China-versary

Well we made it a year in China. And that year has been pretty fun-filled, stress-filled, adventure-filled and busy. But here we are, into year two. Settled, comfortable, happy and (very) healthy.

The past few months have probably been the busiest for us. It began in May when we went on our first big holiday since moving to Guangzhou. But the holiday had to start with a challenge. The challenge was the Great Wall Marathon (only half for me). We decided back in November that we needed a physically challenging goal to reach in our first 12 months, apparently my fitness transformation wasn’t enough (it was also only my goal, not Joel’s so we needed something together). So we registered for the Great Wall Marathon. I knew I could never complete a full marathon so I opted for the half while Joel set his for the full marathon. Our training regime consisted of finding as many sets of stairs as possible. And run them as many times as possible. We did the run with about 12 other Guangzhou expats. We took the train up with one other family, which was a great an stress-free experience and we will definitely be using train travel again. The run itself was only about 5 km on the wall, however it was a very difficult 5km and contained over 5,000 steps (not just your normal steps either, this was big steps, little steps, long steps, short steps and very very steep steps. And this is also in 35 degree heat. It was brutal but absolutely amazing. The views were stunning and the scenery phenomenal. It wasn’t easy but we both finished. No injuries or illnesses and great recovery. We felt pretty dang good and it was a great way to begin our 3 week holiday.

So the next three weeks included Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn and a 10 day road trip around Estonia (the towns won’t mean much so I will leave them out, but we pretty much saw the entire country). We ate and drank our way around these cities and countries. We had a wide variety of interesting accommodation through AirBnB and really enjoyed the fresh air and sparse population. The highlights were huge, and can’t really be considered highlights because the entire trip surpassed our expectations. Basically Russia as a whole was amazing. We loved Moscow (in part because we stayed with friends and had their local knowledge, recommendations and mobile phone use). St Petersberg was also amazing. Beautiful city with so much history and culture, however much more geared towards tourists so while it was easier to explore and be tourists we actually liked Moscow more (this is surprised many people). Our next stop was Helsinki. Finland is an expensive country. Very fancy and very expensive. But our highlight of that short portion was the supermarket. Our fist stop in we just walked around with our jaws hanging open, both from salivation at the tasty array of items and also the sheer variety of what was on offer. We made a few meals in Helsinki just for this reason. We then ferried over to Tallinn. Two days in Tallinn in the Old City (which was phenomenal, and super old) and we picked up a rental car and explored the country. Estonia has significance for Joel because his grandfather immigrated from there when he was 5. As hard as we looked (mainly in cemeteries) and asked around, we found no other Kaldasauns. Even the locals we stayed with had never heard of a Kaldasaun. Only on our way home, checking in at the airport, were we asked about the surname. We were told it might be Finnish. Still checking on that one…

So our holiday was amazing. It was just the escape we needed.

Once we returned, life got a bit chaotic. We were only home just over a week and my animal lover/rescuer/passion took over our life. As many know, dog meat is a thing here. It has also been made into a festival held on the summer solstice, June 21. Unfortunately during the weeks leading up to it, many dogs are stolen and trucked up to Yulin. One such truck was intercepted in Guangzhou on June 19. This meant that every dog lover, animal rescuer in the region (and beyond) was called into the city to assist. I jumped in, without even thinking. And I am still in it today. Without giving the upsetting and sad details, I have been incorporated into part of a new rescue group in Guangzhou, Animal Action Guangzhou. We’re only about 10 expats but we are trying to make a difference to about 20 dogs. (This is a small fraction of what was on the truck, but it is what we were able to handle at the time). We have been caring for dogs, organising fundraisers, coordinating with vet clinics, feeding, walking and now fostering, many of these rescued dogs. When all of this happened in June, I was shocked that I was even part of it. But when you see something to tragic happening, you can’t just turn away. So dogs have kept us very, very busy. It is a passion project, but it is also a very meaningful way to spend our time and energy. We have had to fund-raise endlessly throughout this ordeal to pay for medicine, care, boarding, vet bills and food. I absolutely hate asking for money, but if those people out there that have an interest and a love of dogs want to help please follow our fundraising link.

