Hiking mountains in China...

I love Nature. In special mountains. Irony or not, I've lived for the last 2.5 years in Netherlands and Denmark... can you get more flat than that?? ;-)

As I'm in China, I had to explore life outside those 15 million cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Last week I visited Tai Shan, considered one of the best National Parks in China and one of the 5 holy mountains for Taoists and Buddhists. It's easily accessible by train, between Beijing and Shanghai.

I knew that this mountain, as many others, used to be routes for pilgrims for over 3,000 years, and the stair-steps reach all the way to the top. I was also expecting to find "some" visitors, although late March is still low season and a Friday is still working day...

What I found most surprising was the amount of Chinese visitors. The place was full of locals visiting and hiking the mountain. I thought I would be sort of alone and able to enjoy some silence. Ahah! Welcome to National Parks in China.. or should I say "Amusement Parks"? People seemed to enjoy the place almost as much as people enjoy Disneyland, shouting everywhere, gift-shops and people selling all kind of crap literally every 300 meters all the way to the top. Once you reach the summit, you find a little village full of restaurants, more shops, some hotels, cable car and buses to take you down. I must say it was a bit frustrating.

Even though, a little bit of exploration allowed me to find a little path where no tourists found interesting, and I found myself completely alone in the other side of the mountain (which also meant no sounds from humans at all). It was a long 1-hour walk around and back to the croud. I felt satisfied in my own pilgrimage.

I don't want to sound negative or complaining about the tourists, it's just a different perspective on being around Nature. For example, the whole path was surrounded by a dozen temples, where travelers would leave locks, money, candles and incenses for their gods. These locations were absolutely silent, calm, and peaceful, a perfect short stop while walking the way up. I loved it! That also makes me think about what people respect and why...

I met only 1 laowai (foreigner) during the whole day. Ed is from UK and he joined me on the way down, where we searched for some adventure, through the West Route. Basically no path indication, among the trees and crossing small roads, no people there, except a few local farmers...

In the end, my legs were completely destroyed, they felt like jelly... and I reeeeally enjoy the hard-sleeper on the way back to Shanghai!

What is up with Tibet?

If you don't know what I'm going to talk about...

"The 2008 unrest in Tibet began with demonstrations on March 10, 2008 (Tibetan Uprising Day), the 49^th anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. The protests soon shifted from calls for independence to violence, attacks on non-Tibetan ethnic groups, rioting, burning and looting on March 14. The protests are said to be one of the largest agitation and protests against the Chinese government's rule in 20 years. The unrest happened in the week when major local government leaders were away for the annual National People's Congress in Beijing." (source: Wikipedia)

If you want to read more, I recommend the articles Tibet and History of Tibet


Well, it happened that I was also in Beijing during that week, and I saw a LOT of policemen in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the National Congress (photos soon...). I'm passionate about Tibet's history, geography and culture, and a sequence of events happened to me last week during my Easter Break holidays (I traveled in Beijing and Mount Tai)...

YouTube is blocked everywhere in Mainland China since March 14 when the violence started. According to a conversation I had with a Brazilian media correspondent in Beijing on March 16, there is no International Media really covering what is happening in Tibet and the only ones are backpackers taking photos and video and trying to upload material and write on the web. The Government and BBC were taking about 10 deaths but over 300 had already been killed by Sunday. Another conversation with a person from the Danish Embassy gave a me a better picture: by March 18 there were 3 Danish travelers in Tibet, trying to run away from the province while their families seek the Embassy for information (which they also don't have). Since the beginning of the protests, no foreigners are allowed in Tibet and I heard comments that this policy could continue until after the Olympics in August. I met a couple of days ago a Colombian backpacker, who flew to Beijing to find out she couldn't travel to Tibet. Without possibilities to reach Katmandu in Nepal (the flights from Beijing stop in Lhasa and no foreigners are allowed in the plane), she was going to fly from Hong Kong instead, desappointed with her bad luck.

Being part of the AIESEC community in Shanghai, I would definitely expect lots of dialogue going on about this situation. After all, AIESEC is about cultural understanding and challenging our world views. There were over 50 messages on the local list between March 18-20. I wqas surprised to read the different points of view until I got shocked by a message, posted by a Chinese person I knew quite well (and I trust her words): "Now has called for a stop of discussion sensitive issues here. Because it might affect AIESEC's existence and even our personal safety - which is sensible. I just want to point out, when things happen, those who are concerned also live in the fear of disappearing, including myself." It happens that Google hosts the list, where many foreigner interns and local Chinese AIESECers participate, and the list contents are open for anyone to search and find it.

I think this is just the beginning... and the Big Brother is watching me...

Hugs from China!

Beijing and beyond

I have one week off from school, starting today. Chinese people don't celebrate Easter but the Danes take the whole week off. At least it gives me some opportunities for adventures in China!

