Xi’an-igans

A couple of weekends ago, I took a little break to visit one of China’s most popular tourist spots – Xi’an in Shaanxi Province – with some of the great people I made friends with during the Beijing training camp. For anyone not familiar with the name, Xi’an is home to the world famous Terracotta Army and is well known for its history and melting pot of cultures. After some classic Chinese disorganisation concerning exam dates for some of my classes, I was lucky enough to blag a couple of days off from work to spend a long weekend there and discover the amazing food and culture.

Here's a run down of some of the best bits (*Note: very photo heavy post):

Motorbike Taxi

I’d arrived a day earlier than both Daisy and Charlotte, meaning I was relied upon to figure out the way from the airport to the hostel and relay this information to the girls. The directions given by the hostel seemed pretty straight forward so I’d anticipated it wouldn’t take more than just over an hour. But I got pretty lost - so much so that when I arrived in Xi’an it was daytime but by the time I arrived at the hostel, it was dark. After getting dropped off from the airport shuttle bus in some unknown location, I ended up hopping on the back of a motorbike taxi (who knew they were even a thing??), precariously hanging on as my driver darted around the city. The ride was freezing, but it was a pretty funny and memorable way to begin my Xi'an adventure.

Muslim Quarter and Food

I think hanging out in the Muslim Quarter was probably one of my favourite things about Xi'an. Never a dull minute, the streets are lined with food stalls and small restaurants. It's busy pretty much all day, but I recommend a visit at night when it's all lit up and stalls play funky music, shouting over microphones to attract customers. I don't think there is any other way to describe the street food in the Muslim Quarter as anything but amazing. Needless to say, I ate very well during my weekend in Xi'an and could have quite easily haemorrhaged all my money there.

One of my favourite things I had was meat on a stick. It's probably not the most sophisticated sounding delicacy, but there's really no other way to describe it. Chunks of lamb meat are skewered onto sticks that look like tree branches, covered in tasty spices like chilli and cumin and roasted over a charcoal flame right in front of you. And at 10 yuan a stick (£1), they're an absolute steal! 

I was also adamant not to leave Xi'an without having sampled a Chinese meat burger (roujiamo), a delicacy particularly popular in Shaanxi Province. We went to the Muslim Quarter one last time to grab some lunch before Daisy and I were due to head to the airport to go home. One thing I've learnt about buying street food in any country is that you should always buy from stalls with queues because it means the food is clearly the best in the street. We queued for a little while to get our hands on a burger. It was totally worth the wait and the perfect pre-flight meal but admittedly, the wait almost made Daisy late for her flight (oops).  

There's no way I could write this post without including the above picture of us posing with some steamed glutinous rice desserts called Jing Gao. Keen to try pretty much anything and everything on the food street, we satisfied our sweet cravings with these colourful, jam covered rice desserts on sticks. We'd kindly asked the lady on the stall to take a photo of us holding them and she seemed absolutely over the moon with her efforts, handing back my phone with the a massive grin on her face. It's always a bit awkward when you ask a stranger to take photos for you and they stick their thumb over a good portion of the picture... Still a cracking photo though, I think.

Terracotta Warriors

Of course, no trip to Xi'an would be complete without going to see the Terracotta Warriors. I'm so glad that I've been able to tick this off my China bucket list. It was a bit touch and go actually getting to the museum. It's located about an hour long bus drive outside of the city centre but we got a little lost trying to find the right bus station. Eventually we were shepherded onto a bus by ushers who just repeatedly shouted "Terracotta! Terracotta!" at us, clearly seeing from our confused touristy faces that we must be heading that way.

Upon the advice of my friend Andrew, we visited each of the excavated pits in reverse order (from Pit 3 to 1) because this was supposedly the best way to build up the impressiveness of the main site. It was a great piece of advice. Pit 2 is possibly the most visually underwhelming, mainly for the fact that you can't actually see many of the warriors. But thanks to Daisy who was full of fun facts about the warriors, she explained that excavation is still continuing. Many of the warriors are yet to be uncovered as museum owners and archaeologists wait for technology to catch up in order to keep the artefacts as well preserved as possible.

I can't really understate how amazing it is to see the Terracotta Army up close. The sheer size of the pits with all the life size warriors lined up, all uniquely posed in combat positions - it's all massively impressive when you consider that this was created to protect the first emperor of China in the afterlife. All in all, a visit to the Terracotta Warriors is an absolute must if you're in Xi'an.

(And just for funsies, I really like this photo Daisy took of Charlotte and I at the Terracotta Warrior Museum)

Shadow Play at Gao's Grand Courtyard

We had plans to stop by the hot springs area of Huaqing on the way back from the Terracotta Warriors, but after accidentally missing our bus stop, we ended up back in the city centre having to think on our feet about what to do with our evening. Whilst researching things to do in Xi'an, I did come across a suggestion to go and see a shadow play so we headed back to our beloved Muslim Quarter to hunt down Gao's Grand Courtyard. We took a hilarious ride in a rickety tin rickshaw taxi and headed straight into the hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter lit up at night.