While the dogs will always be taking up time, we still manage to have some free time, that is we did until I decided I needed yet another way to challenge myself physically. I have taken on a whole new way to train my body: boxing. I am entered into a White Collar Fight Night on October 21. We have 10 weeks of training with professional coaches where we learn how to be a real boxer. Our fight is to raise money for GIVES, an international expatriate volunteer organisation which helps social welfare agencies in Guangzhou. While it will be hard work (and long hours, 3 nights a week training), it is a fun way to get in shape and earn money for a charity. On top of this I am still coaching with K2Fit and working on becoming a personal trainer. And here I thought I would move to Guangzhou and be a bored housewife…

And to wrap it all up, our China-versary is also marking our step forward in filling our apartment (no, it’s not more dogs or cats or bunnies). We’re adopting! We have been working on this since last year and we are now closing in to the final stages of adoption. We are adopting two toddlers from China, hopefully by the end of the year. This will definitely change the tone of the blog, as it will be child-centred, stress-filled and probably contain a lot more stories of bodily functions gone wrong (something common in China even without children). I hope to continue to create entertaining blog posts about our life here, and even though I had a long break from before our holiday to now, I am going to keep telling the stories that keep me always entertained here in Guangzhou.

Just go with it…

I feel as if the blog posts are going to get more and more boring. Life here is not the most exciting. It is always interesting and most days I wish I had my camera/phone out ready to document the things I see. The more time we spend here out in the real China world (away from our bubble of Canton Place) the more I have to accept how things go here. It’s not always easy to keep my mouth shut and go with it, but I am learning, as is Joel. He, of course, is much more patient than I am.

Things that drive me absolutely insane are, in no particular order, nose picking, spitting, snot rocketing, coughing loudly, bike riding on the footpath, no one stopping at cross walks, everyone walking slowly and most importantly nose picking and spitting (yes I repeated this because it really drives me crazy/grosses me out).

Annoyances are one thing, interesting, odd and just weird day to day happenings are another.

For example, down the road from us is a very small rubbish transfer depot (or something along those lines). There is usually a large garbage truck and small piles of rubbish on the ground of the bay it’s backed into. It’s like a carport where all this rubbish from the area is taken to and one truck takes it away, but not before it is sorted. Things are sorted out into things like plastic bottles, cardboard, and my favourite, styrofoam. These items are then piled onto the back of a bike and taken to another location by an individual on a bike (peddled or motorised). I do not know the logistics or details of these transactions, but it seems to be a private enterprise taking these things away. So, last week it was quite windy and as I walked down to street I saw a massive plastic bag tumbling down the road filled with styrofoam. This was a huge bag, two people could fit into this bag, and it was rolling into the street. As I walked nearer to the corner I saw the bike to which it was supposed to be attached, which had another 2 bags strapped on. This is what happens here, people collect these items to be redistributed (recycles, reused or re-purposed). And they don’t want to make more than one trip, so the largest amount possible is attached and cycled away. In this instance, the three bags were visible but I am sure there were another 2 waiting to be carefully piled onto the rider and peddled away.

On the topic of not wasting things, being annoyed and just going with it, apparently bin bags are not thrown up when full, only sorted through (note story above). I have discovered this only today when I was walking around our garden level with the pup. My new method of collecting dog poo is one I learned here. People just place a piece of newspaper (or in my case, a magazine page) under the pup’s bum and when finished, the paper is delicately collected without having any contact with the poo. This works great when a) you have a small dog and b) when there are bins every 50m. So this is how we have been doing it for 4 weeks. Today I was caught (not in the middle of the poo, only in preparation when I carry the paper) by the cleaner/landscaper/gardeners that takes care of the level 2 gardens, and bins apparently. Whether he was speaking Cantonese or Mandarin, yelling or just telling me calmly (one can never tell because of the language) I deduced he does not like me using paper as it allows the poo to get all over the bins. And maybe it stinks and tastes bad or something like that because he mimed hands and fingers near is mouth and nose. So, now I must use a plastic bag. Well, this made me feel awful. For two reasons: I am so good at cleaning up every bit of poo and never leaving any out which makes his life easier and cleaner, and how dare he criticise me for actually picking up poo! It’s not my fault that the bins are hand-picked through.  I use the rubbish bin, not the recycle one, and it’s better for the environment, less plastic floating around out there! So I think a battle is going to ensue. Picking up poo is nasty either way, I just have to figure out how to do it the right way.

