Excursion to Ikea

I am alone again for some ten days, and on Saturday decided to spend few hours in... Ikea. As I've mentioned before, it is not exactly my favorite back home, but here it is a pretty darn convenient place to get things.

Like last week I made cinamon rolls (korvapuusteja, you know), and after the dough was ready I noted I don't have a rolling pin (kaulin)! No rolling pin and the dough is rising! A little later I noted I certainly wasn't the only one in XuJiaHui who fon't have a rolling pin: ANY of the department stores nearby didn't have them either. So I ended up using a roll of cling wrap. It was actually pretty handy, and you don't even need to wash it afterwards, just peel of the outer layer, and thereyougo! It's ready for next baking session. Anyway, I decided to get a rolling pin (kaulin) for next time. I promised to bring my Chinese teacher some "korvapuusti" soon...

I took a taxi, and since I had forgotten how to say Ikea in Chinese (I think it is Yi Jia Jia) but at that moment I saw it fit to act like a total tourist and just showed the driver my old Ikea bag :o)

On the way there, actually in the first traffic lights, we were waiting couple of rounds of red-green-yellow-red-green - you get the picture. And while waiting, in the line next on left, one car in front of the taxi I was in, a red taxi started to slooowly slide backwards. Sliiiiding... sliding... all the way to the front pumper of the black Passat behind it. In 9 months in Shanghai I have learned if ever there is a small fender bender with absolute certainty big noise will follow, in the form of yelling, flailing, fighting and of course the other cars honking horns. And when I saw the sliding red Santana, I was expecting a scene.

But no. The owner of the black Passat (which looked new, by the way!) got off his car, the taxi driver, a woman, by the way, gott of her car, and they checked the damage. To my utter and complete surprise, the private car owner spoke in a calm manner, and waiwed nonchalantly. No harm done. Taxi driver got back to her car, drove a meter forward, and got off the car again, to check the damages more thoroughly.

And then she started yelling to this completely innocent man! My jaw just dropped, and so did the Passat drivers too! The black Passat was completely still when the lady let her car slide and bump to it. The man, still calm, tried to explain and was even laughing in disbelief. At this point the lady in the Passat got out off the car and started yelling to the taxi driver. At some point my taxi driver started yelling to the taxi driver lady. And then we finally had green light and room to go, so other cars started honking, for the lane was of course blocked.

So basically, the fender bender ended as it alway seems to end, but the path to the end was rather peculiar. I guess this is a small example why our company don't let us drive.

In the store the families where enjoying themselves, as usual. Just a couple of families, maybe a half a Shanghai, or so. Sitting and chatting quietly (NOT!) on the couches, taking pictures. Wandering around. And at some point, there was an alarm ringing. Big noise. Followed by an announcement in English and in Chinese. An announcement that I could not make sense of. "Please move to..." What? Could you repeat, please? And in deed, they did. But it was no use: the customers speaking and yelling to each other, and the announcing lady muttering her announcement was unbeatable combination. But the thing was, that NONE of the customers seemed to pay ANY attention to the alarm or to the announcement. So there I was, wondering if the building might be on fire, and whether Ikea keeps their fire doors locked, as so many other shops and restaurants do around here. But no, the building was still intact when I got out from there. With a blueberry-rasberry jam (for crepes) and roe and Dajm chocolade and some other Swedish delicaties :o)

When I got home with my two huge bags, our buiding door was locked. So I put the bags down to get my key card. There was a yong Chinese girl coming to the door as well. So I flashed my key card to the reader, and showed her to go first while I pick up my bags. And in deed she went, and let the door slam shut behind her. So I was exactly where I started. Except ashtonished. I guess I shouldn't be. Put I was wondering if that kind of thing (holding a door to someone with two heavy bags, who by the way just opened the lock for both of you to get in) shouldn't be in persons backbone? Like it shouldn't be up to the upbringing, should it?) I put the bags down again, digged my key card from my bag and went in.

So, basically, it was just a normal day in Shanghai.

