One Jasmine Tea

Christmas in Beijing

2009-01-03T01:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas Turkey - With Plum Sauce?
My first Christmas away from home.

But fear not. Beijing is full of internationals all keen to celebrate the most important date on the Western calendar - we had an utter uproar! Moreover - you'll never believe the extent of enthusiasm with which the local Chinese population celebrates Christmas.

First check out my pics of Christmas day in Beijing then below check out my thoughts on Christmas in China.

At the Raffles Hotel

We spent Christmas Day at the Raffles Hotel, Beijing enjoying the opulent decorations, top-notch service and general festivities. Enjoying our exclusive dining room, we were free to graze the fine foods from late morning well into the afternoon. Free flowing wine for some, champagne for others and followed by coffees - we were soon caught in the excitement of the day's festivities - putting to one side the saddening thoughts of our families on the other side of the world doing the same without us.

I ate more than I had any other day since I've arrived in Beijing - scrumptious!

The festivities continued culminating in a Tepanyaki dinner!

Very Much Up For It

It's interesting really - despite local friends repeatedly informing me that the Chinese 'don't celebrate Christmas' - well let just say you could've fooled me!

The street lights decorated with lights, massive Christmas trees outside every major mall, every shop window adored with tinsel and signs wishing a 'Merry Christmas'.

And these weren't just areas with a predominant international population at all - even when I traveled into the deepest malls in the furthest suburbs of Beijing they'd all be enjoying your favourite Christmas hits! In the restaurants despite absolutely no internationals, the waiters would all be thoroughly proud of their Father Christmas hats.

But this, as we'd probably all expect, has nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. It's commercially driven for sure. I was surprised when one local friend believed the abbreviation of Christmas to X-mas was due to a desire not to blaspheme 'Christ', preferring 'X' instead. And also when another was under the impression the use of 'X' was the secularisation of 'Christ'mas - a deliberate effort to remove the 'Christ' from Christmas, using a X to cross him out! Wow - but it's worth reminding ourselves these are simply misguided and innocent misunderstandings.

Not surprising really given the regulations surrounding organised religion here- for instance, to enter the local Church on Christmas eve required a foreign passport... It was like entering a club with bouncers checking ID. Let's hope they didn't charge for the communion wine! I say regulations - but don't misunderstand me, this is a unique case and, I've not researched it fully.

However, I'd seriously doubt this enthusiasm is purely commercially driven. In the West, Christmas is far, far from simply a ploy by companies to boost sales - we do actually enjoy Christmas too, right? - Of course so. The decorations, the festivities, special foods, drinks, time with family and friends are all a major components of our Christmas experience - alongside on one hand the religious aspects for some and the exchanging of gifts on the other.

In China I have the impression its the same - sure the religious meaning is not known to many, but neither is Christmas in China purely commercial. I've witnessed the locals enjoy all the festivities as much as anyone. On reflection - who wouldn't enjoy a month of Wizzard's 'I Wish it Could Be Christmas Everday'?! It's bloody catchy ;-p

x Merry X-mas Everyone x

Flying Kites in Beijing

2008-12-24T01:30:00.000-08:00

So, what to do on a wintry Sunday afternoon in Beijing?

A few weeks ago a couple of friends and I visited Xizhimen square to fly kites with the locals. Every weekend people turn up to fly kites - how pleasant?!

Check out a couple of pics.
Bit of lame posting... ah well I've written it now.

Instant Noodles on The Great Wall of China

2008-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Chángchéng 长城

The other weekend a group of us from Tsinghua and Peking University took a stroll along The Great Wall of China.

The 6:30 start was well worth the serenity and calm offered by the stunning views and walks of the Great Wall - a warmly-welcomed departure from the fast-paced intensity of the
Beijing life style.

We visited the Simatai section of the wall, one of the most popular among tourists given its proximity to Beijing - including Boris Johnson during the Olympic Games! ...

The walk begins with an ascent to the peak, along which the fortifications run. Having arrived at the peak, you're then free to leisurely stroll along the wall for a few hours, pausing to rest at the occasional turret and take in the views.

Originally constructed to protect the Chinese Empire from attacks from the Xiongnu to the North of Beijing, the Wall serves primarily as a tourist destination - including for the guards! /Check out~ left~/.

