Was it a green Olympics?

Check out this story I did for GroundReport.com.

Bye bye Beijing

By the time you read this, I am probably on my way back to the U.S. I've had an incredible time here and am a little sad to leave. I've seriously considered living here long term and I think this trip has solidified my decision.

Beijing is like a prepubesent kid who is growing faster than his body can handle. So many things have changed in Beijing that locals don't even know how to get around. In the past year, shopping malls, restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions have popped up faster than Hollywood divorces. And what happens to a kid that grows too fast? Hormone inbalance and mental instability. I feel like that's the state that Beijing is in right now. It's still balancing the ancient and the modern, the old and the young, and the right and the wrong. What a great time to watch Beijing grow up.

When I get back to NY, I will post all the pics and videos that I didn't have a chance to upload. I promise!

Meet: Siji

I met this nice cab driver on my way to meet up with Joe and company for karaoke. Driver in Chinese is Siji, so I will call him Siji.

(I must preface this by saying that in China, it is considered beautiful to be pale and "odd" to be tanned.)

Our conversation went a little something like this:
Siji: Where are you from?
Me: Beijing. Can't you tell?
S: You sound like a Beijinger but you don't look it.
M: Why, because I'm dark?
S: But an unusual dark. Bronze dark. I've never seen that color before. I didn't think it was possible.
M: This is how I get when I go outside. I get tanned easily.
S: Why don't you cover up? Wear long sleeves? Carry an umbrella?
M: Because it's so hot I could faint.
S: You wear too little clothing. But I guess if you get dark, you get dark. It's natural beauty.
M: I live in America where it's good to be tanned.
S: But Americans are all so pale!
M: Because they can't tan as easily.
S: What do you do in America?
M: I work in advertising (I hate telling people I'm an actor because then I have to explain everything I've done and frankly, nobody really cares about that one time I was on TV hosting that one thing about that one event)
S: Advertising? That sounds so easy. I've thought about advertising a lot. I come up with great ideas. It's so easy. I come up with things while eating watermelon. How much do you make a month?
M: A million dollars.
____________________

I love having conversations with cab drivers in Beijing. They love to chat because they're so bored all day sitting in traffic. Also, they may know where everything is but have never been inside anything. They love to inquire about the different places I go to. If you get a chance to go to Beijing, try to have a conversation with a cab driver (some speak excellent English).

I got mooned

Hehe, I couldn't help myself. Parents love putting their kids in these (not crotchless but...) buttless pants. It provides easy access for doing the #2 and it keeps the kids cool during the hot, humid days. I'm not going to lie. I used to rock these when I was little.

Squat. Go. Play.

Farm food

Our new apartment in Beijing is a little far out there...kind of like how I consider Queens. So, when we had family over to visit, we had to get creative in finding a restaurant. While exploring some of the small streets, we found this restaurant on a cherry farm. They offered authentic "nong jia fan" with an array of meats and veggies. My favorite was the Chinese tortillas (lao bing) that they made from scratch.

The food was overall very fresh which meant they grew their own produce as well as life stock. So, I was a little disturbed to see the rabbits and ducks roaming around the farm that would eventually end up on someone's plate. And the rabbit fur that was hanging on the wall. Or the 8 dogs that they claimed to be their pets.

Trendy girl/mannequin

This girl depicts some of the major trends among the young and trendy in Beijing. Long, thick, blunt bangs. Brassy orange hair. Loose wave perm. Pale, caked on makeup.

The goal is to look like a mannequin, or as plastic as possible. I went shopping with my cousin Chen Chen and we were startled by 2 girls who we thought were mannequins. We sat right next to them and they started moving and talking.

I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

Shit(s) Happens

It is true that a number of people experience The Shits (TS) when visiting China. This could be caused by a number of factors including change in environment, ingredients, water, soil, or cooking style. But eventually the shits go away and you're able to fully enjoy all that authentic Chinese food has to offer.

In fear of TS, the US Olympic team has brought their own food and rented out a cafeteria at Peking University (Beida) for their athletes. Although I understand that TS may not be so timely when you're diving or jumping hurdles, I still find it a shame that these athletes have come all this way and not to experience such great food!

My suggestion for visitors is to slowly ease yourself into Chinese food when you visit China. Start with one small meal of Chinese food and 1-2 meals of food you're used to (you can always trust a McDonald's or Pizza Hut). Then, work your way up to 2 meals of Chinese food/day. By day 4, you should be able to have one grand meal without any stomach troubles.

Kelly finds a husband

He is everything she's ever wanted in a man: tall, pale, and plastic.

Oh, and 50% off.