Other interesting things that happen here…Starbucks does not open until 730am. I finished a boot camp last week and thought a coffee would be great to walk home with. It was quite a cold morning and I wanted to treat myself. Well, never mind that because at 645 NOTHING is open. Good luck finding a coffee, even if it is from Starbucks. I had to trudge home and make it myself. Other things that open late, our gym. The huge club we’re members of doesn’t open until 7am. This is frustrating for those that work and catch a bus at 8. Luckily the small gym in our building is open at 445am. Not that Joel and myself will get up that early to use it. But if you stay up late, everything is open late. Cafes, at least 11pm. Restaurants, at least 11pm. But it appears the staff doesn’t work til all patrons have left. Regularly the tables at the restaurants below us have bottles of wine and glasses and sometimes plates left out in the outdoor seating area. When I say regularly, I mean every night there are people sitting outside. Mostly I just think of all the wasted wine on the tables. It’s an expensive beverage to leave half a bottle of.

And to bring it back to the beginning, going with the flow is difficult. Getting used to all the differences in culture is difficult. Not speaking the language is difficult, but as I have seen with other expats here, the more you go with the flow and try not to stress too much, the easier life will be here. I need to take a page from Joel’s book: just relax and ignore it all.

 

The new additions…

Addition number 1…Moppy.

Mr. Foster Pup Moppy is a lovable rescue dog with some issues but always means well, except when he steals socks. I picked him up from the vet last Tuesday after he had his big shave.

Before

After

With a new doo and a new lease on life he was welcomed into our home. And let’s just say it’s been challenging. Let’s start with the fact we’ve never had an indoor dog let alone in an apartment. Toilet training is not something we have had to deal with but luckily this little guy had it covered. No accidents or marking in the house. Outdoors only and in the right places, mostly (we bring a bottle of water to wash the wee away when he goes in the middle of the pathway, which is most of the time). Indoors he is awesome-a little shadow following us or wandering around each room to see if any food has been left out. His favourite spot, other than his cozy crate, is the kitchen because that’s where food is made and even though it’s not given out he’s always hopeful. He’s learning how to play, a lot. The few toys he has he brings to us when he’s ready for some play time or he’ll find a towel laying around and play tug-of-war. Socks are also a specialty for him. His personality is becoming stronger and stronger each day and he is super entertaining. One thing that is not entertaining is his dislike towards the leash. Torture or just plain ignorant and mean behaviour from previous owners or just people in general have created a connection in Moppy’s mind between pain and the leash. Luckily the trainer came yesterday and we now have a lovely teal harness on the pup at all times.

Our goal is to get him trained, nicely behaved and a great walker then help him find a perfect home. I know he will be an awesome apartment dog. He doesn’t need a backyard, just a balcony and some love (with a few walks a day). Any takers from the US?

So other than spending time with a dog (which is always a great use of time) I have been doing a few others bits and pieces, one being finding a steady way to spend my time a few times a week: boot camp training. I am now a coach for K2Fit. I love training people and love working out so it’s a great way to do both. Because of this fitness challenge I have really focused on getting healthy and training hard and it has paid off. I’ll actually be comfortable in a swim suit on our holiday next week!

Also this week I spent a few hours at GETCH. I was able to watch some presentations by students (with German students here for a few weeks) about dating and relationships and sex (both safe sex and sexual harassment). I was educated on these subjects regarding the differences in cultures and experiences and it was amazing. It was very eye-opening as well. Stigma around people with physical disabilities is huge in China. I didn’t realise how significant the family role is when people choose partners and how this impacts people with disabilities. Not only was I floored at their presentations and how well spoken they were (it was all in English), I was amazed at what these young adults need to over come in order to live a “normal” life in China. I am really looking forward to spending more time with the students at GETCH in the years we are here. It will be both fulfilling and very helpful to them I think ( and hope)!

