Beijing gym on a whim

It began as a rather normal Sunday. I was furtively hunting for some new teaching materials to bring to school. On this particular occasion, I was searching for sandpaper so that students could test the durability of rocks...but let's get back to the story.

After a forty minute walk I still hadn't located any kind of paper, except for the occasional discarded leaflet drifting solemnly in the breeze. If I kept walking on this unsuccessful mission then perhaps my worn down feet would suffice as an abrasive material to test rocks. This lack of sandpaper was starting to rub me up the wrong way.

Suddenly, I saw something promising in the distance. It was the characters "五金" which I knew meant hardware. Just like the mirage of a water fountain in a desert, I stumbled onwards to reach the beautiful vision before me. It was not my imagination - it was a real hardware shop! The shopkeeper gave me a strange look when I requested sandpaper, but to my relief and sheer euphoria, I became the proud owner of eight sheets for approximately 80 pence.

The shop in the centre with a blue sign is a sandpaper utopia

Feeling quite happy with myself, I left the hardware shop and was met by a young man trying to entice members of the public to join a nearby gym. This is quite a common occurrence in Beijing. If I had one yuan for every time I was handed a gym leaflet by someone on a street corner, I could afford a hefty supply of sandpaper by now. However, I had been considering joining a gym for a while and since this was the first person to offer me an actual view of the gym , I decided to check it out.

The gym was just a short walk from the sandpaper paradise shop. I was still buoyed by my triumphant mission and quite enjoyed the labyrinth that was the gym entrance. To get to the main gym, you must first enter the building, then take the lift to the basement -1 level, sign in at reception and finally find a different lift which will take you up to the third floor.

Following a quick tour of the basket ball court, bike machine room and swimming pool on the lower -2 level, I ascended to the third floor and checked out the equipment. I was still undecided about whether I wanted to commit to a gym. It could have been the incredibly cheap one-year fee of around £200. Or perhaps it was the promise of a free swanky gym bag if I signed a contract. But I decided that I would indeed join.

With this bag, I am now a legit exerciser

I am not a social exerciser. I don't want to play a team sport and have people watching me sweat and suffer. Thankfully nobody I know seems to visit this gym which is another good selling point. Plus the free gym bag would make me look like the real deal.

Once I signed on the dotted line, I filled in some forms and a personal trainer asked me to stand on a machine which measured my weight. The jovial instructor became suddenly very serious and said that I was a number "8" on the machine's scale. If I reached number 9, he warned me that I would have terrible health issues. It is true, since coming to China, the only running I have done is occasionally running a bath. But I knew for sure that my health is not as dire as he would have me believe. I found it quite amusing but nodded all the same.

I returned to the gym the following day for a free session with the personal trainer. His English is limited to saying "OK" and counting to ten (generally leaving out number seven). I realised that not only will I be developing my health, but also my Chinese skills. He explained to me that I should run on the treadmill for thirty minutes and then he would give me a one hour class on weight training and exercising specific muscle groups. He was keen for me to him some English and also give him an English name. He seemed pretty happy that he could now be called Colin.

Colin's gym poster

After just a short time of going to the gym, I did begin to feel more energetic. I wasn't sure if it was just a placebo effect or if I was actually already feeling the benefit of exercising. I have likened it to eating a delicious yet spicy curry. The after effects the following day can be a little painful but you know that it's been a worthwhile experience. It has now been three and a half weeks since I started at the gym and I was rather chuffed to beat my personal best time by running over 6km in less than 30 minutes.

Woohoo! See you later number "8", I am going to be a "7" soon!

Colin is a trained Kung Fu teacher. He is quite strict and during one session decided to teach me some basic Kung Fu. I am guessing he did it just for a laugh. I am not the most co-ordinated or well-balanced person. After a couple of minutes of teaching me some shaky moves, he chuckled and decided to go back to weight training. Colin may be fit and healthy, but timekeeping is definitely not his forte. Although he stated that the training sessions would total one hour after I finish on the treadmill, he will often work with me for an hour and a half, sometimes almost two hours. Even though I end up exhausted, it is definitely value for money.