I'm a bad influence

Some of you may be sick of me talking about smoking hookah for the past couple of months. Well, I kind of went through hookah withdrawal when I came to Beijing. So, when my 23-year-old cousin Chen Chen (Chloe - I gave her that name, it fits her perfectly) wanted to hang out with me for a day, I suggested hookah. I also met up with Steve, my college friend who is also living in NY.

It was good times, except my cousin didn't think hookah was as awesome as I made it out to be. I'm still convinced that she didn't smoke it right.

Italian Cucci

Need I say more?

Friends in Houhai

Had the chance to catch up with some NY friends as well as to meet some new friends. We were all thankful for Facebook.

Even at 3am, we were able to have an interesting conversation about the concept of Chinese patriotism. Will expand on it later for those interested.

Britney Spears in China

All this time that you thought Britney was sitting on her ass doing nothing, little did you know that she's the new spokesperson for double eyelid tape!

I will videotape me using this...stay tuned.

Olympics baseball: U.S. vs Netherlands

We got tickets to see the Olympic baseball game between the U.S. and the Netherlands. Yes, I'm wearing the wrong shirt for this event.

We didn't stay for the whole game because it started to rain. But when I was leaving during the 5th inning, the U.S. was up 5-1. I didn't recognize any of the baseball players but they were definitely cuter than the ones from the Netherlands.

Take a closer look: Water Cube and Bird Nest

Thanks to a relative, we were able to get our hands on tickets to the Olympics Green. These tickets are only available to friends and family of those affiliated with the Olympics. Although I was unable to go into many of the structures, at least I got to see some up close and personal! I was especially impressed by the Bird Nest and it's intricate structure.

Mystery fruit

Can anybody tell me what this fruit is? In Chinese it is Huolongguo. It's got an ice cream-like texture with sesame seeds throughout. Tastes kinda like a mixture of veggies and kiwi. I know the combination sounds bizarre but it nutriciously delicious.

Fried scorpions

Hell yeah I ate this. And I can tell you it did NOT taste like chicken.

Olympic fever

It seems that everywhere you turn in Beijing, someone is watching the Olympics...like at the mall...or on the subway. And dude, check out this kid's rockin' haircut.

Coming out of the wall...or the closet?

You tell me.

Sex and Mojitos

Some interesting signs in Houhai. In recent years, this area surrounding a lake has been turned into a popular and trendy bar district attracting many foreigners as well as young locals.

Umbrella calligrapher

Spotted this guy writing calligraphy using excess water from his umbrella in front of the Houhai entrance. He looked to be in his 20's and went at it for at least half an hour. Quite a site to see.

My grandma is hip

My grandma likes to mahjong on the computer. She gets really into it and can play for hours at a time. I had no idea my grandma could even turn on a computer!

What the kids are eating these days

The biggest craze in Beijing is BBQ chicken wings. Several of these restaurants have popped out throughout the city and on weekends, there can be a wait of up to 2 hours to eat these juicy wings.

Walmart excites me

I made my cousin stop at this Walmart in Beijing. Although its signage and layout is very similar to the Walmarts in the U.S., the Beijing Walmart offers some specialized products including Chinese baked goods and roasted meat.

Walmart is not necessarily considered a discount store. Its prices are very comparable (or even higher) than most other supermarkets. So I guess the Chinese aren't as excited about Walmart as I am.

Kelly introduces the Olympics mascots...in English

I can't understand half of what she's saying but she still so darn cute.

Homemade dumplings

I'm sure most of you have tasted dumplings at Chinese restaurants. But let me assure you that what you've tasted cannot compare to homemade dumplings. The difference is that restaurant dumplings use thicker dough, more meat, and more grease. Homemade dumplings tend to use thinner, more delicate dough, more fresh veggies, and a lot less grease. The result = a delicious and healthy treat!

Rowing with Nini

We watched rowing at the Shunyi water park. It was a hot and humid day but we still had the energy to pose with Nini!

Life is short

So many events have happened in the last year that have helped me fully realize the words "life is short." I just want to take a break from all the silliness of the day-to-day and reflect on this for a sec. As humans, I think we innately chase after things that are out-of-reach. We are naturally competitive. And many of us are rarely satisfied.

In society, we're given a footprint of what we're suppose to follow. Societal norms. School --> Job --> Marriage --> Kids = LIFE. In each level of this journey, we compete on several categories. We're judged on grades which supposedly determine the quality of schools we can get into. We strive to find the best jobs and chase after titles and money. We weed through the dating pool to pick the best suited person for us (for now). Then comes "my kid is better than your kid."

But do we ever stop to think...all this, for what?

It's interesting to me that in our quest to reach the next level, we're most concerned about the people who want to bring us down. The critic, the frenemy, the arch nemesis. We waste our time and energy to please them and to prove them wrong. When what really, truly matters, in life, is the people who want nothing but the best for us.

