Funny Encounter with the Chinese Police

Helloooo jetlag face!

Back in 2011 before I stared this blog, I studied abroad in China.  If you've been my reader for very long, chances are you already know that.  Sometimes when I get nostalgic, I like to post about my experiences on the blog that I never told before.  I did start this blog while I was living in China, but only about 3 weeks before I returned to the United States, so my stories were very summarized.

Today, I want to tell you one of my favorite stories - one that always has me laughing uncontrollably.  

If you aren't familiar with China's housing registration laws, they can be somewhat strict.  Foreigners must register with the police within 48 hours of living at a residence.  Typically when you stay in a hotel or hostel, you are exempt from visiting the police station because they will register for you.  However, if you move into a more permanent setting (apartment) you need to register within 48 hours.  

My first night Skyping Tyler from my hotel!

For the first two weeks of being in China, my friend and I stayed in a hotel while we waited for Yunnan University to place us in either a dorm or with a host family.  Long story short, my friend and I decided to rent an apartment together.  Ready to get out of the hotel, we made a mad dash to find a two bedroom apartment - and did so within two days.  It was right across the road from campus!

The apartment before couch, table, and beds.

Once the apartment manager bought furniture for the empty apartment so we could move in, we packed our suitcases and rolled them from the fifth floor of the hotel, through the hilly campus, and then up three flights of stairs.  I carried my big suitcase, my very full backpack, my stuffed animal, and pillow.  It doesn't seem like much, and the walk really wasn't that far (not even a kilometer), but it was the longest walk of my life - and it was at like 10:00 pm with jetlag.

The next day, we went down to the police station to register that we were now staying in the new apartment.  The police officers didn't speak any English, we didn't understand what we were supposed to do with the forms (when we'd try to do it one way they'd start yelling and we'd just be confused).  But really when Chinese people "yell" they aren't really yelling, it just feels, sounds, and looks like they are yelling.

Finally they took our passports and made copies, took the registration form and let us leave.  

We thought that meant everything was good.

But what we didn't realize is that we needed to go re-register after our school changed our tourist visas to residency permits.  (Being forced to get the tourist visas vs. the student visas is another frustrating story for another time.)  So about a month or so later, we get a knock at our door around 7 or 8 pm.  This was strange since we didn't know many people yet, and we hadn't invited many classmates to our apartment yet. 

When we opened the door, there stood an policeman.  He was an older man a little on the heavy side (for a Chinese person), and he seemed to be really jolly.  We had absolutely no idea why he was at our apartment, and we couldn't understand his dialect.  Fortunately, one of our teachers wrote his phone number on the board in case we ever got into trouble.  I got out my notes to find the number and call our teacher.  My teacher spoke to the officer for a moment and then the officer gave the phone back to me.

As the policeman was waiting for my teacher to explain what was going on, he began looking for a place to sit.

This is the futon in all its brightness.  But it only shows its true colors when you fold it down and sit on the wrong end.

When we moved into the apartment, the apartment manager put a bright pink futon in the living room to serve as our couch.  The futon would fold down, so we could use it for a  larger study space, or to make more room for movie watching.  The only catch was that when the back folded down, it didn't have support legs.  So if a person tried to sit on the side that would normally be the back of the futon without another person sitting on the normal side, it would tip.  

On that particular day, the back was folded down, and the side without legs was furthest from the wall.  (We had been sitting with our backs against the wall and our feet out on the legless side of the futon.)

My teacher had just spoken with the police officer, and was now attempting to tell me what the problem was on the phone.  I saw the police officer start to bend his knees and stick his hind end over the side of our futon that didn't have support legs.  

I PANICKED.

And when I panicked, I forgot pretty much all Chinese I ever knew.  I didn't know how to tell him to stop sitting, so I just said "Wait a minute, wait a minute!"  He still had it in his head that he was going to sit, and didn't realize why I was telling him to wait and kept trying to sit down.

Finally my roommate caught on to what I was trying to stop the police officer from doing, and pushed the couch so that it would tilt to show what would have happened.  I pulled the chair out from the desk nearby and removed the books so he could sit there.  He chuckled and sat in that chair.

What a relief!  The last thing we needed was an elderly policeman falling on the floor in our apartment!  Not only could he have lost face, but could have been injured.  And if either of those things had happened, I'm not sure what would have happened to us!

It turned out the reason the police officer came to our apartment was because according to their records, our visas had expired the day before.  He came, checked our passports and saw our residency permits and realized that everything was fine.  We just had to go update our registration the next day.

6 Things to Consider Packing When Moving Abroad

When I moved to China for about 6 months, I thought I had thought of everything I could have needed when I packed my bags.  I practiced packing my bags several months before leaving, and spent two weeks actually packing them to make sure that I didn't forget anything.  Inevitably, there were some things I just didn't think about needing in another country.  This small list encompasses most things that I hadn't already thought of...