I found a partner, Torben, and we are leaving in a couple of hours by train to Beijing. 13 hours, "hard-sleeper" as they call it. Tomorrow I will meet with Paulo Egídio, old friend from AIESEC Florianópolis who moved to China 3 years ago, studied Mandarin and started to work for a Brazilian company here. Looking forward to meet him again! I arrived at the train station at 9.30am and at 10.30am we will play football! After that, a Brazilian barbacue (churrasco) with caipirinha! That's VIP treatment!

My plans for this trip is to relax but also get some adventure adrenaline back in my blood, so the idea is to mix of bit of each in a cheap-as-possible scheme: Beijing, The Great Wall, and some locations outside Beijing, in Henan province. I'm still checking on Lonely Planet for a good off-the-beaten-track destination...

I expect Internet to be limited the next week but I will try to write here a few times...

Endless Sea (Mar sem Fim)

Today I found on YouTube a video-clip of one of my favourite quotes, and it translates amazingly well what I feel today being in China for almost one month and a half... hope you enjoy it and feel inspired :D


In Portuguese:

"... Hoje entendo bem meu pai. Um homem precisa viajar. Por sua conta, não por meio de histórias, imagens, livros ou tv. Precisa viajar por si, com seus olhos e pés, para entender o que é seu. Para um dia plantar as suas próprias árvores e dar-lhes valor. Conhecer o frio para desfrutar do calor. E o oposto. Sentir a distância e o desabrigo para estar bem sob o próprio teto. Um homem precisa viajar para lugares que não conhece para quebrar essa arrogância que nos faz ver o mundo como o imaginamos, e não simplesmente como é ou pode ser; que nos faz professores e doutores do que não vimos, quando deveríamos ser alunos, e simplesmente ir ver". (do livro Mar sem fim, de Amyr Klink)


In English:

"Today I undertand well my father. A man needs to travel. By himself, not through stories, images, books or TV. He needs to travel on his own, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his own. So that one day he plants his own trees and treasure them. He needs to get to know the cold in order to enjoy the warmth. And the oposite. Feel the distance and the lack of protection in order to feel good under his own roof. A man needs to travel to places he does not know to brake this arrogance that make us see the world as we imagine it, instead of simply as it is or can be; that make us professors and doctors of what we haven't seen, when we should be students, and simply go and see it."

(excerpt from the book Endless Sea (available on Amazon.com), written by Brazilian adventurer Amyr Klink)

AIESEC, always there

Being in Shanghai is not only a "dejavù" of São Paulo (see previous post) but also a dejavù of Amsterdam. The reason is AIESEC. Although I left the organization as an active member in 2005, 2.5 years ago, nobody can say we "leave AIESEC"... it's always there. Some people don't make use of it, but it's always there.

Before leaving Denmark I contacted some old AIESEC friends like Jingwei Zhou (which was president of AIESEC in China while I was president in Brazil) and she sent me to the local AIESEC list and connected me to other people in town. As we arrived in Shanghai and the Spring Holidays ended, the gang reunited. Over 20 interns, dozens of Chinese AIESECers and dozens of "friends", or people who became part of the network because they knew AIESECers somehow.

The traditional "De Heffer" Monday night drinks are replaced in great style by "Zapatas" free drinks Monday night - and the regulars even become known as Zapatarians ;-). Wednesday is ladies' night at Barbarossa, Thursday fuss ball night at Tequilaz and weekend partying :) Of course I'm not an intern anymore, as I used to be (a rich abn intern by the way ;-)) I have to be very careful with my limited budget...

Zapatas last Monday - Feb.18

Besides the social events, many interesting connections and opportunities also come from the network... it makes me feel quite proud to see such openness and curiosity among interns and alumni anywhere we go.

AIESEC, always there.

Internet BANNED!!!

This was one of my first culture shocks upon arrival in Shanghai. The Internet is really censored... ok I knew it but I never imagined how it is to live with it!

Some examples...

• Wikipedia, fully blocked...
• Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress, fully blocked...
• CNN, BBC News, partially blocked (sensitive news)...
• Amnesty.org, blocked...
• Amazon.com, fully blocked...
  

YouTube, it has been blocked for a few weeks, now fully open... Google works fine (GMail, Google Apps, etc) except Google Video. When playing any video, the message you receive is very polite:

"Currently, the playback feature of Google Video isn't available in your country. We hope to make this feature available more widely in the future, and we really appreciate your patience."


Flickr, blocked to "sensitive" material, some photos cannot be displayed, including ANY PHOTO TAGGED AS SHANGHAI! I could even imagine that normal Chinese people should not see how Shanghai looks like (very western-like)... and that thought is scary!

If you would like to check on websites (if they are blocked or not), please let me know and I can test it for you :D

As I talked with some expats, many sites are blocked for few weeks and then open again, so the "black-list" changes every week. I also found out some annonymous free proxy servers. Cool, easy, although a bit slower, it works!!!

After all, I cannot live without Wikipedia! :D

First observations on Shanghai...

... extremely exotic or surprisingly familiar?

I must admit, I felt shocked and amazed by the first views on Shanghai: the dimensions of the Pudong Airport and the elevated roads crossing next to the place we were staying the first two weeks (soon I realized that elevated roads exist all around the city!)...