One thing that is a little peculiar is that after each session, Colin gives his gym members a massage. This may seem like a good idea in order to relax people's muscles after a strenuous workout. However, Colin uses a large rubber tube (almost like a thin tyre) in which to "massage" his clients. This in itself is not too uncomfortable. It kind of feels like he is trying to roll me out like a piece of dough. Once this ritual has been completed, Colin then decides to beat me with said tube. I still haven't figured out how this helps me in any way, but I'm guessing that he is trying to beat the fat out of me so that I am no longer an "8". Not so much an exercising session, more like an exorcism session. But the whole thing is funny and I usually end the class chortling on the floor (with the occasional "ouch" involved).

Instrument of torture. Apologies for the blurry quality - I was still shaking from the post workout beating.

I do live in an often highly polluted city, so I hope that I can maintain this healthy decision to regularly go to the gym. We shall see!

Chaoyang Park

What do you do when the stars align and the "powers that be" create a Beijing where the air pollution is low, the sun is shining and there is a gentle, pleasant breeze that allows you to bask in beautifully comfortable surroundings? Where do you go on those rare occasions when the gloriously golden sunlight beams down lovingly on you and the fresh air merrily caresses your lungs and encourages you to venture outside into a fantastic albeit rare, clean environment that yearns to be explored and enjoyed? 

- You visit one of Beijing's many parks of course! If you are feeling extra adventurous, you can go to Chaoyang Park which (to my knowledge) is Beijing's largest public park. It has its own small amusement park (with fairground/carnival rides), football and basketball courts, water park and lakes. You can watch people perform tai chi, flying kites and playing jianzi (in which the players must keep a weighted shuttlecock-type object in the air without using their hands).

I got lost inside this mammoth beast of a park a mere few weeks after moving to China. It's still too painful to go into too many details. Let's just say that after several hours of trying to locate friends, I soon began to panic. If only I had bothered to watch some Bear Grylls episodes. But I didn't want to resort to drinking my urine in the park. Instead I turned on my survival mode and used all the resources I had brought with me - a bag of Tsing Tao beer cans and a packet of chewing gum. I was alarmed to notice that a gaggle of stray cats had decided to stalk me around the park. They could sense my vulnerability but thankfully I struck upon an excellent idea. After a couple of cans and a quick brainstorming session, I happened to think about the Hansel and Gretel story in which they ventured into the woods but left a trail of breadcrumbs to follow in order to get back home. I had not left anything that would direct me out of the park, but in a twisted version of the fairytale, I decided to follow the trail of phlegm globules that had been hacked up by other visitors and placed sporadically around the pathway. They would have to eventually lead me to one of the exits. It was dark when I stumbled out of my temporary prison. I had not managed to meet my friends, but I did visit many, many areas of the park.

Anyway, my first experience of Chaoyang Park was not enough to scare me off from return visits. In fact, on the 16th August I decided to go the Chaoyang Park with Liz and joined in with an organised water fight. The "Water Wars" was run by a group called Imagine. People were organised into teams and Liz decided that our team should be called Team Pug. A Filipino girl called Ella and her friends also joined our team. Most of the people there decided to throw water at anyone - even their own team mates so there was definitely friendly fire involved and the water supplies quickly ran out.

Ready with war paint on!

There is something extremely liberating about throwing water balloons, firing water pistols and launching a large plastic container of water over complete strangers. I spent the majority of the battle guffawing heartily at how funny it was to watch everyone getting totally drenched (including myself).

After a couple of hours, the organisers decided the water fight was over (perhaps they were tired of refilling the tubs of water that would need replenishing every ten minutes) or maybe a water fight just meets its natural end after two hours - the water balloons were all gone, the water guns had broken and people had taken to filling their drink bottles with any dregs of liquid they could find (I am almost ashamed to say that at one point I decided to wring out my T-shirt into a plastic bottle in the vain attempt that I could get more ammunition).

