Huroh?

Woah I haven't written in forever. I guess life got too exciting and I didn't have time to blog… or I was too lazy. So after the last post, I had dinner with Jingle and Allen and they told me the sweetest thing ever. They told me they wanted to go to Canada and I asked why. They said "because you’re from Canada". I was so "awww". And I had only known them for two weeks! Now I get even more of those. I feel so loved! <3>Then I took them to an alumni gathering at Barbarossa, an expat bar that has a really good ladies' night on Thursdays: free cocktails from 9 to 12, and they’re good! I had to force Allen to skip his Marxism class: power of peer pressure. The evening was pretty fun. Met a bunch of people and it was cool to hang out with Allen, Jingle and Daan. As well as taking Allen and Jingle to a bar for their first time, I also had them smoke shisha for the first time. I keep corrupting them! The shisha was horrible though. And 100 kuai! Damn rich expats. But it was a really good evening.

One of the main reasons of my busy-ness (is it business?) is Simon, a trainee from New York whom I met on June 15^th when I was supposed to have a meeting with Tony (VP ICX of SJTU) to talk about SJTU's plans for the summer in terms of trainee reception and integration. Simon is a good friend of Inna, the girl from Baruch Nicole stayed with in May. Small AIESEC world. Turns out our meeting was Simon's welcome party i.e. they brought him and we all had dinner at a food court and then the AIESEC members left to go study so me and Simon were left alone.

So we wanted to meet with the other Fudan trainees in the evening, but Simon wanted a t-shirt cause he was wearing an overly gay white shirt (I mean he's gay but not that gay). So we go around looking for stores. We find this very fancy mall with 4 digit prices on shirts so we figure it’s not the place for us. We gave up and decided to walk to the meeting point (which was 2 metro stations away). While walking, we see this Umbro store that says 2.5 so we're like "wow! 2.5 kuai for a t-shirt!", but when we look at the prices it doesn’t make sense at all. So with our little Chinese, their little English and paper and pen we finally understand that the sign means that you only pay 25% of the price on certain t-shirts. I think it makes more sense that they write the % you pay rather than the % you save. But shouldn’t it be 25 or .25? What’s the 2.5? I still don’t understand.

Anyway so we were all happy of our find and amazed by our comprehension skills and started our two hours walk drinking beer going to the bar where the others were waiting. I was giving Simon some basic Chinese courses. Must have sounded real funny to the locals. It’s as if I was hearing two foreigners teaching each other French in Quebec. But then again, many Chinese people love saying “Huroh?” every time they see a foreigner because that’s the only word they can say in English. So we’ve been having fun answering with the same accent, further worsening their pronunciation. How evil of us. After 2 hours we got to the bar, le Royal Méridien. Really fancy place at the 65^th floor of a hotel. We felt that we really didn’t fit in. I think we couldn’t go to a bar like that in North America the way we were dressed. This bar had free cherries because it’s lipstick (ladies) night on Fridays! How cool! So I ate a lot of fresh cherries, enjoyed the view and the place, and didn’t buy anything. Cheap me. ;)

Saturday the 16^th I went to Wal-Mart and bought some 5$ snickers. Then I had a “meeting” with Allen because we were the “hosts” for the Exchange preparation seminar (XPS) the following day. We really didn’t do much but it was fun because I always have fun with Allen. He’s my didi (that’s Chinese for “little brother”). So on Sunday XPS started at 9. Trying to cheer up a crowd of people who are SNs but not so interested in AIESEC and want to leave ASAP to go study for their final exams wasn’t the best thing ever. Me and Nell, a Chinese girl who studies in the States, were trying to get people to dance. It worked a little bit. Then the presentations for the returnees started. I didn’t understand much but they seemed to have really enjoyed their stay abroad.

Simon and many other trainees came to the event. Me and Simon were having too much fun at the back, doing stupid things like texting people who don’t know him with “turn around” and watching them turn around cluelessly. Simon told the trainees about the AIESEC tattoo with a barcode we all get on our butt after one year of membership and he was really upset that Chinese AIESECers didn’t know about it and didn’t have it. He didn’t understand what they did to scan people at conferences without it. It was so funny because then they went and asked Daan (Dutch trainee from London) if it was true. Daan didn’t hear us but he made up this story about this big ceremony for the tattooing. Simon also told them that the reason Sharon Stone is so famous is because she used to be a man who got a sex change. Oh the fun we have telling non-sense to Chinese people. It’s so funny because they’re so naïve. I guess they’re not used to that type of humour. It’s all in good fun though. Simon also got everybody to shout “syphilis” when taking pictures. I wonder if we could get someone to have “syphilis” as their English name… After the event we went to have lunch at that same BBQ place. The food is so good! Then it was KTV time. It was supposed to be a LC bonding activity, but it was almost only foreigners and alumni because the members all disappeared to go study.

