PRC celebrates its 60th anniversary

No wonder it is so hard for me to concentrate today.

The major Chinese news websites and online BBS that I often visit are flooded with reports of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

Even some of my friends known to stay up late at night told me they have to sign off early so that they can get up on time to watch the parade tomorrow.

Because of the time difference, the big, much hyped celebration in Beijing that I have been drooling for such a long time has already begun at the other side of the Pacific, leaving me saddly typing this post in the evening of September 30th.

Two days ago when I chatted with friends in Beijing via video skype, they were bragging about all the fun and hypes now everywhere in that ancient city.

“Why don’t you fly back for the National Holiday now?” They asked. “You will miss the parades and parties if you wait too long…”

I know it already, so just hold your horses, my friend.

Look at what I have been through. A month or two ago I started to check the flight schedules and airfares, and got an instant sticker shock. The airfare for leaving the U.S. on September 30th through October 2nd is almost twice the price if I leave on the 3rd. On top of that, there is no way that I can get an upgrade to the business.

What a rip-off! Unlike the summer or Christimas, October is not a peak season to go to China.

Should I say as if every single airline tries to “block” my plan to go back before October 1st? I even called the special elite line and tried to “sweet-talk” my way…Well, there is no way…

The only comfort that I got today is from the artist who created my beloved Maodou the Piggy, who updated his blog with a set of new gif images.

“Alas, Maodou finally learned how to march in the parade.” He wrote, “Maodou also plans to carry two small flags and head to the parks for fun”.

While watching the live webcast I was already impressed with the parades, but then this picture put a big smile on my face.

Mortgage, please

Two of my friends recently applied for mortgage to finance their home purchase. According to their stories, the pain and frustration they have to go through are astonishing.

One just closed today, who started to work with the Wells Fargo mortgage since May. It is unbelievable to see how many ridiculous demands these mortgage companies have come up these days.

She is simply buying an apartment in a high-end building in the downtown area. Good neighbourhood, professional management. Well, Wells Fargo said that building is not “high” enough, and certain paints in the building are too old. After the building management spent $36,000 to re-paint the interior, the Wells Fargo rejected her mortgage application for no reason. In the end, she had to go through a local credit union to get a mortgage.

“Can you believe that? Even with the credit union of my school which is well aware of my employment contract and history, I still have to put down a 38% down-payment!” She shook her head.

Another friend was buying a lake front house, here is some of the hells that he had to go through. Apparently, his past three years’ income tax returns are not good enough. The mortgage company demanded him to provide the documentation for every single bank transaction in the most three months. Watch out for that lunch you bought with your debit card, buddy!

Then, all of sudden, the mortgage company became “concerned” that the house is close to a lake, and demanded additional paperwork and inspections. Hum, didn’t they read the description of the lake-front house when they received the loan application in the first place? Isn’t there something called “Flood Insurance” in this country? On top of that, if this concern pervails, then shouldn’t anyone ever get a mortgage loan in New Orleans — aren’t most of houses in that city not close to water, but periodically in the water?

The newest gig the mortgage company came out last three days is that there is a private road shared by 7 neighbours. In the past there is an implicit agreement of sharing the maintainance expenses. Well, that issue suddenly made the company nervous. As a result, he has to ask his neighbours to form a homeowners’ association, and provide a written agreement from all seven neighbours, explicitly stating the sharing schedule of the maintainance expenses, all within 4 days before the closing!

“They kept adding more and more stuff, and the stuff they ask for is getting more and more ridiculous.” He ended up laughing.

“Don’t buy a house!” They both warned me in the end.

This is where I get confused the most.

Two three years ago, everyone can get a mortgage; now, no one can get a mortage.

Both are extremely well paid professionals with pretty good job security. Wealthy, great credit history, yet none of them had a better luck of getting a mortgage.

They are the applicants that mortgage companies feel most secured. And they are not applying some jumbo loans for monster mansions. In essence, these are the “super-prime” loans we are talking about.

I just do not see the rationale behind for the mortgage companies to try all their way to  make these people miserable. Don’t we all need folks like them to pull us out of the housing crisis?

It is the lack of rationale and intelligence of these mortgage companies that get  us into trouble in the first  place, shouldn’t they learn something from this?

Well, maybe by asking that question I have already assumed too much.

The first day of autumn

Today is the first day of the Autumn. Normally I get depressed on this day.

The beginning of the fall means the end of the summer. And I still cannot believe that the summer is over: Why do I always have this feeling that I have not fully enjoyed my summer yet?

My friends do not understand. “The fall would be beautiful. You will see the change of leaf color, clear sky, pleasant breeze…So why get depressed?”

Well, they do not get it. Technically I am more “forward looking”. I love the fall colors, but I also know after the fall colors will be trees with empty branches, gloomy sky, and chilly weather.

This morning started as a perfect day to mourn. The sky is cloudy with light drizzle, and having prepared last night for my presentation today, I was not in a good mode to being with.

However, by the afternoon, the day brightened up. Blue sky, white cloud, brisk breeze, as if I am back in a typical summer day.

Of course, it certainly did not hurt when I did a “killer” presentation. Given some of my previous experience, and the unfamiliar field the project is in, I was not sure how the audience would have perceived it.

As it turned out, the presentation rocked–I basically sailed the whole thing through.

It gave me also a great joy when my advisor told me he likes it. I can sense how proud he was.

Hum, now I wonder whether the friendliness of the audience has anything to do with my Custo top and True Religion jeans.

Benming Year

One of the most important parts of the Chinese belief of the 12 zodiac animals is the concept of “Benming Year”. As there are twelve animals used to number years, the year represented by the same animal as that in a person’s birth year returns every 12 years, which is traditionally called “Benming Year” (literally meaning “a year of personal destiny”).

