Author Archives: ruthek

Back to the Chinese consulate and other ways I’ve been spending my time

Posted on by
Reply

Third time's the charm, I guess. I got to the consulate about 9:40 am, all my documents in hand, walked down the half block of fencing to control the non-existent crowds, passed the bag inspection, showed my passport, took my number, which was called in 5 minutes, presented everything to a different officer who didn't smile, but didn't scowl either, but who made lots of marks on the papers then disappeared for a few minutes, came back, made more marks, then handed me a receipt and told me to return on Tuesday. I was out of the building before 10, walked past the still empty fencing, J-walked across 42nd St. to the bus stop and watched Falun Gong as I waited. They are across the street from the consulate protesting every day. I found another blog about jumping through hoops for a Chinese visa. Interesting story.

I had a lot of time to kill before my afternoon date so I sat in Bryant Park and read the free Daily News that was handed to me when I entered the subway, then went to the library and looked at a show of contemporary photos about the city. After that down to Chinatown.

Lunch was in an amazing place where you get a choice of 5 items from a huge buffet for $4.50. I don't like eating alone in restaurants; this makes it easier because I don't have to wait around to be served, to say nothing of appreciating the price. This is the season for lichee, longans and rambutans, amongst other exotics. I wandered around looking, smelling (not always pleasantly), and appreciating all the food for sale. If I could live anywhere I wanted, it would be in Chinatown.

I was meeting Shirley Sun at 2 at the Confucius statue, but they've fenced off the statue and taken away the benches. With 40 minutes before my date I was getting tired and wanted a place to sit. I found a "bakery" with a few seats and rented one for $1.50 for an iced coffee. I was determined to sit for at least 20 minutes, but even with an interesting view out the window it was hard for me to stay there. Finally it was time to go find Shirley. It's been a year since I've seen her. She's still working with bus advertising, but now she's designing the ads and posters, instead of selling. I think she's having a very hard time here and is planning to return to China. When I first met her she said she loved it here because the sky was blue. So I asked here if she will miss the blue sky. She said it was too high. 

Visas and other irritations for China

Posted on by
6

This morning I went to the Chinese consulate, located at 42nd St. and 12th Avenue, right at the West Side highway. It's a funny place for a consulate, most of them look for more prestigious addresses. They are prepared for an onslaught of hundreds of people, but, in fact only about 25 were there at any one time. I thought I had all my documents in hand, but the officer insisted I had to have an internet confirmation from my hotel. (I don't have a hotel, just the CCS apartment address, which was on my application.) So I left, fortunately not having had to wait too long, walked one long block to Starbucks and started making phone calls.

Cross Cultural Solutions told me they would fax a letter to the consulate; I could go back there and this would work. It didn't. I was told, in no uncertain terms, I had to carry the paper in to them. I gave up, came back to the apartment, printed out the letter from an email they sent me, and couldn't bring myself to go back. I'll try again tomorrow. I haven't been so annoyed in a long time, although I suspect dealing with our consulates could be even more frustrating.

I've been doing a lot of reading about China. Had I done all this reading before I committed to going I suspect I might have chosen some other place to go. Some of it is a little scary.

Ronni Bennett had a post
about her blog being blocked in China. Someone commented it wasn't only her post, it was all of Typepad. Subsequently, I found out most blogging hosts, and Flickr, from outside of China are blocked. It's possible I won't be able to
post from there. If that is the case, I'll work out something
with Robin or Carol, assuming I'll still have email. I will want more than ever to be able to keep in
touch.

Philadelphia

Posted on by
2

We came here so my family could go to the Philadelphia Folk Festival. I opted out, not because I don't like folk music, I do, but I don't like sitting in the hot sun and getting more mosquito bites–I already have two biggies. We are staying in King of Prussia–near the folk festival–not near the city–but Robin, who is very thoughtful, made sure there was a bus nearby.

The bus was wonderful. There were only three of us on it. The driver announced that the highway was all tied up and he would take back roads to the city if no one objected. It was a beautiful ride through heavily wooded land alongside small streams. Parts of Pennsylvania are really lovely.

The bus took me to Center City, near City Hall, a huge, wedding cakey sort of building topped with a statue of William Penn. From there, I waited and took another bus to the art museum. I would have liked to walk, it's not far, but there was too much sunshine, not enough shade.