It was such a fun afternoon! After the water fight, Liz and I fancied going to the newly opened Pizza Express in Solana. On our way, Ella invited us to play laser tag with her and the rest of Team Pug. How could we refuse? We got changed into camouflage T-shirts and ran around the woods of Chaoyang Park while trying to shoot each other with laser guns. 

After an hour, we were exhausted and decided it was definitely time to gorge on pizza - we had certainly earned it. We took a photograph so that we wouldn't forget Team Pug and the battles that we had fought together.

Days where you can enjoy outdoor activities really make you appreciate low pollution levels and also remind you how amazing Beijing is. Let's hope there are more opportunities like this day!

Bonus photo: Mum and Dad in Chaoyang Park (June 28th 2014)

Having a whale of a time in Wales!

While sitting on my sofa and guzzling some frozen mango and peach yoghurt, I find myself reminiscing about my summer holiday. In July I returned to Wales for the first time in almost two years. TWO YEARS! That’s almost as long as it took me to successfully navigate around Chaoyang Park (truthfully speaking, it’s still hit and miss as to whether I can efficiently maneuver from one place to another in that beast of a park!)   

Om Nom Nom!

Since coming back to Beijing, I haven’t had much time to write a blog entry about Wales, so I am going to use these last few hours of my four-day weekend (thanks to the parade marking the 70^th anniversary of the end of Japanese occupation) to write about my wonderful summer experience…

The best part of being back home was of course seeing my family. Living in Beijing is great and apart from the high-pollution days, the only other negative about being here is the distance from loved ones.

Returning to my hometown was incredibly relaxing, going back to “normality” and a lifestyle, language and culture that I am completely familiar and comfortable with. The icing on the cake was being lucky enough to enjoy Tenby town during a sunny period, as this is when it is most beautiful.

I have to say that my favourite day of the summer holidays was visiting Caldey Island with my parents, sister, her boyfriend and my cousin. It was a sunny, clear day and so lovely to spend quality time with my relatives.

On our hike around the island, we were able to sample Caldey Island fudge, although my sister’s boyfriend Michael was crestfallen to discover that the monks of Caldey Island were not beavering away in the fudge factory. It was instead occupied by a horde of singing Oompa Loompas. Just joking, a group of youths were busily attending to the fudge making and selling. Michael was indeed disappointed that the cloaked monks were nowhere to be found for the entire duration on the island.

The new series of The Darling Buds Of May, coming 2016.

Walking around the cliff tops enabled us to take in fantastic views of Tenby, other areas of Pembrokeshire and beyond. After we rambled our way around the island, it was time to catch the boat back to the mainland.

Once we returned to Castle Beach, I munched on a Mr Whippy ice cream while we waited for the tide to recede far enough for us to visit St. Catherine’s Fort. It had been closed to the public since 1979 so I was extremely interested in taking a look inside this landmark that I have grown up seeing from afar.

The fort itself is still undergoing renovations, but it was super interesting to look inside, learn about the history of the building and listen to plans of how the fort will be utilised in the future. It also presented mum and I with the opportunity to take the following photo...

I really did have an amazing summer back home and too many fun memories to list in just one blog entry, so I will have to write more about it soon.

It was great to return to Surrey and enjoy a pub quiz with Mr and Mrs Mann and Mrs Breen. Naturally, Mrs Breen and I were victorious! 

My family decided to mark this special occasion of having all the family back together, with a traditional Christmas dinner…in July! Those midsummer glad tidings provided me with a roast dinner fix while also tending to my sweet tooth. Most importantly, I was able to spend it with my marvellous family!

Spending time back in Britain has definitely made me realise that I cannot wait another two years before my next return visit! 

Luckily I took a stash of Caldey Island chocolate back to China with me for a timely binge whilst I recollect my summer holiday...

