noise when blowing in the wind.

I imagine that this dragon is breathing fire. Taken at another small temple at Beihai Park, Beijing.

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The view from my balcony. Snow!

This past weekend was the Xi’an International City Wall Marathon, in which myself and a few other teachers participated in.  I’ll get around to doing a full write-up once I can find whoever has pictures from the darn thing.  Thankfully the weather was not too cold but the pollution in the air was exceptionally bad.  It was like running through soup.  We only did the 5k run, but by the end my throat and lungs were on fire and, due to my asthma, it felt like I was breathing through a straw.  I almost vomited.

Anyway, after the nice weekend we were hit with a cold snap which has continued until today.  It seems like all week the temperature has been hovering just above freezing.  Finally, yesterday the temperature dropped below freezing and we had our first snow.  There wasn’t much to look at but overnight it got really cold and continued to snow.  Waking up this morning I was greeted with a winter wonderland outside my window.  I am very thankful someone decided to turn the heat on a few days early this year (normally the heat doesn’t come on until November 15).

By about 10 AM the sun was well up and the snow started melting.  It’s about 3 PM and 37 Farenheit right now, therefore the snow is disappearing fast.

I’m off to Beijing for the weekend where the weather report says it will be below freezing the entire time.  Hooray (insert fake enthusiasm here).  Anyway, I need to visit Beijing before it gets colder and I may not be in the country any more when it gets warm again.  My friends and students think now is a bad time to go, but really if I wait any longer it will just keep getting colder!  Besides, I think seeing the Great Wall covered in snow will be a pretty cool experience.

Sorry about the lack of posts.  I do have some things milling about but I’ve been fighting a cold all week.  I’m just about over it and here’s hoping it doesn’t make a comeback while I’m off traveling.

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1. Stranded by Snow
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I finally got around to getting my lazy self over to the wall to see what everyone was talking about.  A popular thing to do while up on the wall is to rent a bike and ride the entire length that it stretches.  It is about 11.9 kilometers in total, so it’s not that bad.  However, given the general state of disrepair of bikes for rent in China, the going is not always so easy.  And while there are plenty of areas where the paved stones are in good condition, there are some areas where it is a very bumpy ride.  It’s not exactly the most pleasant experience to ride over bumpy cobblestones on a seat with virtually no cushion.

That is not to say that my experience was a bad one.  Not at all.  I quite enjoyed my time up there and I’m glad I did it.  It really gave me a chance to see my city from many different angles.  The parapets are a bit too high to see outside of the city walls, but looking in is a breeze.  And really that’s where the most interesting and affluent parts of the city are: inside the walls.  I saw a huge variety of areas, from high rent buildings to run down shacks, and even some huge lots that appeared to be freshly cleared of a demolished building.  That’s one of the interesting things about China: it changes so quickly.  There are constantly buildings coming down and new ones going up.  I’m curious to see how much Xi’an will change during the time I’m gone over the summer.

I think the 40 RMB just to get onto the wall is a bit much to pay but I forked it over anyway.  I climbed up at the South Gate of the city but I think you can get up by the West Gate as well.  There’s one building there that contains a souvenir shop and a small tea house.  Not anything very exciting.  As everyone should know before heading up there, the main reason for going is to rent a bike.  So that’s what I did.  The renter’s speak English well enough so it shouldn’t be a problem for anyone that doesn’t speak Chinese (or barely passable Chinese in my case).  For 100 minutes you can rent a single bike at 20 RMB, or a double bike for 40 RMB.  Another jab in the wallet, unfortunately.  It’s a far cry from renting a bike for 10 RMB in Yangshuo, which you get for the entire day.  Anyone traveling on a budget through Xi’an may want to consider skipping this stop.

Every 120 meters there is a defensive tower to prevent enemies from climbing up.  There are 98 towers in total. Where I climbed up, the South gate is the most well known and recognizable. It is only a short walk North to the Bell Tower–designating the center of the city–making it a popular area for tourists.  Each city gate has three towers.  The first tower was used to raise and lower the suspension bridge. The second, with small windows in the front and sides was used as a defensive outpost. The third is the main entrance to the city.

If you plan on going, make sure you bring something extra to drink with you.  I lacked the foresight at the time to think of this and had to stop at one of the few concession stands to buy a bottle of water.  The girl tried to charge me 5 RMB for it!  Yes, to you Western denizens that may not seem like a lot ($0.73 to be exact) but to me that’s outright robbery.  Fortunately I only had 2 RMB in my wallet at the time so I was able to convince her not to rip me off so bad.  Even 2 RMB is a bit much; bottles of water are usually 1 RMB.  It’s frustrating when Chinese think they can rip off us foreigners because they think we don’t know any better.

Over all I enjoyed myself and had a good bout of exercise to boot.  Yeah, the 60 RMB I paid seems like a lot but, as a one-time expense for however long I stay in Xi’an, I think it’s OK.

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1. Biking Through Yangshuo
2. To the Very Top
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The group in Xi’an meets approximately once every 2 weeks for a 1.5 to 2 kilometer run through some area of the city. Fengqing Park is free to the public so we had the chance to run through that beautiful venue this last time. Granted, there was plenty of Chinese staring at us, pointing, laughing, cheering, and encouraging us along the way. How often do Chinese get to see a group of laowais running through the park?