The general belief is that in each of this benming year, crucial (also potentially bad) things would happen. So one of the traditions is to wear red lucky belt and underwear to fight off the devil.

2 stopped by this afternoon from an archery trip. “I want to let you know that I am divorcing from my wife.”

That was the least I have expected. I know he had some issues with his wife lately, but nothing sounds so seriously.

Let’s face it, couples fight, but divorce is not part of the Chinese culture.

“In fact, she dumped me.”

Chill ran through my bones. I do not know what to say.

2 is not a shy and quiet type that is commonly observed among the Chinese in this country. He is a typical Beijing native that just like all Beijing natives, works hard, but also thinks highly of himself. I understand that is the part his ego cannot put up with.

“We have been staying up late these days, dividing assets. It hurts like bullets piecing through my heart. I bought each single piece of them…” His tears ran through his face.

Among these assets, I know there is this 1.5 carate diamond ring that he bought with his savings to wed his wife at that time. That probably is the worst part of the whole thing.

“Bad luck of my benming year.” He sighed. “Do you know any good fortune teller?”

I poured him a cup of freshly brewed green tea. “I do not believe in fate. The minute you let someone tells you about your destiny, you lose your own control of it.”

Then I remembered when I returned from China in February this year, his wife stopped by for coffee and found this lovely red ox, a cute stuffed animal on my desk that I brought back from Chinese new year.

“Wow, it is so cute! Do you mind if you send it to me? This year is 2’s benming year and I want to give him a red ox.”

So she walked away with the little red ox. The minute later I had to call my buddy in Beijing to get me another one.

That was seven months ago, but everything felt like yesterday.

2 told me he planned to return to China by the end of the year, but his parents were strongly against the idea. “At least wait for your green card”, he told me what they said, “If things do not work out in Beijing then you would have a backup place to go.”

I do not understand why these old people are so fixated about that green card. 2 is a careful guy, the green card thing definitely has come to his mind. But if he decided to return before he gets the green card, then something is seriously wrong between him and his wife.

There is nothing I can do besides trying to comfort him.

“Go back.” I said. “You will get a break. You like it back at home. Why not give a try? Besides, you would have all your friends.”

The social life in the United States is like numerous circles. Each small, but making one so hard to move from one to another. Maybe this is why the social network sites such as Facebook are so popular.

Back in China, there are circles, but each with a low entry barrier. Several people get together, two three bottles of beer then you can chat everything. It is so easy for anyone to know each other. That is the part of the life in Beijing 2 misses the most.

When 2 left, I can sense that he is more determined to return to Beijing than when he came to my door.

I walked him to his car and waved him away.

That little red ox was sitting quietly on the rear window of his car.

Now I really need a glass of Merlot.

09.09.13

Let’s do the numbers, again. ^_^

Probably I am not the only one whose eyes are bigger than stomach. I guess this is especially true when it comes to cake. The green tea cake we had back in August is 8″, and there were five people sharing it. Now the cake is 10″ but less than five people tasting it.

Two big slices down, and the cake looks like as if untouched. Now I wonder that one full hour of morning exercise is really worth the effort. Even the cake came from the Asian bakery and therefore was not that sweet, my bet is that I have done more calories than what I have exercised off.

2 brought a pack of Yanjing Beer yesterday. What a surprise! This is truly an unusual find in the midwest.

I notice that the QingDao Beer is the only Chinese beer widely available here. But back in China, Yanjing Beer is way popular than QingDao.

Yanjing Draft, it says on the familiar green bottle. We are so happy to see the beer finally made to this country. I’d admit that the beer tastes fine, but weaker than what they supply in China.

But hey, it is whole a lot better than before, right? A cake from an Asian bakery and a pack of Yanjing Beer. Looks like a full Asian day.

Nothing to complain. I am happy!

09.09.09

“Let’s do the numbers!”

One of the kicks from the last year’s Beijing Summer Olympics is the Chinese numerology, which all of sudden became so fashionable. Of course, the NBC anchors’ endless repeating during the broadcasting of the opening ceremony definitely helped spread the public awareness as why the time and the date of the special event–08.08.08 at 08:08PM–were so special.

However, fashion fades. Especially in this country. So it took me a bit surprise when I opened my internet browser this morning and found that Google’s home page was decorated with 9s: 09.09.09 09:09:09.

In Chinese, the number 9 has the same pronunciation as “everlasting”, which makes people believe that the number ensures longevity and everlasting love. What makes today event more special, is the three 9s in September 9, 2009, which is considered the ultimate. Note that only triple 9s are meaningful, according to the Chinese numerology.

Therefore, it is not surprising to see that Beijing alone registered 19,000 couples in this day. Anticipating a huge demand, the government imposed an advanced reservation system for whoever want to get married on September 9, 2009. To make sure they get their desired wedding registered on this day, some even showed up in the midnight when the advanced appointment became available.  

Reports about the government adding extra employees to meet the demand, and many branch offices opening for 24 hours on this day have been flooding the major news sites. 

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. Well, probably Leo Tolstoy’s famous opening line in his Anna Karenina is not always true. At least for today, happy couples in China showed off their wedding registry cards and happiness in their own way.

This couple danced in front of the big red banner displayed outside the Wedding Registry Office of the Chaoyang District. 

And this couple chose to display their “hard-earned” wedding registry cards along with their wedding flowers.

The everlasting happy number even spreaded outside China. According to a Xinhua news report, 500 couples got married on this date in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia.

09.09.09 is also meaningful for me. So what do I get on this special day?

Well, pink roses, the everlasting symbol of love, of course. :-)