Gia đình tôi ở xứ Wales đối với tôi thật đặc biệt :)

Mike's Chomping Cheesy Chinese Chow Challenge #7 – Donkey Burger

August has been a very busy month so far, I have been settling back to life in Beijing and beginning a new school year. However, I was able to celebrate my 3 year Chinaversary with a traditional snack while also keeping up with my mission of adding cheese to Chinese cuisine.
I decided that the next snack to get the cheesy makeover treatment would involve donkey meat. I had already tried donkey meat last year in the form of donkey meat soup. The soup was really tasty and had a peppery tang to it. I also tried a donkey burger (驴肉火烧). When I think of a burger, I picture a fluffy bap, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds on the bun. But a donkey burger is quite different; the donkey meat is served inside a flaky bread pocket and usually has green peppers inside. The meat was quite nice although there were some jelly bits that I was less appreciative of. Nevertheless, I felt that the donkey burger would be the perfect addition to my cheese challenge.

Donkey soup

There is a saying in China, "天上龙肉，地上驴肉" which roughly translates to, "In Heaven there is dragon meat, on Earth there is donkey meat." With donkey meat being held in such high esteem, I knew that adding cheese to such a delicacy could leave me red-faced if I didn't take this seriously. I didn't want to make an ass of myself by ruining a donkey burger. A mule fool is not cool.
After buying a freshly made donkey burger, I carefully cut up some Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers. But looking at my donkey burger, I knew that I could add even more to make this mule munching experience even greater.

While preparing the cheese, I noticed the roasted pepper and paprika chutney, patiently waiting to be used. Not only could I add another alliterative word to my challenge, but I could also add some more flavour. I had unintentionally raised the game. Mike's Chomping Chutney, Cheesy Chinese Chow Challenge just got even more interesting!

Once all the added ingredients were sitting nicely in the soft, flaky bread pouch, I knew that I held a wonderful creation in my hands. The heat from the chutney and cheese was a delicious accompaniment to the bread, meat and peppers.

This could well be my greatest achievement in China since learning how to top-up my electricity meter all by myself.

But how am I going to top this deliciously delectable donkey delight? I will need some time to mull (mule?) this one over...

A to Z of Hanoi

This time three years ago, I was preparing to move to Beijing for the first time. It is almost unfathomable how quickly my experience in China has gone. I am hoping for an enjoyable fourth year!

With all this reminiscing, I started to think about this time last year. My summer holiday was coming to an end, which culminated in a return visit to Hanoi. I love Vietnam and when I knew that some of my colleagues were visiting Hanoi, I decided to make them a list of information and things they could do (and eat) in the capital city.

So, I have decided to share that list on my blog for anybody else who wants to make the most out of their stay in Hanoi. It is by no means the definitive bucket list for a visitor to Vietnam, but if you are thinking "what shall I do in Hanoi?" it might give some helpful hints or ideas of things to try and some of the things listed will be available or relevant in other parts of the country:

A is for: áo dài (ow zai/ow yai). This is the national dress of Vietnam.

B is for: Bánh mì. DELICIOUS Vietnamese baguette. The baguettes were introduced to Vietnam during French colonialism. You can choose different fillings but my favourite has to be bánh mì trứng (fried egg baguette). It usually comes with cheese spread, chilli sauce, cucumber, corriander and pickled carrot. You can find stalls selling these baguettes and point at the ingredients you want to include. You can usually sample this bread when ordering the delicious steak meal, bò bít tết.

C is for: Café culture. There are plenty of cafés to have a rest and people-watch. The décor in Cong Café will give you an experience of communist Hanoi. Whichever café you find, try the following:
Cà phê sữa đá – Vietnamese iced coffee with sweet milk.
Chè – Very refreshing. The ingredients include beans, coconut milk, yoghurt, ice and jelly pieces.
Sinh tố - fruit smoothie.

D is for: Downed B-52 aeroplane. There is so much more to Vietnam than being a war-ravaged country. However, the history of Vietnam is what has shaped the people and country today. You may want to view the B-52 aeroplane and take a walk around the surrounding area, or visit the Vietnam Military History Museum.

E is for: Ethnicity museum. The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology celebrates the 54 officially recognised ethnic groups in Vietnam. You can learn so much about the architecture, clothes, history and culture of the different groups that form Vietnam.