The people who love us.

Shrimper ol' me

Most people have the misconception that Chinese people are very short. Maybe my family drinks a lot of milk or something because it seems like they're all taller than me. Here I am standing with my cousin Long Long and Zhao Jing (who is 7 months preggers!). Long Long, 19, is 6'2" and Zhao Jing is 5'11".

The Bird Nest

Ahhh, finally a clear enough day when I can get a nice view of the Bird Nest. Ladies and gentleman, there it is!

The Chinese diet

Here you see is a typical meal at a Chinese restaurant: enough to feed a whole village. And there were still 3 dishes that couldn't fit on the table. If you come to China, I guarantee that you will stay full the entire time.

I wish I had the time and patience to explain each meal. But I will tell you that my favorite dish on this table is the brown square things you see on the bottom right. Those are fried stinky tofu squares. You dip it in a mildly spicy salsa. Yes, the tofu is stinky...

Going green worldwide

I thought these environmentally-friendly bags were just trendy in New York. Looks like they're super popular in Beijing with a wide selection of designs and styles. In an effort to go green, supermarkets in Beijing no longer allow plastic bags so shoppers are encouraged to bring these fashionable totes.

My new friends

V for Victory

My friend Yashih from New York is currently studying Chinese in Beijing. She was nice enough to invite me to a Princeton alumni party for Princeton Olympic athletes. My friend Joe from Colorado just happened to call me on the same day, so I inivited him along. He brought two of his friends, and we met more people along the way. So next thing you know, we had a whole non-Princetonians clique goin' on.

From left: Ryan (a TV host from Boulder who happens to share my same birthday and hosting agent), Jordan (we met at the party; starting at HBS with Yashih in the fall), Joe (my friend from Colorado who currently lives in NY).

V is for "Victory" or "Very Fobby"

Lost in translation IV

Some more children's notebooks:

1) Fresh milk makes me smile, too


















2) It's a funky family


















3) iPoop, iPod

L.O.V.E.

No, this is not an Ashlee Simpson song. This post is about love. Before you go vomit, let me tell you that it's not mushy stuff. A while ago, I blogged about how Chinese people don't use the words "I love you." It's just not our style:

@ Yahoo! Video

I now want to modify my blog. From recent observations, the words "I love you" are somewhat commonly used among Chinese youth. Especially teenagers. Relationships have been, until recent years, for practical reasons. You date (usually one person), you marry, you have kids. You know that song from "Married with Children" that goes, "love and marriage..."? The love part was never a prerequisite for marriage in Chinese culture. Now, romance has been imported from Western culture and has permeated the younger generation. Teenagers are coupling up and celebrating Valentine's day by giving flowers, candy, and romantic cards with the words "I love you." Even my little cousin Kelly who is in the 3rd grade tells me that there are 4 couples in her class. And they always pass notes to each other with the words "I love you" (in English).

Whether it's puppy love or Hollywood love, Chinese youth are in love with the idea of love.

Lost in translation III

Here's a bag my cousin Kelly showed me. It's her favorite bag. She says they were handing it out to children one day.

iPod. uPod. oPod?

Anybody want a Green Apple oPod?

Beijing mansions

Beijing is one of the few cities I know that has mansions right in the middle of it. Here's a neighborhood of mansions right next to the popular Silk Street market, a favorite shoping destination for tourists wanting knock off merchandise and high end duds. My guess is that these would go for $6-7 million USD.

Olympics, here we come

After months of trying to find tickets and entering a lottery system here in China, we finally got tickets to ONE Olympic event. Rowing. Stayed tuned for exclusive footage and photos!

Back by popular demand...

Due to an overwhelming number of requests, here again is my cousin Kelly. I know, she's adorable. She's the only person who I would allow to steal my spotlight. Ha.

We have lots in common. She loves clothes, dancing, puppies, ice cream, and funny-looking people. She also thinks boys are annoying.

Big screen building

Apparently this futuristic looking building was built specifically for the big TV screens on all four sides to show Olympics footage. Not much inside. And oh, you can land helicopers on the roof. So 007!

Happy Birthday, Kelly!

Today's the Olympics opening ceremony. But more importantly, it's my cousin Kelly's birthday. Happy 9th Birthday!!

The Olympic Mascots

I explain the 5 mascots here, not sure the video still works.

Enormous, ginormous, yumormous

No, this is not the pages of an old book. This in front of you is multiple layers of tortilla (closest thing I can think of) with sweet sesame paste in between the layers. Made fresh. I would describe the texture as a thick crepe or thin tortilla. Absolutely deeeelicious.