/Enjoying some Instant Noodles at the Great Wall of China right ~/

For more information check out - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

Boy's Day - "Honour them with your love"

2008-11-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

Without any introduction or apparent purpose, I stumbled across this billboard by the roadside of Tsinghua campus. Covered with pictures of local male Tsinghua students, it was perplexing to say the least.

But seriously, why? Fortunately, a local friend of mine was on hand to explain all....

/left/ Utter befuddlement. / right/ Unattended with no apparent purpose - a billboard covered with pictures of male students.

Boy's Day

It was the 12th of the 11th and therefore Boy's Day!

Tsinghua, as a predominantly science/ engineering orientated university, has an imbalanced male/ female ratio. Hence, naturally there aren't enough girls for every guy, and so- my local friend later informed me - one day each year is reserved to celebrate those male students who are unable to find a girlfriend.

"Honor them with your love!"

Later that day, I received an email from the University's "Chinese Corner" a weekly gathering of local and international students, providing the opportunity to find language partners. This week however, the Chinese Corner would have the theme of 'Boy's Day'. Here's the message I received:

"Guess which month is the most favorite month among Tsinghua's guys. That's right! November! The festival for Tsinghua only-Tsinghua Boy's day-will be on 12/11. Girls please try your best to do whatever you can to please the guys, make they feel happy and honor them with your love!"

Wow, anyone reckon this would take off in the UK?! Doubt it.

(Check out the stunning weather too! Bright but brisk and at night increasingly cold.)

Funny Signs in China! Pt. 1

2008-11-18T02:38:00.001-08:00

Recently we've had midterms and I've not been blogging. So when I came across these amusing pics I had to share. /I have removed one more 'sensitive' image/

"Happy Hallowmas/ Pumpkin Day"

2008-11-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween. Or as it has been called by some local friends of mine, "Happy Pumpkin Day". Cute.

Halloween provided the students here at Tsinghua yet another opportunity to have fun. Albeit, this time in fancy dress. Initially sceptical, the prospect of imitating the character Joker from the recent blockbuster hit 'Batman: The Dark Knight' was too persuasive to decline. A few Qingdao Beers later, the party was in full swing with everyone living their role. Especially me (just wait for the videos! ;-).

A large group of around 20 or so met in the local halls of residence to warm up before the big night. This provided a great opportunity to stalk and frighten the unsuspecting residents, including the poor ladies at the reception desk! My pencil prop certainly added to the horror. A similar occasion was when I was entering the lift to be greeted with the screams of six shocked Korean girls- most amusing. You could say, it certainly put a 'smile on my face'.

Adequately relieved of any remaining inhibitions, we hit one of Beijing's largest Halloween parties, the Yen Fetish Halloween Party. With a crowd supposedly over one thousand of ghouls, witches and other disturbing creatures composed of the shattered figments of the darkest of imaginations, free drinks on entry, the party was an utter uproar.

Now however, the fun must be suspended - mid-term exams await in just over a week. A good reason to be 'so serious'. Gulp.

My ways/ Flattitudes / and Free Styles: Oh Beijing

2008-10-31T03:05:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about studying here at Tsinghua is the vibrant social life extending across many nationalities. It's thoroughly an international affair.

The picture to the left was taken earlier this week at a friend's birthday meal (Fung, second from left bottom row).

In this picture alone we can find people from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Hong Kong and of course the U.K. And this was just one of two tables.

It's one turbulent cross-cultural extravaganza of my ways/ flattitudes / and free styles. What a bunch of eccentrics, what do they all think they're doing here anyway?! Supposedly "learning Chinese".

It's seriously a real opportunity to learn something new from people from all walks of life. I often enjoy the variety of ways people articulate themselves- how they structure their ideas, what their priorities are, what has shaped their values...

It's only when thrown out of your comfort zone you can begin to realise who you are. When conversing with different cultures, you are compelled to be show self-awareness, self-consciousness previously redundant within your own culture, and to account for who you are and why you are. Or you can just offend people.

Moreover, when venturing into the thick of another culture, as we have in China, having many perspectives, I feel, allows you to make better sense of it all by sharing the experience.

Let me share it with you here :-)

Mail me if you want a definition for my ways/ flattitudes / and free-styles... onejasminetea@live.com

A Matter of Style

2008-10-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

The story of how Harry is getting increasingly frustrated with the Chinese style of teaching.