Tuesday the 19^th was the Dragon Boat festival. They watch dragon boat races and eat rice dumplings. In the evening, Me, Simon and Daan met at Jingle’s place to eat some rice dumplings. Jingle lives in a special apartment with foreign students learning Chinese for the summer, so she gets to have a really nice two bedroom apartment instead of a dorm room with 4-6 people in it like the other students do. After that we had to run(bike) to the bus stop, Simon on my bike and Daan on Jingle’s, to catch the last bus. I locked my bike in front of the bus stop and got on the bus. This is when my bike got stolen. I didn’t go home for two days because I was staying downtown at Simon’s hotel so my bike disappeared. I was pissed. I liked my bike. I’m not buying another one.

So what was I doing for 2 days downtown with Simon? Well we went to the Shanghai Art Museum. Also, an alumnus from SJTU we met at XPS, Grace, took us to the market where you can buy a lot of fake brands for very cheap. I didn’t really like being harassed by Chinese people trying to get us to their shops by showing us cards of what they have: Prada, Armani, “Cucci”, etc. But Simon made it fun because he abused the fact that their English is limited to brands, “cheap”, “come to my shop” and “lookie lookie”. He started asking them things like “Do you know where I can find cheap vagina?” or “I want a fat juicy cock”, and they get super excited and tell you they have it and bring you to their shop having no idea what you just said. It was hilarious. But then one guy asked him “sex?” So of course Simon said yes. So they bring him in this back room. They wouldn’t let me and Grace in but Simon told them to so they finally did. We had no idea what was gonna happen or what they meant by “sex”. Oh the thrill. The guy leaves and then comes back with a bag containing… porn DVDs! So he shows the pile to Simon and all we have is the pictures on the disks to choose. So Simon has fun making comments at each picture and asking the Chinese guys for advice. Porn is illegal in China so it’s a really big thing. We finally left after laughing our asses off. I don’t know if Grace found it as funny as we did. I got some “Armani” sunglasses for 20 kuai. My bargaining skills are good I think. One guy was starting at 490 kuai for fake sunglasses. It was insulting. How stupid does he think we are? They usually start at around 120 kuai.

After the market we went to a bar called Windows. There we met some of Grace’s friends. Sissle (you would expect it to be spelled Cecile but no) was really excited about Simon taking us to a gay bar so we went to Eddy’s, which was pretty boring for a guy with 3 fag hags so we left after a few minutes. We decided to go to Attika (I think it was my second attempt at going there), but they wouldn’t let Simon in because he was wearing shorts. So he tried the ultimate excuse we had been talking about: “What?! Do you know who I am? I am fucking Justin Timberlake!” I don’t think they understood what he said but I found it really funny. Oh how Simon makes me laugh all the time.

Me and Simon have been discovering how easy it is to get around even when we don’t speak Chinese. We often go to restaurants where they only have a Chinese menu and we have fun ordering random stuff. But we do know a few basic things like rice, noodles, pork, chicken, beef and dumplings. Once they even let us into the kitchen to choose by looking at the stuff. Privileges of the Laowai!

The next day (we are now June 21^st), we had a job interview (Simon set it up and I came along) for a summer camp job. It was the easiest interview of my life. Picture this: I have been wearing the same clothes for two days, braids in my hair, unshaved legs and I keep laughing for no reason. All I had to do was tell them my first name and briefly explain my experience and that was it. I didn’t even send my CV! It’s so easy getting a job here when you’re a “native” speaker of English. Or maybe I just had the ultimate summer camp look. Me and Simon were laughing every time the guy left the room because we were so excited at the idea of going to camp for one week together. He ended up not taking the job because he couldn’t skip one week with his internship. I get the same salary for one week as he gets for one month haha.

After that we went to meet some other trainee who had arrived the day before. We got to the hotel were he was staying without warning. Turns out he hadn’t left the room since the day before and there was a Pizza Hut box laying there. So we figured we had to show him how to live a Shanghai life. We took him to Barbarossa where we met Daan. I was the only girl, with three guys sipping off my free drinks. Me and Simon developed a subtle “hugging” technique for him to sip my drinks.

The next day, Grace took us to another market where there are a bunch of tailors who can make clothes for you with beautiful fabric. I got a traditional Chinese dress made for 300 kuai. It’s so beautiful! That was the only thing I really wanted to get in China. I need to go again and get a business suit made because it’s so cheap. Anyway in China the clothes from Chinese stores are too small for me and the ones from international stores are way too expensive. So I get tailor made clothes. ;) After that we went to meet more trainees who had just arrived. I had a culture shock at some of their comments and their inability to adapt to a new country. As my mandate here is around trainee reception and integration, I felt like a camp counsellor listening to their “problems”. We were supposed to got out to a gay club for “Russian military party” that night but I didn’t go because I felt like just chilling home (or with some AIESEC members if they had been free but they were all busy studying). Maybe I should have gone because Simon told me about his great adventures where they went to a storage house and had a rave party. China is full of surprises you’re not expecting.