Gao's Grand Courtyard is easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but again, thanks to Daisy's keen eye, we managed to track it down. Tickets cost about 25RMB for entry and the chance to see a shadow play. For an extra 5RMB, you're also entitled to a short tea ceremony inside the courtyard. Having first disregarding the tea experience as probably a bit of a rip-off experience tacked onto a higher ticket price, I'm was pleasantly surprised by it and actually really glad we paid a little extra.

The courtyard is quite charming. It was well into the evening when we arrived so the whole place had a slightly eerie vibe. You can explore the rooms of a wealthy family. The nice thing about the whole place was the complete contrast the Courtyard had to the buzz of the Muslim Quarter just outside. You can explore each room at your leisure away from crowds of tourists.

The shadow play was a pretty cool experience. Although we didn't really understand what was happening in the storyline, it was still really enjoyable to watch - even if we were laughing when the rest of the room were laughing too.

After the shadow play, we went for our short tea ceremony experience. We were given a sample of a variety of tea; Jasmine, Ginseng and 'Concubine' tea. Our host took the time to explain the differences in taste and was all round, a lovely lady to serve us some teaEach were incredibly tasty and it took a lot for me not to want to buy a pot of leaves for myself at the end. In any case, it was well worth the extra 5RMB I'd say.


City Wall Cycling

I really have to give credit to my friend Andrew for giving us some cracking advice for our trip to Xi'an. When I'd asked him a few days earlier about the must-see and do things for my trip, he told me, "1,000,000,000% - cycle around the city walls".

Naturally, this suggestion made me feel a little nervous. As my family, ex-work colleagues and close friends know, my bike riding abilities are pretty questionable and, although it's not something I'm always keen to admit, I couldn't really ride a bike until just before I came out to China. Even now, I'm pretty shocking on a bike. I'm certainly not a road safe cyclist. But I am incredibly chuffed that despite my lack of confidence in my cycling abilities, we went for a cycle around the city walls on my last day in Xi'an because it turned out to be really great fun. And, cheesy as it sounds, a really liberating experience for me.

(A shaky start from Daisy and I)

(But I did it!)

Thanks to some very supportive and motherly encouragement from Charlotte, cycling around the city walls was made a lot easier and it turned out to be a really nice chilled out way to spend my last morning in Xi'an. The weather could have been a bit nicer, but it was still a nice ride and a good way to see a little more of the city beyond the main tourist attractions. I totally recommend it as a must-do because if even novice cyclists like me can do it and enjoy it, everyone can! 

I can't end this post without saying a little thank you to the lovely ladies who joined me on this weekend getaway. I had a hilarious time catching up with both Charlotte and Daisy - silly touristy photos and all!

So here's to you superest supers! Thanks for making Xi'an one of my China highlights so far.

Until next time!

Fighting FOMO

Without a doubt, one of the things I struggle with whilst I'm here on the other side of the world is that FOMO feeling. For those of you not in the know, FOMO stands for 'Fear Of Missing Out', and it was one of my biggest fears before actually boarding the plane to China.

From time to time, I wonder about what I'd be doing back home if I wasn't here in Tianjin. Things were going pretty well for me before I left. I was doing a job I felt I was really getting good at and more importantly, it was a job that I actually enjoyed! I was spending a lot of time with my friends and family (mostly due to the many leaving parties I threw) and exploring London more and more each week (there's just always something good happening!). Generally, I was really content with my life and where it was all going and although I'd been wanting to experience China for quite some time, it was still a big thing to just get up and leave everything back in the UK.

Now don't get me wrong, I actually enjoy life here in China. I feel very settled and comfortable in Tianjin already and I'm really looking forward to exploring more of this massive country. But, when certain events happen back home, I can't help but really feel a pang of FOMO hit me right in the chest.

Bonfire Night did this to me recently. It's one of my favourite nights of the year because I absolutely love fireworks! I head to the Battersea Park fireworks display almost every year. I love waiting to see what theme they'll go with for the display. I love the smell of smoke that lingers in the air when everyone heads home. Fireworks just make me inexplicably happy, so it's been a bit sad for me to think about how that's all going on whilst I'm in a completely different time zone.

The only consolation I had was being able to teach my students about the Bonfire Night back story. I'm particularly proud of the lesson I ran last week. I loved being able to introduce complex new words like conspiracy, and telling them about some of the more gruesome aspects of the gunpowder plot. It was great to see their reactions to the brutal punishment of being hung, drawn and quartered. It's things like being able to talk about traditions I love from back home, like Bonfire Night, and getting my students really engaged that pulls me back from that FOMO feeling.