Rote learning is so 20th century guys, maybe even 19th century come to think of it.

> Coming soon - a much needed rant <

Here's another experience i'd like to...'shARE'. My promotion.

2008-10-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

One of my aims when studying at Tsinghua University, and more generally when visiting China, was to meet and befriend both international and local students. The problem is that it's very easy for an international student to become wrapped up in the international student scene and social networks and before you know it, you've spent most of your time - if not all - with international students. Eating together after classes, playing sport together, sight-seeing together, "studying" together and going out in the evenings together.

It is however not as easy to meet and befriend local students and to do so requires a little initiative, whether this be through language partners, playing sports, teaching English etc.

Let's shARE

One great way to meet local students is, however, to join the University's student societies. It takes a little initiative but can really pay off. A couple of weeks ago, Tsinghua's societies were promoting themselves and I happened to come across an intriguing society named shARE. An acronym for 'Sharing Analysis on Regional Economics', a little heavy I admit.

To be invited to join we were required to submit our CVs and if successful attend an interview! Suddenly I was having unnerving flashbacks from my job hunting process last year. I sent my CV for their review and was invited to an interview which was composed of two rounds; a 1-1 interview with the society president and a group task in which 4 candidates including myself, were required to discuss a subject and address a number of questions and present back.

It was quite interesting because we do not have such a culture generally among U.K. student societies with the exception of some international societies such as AIESEC. After a couple days, I had been informed that I had passed and was invited to attend their first meeting a few days later.

The first meeting introduced the society, it's international structure, ambitions and projects. It descibes itself as follows:

"ShARE is an international, multicultural, non-profit organization for students that strives to better understand the complexities of local socio-economic issues through presentations, conferences and projects"..."ShARE’slong term mission is to generate, share and use knowledge to contribute to regions’ human, social and economic development".

Exciting stuff, although, I'm sure it's not everybody's cup of Jasmine tea. For me however, shARE presents the opportunity to meet and work along side bright and motivated local students at a prestigious Chinese university; to make friends, learn something and even take on responsibilities within the society.

My Promotion!

In December, Tsinghua along with fellow branch Peking University will host shARE's annual World Seminar with over 320 attendees and guest speakers from the IMF, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, and Valeo among others. In 2007 it was hosted in Paris and in 2006, in Dehli. This year the seminar's title is "A Changing World Setting New Rules", the main topics being Finance, Energy, and Innovation (including related Corporate Social Responsibility issues).

Following my recent membership I have now since been appointed the manager of shARE Tsinghua's public relations department, one of only three departments responsible for hosting this big event with my main responsibilities being establishing and developing our relationship with both financial sponsors and guest speakers.

All seems quite intense, but with a team of 8 behind me (all local Tsinghua students) and two months to go, this unexpected role should be an rewarding experience and I'll be sure to keep One Jasmine Tea updated on how things go.

Interested to find out more? - Visit shARE

From The Fragrant Habour to The Forbidden City

2008-10-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, my former "buddy" and friend from Hong Kong visited Beijing for a short mid-term holiday. Pui Pui was designated my "buddy" when I first attended Hong Kong University last year by the university as part of a scheme to connect incoming exchange students with local students.

It's been over a year since we last met and so it was a great pleasure to see her again, albeit relatively briefly. In our time together we visited a number of areas around Beijing and most notably the Forbidden City at the heart of Beijing.

Pictures and video footage when Pui Pui and I manage to transfer them from her memory card (now in HK!).

We also visited Wudaokou (五道口)* a commercial and residential district positioned close to many major universities here in the Haidian district, including Tsinghua. Undoubtedly Wudaokou has been integral to my experience in Beijing, not unlike most other students here at Tsinghua. Its array restaurants, bars and clubs, (including Starbucks ;-) railway station and shops provides a unlimited opportunities to spend time/ procrastinate off-campus and only a short bike ride away. And so it was great to share this major part of our Beijing experience with Pui Pui. Besides a brief trip to Tsinghua campus, time was also - and inevitably - spent in Sanlitun, one of Beijing's major clubbing and bar district.

When I was unable to accompany her, Pui Pui visited a whole range of other famous sites such as the Great Wall and the Summer Palace (featured in a short blog post of mine below) among a number of others.

So impressed, Pui Pui - approaching the end of her undergrad at HKU - is tempted to enroll on a similar Chinese course next year!