On June 23^rd, since I couldn’t be on the Plains of Abraham celebrating with my friends as I usually do, me and Prince Charles went to the Shanghai International Film Festival to see “Délivrez-moi”, in French with English subtitles on the screen and Chinese subtitles under it hehe. I didn’t really enjoy the movie. I was just hoping the Chinese in the room would not think Quebecers are generally like the characters in the movie.

I couldn’t attend the event organized by the Bureau du Québec on Sunday because it was orientation night for all of the SJTU trainees who had just arrived to work at Learning Education Center. Apparently I missed a great party, but I had to meet all those new trainees. The orientation night SJTU put up was well organized and interesting. They introduced some Shanghai facts to the trainees and then we all went for a delicious meal. After that me, Simon, Pratik (NYC) and Philip Potter (UK) went for a walk and a beer on the bund. We had fun with the numerous Chinese trying to sell us crap. I finally bought those ugly skates to put on my shoes thinking they could replace my bike to get to Fudan, but they are too small finally. Oh well, it was fun bargaining until someone would finally go below 20 kuai. I got them for 15. We had nice “conversations” with the locals. They told me my Chinese is good. Maybe it’s improving a little bit. Not as much as I would like to though because I am always speaking English. My English must be improving.

The next night (Monday) we went to Zapatas, a Mexican restaurant/bar. Their ladies’ night really isn’t as good as Barbarossa’s and their tacos are 20 kuai. It was too crowded with foreigners. I didn’t really enjoy it. The next Wednesday, me, Grace, Simon and Ben (another trainee who is also Simon’s roommate) went to the tailor market again to pick up mine and Simon’s clothes. This tailor woman would like Simon to teach English to her daughter and Simon was telling her (through the help of a guy who works there we named “Hollywood” who speaks English) him and Ben could “double team” her daughter in exchange for clothes. It’s so wrong to abuse the fact they don’t know all the subtleties of English. But then again they probably do the same with us in Chinese.

We then took a very long walk to go meet one of Grace’s friends at a restaurant called Dolarshop. You would never expect something that fancy to be called Dolarshop, but here they mostly translate with the sound. They gave us free ice cream as soon as we entered the place. It was a really great and appreciated surprise after our long walk. Then we sat down and realized we really weren’t dressed fancy enough for the place. Simon was wearing a wife beater again. But laowais can get away with anything. We ate delicious hot pot, making too many bad taste jokes like Simon asking Grace and her friend if Chinese people like jew blood as much as Europeans do (Simon and Ben are both Jewish). I’m not sure if it’s because they don’t like our humour or if it’s because they just don’t understand what we’re referring to. I think it’s the latter. We were talking about getting t-shirts made that say “I’m too sexual for China” with a picture of Mao and a dildo poking him. I don’t know if we could get that printed in China. Maybe they’d have no idea what it says or what a dildo is. Ok I know I talk about Simon and Simon’s jokes too much, but we really laugh a lot together and you know laughing is one of my favourite things in life.

The next Friday there was a party in the building where Jingle and Miki live with the foreign students. Me and Charles went and brought two new trainees from Scotland along. They’re Chinese with a Scottish accent. I have a really hard time understanding what they say so I wonder how it will be for the children they teach. It must be so hard being Chinese-looking but not speaking Chinese, because the locals don’t understand why you don’t understand.

The day after was the wedding of Cyrus, and alumnus from AIESEC India, and his Chinese bride. I didn’t know them but Cyrus invited the AIESEC trainees (and CEEDer) because he is very attached to AIESEC. I guess AIESEC also is his family in China. I was wearing my beautiful Chinese dress and I was thinking that my grandmother would be really proud of how I looked, but then Simon went on stage for a game and they were lacking contestants so he called me and “Daaant”(Daan’s new name). So it’s a beer drinking contest out of baby bottles. For some reason I won, so I think my grandmother wouldn’t have been proud of me anymore. The whole wedding ceremony was really cheesy. It’s a good thing it was an Indian-Chinese wedding so that we got a translation. After the wedding we went to the newlyweds’ room to “party” with them, the trainees and some other people. It was really awkward and I felt as if we were all pretending to be having fun. The groom was a lot more drunk than us. We finally left to go to a club called Muse, where there was more pretending to be having fun in my opinion. So the wedding was interesting, but the after wedding sucked. Maybe it’s because Simon left after the wedding.

