Sushi and Seaside

Happy Belated 4th of July

Pictures of white suit (and girl in wedding dress) are from a photoshoot I did with a friend who needed “model” pictures for his new company. More to come. Hopefully this will be my last 4th of July in a communist country.

Still In Beijing

Despite a government notice only suspending visas for a period of 1 month from March 30, Cambodia has yet to resume visa services. As such, I’m stuck in Beijing until the foreseeable future. My apartment is empty, my bags are packed except for gym shorts, a tank top, and a few t-shirts, and I finished my job on May 1. I have nothing to do. My only course of action is to wait until June 1 and see if countries in SE Asia open up. I’m on day 88 of quarantine and without a day job, I am slowly losing my mind.

Gyms in Beijing are still closed. Awesome.

Sorry For Lack of Posts

I’ve been quarantined, and pretty much doing the same thing everyday. Wake up, protein shake, exercise, run 1.5 km outside, protein shake, call GF, lunch, work, Netflix, call GF, sleep. As such, there haven’t been a whole lot of “interesting” things to post on here. Waiting for April 30 when Thailand is expected to announce the resumption of flights. After that, I’ll find a flight, get a COVID-19 test, and be on my way. Until then, not a lot going on.

The Daily Telegraph - China Response

I thought this was a really well-written response to the typical rhetoric that China typically puts out:

The Daily Telegraph

"Foreign Trash"

Aww I feel super welcome in China after reading these :)

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

(有志者事竟成)

Having just finished three weeks of traveling in Southeast Asia due to the extended Spring Festival holiday, I was eager to return to Beijing to get back into my routine, despite the ongoing fight against COVID-19. My first priority was getting back to the gym.

After unpacking, a quick lunch and a shower, I put on my gym clothes, strapped on my Nikes, and scootered through the quiet streets of Beijing. Upon arriving at my gym, I noticed that the lights were off, and a lock was placed over the double doors. With a heavy heart, I approached and saw a sign that read: “According to the regulations of the relevant departments of Beijing Municipality, to prevent and control the epidemic, all sports business units and public fitness venues are closed.”

Frustrated but eager to find a way to workout, I went home and called multiple gyms around the city. “Sorry, we’re waiting for the notice to re-open” was the common response. So, like many people around China dealing with the epidemic, I did some workouts at home. Pushups, situps, jumping jacks (which I’m sure my downstairs neighbor didn’t appreciate) and stretches. But I knew this wouldn’t suffice over an extended period of time. I needed a better solution. 

Living in the hutongs, my mind immediately thought about the brightly colored (usually blue and yellow) public workout equipment strewn across the city. I visited two before I finally found the holy grail of public workout equipment at Qingnianhu Park, just above the second-ring road.

Greeting the baoan at the gate with a smile under my N95 mask, I asked if there was a fitness area here. He said yes, and I asked if it was sufficient. He shrugged and said, “well, it’s not small.” I had to see for myself. He took my temperature, gave me a thumbs up for wearing shorts, and I made my way into the park. After crossing a bridge and nodding at a number of masked Chinese running past me, I finally saw the brightly colored equipment. Parallel bars, ab machines, pullup bars, monkey bars, a tricep dip machine, I couldn’t believe my eyes. This was the greatest outdoor fitness area I had ever seen.

For the past few days, each morning, I’ve gone to the park to workout and what early morning workout isn’t complete without elderly ladies stretching and gossiping with each other. Although we haven’t made it to a first-name basis, they’ve been kind enough to keep an eye on my jacket while I run around the lake and compliment me on my ability to brave the weather in shorts. I spoke with one of the ladies at the park, and she said: “Even though I’m 55, I’m not nervous about the virus. I come here every day to stretch, walk, and talk with my friends.” When asked what she is doing to keep busy, she said: “I cook at home every day! I like to make new dishes.”

I’ve always admired the tenacity and dedication Chinese people have to staying fit. Whether it’s the old ladies dancing together in public squares, or young Chinese going for a run on the streets, people in China are finding positive ways to deal with the current situation. Even despite the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the park I went to had numerous people running, stretching, working out, or simply taking a walk to enjoy the cold, but beautiful morning.