* Wudaokou Insight Blog Entry - A Day as a Student in Beijing - Coming Soon!

Check out Wudaokou, Sanlitun,

30/09-3/10/08: My Visit to Inner Mongolia

2008-10-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

COMING SOON: VIDEOS/PICTURES/BLOG POST

This week, China has enjoyed a national holiday celebrating China's National Day, 1st October. After only four days of class, all lessons were suspended and eight of us visited Inner Mongolia as part of an arranged tour.

The First Day

Our tour lasted from Wednesday till Friday, consisting of three days and two nights. The first day we awoke at the ghastly hour of 4:30 to depart form Beijing to Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region under Chinese sovereignty.

During the first night we slept in a Mongolian Yurt, the traditional dwelling of Mongolian nomads made from a wicker frame and animal pelts (ours was a more modern Yurt and did not use animal pelts). Eight of us slept under the stars amid the arid Inner Mongolian grasslands, before awakening the next day at 7:00.

The Second Day

The second day began early with a modest breakfast before we took to the grasslands on horseback.

The Third Day

On the tour's third day we visited Xiangshanwan or "singing sands gorge" located in the Gobi desert for a morning where people enjoyed dune walking, camel riding, dune sledging and jumping down the dunes...

Let's just say a budget trip to Inner Mongolia with a dodgy Chinese tour guide was... interesting to say the least...

More information? : Public Holidays in China, Mongolian Yurt, Camels

28/09/08: Eason Chan Live Concert!

2008-09-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight we went to see Eason Chan live at Beijing's Worker's Stadium. Eason Chan is a leading Hong Kong cantopop star*.

A natural showman and entertainer, Eason's vibrant performance was full of energy. His song's were primarily sung in Cantonese (Eason's mother tongue) but were also accompanied by a number of Mandarin songs and even the occasional English song.

Eason is certainly a talented performer and gave an engaging performance, but from my perspective at least, there were a number of differences from typical UK concerts...

...and I suppose a question worth asking is how does a China manage such large gatherings of people?

<...Return soon to see here soon for video highlights of the concert and more commentary!>

Traditional Name - 陳奕迅
Simplified Name - 陈奕迅
Pinyin - Chén Yìxùn

* 'Cantopop' = Cantonese (southern Chinese dialect) pop music

Check him out! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eason_chan

27/09/08: The Summer Palace / 颐和园

2008-09-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the beautiful Summer Palace [颐和园], a short journey just to the northwest of Tsinghua campus.

We were only there for a couple of hours, but definitely had an extremely pleasant trip!

Return soon for pictures of our trip and more description!

Check it out! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace

Diary Entry 23/9/08: First Day of Class

2008-09-23T02:58:00.000-07:00

So finally we begin classes! Following a grueling placement test that took place last Friday at 8:30 am, I've been suitably allocated to an upper beginner/ lower intermediate class. The classes contain around 16 people from a variety of countries; mainly Japanese, South Korean, American, Australian and a few Europeans. I'm the only English person. All the classes are conducted entirely in Chinese, with "ok" being the only English ever spoken - quite intimidating right? Not to mention most classes begin at 8:30 too! We have four hours a day, followed by homework and optional private tuition. Over the next few days we will finalise our class schedules, buy books etc. It seems Tsinghua will be very much a work hard/ play hard culture. However, unexpectedly, given an upcoming Chinese holiday, we will have next week off! Students are currently making arrangements for trips away - and over the next couple of days I will too. In other news, I bought a dinner card for which I was miffed to find that I'll be charged 15% of the value I'll ever load it... "admin costs" apparently. Despite the initial purchases cost of the card and the deposit! One thing I've learned here is to beware hidden charges... they're everywhere!

So Far... So Good?

2008-09-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

Almost two weeks in and no blog posts? This doesn't make sense! Could it be that my "elementary" Chinese was insufficient to arrange an internet connection with the IT office? Or even so elementary that I was unable to arrange a taxi from Beijing Airport! - and for two weeks I've been stranded, literally living out of a suitcase? But wait- I had a phrase book. So, you may then wonder, could it be that One Jasmine Tea has already been censored for politically sensitive content? Or just plainly censored... for bad content. So unimpressed by my recent bland content they thought it was in the greater good that I be prevented from uploading anymore! More likely than the first explanation, I admit, but fortunately not! ...Yet, at least.