A small list of things you might not have thought to consider while packing for another country:

Measuring Utensils:  If you're from the good 'ole US of A, I'm gonna go ahead and guess that you are not very familiar with the metric system. (Why are we one of the only countries who still haven't implemented this system into practical use?)  Even if you have a general understanding of the metric system from science class or elementary school, it is just hard to use when it isn't how you learned to cook food.  One thing I wished I had brought with me to China were measuring spoons and cups.  While I could guestimate well to an extent, it would have been helpful when I wanted to cook for the holidays if I'd had some familiar measuring utensils.  Even when cooking simple recipes like pancakes, I had to think of things in terms of percentages instead of being able to whip out a simple measuring set.

Spices:  If you plan on cooking some familiar foods while you live abroad, I would suggest bringing some common spices that are not widely available around the world.  If you're moving to Asia, I'd suggest if you're used to using any Italian or Mexican spices to bring those.  If you'll be there for the holidays, don't forget to read up on your favorite recipes.  Chances are many of those spices included in the recipes will not be available in your new country.  But do research spices before you leave, as most countries will carry spices such as cinnamon, curry, and other spices that are used worldwide. Some spices I had my mom send me might have actually been available in China, I just couldn't find some of them.

I just took a picture of some random spices that I guessed might not be widely available everywhere.  They might actually be available in many places.  But as each area's food culture varies, you'll have to do your own research on what spices you won't have access to.

Recipes FROM SCRATCH:  I would advise anyone preparing to move to another country to read up on how to make some of their favorite foods from scratch.  Especially holiday meals.  Have you ever made green bean casserole without Cream of Mushroom Soup?  Have you ever made pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin, or without evaporated milk?  Nope, you're not going to find a ready-to-go pie crust in China.  Even if you can find these products, they will most likely be sold at the import price in a specialty import store, which is 2 or 3 times the price that you would pay for it in your home country.  If you are prepared ahead of time to make your dishes without processed foods, you'll be thankful in the long run.  You're welcome.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner in China...Roast Duck, Deviled Eggs, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Potato Salad...basically all this stuff was what we could find to buy at the market.  For Christmas we attempted to have a few less carbs on the table and planned not being able to have typical ingredients a little better.

I learned how to cook for real in China, and I also learned how to "DIY" a chicken...meaning I had to cut it up myself. ;)  If you're a youngster moving abroad like I was, you might get some cooking lessons from your grandma before you leave.  I would have found it quite beneficial.  But I digress...

Gifts:  In many cultures, it is customary to bring small gifts for people who come into your life or who help you.  I cannot even count how many international and exchange students would give me a small gift just for helping them move in at the beginning of the school year.  Sometimes I did not even see that person again, but I still remember them because of their small token of appreciation.  When I went to China, I brought some dream catchers and rose rocks - both which are very relevant to Oklahoma - that I gave out to friends.

via

Shoes:  I'm including shoes on this list, because EVERY SINGLE TRAVEL ARTICLE I've ever read has said to bring fewer shoes.  I'd just like to combat this, because I have a somewhat large foot, and it was extremely difficult to find shoes in Asia that would fit my foot.  When it got cold for the winter, I needed some warm shoes and couldn't find anything that fit.  When I finally did, the quality was so poor that they stretched out and didn't fit anymore.  I was also glad I brought several types of shoes, because during the rainy season I would often have to wait a week for a pair of rain soaked shoes to dry in humid weather.

When I left for China, I only brought my brown TOMs, black tennis shoes, and flip flops.  By the end of my time there, this is the equivalent of the shoes I already had plus the shoes I bought.  (The house shoes and black boots are "stand in" props for the real shoes that I left in China before I came back).

Keep Weight Fluctuation in Mind When Packing:  I have stayed in two different places in the world besides my home country.  I lived for one month in Cardiff, Wales, and for about six months in Kunming, China.  During the small month I lived in Cardiff, I gained between 5 and 10 pounds.  Sad, sad...I know.  But I only get Nandos once in my life (as far as I know) and I was going to eat it up!  Then, when I lived in China, I lost about 10 pounds.  Luckily I went to Cardiff first, eh?  Keep in mind the different diets you are likely to have in different countries.  I expected that I would lose weight in China, yet I brought a pair of jeans that fit but weren't snug when I left.  The other jeans I brought were tight, but fit just about right (a little loose) by the time I was coming back to the states.  By the time I'd been there a month or two, I couldn't even stand to wear the pair of jeans that weren't tight to begin with anymore because they were falling off.  Oh, and it is hard to find jeans in China (even if you are only 5'2) because Chinese girls don't have "them American thighs."

I really never thought I would have quoted AC/DC ever in my life, especially on my blog.  ;)  But there you have it.

This is probably what Chinese society was singing silently the last few times I wore those pants before I decided to get rid of them...