The museum, which bills itself as one of the country's largest, now has two buildings, with shuttle service between. I began at the main building, got all the necessary info about exhibits, and went to the new one, where I had lunch and looked at all the exhibits–I felt like they had arranged them just for me. Quilt Stories, a collection of quilts by African Americans, was flanked by a beautiful collection of prints by Ansel Adams and fashions by Kansai Yamamoto, one of the biggies of Japanese fashion. Very far out stuff, some of which I loved.

Far and away the most intriguing exhibit was the jewelry by Alexander Calder. Such interesting stuff–I was tempted to buy a catalog but decided it was too heavy to carry. (Stacie, you would be interested.) After shuttling back to the main building I looked at a lot of Asian art. By the time I got to the last exhibit I wanted to see, four hours later, I was pretty much wiped out and couldn't really enjoy it. I was hoping to have coffee and a snack, which might have refreshed me, but the cafe was too crowded. So after a quick walk through the Nadalal Bose show, I went out looking for the bus–another long wait.

My next destination was Jim's Steaks on South Street for an authentic cheese steak. I eat very little meat, but those sandwiches really sing to me. I think it's because they remind me of the Italian Beef sandwiches I used to love in Chicago. The meat is the same. No cheese or grilled onions in Chicago, only sweet or hot peppers with the meat. No hot peppers in Philly, but I rarely got them, anyhow.

The bus dropped me at Broad (14th St.) and South and I faced the unhappy prospect of walking down to Fourth–too tired for this, but I began walking. At Eleventh St. I found something amazing: the Magic Garden, one of those incredible, compulsive constructions I love. Just looking at the outside revitalized me. I went in, looked around, took lots of photos (to follow when I get home), had a lovely time. You can see someone else's photos here.

I had to stand in line when I finally got to Jim's. I almost never do that, and I spent most of the time in line questioning my sanity. But the sandwich was very satisfying. After that two more buses to take me to the bus back to the hotel. Four hours in the museum; three hours waiting around.

The adventure begins

Posted on by
2

That's what Sonsee said yesterday as I left my apartment. My tenants are installed and I have moved to Robin and Steve's guest room. I was so wiped out yesterday afternoon I slept for at least two hours; not like me at all. I guess I've been under more of a strain than I thought. I've started to rearrange the stuff I brought with me. I was amazed to find I actually seemed to have packed the correct amount of underwear. After I showered this morning I had a moment of panic until I found everything.

My granddog, Darcy, has taken me over. She slept with me all night, fortunately quietly, and hasn't let me out of her sight. She knows it's unusual that I stay here, but I'm not sure what she's thinking. Of course, we are all going away tomorrow and she'll be left with a dog sitter, so I guess that will reinforce her anxieties.

Tomorrow morning we are all driving to Philadelphia, or actually King of Prussia. The kids are going to the Philadelphia Folk Festival and I'll be taking a bus into Philly to spend the day at the art museum and perhaps take a small break for a real Philadelphia Cheese Steak.

On Monday we continue on to New York. I'll stay with Renee for ten days; the kids will do other things. My first task will be a visit to the Chinese consulate to get my visa. I still have to arrange a hotel room in Shanghai and a flight from Shanghai to Xian, but I have some good referrals. I can't believe this has all come to pass.

Movin’ and cruisin’

Posted on by
Reply

I made the deal to sublet my apartment. My tenants will move in on Thursday, so I really have only one day to finish moving out. It shouldn't be a problem, I've been organizing everything for such a long time. I have only my summer clothes, day to day toiletries and this computer to take care of.

Needing a break from all this organizing on Saturday I went on a cruise of the Monongahela River. The cruise was called Lords of the Mon and was guided by people from Rivers of Steel. It seems that at one time there was 37 miles of steel mills along the Mon. I think our cruise went only about 10 miles; we saw only the Edgar Thompson works, the only mill left in Pittsburgh. Most interesting are the bridges. I think we went under eight of them. I loved the echo of the guide talking as we went under the bridges. Here are my bridge pictures. More about the sublet later.
Library - 5675
Smithfield Street Bridge

Library - 5694

Hot Metal Bridge–molten steel crossed to the other side of the river to be finished.
Library - 5696

Library - 5699

Library - 5716

Rankin Bridge–wrapped for badly needed repairs
Library - 5766

Another bridge that needs help.