F is for: Fish sauce. Nước mắm and other varients are served with many dishes. Nước mắm pha (mixed fish sauce) is probably one of the most common. It doesn’t really taste fishy and also has garlic and chilli added to it. You can dip nem rán (spring rolls) into the sauce or bánh xèo (crispy turmeric pancake/crepe). It is also served with bánh cuốn and phở cuốn (fresh summer rolls which are like spring rolls but not fried).

G is for: Going veggie. If you are a vegetarian or fancy a break from meat dishes, then you should check out the Cơm Chay Hà Thành restaurant, located at Số 116, Ngõ 166, Kim Mã, Ba Đình. I really like the meat dishes in Hanoi but it was interesting to taste the traditional Vietnamese meals without meat. I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian spring rolls and the vegetarian kebabs.

H is for: Hoàn Kiếm Lake. A famous landmark in Hanoi, this lake (also known as Hồ Gươm) is where you will find many locals exercising and socialising while students try to practice their English with tourists. There is a legend of a turtle in the lake. If you spot it swimming in the lake, people believe you will get good fortune.

I is for: Ice cream – Kem Tràng Tiền is a famous brand of ice cream which is sold in close proximity to Hoàn Kiếm Lake. A perfect treat after a walk around the lake. Definitely good on a hot day and still good when the weather has cooled! You could also keep a look out for the humorously named "Fanny Ice Cream" shop, which I have been reliably informed is still in existence, despite moving from the Hoan Kiem Lake area.

J is for: Jail. For another history kick, visit the Hỏa Lò Prison (also referred to as the Hanoi Hilton). It was used by the French colonists for political prisoners and later used by the North Vietnamese for American prisoners of war. It is quite interesting to view the conditions inside the prison and to learn more about the war.

K is for: Karaoke. This is a favourite pastime of many in Hanoi. You can have your own room and belt out songs with friends, beer and snacks.

L is for: Literature – the Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu) is a very famous landmark for people in Hanoi and throughout Vietnam. It was the first university in Vietnam and is a rather spiritual place.

M is for: Mosaic. The Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural (Con đường Gốm sứ) was created to celebrate the millennial anniversary of Hanoi being the capital. It spans about 4km and many parts of the mural tell the stories of Vietnamese history. It was completed in 2010 and was listed in the Guinness World Records for being the world’s largest ceramic mosaic. The mosaic pieces were produced in the nearby Bát Tràng Pottery Village, which is famous for porcelain (and also worth a visit).

N is for: Noodles. There are of oodles of noodles in Hanoi. Some dishes you could try are:
Phở (noodle soup). This is probably the most famous traditional dish from Vietnam. Most commonly a beef dish (phở bò) or chicken dish (phở gà). On the subject of phở, I would recommend that you try phở chiên phồng, which is fried square noodles with beef – super tasty!
Bún bò Huế - rice vermicelli noodle soup with beef.
Bún chả - One of my favourite dishes. It is grilled pork and noodles served with a dipping sauce and fresh herbs. Some restaurants offer it with spring rolls.
Mì Xào – fried egg noodles.

O is for: One Pillar Pagoda (Chùa Một Cột) so called for being on top of a single pillar, it is an iconic Buddhist temple in Hanoi and located near to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, so if you are in the area, it is definitely worth a look.

P is for: Puppets. The Water Puppet Show (Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre) tells historical and traditional tales. Even though the stories are told in Vietnamese, I would still recommend a viewing if you have time.

Q is for: Quẩy. This is fried dough and can be added to phở. I didn’t know that phở could get any better – but when I discovered this fried treat I was proved wrong!

R is for: Rice paddies. When I think about Vietnam, I often picture the green rice paddies being tended by workers in conical hats. I have seen some beautiful rice paddies in Vietnam and would recommend viewing the tiered rice paddies in Sapa, or venturing out of Hanoi to the nearby countryside in Bắc Ninh Province.