I also quickly felt a "dejavù" feeling: the permanent noise, anytime of day or night; the pollution; the dust; the fog and the crazy traffic where apparently nobody respects it, including bikers, pedestrians and of course, cars. The city is huge and there are around 20 million people living here. Yes, in many aspects Shanghai reminds me of São Paulo.

Another similarities:

- the prices and the price range. You can find products, restaurants and services ranging from very very cheap to extraordinary expensive. A beer can cost between €0.50 (R$1,30) up to €6.00 (R$20,00)... It seems to be a common reality in rich cities in developing countries.

- Security awareness. Buildings are surrounded by walls and fences, with security men in front gates, and first floor windows are generally covered by fences. As I was told, people brake-in houses and apartments to steal stuff, but they would never carry weapons or use of violence on someone else.

- Tall apartment buildings. Shanghai looks a gigantic forest of buildings, very very high. The old traditional neighbourhoods being bulldozed for the new buildings to rise.

I was going to write about the public transportation system in Shanghai, but I will wait until tomorrow, when millions of people come back from holidays to work. I'm very curious to get the metro in the morning! :S

Chinese New-Years... the year of the RAT!

Last Wednesday evening we celebrated Chinese New-Years, as part of the Spring Holidays in China. I didn't know much what to expect, after spending New-Years eve in 5 different countries in my life.

First of all, Spring Holidays is "THE" holidays in China. For two weeks, over 300.000.000 (yes, 3 hundred million) people go back home to see their families. As people work a lot in China and many of them live far away from home, this is the only opportunity in the year to see family. For that reason as well the snow storms last weeks were so devastating, because it made most trains and airports slow down or close while millions were on their trips.

New-Years eve seems to be like Christmas eve in Brazil, a moment for the family-at-large get together and eat a lot. In our case here in Shanghai, we also had a fantastic dinner, but with bunches of internationals and expatriates who didn't go home or didn't spend time with Chinese friends (which is also something not very common, but I will write about that later when I figure out more on that).

After dinner we went to a local club for the party, and at around mid-night we went outside to see the fireworks and firecrackers. I must admit that I prefer the Brazilian version, it's noisier and more beautiful, usually. What called my attention was the risks involved with setting up fireworks and firecrackers in the streets, by local Chinese people, while taxis try to go around and people cover their ears for the noise and try to protect themselves against possible accidents. The whole street looked like a war zone with bombs, smoke, fire and people running all around... peaceful, happy but still not very safe, at all...

Later on after a couple of hours I got tired of the music and expensive drinks and together with some colleagues we found a private party, someone met someone and there we went, partying at this amazing flat in a rich building, rented by a French guy who is the marketing manager for another famous top club in town. We left his home at 7 in the morning when the sun was rising, and the year of the rat was just starting...

Last night I was trying to go to sleep, and I was surprised by the fireworks and firecrackers outside... really noisy, actually it seemed even more than during new-years eve... today we asked and indeed it was more noisy. The logic behind is that Chinese people celebrate the 5th day of the new-year (as part of the spring holidays) as much as new-years eve, and by setting up fireworks they "welcome the new to arrive"... so now I can say the year has started!! Or maybe I misunderstood the whole point, which by the way might be very possible :P

Anybody have seen the film Lost in Translation...?? Yeah, that's me!

Shanghai? What the f... are you doing there????

I have arrived in Shanghai yesterday afternoon and I realized I "forgot" to tell some people about it. Not nice... :D

I came here to spend three months, until end of April, and this is part of my Education at the Kaospilots. Every class of students (called Team) goes abroad for three months during their 4th semester, with the goal of exploring new trends and movements outside Europe. Previously the Kaospilots have been to Durban in South Africa after the end of the apartheid, in San Francisco during the Internet boom, Havana and Vancouver. This year the choice was Shanghai, China, with the overall purpose of studying and researching Social Innovation.

Shanghai is believed to be a "mover" in this early 21st century, capable of create changes that would influence east and west societies. Sort of London, New York, Paris of this new millennium... with over 18 million people and being the financial and economical capital of China, host of the World EXPO 2010, we can assume this statement might become true. Anyway, many challenges and many opportunities, and a bunch of young creative hippies from Scandinavia are here to find out - and publish it - in the 12 weeks...

Besides researching on Social Innovation, we will be working for 4 weeks on projects with local clients, which gives both funds to travel to China and also opportunities to work together with Chinese people and learn with them. The project I'm involved with is together with HaPe International, a toy company who has created a unique line of products based on bamboo. Our task is to use our creativity and idea development capabilities and create a new toy for their 2009 catalog, using sustainable materials such as bamboo, cotton, wood... very challenging and pretty interesting task. We will have the chance to visit their factory, their research & development department and even the Anji bamboo Forest near Shanghai.

I made a promise to write at least once a week in this blog, and I am sure I will have a lot to write about. Keep in touch, more to come... :)