The ongoing epidemic might have impacted restaurants, local businesses, and offices. However, Chinese people’s optimism still remains, both in the hope of winning the fight against the coronavirus and in continuing to live normal lives despite the changes in the capital. I also spoke with a mother who was exercising with her son, and she said: “It’s safer to stay at home, but it’s important to get out of the house and have some fun.” The boy, who told me his English name was Kevin, said: “I like parks. But now we just need to wear masks to come here.”

Despite the virus, the cold, or the recent snow in the capital, Chinese are still determined to stay fit and stay positive, and its thanks not only to the baoan for doing temperature & mask checks at the gate, but also the government for keeping the parks open. They offer respite from the many hours spent at home and a way for people to stay healthy, even if you have to share a machine with an elderly lady in a puffy down jacket.

6 Weeks of Quarantine

It’s officially been 6 weeks since I landed back in Beijing. Since then, I’ve been working from home and adhering to the city’s mandatory self-quarantine measures. Here’s what it’s been like:

• Some days are good and some are bad. Some days I’ll feel full of anxiety and let the existential dread creep in, wondering how I’m going to make it another hour. Other days, the sun is shining, I go out for a run, and I can get through the day with no negative thoughts.

• The lack of socializing is difficult. Yes, my friends are still in Beijing, but with most bars closed and restaurants enforcing the “2 people per table” rule, as well as residential areas not letting in non-residents, it can be challenging to find somewhere to meet up.

• I’ve found that some days, I lose all interest in any form of entertainment. There’s only so many movies or tv shows to watch, sometimes I can’t focus enough to read, and other days I have zero appetite to write. Other days, I find myself caught up in a good book or catching up on movies I haven’t seen.

• Not knowing when things are going to end is the hardest part, especially since I’m preparing to leave China forever on May 4th. At this point, I have nowhere to go because due to the epidemic, many countries in SE Asia have stopped visas on arrival or closed the country entirely. I’m optimistic that over the next 6 weeks, things will improve and countries will start to open back up, but at the rate things are going, I’m not sure how long my optimism will last. Regardless, I will still leave China in May.

• My gym, along with all the other gyms in the capital, has also been closed for 2 months now. Which is super annoying because gyms in Shanghai are open but because it’s the capital and serves as a representation for the rest of the country, Beijing is being super cautious about everything. I hope they open soon — there’s only so far I can get with working out at home. I’ve lost 3 kg since arriving back in Beijing on February 8th.

China's Development

Here is an article I wrote about China’s “developing country” status and what it will take for China to become a developed country in the future

Is the West’s ‘Red Scare' About China Valid?

Here’s an article I recently wrote about Red Scare and China

Chinese Banks

Chinese banks are just as bad as U.S. DMVs. They are slow, anal about paperwork, no one is in a good mood, and no matter what you went there to do, there’s about 15 steps that need to be taken to get it done. I can order laundry detergent and donuts to my house in 15 minutes using only an app, but exchanging currency takes well over an hour. Fix the system, China, it’s broken.

Xinhua News Agency Celebration

Tree

I Wrote An Article for International Travel and Study Institute

Taking the Plunge: Studying Abroad in Beijing

Hu Da Restaurant

China's Hutong Renovations: Yay or Nay?

You ever get so busy that you forget to update your blog? Ya, happened to me. I leave for Egypt on July 30, so expect lots of photos of me with my hands in the air surrounded by sand.

Here’s an article I just recently wrote for Expat Guides.

Hutong Sunday

Xinhua Photos

Photographer friend was doing an exhibition about foreigners in Beijing at their place of work, so here I am at Xinhua News Agency

May the Fourth Be With You

Xi’an, China

Xi'an is more than 3,000 years old and was known as Chang'an in ancient times. For 1,000 years, the city was the capital for 13 dynasties, and a total of 73 emperors ruled here. It is one of the oldest cities in China and the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals. Xi'an is also the starting point of the Silk Road.

Xi'an means "Western Peace" and as of 2015, had a population of 8.7 million people.

Fun fact: Xi'an was the first city in China to be introduced to Islam. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty officially allowed the practice of Islam in AD 651. Xi'an has a large Muslim community, the significant majority are from the Hui ethnic minority.