So Far...

In truth, these few days have gone like tickets to the Olympic closing ceremony - quickly! Things have been eventful and only now, on a quiet Sunday morning do I find time to relax and reflect on my time so far. What is clear to me is that such an experience is not simple. Different country, different city, different university, different culture and different people from such a variety of backgrounds means that the detail of daily life is varied and unpredictable. Everyday presents opportunities and challenges.

Some things you enjoy; the intense socializing typical of freshers that brings together students from so many nationalities, backgrounds, mindsets that connects you with local students eager to meet international students. The excitement of exploring a new city, especially one as large and historic as Beijing. It's culture, cuisine, people, nightlife and history all serve to fascinate. The daily bike rides around a campus as beautiful as Tsinghua and the thrill of navigating through the perils of Beijing traffic.

Others present challenges. The uncertainty and volatility of daily life. The frustration of not knowing fluent Chinese and thus the inability to engage fluently with local friends. The restricted access to hot showers! The difficulties of reading a menu and ordering food. And again the perils of Beijing traffic!

More detailed accounts of my experiences including visits to the Olympic venues, historical sites and general daily life to come!

So Good?

To describe my time bluntly as either good or bad or some crude combination of the two would not do justice to the variety, range and volatility of experience I've had so far. Things are unpredictable, so some things you enjoy where others provide a greater challenge and often require time. Uncertainty is exciting, but surely unsettling. This week I begin class and with it I will obtain a routine and a structure around which I'll come to forge a lifestyle, establish a degree of predictability and come to understand my life here for the next half a year.

Whether good or bad, things will certainly be interesting and I'm already excited. I'll keep the site updated with more written blogs and I'm working on uploading some videos- hope to see you here again soon.

Wishes from Beijing and 再见,
Harry

Tsinghua University

2008-08-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

This semester I will be studying intensive mandarin Chinese at Tsinhua University [清华大学] ] in Beijing, China (right). Term begins mid-September and will finish towards the end of January '09.

Campus
I will be staying on campus in a hall of residence intended for international students.

The campus was established in 1911 on the site of a former Qing Dynasty royal garden, some elements which remain include traditional Chinese-style landscaped gardens and some traditional buildings. Tsinghua is famous throughout China for having one of the most beautiful campuses in China.

It is situated to the northwest of Beijing's city centre in the Haidian district. The Haidian district is also known to many as Beijing's "student district" given it was designated for Beijing's universities and academic institutions. Haidian is Beijing's second largest district with a population of a 2.2 million, mainly college students.

Reputation
Tsinghua is nationally and internationally ranked the top university in China and is reputed for its prestigious guest speakers hosted over the years such as Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Henry Kissinger among many others. Former alumni include China's current President, Hu Jintao.

Chinese Language Course
My course will be intensive mandarin and will be taught through four hours of tuition each weekday followed by examination in January. The programme also offers its students the opportunity to take elective courses relating to Chinese culture and tradition ranging from the martial art Tai Chi and traditional calligraphy. I am certainly interested to check out what is on offer - the thought of me playing the Er Hu an ancient Chinese two-string fiddle is intriguing to say the least! Watch this space!

For more information about Tsinghua University visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsinghua_University

For more information about the Er Hu visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhu !
[Thanks to Wikipedia for their image and information.]

Chinese Student Societies Video Series

2008-08-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

OJT will launch a series of short weekly video documentaries exploring a selection of Tsinghua University's student societies from the perspective of an exchange student. A rare opportunity to gain an insight into the lifestyle and mindset of students from the highest ranked university in China. Exploring societies ranging from the intriguing 'Anti-Cult Association', from Table Tennis to Entrepreneurship, Marxism to Dancing, 'Speech and Eloquence' to 'Social Interaction Development', this amateur series aims to be both entertaining and thought-provoking. Not to be missed!

Yet Another Blog Is Born...

2008-08-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

Welcome to One Jasmine Tea!

My name is Harry and here I will share my experiences whilst stuyding as a student in China's capital city, Beijing. Presented creatively using a combination of written blogs, video pieces, picture galleries and slideshows, this blog will seek excitement, address concerns and uncover revelations - and all presented here in a concise, disciplined manner for your interest and amusement. That's the aim. There'll also be lots of Jasmine Tea.

Remember to subscribe, keep in touch and enjoy!