As I find myself settling into life in GZ, I honestly have to remind myself where I am and why I am here. Sometimes it’s a bubble here, especially at our residence. We see the same people nearly every day. We do the same activities together and we eat at the same western restaurants. Sometimes it’s not a China day and it’s a great day to be here and have this experience. Sometimes I go outside and love the culture and the people and how different it is. And other times I miss everything about everywhere else I have lived. Sounds all encompassing and it is-I miss many places in the states and so many people. I miss Australia and cafes in Melbourne and my in-laws house in Sydney where it’s all family all the time. But as I miss the people and places I also and learning to cherish them even more. I cannot wait for my visits and the little things that make places feel like home. Now that all our stuff has arrived I can make this place feel like a home. It is not home and never will be but for now it can have bits and pieces to make us comfortable.

For now, we have a beach holiday week ahead of us. Vietnam is our recharge spot next week. I may be missing Halloween but at least I am getting a week with my husband, no China days included.

 

Seeing Guangzhou and more…

Our exposure of China is growing, expanding and becoming a bit more real. We’ve seen a larger variety of China life and while it can be confronting and stressful, it’s these times that we recognise we really are living in a very foreign country.

Saturday we had our first (and hopefully not last) visit to the dog shelter for My Paws and Me. We knew it would be difficult (luckily there were no actual tears from me) but I didn’t realise the stories of the pups would be so horrible. We spent the morning bonding with a number of pups and getting to know a specific few that could be coming to our home in the near future. After much debate, and many puppy cuddles, we decided on Moppy (not pictured but will be featured in future blogs). He is a rough looking medium sized dog that looks like a white-ish mop, but has a very sweet demeanor. Basically he has been abused with a rope and is terrified of his leash and water. He will be a project for both of us and once he has been properly groomed (his fear is so great they will have to put him under for a wash and clippering) we will bring him to our apartment for TLC and training.

Joel & Gandolf the Girl

Chubby puppy

Marley

Anja

Erny

Ash & new pup

While heartbreaking to see a number of dogs (and this is just a fraction of the dogs around China in these situations) in a place like this, we know they are in a caring environment with love by well-meaning people. We can only hope they find a proper home in the near future and luckily we are here for help with that. The hardest things for me is not being able to take all of them home…or give them to friends and family.

Sunday was our first big outing in China, if only for a day trip. Kaiping was lovely. Very hot and a long way away, but a nice day trip. The trip out these was not nice. 140kms took over 4 hours. China traffic is real people and it is big and busy and chaotic. If I drove here I would have multiple heart attacks in the 3 years. Not pleasant, not calm and not quiet. Our driver liked to use his lights to flash cars who were not close enough to the car in front of them (more than 10 meters was too far) and occasionally used his horn. We never knew why, it just happened. The journey included a quick stop at a service station with a disgusting toilet block (remember this is a country with drop/squat toilets) covered in liquid, not sure what it was but it was all wet. No one came out of the toilets happy, relieved, but not happy.

Kaiping is home to the watchtowers, or Diaolou. They are dotted throughout the landscape. Less than 100 years old, they still hold great history of the area and have amazing architecture to appreciate. We first visited Zili Village and walked up to the top of a watch tower and around the grounds. It was all very beautiful, not too crowded and excruciatingly hot. In addition to that, the other visitors (all Chinese) liked looking at us and saying hello and even taking photos, again this was a first for us to be stared at so blatantly. A first, but definitely not a last.

Our second stop was to Li Gardens which had another collection of buildings with historical significance and a variety of architectural design surrounded by lovely gardens (as the name entails) It was quieter than the village and had nice toilets (always a bonus is China).

 

Because Joel has 3 days off this week for China’s National Day, we used yesterday as a rest day, in the sense we didn’t venture far. We did, however, have a nice walk in the morning along the river and got lost in a neighborhood checking out a proper local market. Once the heat go to us we wandered back and enjoyed the pool and cocktails on the balcony.

Today is our day of cycling the city. Canton Cycle is a half day tour around the other side of the city, the older and more historical and probably more Chinese part. The temperature at the moment is a balmy 31°. I may melt off the bicycle during the 14kms. I hope there is a cocktail at the end of this day…