FOMO had no plans to just leave things there though. My daily scroll through social media decided to throw the annual John Lewis Christmas advert my way, reminding me that Christmas is around the corner and that this will be the first time ever I've spent it away from my family.

(The cover of  Oasis' 'Half the World Away' never felt more apt)

I keep in touch with my family relatively regularly. It doesn't fuss me so much any more when my siblings meet for dinners and outings without me. I'm not too bothered at the thought of my Dad's amazing cooking at big family gatherings any more either because there's a wealth of amazing food to be had in Tianjin. But one of the things that gets me is that there is pretty much no such thing as celebrating Christmas here in China. In fact, the kids are still at school on Christmas day. Maybe I could ward off FOMO if there was some kind of Christmas tradition I could join in oni, but the complete lack of it will certainly make things feel strange for me come the end of December.

I don't want to dwell on it though. One thing I have to remind myself is that FOMO is only temporary and that it will only make you feel bad if you let it get to you. Likewise, I think the only other way to get over it is to play dirty - fight FOMO with FOMO. I have every intention of doing this in the next few weeks as I'm heading for some weekend trips to Xi'an and Qingdao. Hopefully nothing goes wrong and I'll have a great time exploring more of China. I'll be sure to do an update on my travels, and who knows, maybe next time you'll feel FOMO on your next read?

Until then!

Laowai label

In the Chinese language, to refer to a foreigner Chinese people use the term ‘laowai’(老外). This was a term I became quickly familiar with upon arriving in Tianjin. Merely walking around Tianjin with my fellow foreign teacher friends, it was the most noticeable words we picked up on as we passed through crowds of Chinese locals.

According to the definition given by my trusty Pleco app (which has so far saved me in many translation situations), ‘laowai’ refers to a foreigner, especially a non-Asian person. This is perhaps where one of my main struggles in China begins. By definition, I am most certainly a foreigner but, also being Asian means I blur the lines of what a ‘laowai’ traditionally refers to. The conflict between this clash of identities was something I tried to mentally prepare for before coming to China, but the reality of how to deal with it has been different.

Before even boarding my plane to China, I had my first experience of someone assuming I spoke Mandarin because I look Asian. It was the first of many times I would encounter this awkward situation. I continually bewilder Tianjin locals by my inability to communicate in a way that is expected of me because of the way I look. I have to admit, it is both amusing and frustrating.

Take for example my first few lessons of teaching when I introduced myself for the first time. I walked into classroom and was met with rows of confused faces. The majority of my students’ jaws hit the ground when I began speaking in fluent English with a British accent. I often had to pre-empt their questions – “I’m confusing, right? ...Because I look Chinese, but speak fluent English? … Well, yes, my parents are Chinese … but no, I do not speak Mandarin”. Some students had outright told me that I was not what they were expecting from their new foreign language teacher. In fact, they were expecting a blonde (sorry to disappoint, kids!). Situations like this were amusing to me, but then there’s the other side of the coin.

Growing up in multi-cultural society like London, the fact that I look Chinese has never really been something that has been a defining feature for me. But the concept of someone who looks Chinese/ Asian but cannot speak the language is not something that is easy to grasp for Chinese people.

Of course, this presents a major challenge for me here. Locals will insist on speaking to me (or rather at me) in Chinese, despite the fact that I have told them in broken Mandarin that I come from England and that I can only speak English. When I visit places with my western looking friends, locals beeline for me to play translator and unfortunately are met with my awkward laugh as I’m left with no choice but to apologetically shrug and run away.

It has been a struggle and a challenge that I found particularly difficult to deal with when I first arrived. I had to use hand gestures to get across my meaning but luckily, I have also discovered that I know far more Cantonese (the dialect my family speak in but is of no use to me here in Northern China) than I gave myself credit for. I should think I’ll be pretty great at charades when I return to the UK and/ or hopefully will have picked up Mandarin well enough for conversation.

I suppose the good thing about being forced into situations where I must (attempt to) communicate in Chinese because it is what is expected from my appearance is that I have stronger motivation to pick up Mandarin as quickly as possible. The few Chinese lessons I took as a teenager have already proved a good enough basis for me to identify what meat is included in a meal when reading a restaurant menu. Things can only get better from here.

I imagine this constant internal conflict I deal with, being both a ‘laowai’ but non-western looking girl, will be a common theme discussed in this blog. It makes me wonder how others feel when dealing with the same kind of problem. Any Britsh Born Chinese people or (BBC)s out there feel my pain? 

Anyway, I doubt the clash of identities I feel will actually go away whilst I'm here but in any case, the struggle I felt when I first got here has eased up a little. Now that I'm actually taking a few Mandarin classes, I feel more positive about being able to overcome the issue of the laowai label. It just goes to show, language really is the cornerstone of culture and can be the make or break factor as to whether you can integrate into a new one.