The quirky aspect of these Hash runs is that finding the correct path through the course is part of the challenge. 2 kilometers doesn’t sound like much, but when you are trying to find your way and end up backtracking a lot (as I did last weekend) then you will add quite a bit to the distance. Normally the course is set with small arrows on the ground. More often than I would appreciate, the arrows split off in multiple directions. Andrew and I were designated to run off in the different directions to see which was the right way. Either we would encounter an ‘X’-the wrong way-or more arrows, which would result in a resounding yell of, “On on!” It is quite a bit of fun trying to figure out which is the correct path, even when you end up taking the wrong route more often than not.

After the run, everyone grabs a beer and circles up. The head of the group, The General in this case, leads us off on our toasts. Every week there are different toasts, but we always drink to the one who took the time to set the course. This past week, Andrew and I were toasted for doing the vast majority of backtracking, which was nice. Also, people are given Hash names based on, as far as I can tell, whatever The General decides at the time. So far I have seen Foot Fetish and 69 as names given. I’m sure there will be plenty more to come.

Once the toasts are done, that’s when the real fun begins. Yes, we are all hot and sweaty and tired from the run. But we come to drink. And drink we do. Saturday ended being a very long night for Andrew and I, as well as some other members with whom we went out drinking after the festivities. Seriously, the group bills itself as a drinking group with a running problem and it is totally true. And it is loads of fun. Not to mention the great people you get to meet. Especially living as an expat, it’s nice to get out and meet a bunch of other foreigners and party with them purely on the basis that we enjoy running and drinking, one after the other. I know it sounds like a horrible mix but you get used to it and it becomes all part of the fun. On top of that, we also have some local Chinese who like to come out to join us in our running and partying. It’s a great mix of foreigners and locals; a very diverse group from all different walks of life.

Hashing started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1938 by a group of British soldiers and expatriates whom began meeting on Mondays to go running so as to recover from drinking the previous weekend. And no, Hash does not refer to the marijuana-based drug. It refers to the particularly bad food at Selangor Club Annex where the members originally met to begin and end their runs. By 1950, the Hash House Harriers had the following constitution:

* To promote physical fitness among our members
* To get rid of weekend hangovers
* To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
* To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

The club pokes fun at itself as much as it takes itself seriously. When we all circle up, the toasts are called “down-downs” and are sometimes done on a completely made-up basis. It’s all in good fun and everyone has a great time, though one thing is for sure: drinking is not optional, it’s mandatory. For example, one odd rule is that if you wear new shoes to a Hash, you have to drink beer out of it after the run. The rules are not really enforceable but it’s all part of the spirit and the fun to comply with them, no matter how weird they may seem to be.

There are over 1900 hash groups in 1238 cities in 183 countries. Chances are there is a group near you, no matter what part of the world you are in. If you enjoy both drinking and running, and would like the opportunity to hang out with a group of people who will promote a welcoming, care-free, fun-loving environment in which to relax and socialize, I highly recommend this group. Do yourself a favor and check it out. You don’t have to run if you don’t want to, but you do have to drink!

Next hash we will be running around the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and will end with a barbecue at a member’s house. I can’t wait!

If you’re interested, you can check out this link for more information and find a city near you with a hash group.

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The body is about the size of my fingernail.  As you can see it has 6 legs.  And it can jump about 2 feet. It’s always a real pleasure when they are climbing on the wall and then hop onto your shoulder or head.  There are these red ones and there are smaller ones–about one half to one third the size-that are all black with white spots.

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1. Surviving Xi’an: 5 More Things to Know

6. There is no such thing as a queue

The general rule of thumb in China is: push and shove, push and shove!  If you’re not fast enough people will dart around you to go first.  Even when there is some semblance of a line, if you leave even a foot gap between you and the next person someone else will get in there and take the next spot.  It seems like people here have no regard, nor patience, for someone going too slow.  Literally it’s survival of the fittest.  When hailing a taxi, it’s not uncommon for some Chinese people to race to the cab and take it first.  Even if the taxi clearly stopped for you, you can still get screwed out of it.  Whoever gets there first, gets the taxi.  It’s that simple.

If you are waiting to order something at a cart or small shop (or pretty much anywhere) you need to be loud and assertive.  Otherwise Chinese people will simply walk up and yell their order out, and they will be helped first.  First come, first serve.  Don’t wait for anyone to come help you.  If you do who knows how long you could be waiting.

7. The Chinese will take your picture

More Chinese have never encountered foreigners than most would like to imagine.  I was surprised at how many people here had never seen one.  Therefore, as a tourist in China, people will inevitably take your picture.  They will tell you that you are very cool, or that you are handsome or beautiful, or that your country is great, in an attempt to convince you that they are worthy to be in the same photograph as you.  They will want to have a picture with you so they can show their friends and family: “Look ma!  A real, live foreigner!”