The next day was Canada Day and I went to the event organized by the consulate and the Canada China Business Council. It really wasn’t that great, and way too expensive. I participated in a watermelon eating contest, but lost. I think it was my first time “celebrating” Canada Day. At least I got to meet a few people and get a bunch of things about Canada to show my Chinese friends. I now know the receptionist at the Canadian consulate and she recognizes me when I go to take my exams.

The next day, some trainees from Hangzhou were in town so I went to pick them up at the bus station and take them to their hostel. They seem to be having a great time, which is good news. I should go visit Hangzhou. The day after, I had dinner with Daan and some of his Colombian friends who are on a tour of China, Yuan from the MC who just finished her term and started working in Shanghai, Guillaume from France and Gabriel from Mexico. I love speaking Spanish.

On July 4^th we went to Malone’s to celebrate Independence Day. I went with Charles and his friend Doris. I got to meet more of the SJTU trainees. The next day one trainee from the UK arrived. We had lunch together and it was so funny how she cannot use chopsticks. Maybe I’m becoming too local. I took her to Simon’s hostel to book a room for 2 nights before the camp she works at starts and hanged out with Simon a bit. We watched this Hungarian musical about an ex drug addict who becomes a nurse and has sex with her patients to cure them. It was weird. That night I had a Skype meeting for the Exchange Drive Team of AIESEC Canada. It was cool to talk to Isabel, Bryan and Marina from all different parts of the world and hear how they’re doing. We really need to create more exchanges between Canada and China. I hope I can do a lot about that once I come back.

Friday the 6^th was my political science exam. It went really well I think. And I was so happy after because many of the AIESEC members were finishing their exams at the same time. It meant that I could finally see Allen who had been refusing all my invitations since XPS because he had to study, even though he left for his hometown the next day. I went for a really delicious and expensive lunch with Susan. It was really cool talking to her. She’s now my meimei (little sister) and I’m going to live with her family for one week because I told her I’d like a home stay and she asked her parents. How cool! She would like to come for a CEED in Canada in the winter. I feel so flattered that so many AIESEC members want to visit Canada because of me.

After lunch we went back to the apartment/office and Allen joined us. I chilled there with my didi and meimei for a while, just chatting and listening to music. The Prince came and joined us. It was really nice and I was really missing that during their exams. The foreigners are cool, but I didn’t come to China to hang out with foreigners. The four of us went to dinner and then we went to a house party hosted by another AIESEC alumnus from Turkey. Allen couldn’t come because his friend needed him. He said he would come after but then he couldn’t go out because they lock the door of the dorm at 11 so they wouldn’t let him out. It’s such a stupid rule! They’re treated like kids. Anyway the party was cool but I was really disappointed that Allen couldn’t come because I had been waiting for 3 weeks to hang out with him. We then went to this club called Bling. It wasn’t too great. There’s also the fact that I’m not really a club person.

Charles slept at the office because his dorm was locked and when we got there, Yash (Indian CEEDer who lives with me) was having a “party” with two Chinese friends. We couldn’t really sleep because they kept disturbing us with their “punishments” like coming to dance in front of us. At one point I opened the window separating our two rooms and we saw the Chinese guy dancing naked on the bed! It was so funny. They have very high level room parties, as Chinese AIESECers say. I really wonder how it will be like at the conference. So this day was really great and entertaining, apart from Allen not being able to join us.

On Saturday the 7^th I had lunch with Susan and then saw Allen for an hour before he left for his hometown. I miss him a lot already and can’t wait for the conference! Then Sinky came over for a short while. It was the last time I saw her before she leaves for Canada. Hopefully she will visit me in Quebec before heading back to China. She is really cool and I’m sure she will have a great time in Canada. Ryerson will take care of her. J On Sunday, I talked with Maryse on MSN and she got me really excited about going to Hong Kong. We’re gonna go to the beach! I really miss the water. I haven’t even been swimming once in China. Then, I had to say goodbye to Charles because he was leaving for Beijing and then he’s off to Europe so he won’t be back to Shanghai before I leave. It was really sad leaving a good friend who I am not sure I will see again.

Then on Monday morning I left for the one week summer camp. I was really getting tired of the pollution and dirtiness of Shanghai. Some Chinese things like waking up to people spitting downstairs when I’m on the 6^th floor or women using their umbrellas when it’s sunny so that I always have an umbrella poking my eyes when walking on the sidewalk were starting to get on my nerves. I really needed the outdoors. This camp was the solution!

I’ll tell you everything about it in the next update because this post is already long enough as it is and I need to study for tomorrow morning’s macroeconomics exam.

As you might have noticed, I have exported my blog to nomadlife.org so that I can read your comments!