Spring Festival

Spring Festival, aka Chinese New Year, is just about over. The actual period continues couple of weeks, but holiday is over. Personally, I associate the word "festival" to a... well, festival. People dancing on the streets, music playing, loads of people and things going on all over the place. But nooooo, Chinese spent the spring festival with their families, and Shanghai was, if not dead, at least in a coma for the most important days of the Spring Festival. Most restaurants were closed three or four days and streets were pretty empty. Chinese went to see their families (millions and millions of people living in Shanghai are not Shanghainese) and as I mentioned earlier, most expat flew to some nice, sunny place. Or to their home country. And we stayd here. I am bitter, I am not even saying otherwise.

Everyone has propably heard about Chinese New Year and fire crackers. You can hardly mention the first without the second. Before the festival we got a note that stated it is ILLEGAL to fire a piece of wirework or a firecracker in the city. Now really? Based on the ridiculous amount of those whizzling, banging, fizzing, sputtering thingies flying around, I really doubt anyone was enforcing that piece of legislation.

It was not just one night and it sure as hell (pardon my french) wasn't just firecrackers! It has been SEVEN days and seven nights in a row, and it has been like a war! I kid you not! Of course not as scary, but the noise is amazing!

It started on Sunday week ago (Monday was the first day of the Year of the Ox) and it is still not over after one week. It has been gradually decreasing, though. For example on Thursday night they already started pretty late, around 8 pm, and stopped in about 2 am. Only to start again around 9 am on Friday morning: fire crackers in loooong chains, and constant fire works against the buildings. In the midst of all the buildings the "bangs" and "booms" echo like you wouldn't believe it. The purpose of the fireworks is to evict or drive out the evil spirits. If they have ANY sense, they are long gone by now...

Sorry, there are no good pictures of this madness, but see the video anyway.

Please note the smoke between the buildings. And do put the sounds on: the constant "background noise" is the bombs (firworks, it is) exploding. The loudness does not quite get through via the video...

Almost Thursday link

Ok, it is Friday, not Thursday, so I AM LATE, but here is a link of the week. All I can say, is "only in America".

And from my own behalf, for being late and all, all I can say is I've been on a vacation. Just in Shanghai, doing nothing, so do you think I've had time to look up interesting links just for you? How awfully selfish of you.

During the past couple of days I have read 1000+ pages of contemporary swedish literature, by Stieg Larsson. Strangely addictive! He only wrote three books before his death, and unfortunately I only have one more to go. For that, I have to wait a bit: untill someone kindly brings it to me from Finland. One big (I mean MAJOR) downside in Shanghai is the lack of books and bookstores. Now, I don't mean to be selfish, 'cause there is plentiful of Chinese books. But not in English. The rumour has it that importing books to China is not the easiest there is, if you can believe it...

What lies beneath...

... the "the"?

It does not show very well, but in the below picture there is a patch where it says "the". It is not just this one banner, but many of them, so I know it is not because it was broken. I have been wondering for quite some time now, what in the earth was there before they corrected it to be "the".

Considering all the Chinglish around, why was it so important to change it afterwards? It has to be something really badly wrong. But how can it be, considering there is only room for 3-4 letters?

I have no answers, just questions.

That is because of the 24 hour surveillance. I don't dare to try and peak beneath the correction. Puzzling.

House guest

We have had a house guest for the past couple of days. He'll stay with us until Friday, while his family, our friends, enjoy the sunshine in Thailand. Good for them. Since we decided not to join the masses who escape the city (Chinese) or the country (mainly expats) for the Chinese New Year (actually I did my very best that we would join the escaping masses) I welcomed the opportunity to have a dog for a short while. Since we miss our Ida-dog a lot.

Here is our guest. His name is Aatu. I also call him Aapo, Aadolf, Arppa, Asko, and hyttynen. With love.

But he is not quite the kind of dog I'm used to. Firstly, he has no fur. Except in the head and some in the end of his tail. But basically he is bald, so he needs clothes. For the past few days the weather was quite cold (about -3 - -5) and the wind was freezing, so it was an effort to get him to go around the building three times a day. When I took his sweater and prepared to get him dressed for a "walk", he run to the couch and hid behind J.

Where as our dog rarely, if ever, takes more than 5 seconds to get to the door if someone even implys she could be going out. No matter what is the time or what she was doing. Well, except if she's eating. And she does not were clothes, except occasionally to protect her from dirt and mud if it rains. And that's not because she wants to, but because I don't want to wash her three or four times a day. And "going out" means going out: you know, half an hour minimum, up to several hours. Not 5 minutes.