Sometimes they will try to be sneaky about it to get your picture.  As if you’re some rare animal found in the wild.  Most of the time a hastily elected delegate will approach you.  Amid nervous grins and muffled giggles they will ask to have a photo with you–because you are so cool.  One time I had a girl follow me very closely around a temple while her friends tried to sneak a picture without me knowing.  It was definitely one of those “what the hell?” moments.  Of course once I noticed what was going on she asked if it was OK and I was happy to oblige.  So get used to having Chinese ask to take your picture, or try to drag you (or sneak you, in my case) into a group photo with them.  And remember, they love it when you make the peace sign with your fingers.

8. The long pinky fingernail is for picking … things

A long fingernail on the pinky is a common sight, especially for the men.  And what is it for, you ask?  Surely it does not hark back to the days when aristocrats used their long nail to take snuff?  No, not at all.  These days, the nail is for a much more unpleasant affair.  It is for picking.  Picking the ears, nose, and teeth.  And probably in that order, too.  Chinese men and women think nothing of picking their nose in plain view.  I’ve seen them dig quite ferociously in their ear, withdraw the digit, examine it, and finish off with a precursory cleaning of the teeth.  Lovely.

9. Hello Road Construction, Goodbye Schedule

The Government is building a subway that will run North and South through the entire city.  It has been going on for several months now and I can only imagine it will go on for many more.  Currently there is no digging for the subway; the road must be widened first.  I assume this is to accommodate the traffic issues that will inevitably occur when construction on the subway starts.  So they are only widening the road, no big deal, right?  Wrong.  Very, very wrong.  The main road that runs North-South through the city is completely backed up with traffic from the South all the way up to the South Gate at all times of day.  The amount of cars is unbelievable in and of itself.  But the amount of traffic jams that this construction is causing is simply incredible.

When I first came here at the beginning of the semester there was no construction and there were no traffic problems out of the ordinary.  But now there are many problems.  It takes at least double the amount of time to get anywhere in Xi’an if you plan on taking Chang’an South Road.  It’s as simple as that.  And because Chang’an Road is backed up, all of the roads branching off of it are constantly backed up.  And all of the roads immediately parallel to Chang’an Road are usually backed up.  Sometimes I am just flabbergasted at the problems that are being caused and the poor level of planning that clearly went into this project.  And to think, this period is just to make the road wider, they haven’t even begun to work on the subway!

10. A Shocking Revelation: The Muslim Quarter is a Tourist Trap

As if any city in China could be complete without a first-rate tourist trap?  Xi’an’s tourist trap is the Muslim Quarter, and it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen in China thus far.  There are an endless amount of shops, restaurants, stalls, carts, and so on and so forth.  The labyrinthine network of streets, alleys and cul-de-sacs seems designed to keep you shopping and won’t let you go.  All of the restaurants are overpriced and anyone trying to sell you anything (and you can find literally anything in this market, even puppies) will undoubtedly quote to you a price 3 or 4 times higher than the actual value.

While touring the market is one of my favorite activities in Xi’an, I rarely ever buy anything.  And unless you find something you absolutely must have right on the spot, I suggest you do the same.  I find it entertaining to stroll through the area, listening to the endless numbers of people hawking and haggling.  Playfully quipping at the Chinese trying to sell me things I don’t need (why on Earth someone would try to sell me a wristwatch while I’m wearing one is beyond me).  It’s all good fun.  Especially at night, the Muslim Quarter is quite the sight to see.  But remember, look but don’t touch.  Unless you are an experienced haggler or particularly determined to get a good deal (which requires a lot more effort than most people are willing to put forth), you will invariably get ripped off.  But don’t fret, it happens to everyone in China at some point.

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Last week I got a message on CouchSurfing from a person named Brook Silva.  Because I had already agreed to host another surfer, I arranged to meet for drinks.  When I arrived at the hostel he was staying at I confirmed my suspicion.  This man is indeed Brook Silva-Braga.  Creator of one of my new favorite movies, A Map for Saturday.  His movie–actually, it’s a documentary–is the story of him quitting his job and backpacking around the world for a year.

In case you haven’t noticed yet I have a huge passion for travel.  Unsurprisingly, I immediately fell in love with his work and I can’t say enough good things about it.  I think my colleagues here might be getting sick of hearing about it from me all the time.  As you can probably imagine I was really excited to meet him (OK, I admit it, I was a little star-struck) and I had a great time sharing beers with him and his girlfriend, Jill, as I got the opportunity to ask him about all of his adventures.  In particular, we talked about his latest documentary, One Day in Africa.  For five months Brook traveled around Africa filming his latest work.  While there he found six different people, from all different walks of life, whom he followed around for one day.  I am really looking forward to checking it out.

I think my favorite quote of the night was from Brook: “I hate it when people think that Africa is where the black people are.”  Of course, I’m more or less paraphrasing here as we did have a long, hard night of drinking.  My memory may be (read: definitely) a bit hazy.  At the very least I missed my Chinese lessons the next day; I’m sure you can imagine why.  Oh well.  I think a chance to meet the director of one of my favorite films is well worth the loss.

I highly recommend checking out both A Map for Saturday and One Day in Africa if you get the chance.  Also, here is a great review of A Map for Saturday, the very one that lead me to watch the movie in the first place.

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