Oh, and if you didn't get the point of that quote above, it is because American thighs don't fit in pencil shaped pants. haha

What things do you wish you would have packed before living a stint in another country?

Kunming City Scenes

 The week before I left China, I went around the city in attempts to take some good pictures of the city for memory's sake.  I ended up with some beautiful pictures from the Green Lake area in the center of the city.  Enjoy!

 Kunming skyline taken from Green Lake.

Just as I was about to leave China, celebrations for the lunar new year were just beginning.  I love the festivity in the Green Lake park area! 

I just love how some of these dusk scenes turned out.  They really show the liveliness and color of the city.

The Bird and Flower Market - basically a giant flea market, but with a lot more variety!  They sell collectibles, and many people sell plants, animals, instruments...you name it.  If you ever go here, don't forget to bargain hard!

The sidewalks are marked in texture so that the blind can find their way around.

Musicians playing at Green Lake.

This trash area was on my way to the small outdoor produce market where I often shopped.

If you ever have the chance to visit Kunming, I would highly recommend!  It really is a beautiful city, as well as Yunnan is a very pretty province.

The Yunnan Provincial Zoo {Travel Tuesday}

Today, I'm taking you on another China throwback to when I went to the Yunnan Provincial Zoo.  I'd have to say this was BY FAR the best zoo experience I've ever had!  The animals were mostly out and active, largely due to the fact that patrons can pay to feed many of them.  

When we started off in the zoo, we were in a children's area that also had animal cubs and animals that are of particular interest to children - like monkeys, bunnies, etc.

These little tiger cubs were so adorable, and were play fighting each other while we were there.  

I LOVED how close we could be to the tiger cubs!

  Just before we left to move on to the next part of the zoo, they cuddled up to take a nap.

We were feeding these bear cubs some carrots.

This raccoon seems really fat!

 I'm not sure what type of animal this was...but something seems wrong with it.  :(

  

On our way to the next part of the zoo, some people asked us if we wanted to sit on the camel.  I thought I'd get to ride it, but I guess it was just for pictures.  It was still super cool to sit on it, and well worth the ¥10!

Okay, I've gotta say that I didn't realize camels were so BIG before this!  And this wasn't our last adventure with camels that day...

 The zebras are SO pretty!

One of the highlights of my life!  I would get yelled at all over again to pet a zebra again!

A view of Kunming from a hill to the next section of the zoo...so pretty!

This is the crazy camel.  Scroll down for why he's crazy.

My American classmate wanted his picture taken with the camels.  Let's just say that we were actually made to buy insurance in addition to the gate fee at the zoo, and once we got in we realized the insurance was in good reason!

Here's why you need insurance to enter the Yunnan Provincial Zoo:

The camel's face in the middle picture has me rolling in laughter every time! hahaha  And the fact that the grass in it's mouth is flying in the wind....oh goodness! Funniest picture on earth.

Oh, and you know those awkward moments when you know you should be asking someone if they are alright but instead you are laughing your butt off?  Yeah, this was one of those moments.

Now off to find the other zoo animals!
This Emu was not in a cage and was the scariest thing ever...

Just look at its evil glare!

Dawwww...

Maybe a once in a lifetime chance to see a live panda?   

"I'm a lazy panda.  I like to eat, and I like to sleep."

Yunnan is probably one of the most beautiful places I've seen!

The tigers were absolutely beautiful. 

Love the white tigers!

One of the coolest (and probably more "inhumane") aspects of this part of the zoo was the "tiger fishing."  Curious what I mean, read about it here.

You can pay ¥10 for a slab of meat, tie it to a bamboo pole with a rope and let the tigers catch the meat.  I wouldn't think this was mean except that I think the tigers in the cages closest to the meat vendor were overfed, and the tigers furthest were underfed.  Not only that, but we saw some of the zoo patrons who would never let the tigers actually catch the meat and were teasing them to the point that they started fighting each other.  Just like with any cat, you should play with them long enough for it to be fun, but eventually let them get the treat.  I thought it was cool to get to play with a tiger, but overall I think the unmonitored and uncontrolled aspect of this idea is mean to the animals.

This tiger is looking at the meat he is about to run and catch.

Loved this guy's face.  They walked around freely, and thought we would feed them.  When they found out you have food, they would chase you down.  

The zookeeper kept telling Sam “不怕他” which means, "Don't be afraid of him." haha

Some of the best parts of the zoo in Yunnan was how much interaction you can have with the animals.  You can feed many of them, and are much closer to the animals that you would be at the zoo here in the U.S.  I can definitely see how many aspects of this zoo aren't exactly "safe", and also how the animals might not be treated as well as they are in American zoos.  With some of the animals living in dangerous circumstances (we saw a monkey chewing on a piece of wood with nails sticking out of it), I really can't agree with that and would only hope for a change for better conditions.  However, the interaction with the animals made this by far my best zoo experience ever!