The End of an Era

Last night, I shaved off my beard. Here are a couple shots of it in all of its multi-colored glory:

Front Shot

Side Shot

I shaved the beard off in pieces. I left it in a fu man chu for a little while. I also left a moustache for awhile, but those pictures are too dirty to post online.

Fear the fu man chu

It's kind of weird how different I look with the beard, the fu man chu, moustache, and then clean-shaven. I'd say that I look about 5 years younger without a beard. It's nice to be able to feel my face, but I do miss stroking the beard while I'm in class...

Speaking of being in class, today our teacher was explaining how to use the word "responsibility" in Chinese. Her example sentences involved a man's responsibility and a woman's responsibility in a relationship and they accurately portray Chinese views on gender roles. She said that it is the man's responsibility to make money (not terribly PC, but still pretty acceptable) and the woman's responsibility is to "look pretty". At this comment, a couple of Western jaws dropped, but I was surprised by how little effect the comment had on our class... I rarely write about little tidbits like this, but they keep life here interesting.

- Jon

Migraine Free

A couple of days ago I had an incredibly painful headache. It was some of the worst pain I've ever had and it was completely debilitating. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't study, I couldn't watch movies, I couldn't read, I couldn't even sleep... It sucked. The pain would come in waves too. Everything would be fine for a couple of minutes and then suddenly it would feel like my head was being ripped apart. What was really weird was that it came out of nowhere - I have no idea what could have triggered it. I'm assuming it was a migraine, but I wish I knew why it happened (so I could avoid having another one)... In any case, the migraine is gone now and I'm just left with a lingering (normal) headache. There is a silver lining to this cloud though... I've appreciated these past two days so much more, just because I'm not in intense pain. Nothing else matters when your head doesn't feel like it's being torn apart. On that happy note, I will leave you loyal readers. More posts will follow soon!

- Jon

The Best Car Commercial I've Ever Seen

Check out this Honda commercial. Apparently it's all legit and it took them a few hundred tries to get it right. Oh, all of the pieces are different parts of the car...



Awesome!

- Jon

Family Response to the Beard Vote

Here is an email I got from my mom about the beard vote...

Juan,
Since I read the blog on occasion, I figured I'd take my shot at a vote. Keep the beard. Seems like fair punishment (not sure what for, but feels right).
xox, Mom

- Jon

Chinese Gym Experience

I recently joined a gym in Shanghai (which is conveniently located near Jiaotong University) because Geoff found a really good deal. The point of this post isn't to tell you about my workout plan, but instead to relate an amusing anecdote... A couple of days ago, I entered the gym to lift some weights. First, I went into the locker to change out of my normal clothes and into some shorts. Now, the men's locker room isn't the most comfortable place in the world (what with all the naked men wandering around), but there's a general understanding that if you keep a reasonable personal distance between people and don't stare, then its all good. Anyways, I'm changing into my shorts in front of my locker and a completely naked Chinese man comes up (maybe within 16 inches of me) and starts peeling a hardboiled egg (the trash can was near my locker). Hilarious. I'm just looking over at him wondering what the hell he's doing standing naked in the locker room peeling an egg. So, he finishes peeling his egg and walks back over to his stuff and sits down and eats it. Still in the nude. Then, the dude pulls out another egg from his bag marches back over to me, peels it, and starts eating it right there. WTF, mate? At that point, I was all set, so I left the locker room giggling. Who knows how long that guy was in there naked eating eggs...

In other news, last night I saw a YouTube video that was a Chinese take on the Lazy Sunday SNL skit. Check it out...

Ok, so thats it from me now. Off to play frisbee... Will write more later!

- Jon

Medicine Man

I’ve been sick with cold/flu symptoms for about 4 days now, 2.5 of those days I’ve stayed home from teaching the little munchkins (projecting my voice through loud speaking and singing over rambunctious kiddies just wasn’t gonna happen…). I was going to wait it out, but I figured that since I took a couple of days off work, I should make it legitimate and go to the doctor. So I called my coordinator and she came over to my apt to take me along. When I got downstairs, she said I could choose the next step: go to a hospital-like place where they’d give me “western” medicine, or go to her friend’s apartment to get “Chinese” medicine…what the heck, I went with the latter. So we took a long-ish cab ride out to an apartment complex with a labyrinth-like passageway. On the way we passed an elderly bunch doing physical exercise on the brightly-colored plastic machines (imagine an elliptical machine, made for a kid but still adult-sized, with no motor…they’re everywhere here).

We finally reached Dr. Ge’s apartment (his name is pronounced like you’re just saying the sound /g/, with a stretched out down-up tone). It was small and cold, made of concrete, like all buildings here (insulation is not so popular). He sat me down at his desk that was covered in calligraphy tools and in a chair lined with fake fur. He tried to speak to me in Chinese—I bumbled responses while my coordinator was speaking on the phone—and then took my pulse…apparently that was all he needed. Oh, he also picked up the desk lamp and stuck it in my face so he could look down my throat…Yup, just what he thought: a cold. Wow, Doc. I’m so glad I came to you! However, while I was there, the phone rang a bunch of times asking for Dr. Ge’s services…apparently he’s pretty popular, and we got VIP special treatment. J

He gave me some medicine (I’m still awaiting another one that my coordinator will personally deliver…along with some noodles and vegetables….what a sweetheart!), and when I asked what it was for, they responded: It’s for a cold. I would just need to have some trust and faith in this dynamic duo.

I still feel fatigued, and the medicine won’t show clear effects for at least a day or so, but I’m glad I went. It didn’t cost me anything (that I know of…) and I got to see the inner workings of a very friendly and popular Chinese doctor.

Off to rest some more…

- Emma

Beard Vote, etc...

Those of you in China know that through a combination of laziness and... well, just laziness really, I have let my facial hair grow out of control for the last month. I'd say that we're in the full-on homeless beard range now. Basically, its do-or-die time for the beard. In the interest of entertainment, I have decided to leave the fate of my beard in your hands (my loyal readers). Each of you can vote (by blog comment, email, gchat, skype or in person) to either keep the beard or shave it off and I will abide (like The Dude) by your decision. One caveat - Emma's special privilege earns her 5 votes. Here are some pictures of the current beard...

Left side of the beard and goofy grin

Right side sans goofy grin

This is the look I use to scare little Chinese children (then they yell hu zi!)

Emma designed some sweet shorts with the Shanghai Huwa frog on them. The order just arrived a couple days ago. Check it out!!!


Last, but not least, here is yesterday's joke of the day that made me laugh. Hope you enjoy it too!

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a man below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below replied, "You are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You are between 40 and 42 degrees north latitude and between 58 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.

"I am," replied the man, "but how did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below responded, "You must be a manager."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "how did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You made a promise which you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are exactly in the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

- Jon