I have not got used the tiny teeny bones our guest has. They are like thin sticks. And there are no muscles! To speak of, anyway.

Did I mention he needs body lotion?

Aadolf also does not obey. I don't think he knows many commands, or then it just that we are not his people. But he knows, is when he's called for a meal. I like a dog with a healthy appetite.

He is the same breed as "the ugliest dog in the world", but still quite cute.

What he does best, is sleeping. When ever possible, he comes to your lap, or on to your chest, or burrows into your armpit. And he sleeps. Preferably under a blanket. Definately not alone. As long as there is someone to crawl close to, that's what he does. I am not sure he should be classified as dog. He definately does not comply with my definition of "dog". But that's ok, there are as many tastes as there are... breeds, I guess.

Did I mention that first three times we came back from outside he bumped into a glass door.

Our babe. We miss her.

Names

In China it is quite common for people working for international companies to pick an "english name". It is (supposedly) easier for the non-Chinese to remember "Ann" than Wang Zhi Chuo. (I didn't want to use anyones name I know, so that is a propably not a real name.)

But the thing is, that e-mail addresses are often only in the form of the Chinese-name. So, all of us need to remember both the English name, which is used in conversing, documents etc., and the Chinese name. And, to top that of, you never know if the e-mail address can be found starting with Wang, or with Zhi, or with Chuo, or with Ann, if we use the example above. OK, so this is a little additional work, but I guess it is a good practice to activate your memory cells. They say, long term, that helps to keep sharp. (Then again I presume you (and by "you", I mean "I") should be sharp to begin with, to "keep" sharp...)

But why I really started to write this post is the humour these "English names" bring to my life. The thing is, that in Finland we are rather concervative with the names choices. You cannot even give just any name to your kids. It actually should be a name.

In China, the name should traditionally associate with good things. Money, beauty, something nice. Like my Chinese name is something about memory of orchids and a character that refers to "girlie" things, and sounds somewhat like my western name. My colleagues wife suggested it. (I had no idea how to pick a Chinese name, considering I did not know much Chinese.)

Apple, Joy, Venus and Jenny are very popular among the Chinese ladies I've met and can be recognised to be names. But then, many Chinese decide to go creative when they decide their "english name". Or, do you, in the western world know many by the name "Tomato"? "Chocolate"? Or perhaps "Junion"? How about "HiSense"? Think of all the possibilities! Darn, why don't we get to pick an English name. I would follow the path of HiSense and immediately become Nonsense :o)

A chinese wave

I have made some progress in my chinese-ation. (Adapting to China, that is.)



- I can eat with the sticks, no problem.



- I push the door closing button in the elevator like a real Chinese: as soon as people have entered, or preferably already before. And like crazy, that is. If someone else is still trying to come in, you just keep pushing.



- I don't think just because green light is on you can cross a road safely. It only means there are less cars trying to run you over.



- I don't try to dodge if my Chinese teacher (a lady) reaches for my hand to walk arm in arm.



- But one of the things I don't know how to do in a proper way, is to wave. You would not think that is difficult, would you, but it is. And when I have observed Chinese ladies, I think this is really something I should learn. (For men, it is optional, but recommended.) So, I have made instructions to myself how to practice.

1. Bend your arm from the elbow, so that your hand is at your chest level


2. and keep your wrist relaxed


3. and keep your fingers relatively straight, but do not try to extend them.


4. Keep fingers quite close to each other


5. and move your hand, the part from wrist to the tip of your fingers, in a rapid pace.


6. There are two styles: I am not 100% sure about this, but I think if you wave to your friends, it is more common that your fingers point up, and the movement happens sideways.


7. Second is more commonly used to wave for example taxi driver to stop. I personally think this is the truly hardcore one, much more challenging than the previous. In this version your hand bends (towards the object of the wave) in about 45 degree angle from the wrist. You start your fingers pointing up, then bend your hand, and then your fingers point forward. Again and again, and so you wave: up and down, up and down.


8. Which ever version you try, remember this: most important is to keep the wave rapid and relaxed, so that the movement becomes sort of uncontrolled, in a controlled way. You might think that suits well for me, considering I regularly bump into tables, doorways and other furniture, but no. It is really difficult.


9. Now you try!