Too many clothes

Posted on by
2

It's not that I love clothes so much. In fact, I stopped loving them when the scale crept jumped beyond 145 pounds. Getting the apartment ready for the sublet has forced me to look at everything: the shirts that drifted to the bottom of the drawer because I was a few pounds heavier the last time I wore them and I didn't like that so I never tried them again; the stuff I loved but actually outgrew; the fancier stuff I wore once then forgot about and thought I had to buy another closet outfit for that next rare occasion; the stuff I got bored with because it's 20 years old and won't wear out.

I'm really shocked at how much stuff I have. And I always buy the same thing; I'm certainly not a fashionista. I don't want to count how many brown and black slacks I have. Shirts? I have red, white, black, purple and a few blue. They all look alike and I keep buying more of the same. I wanted to get more beige, but that's not this year's color. I never buy green. I had olive skin when I was younger and it made me look even greener. My skin color has faded along with my hair, but I still don't want to wear green.

I have sorted the stuff into plastic bags: stuff for Goodwill; weight-related stuff (how's that for political correctness) that I might be able to wear when I return from Asia–I lost weight on the last trip, maybe I will lose even more; stuff I may want to wear in the next six months–that's the toughest category and really includes what I want to pack for trips and what else I might want. I find it very hard to select winter clothes when it's 80 degrees out. Today is cooler; maybe I'll get it all done. And NO MORE SHOPPING.

I don’t want to forget

Posted on by
2

Sixty three years ago today we dropped the first atomic bomb. It is an anniversary commemorated each year in Hiroshima, but never here in the United States. We have never been able to acknowledge how much destruction we have brought into the world. We continue to believe we are on the side of the angels, and the world grows more dangerous every day. Keep in mind, our government thinks we need more nukes. Read about the ceremony in Japan here. The Teheran Times published the complete 2008 Peace Declaration.

Getting ready

Posted on by
1

In one week the two women who want to sublet my apartment will be here. I've been busy emptying drawers and closets, making decisions about what I will need for the next four months–a New York trip, Chicago trip, China and Japan, summer, fall and winter, and what I just don't want to leave around. I have a storage room in the basement where some of the stuff is going, but I'm putting most of it in my second bedroom and putting a lock on the door. It's not as bad as moving but requires a lot more planning.

The success of this project requires lots of help from people around me. My daughter and son-in-law had to agree to take some of my stuff and to let me stay with them in between trips. My upstairs neighbor has agreed to keep an eye on my mail. I'll be out of the apartment too long to have the post office hold it and having it sent to Robin's looks like it could be a big mistake. My landlord is helping me and cooperating fully. He has always been wonderful, one of the joys of living in this apartment. I'm very grateful to this community of mine who are helping make the trip possible.

Questions about China

Posted on by
4

I’ve been spending a lot of time reading China Wakes by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. It’s an easy read–lots of stories about how they got the job done as New York Times correspondents and stories about how people are living in China. All of those stories are used to illustrate the point that all is not well in China. Interspersed with the stories is speculation about the end of the Communist Party, because of corruption, peasant uprisings, various other disasters. The book was written around the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre, certainly reason to think about these kinds of things. But it hasn’t happened yet, and the Party is probably as strong as ever. To give Kristof credit, he says it could take a very long time.

It’s a scary book to read. He makes the point, and I know this from my study of Chinese history, that sometimes dynasties have fallen because of natural disasters, such as that earthquake. He was actually talking about a previous earthquake. The book was published in 1994. My inner voice of gloom is speculating about what might happen if the Olympics are not a huge success. I was left with lots of questions about China’s stability, and also about Kristof.

In his most recent column about China he is much more optimistic and tempers his criticism in ways he did not do in the book. Have things improved, or is Kristof older and wiser?

My biggest question is why the book is on the reading list I got from CCS. If their concern is that we might all be starry-eyed idealists then a better and more recent book with more narrative and less prognostication is Confessions: An Innocent Life in Communist China by Kang Zhengguo. His terrifying picture of life in Communist China comes from his own experiences and reads less like propaganda, although I had to wonder about his naivete. So I am not going to China because I think I will change anything. I am going because I had a Chinese pen pal, Laura, when I was 13 or 14, who had to stop writing because of the Communist take-over. I am going because my interest in Japan constantly leads back to China. And more than anything, I am going, as I used to tell my mother, because it is there.