S is for: Streets – The Old Quarter. The street layout and architecture of old Hanoi has been preserved in this area. Each street was named to reflect the specialised items that were sold there. You can find many souvenirs in these streets and even visit the night market near Đồng Xuân Market. It is a great experience to walk around and imagine how life was on these streets many years ago. There are small restaurants and cafés to take in the atmosphere. In the past, I have got lost, so I would advise that you take your hotel card (with the Vietnamese address) at all times.

T is for: Travel – visiting other places from Hanoi is not too difficult. There are plenty of tours to the limestone karsts of Halong Bay and picturesque mountains in Sapa. You could also arrange a trip to Ninh Bình and view Tam Cốc-Bích Động which shares similarities to Guilin and Yangshuo in China. There are many other places in Vietnam to see, so if you have time, you would find plenty of historical and beautiful sites in Huế, Hội An, Nha Trang, Mũi Né, Ho Chi Minh City (Sài Gòn), Đà Lạt and Đà Nẵng.

U is for: Uncle Ho – Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (Lăng Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh). Ho Chi Minh is revered by many in Vietnam, especially in the capital city. He image features on the currency and his photographs are displayed in many public buildings. You can visit his mausoleum to pay your respects and view his embalmed body.

V is for: Visa. If you want the visa stamped in your passport before arriving, you will have to go to the Vietnamese embassy. In the past, I have used the Visa On Arrival system. View the following website for more details: http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/

W is for: West Lake (Hồ Tây). The largest lake in the capital city. There are plenty of restaurants, hotels and recreational activities available in this area.

X is for: Xe ôm. Ôm is the Vietnamese word for hug and a xe ôm is a motorbike taxi (where the passenger would “hug” or hold on to the driver). Xe ôms can be a fun method of transport as long as you settle the price first. Some of these motorbike taxis now have a meter so the price will be determined when you get to the destination. I really like travelling by motorbike in the evening, feeling the breeze and taking in the sights and sounds of Hanoi.

Y is for: Yo! Bia hơi is a cheap draft beer and very popular in Hanoi. You can “cheers” with locals and chant “Một, hai, ba, Yo!” (1,2,3 yo!).

Z is for: Zebra crossings. Crossing the road in Hanoi can be a scary and dangerous business! Even if there is a designated crossing, you will still need your wits about you! Walk slowly and purposefully to the other side while keeping an eye on oncoming traffic. The many motorbikes will (or should) avoid you!

I hope this A to Z could be of some use. You can also search "Vietnam" on this blog for some other posts which include information about things I have done while in Hanoi.

Mike's Chomping Cheesy Chinese Chow Challenge #6 – Shou Zhua Bing

Do not be alarmed. My cartoon picture for this blog post does make the Shou Zhua Bing (手抓饼) look like a deranged, evil clown with a skin problem. But I can assure you that the delectable shou zhua bing is one of my favourite street food snacks. Originally from Taiwan, the shou zhua bing is a soft and chewy pancake yet also crispy and flaky in all the right places.

There is usually a shou zhua bing vendor loitering outside my local subway station, making it a tasty and convenient pit stop before getting home. It should not be confused with the Ji Dan Guan Bing (鸡蛋灌饼) which is more commonly eaten as a breakfast wrap. Perhaps that will be a cheesy challenge for the future.

Once the shou zhua bing is heated and grilled, there are a number of ingredients that can be added before it gets wrapped and handed to you (inside a small handy bag in a vain attempt to stop the oil and other ingredients coating your hands). I decided to have an egg, chicken, lettuce and a ketchup-like sauce added to my bing (my Chinese teacher later explained to me that I should avoid choosing cheap meat in the future as it’s probably not a healthy option, so from now on it will probably be a vegetarian snack in the future).

On this particular momentously cutting-edge day I decided to embrace my inner-Blumenthal and add a new culinary masterpiece to my trailblazing cheesy challenge. I could have taken the easy route of grating cheese in my wrap. But grated cheese was already a successful pairing with my jian bing experiment. This time I wanted to be radical and revolutionise my shou zhua bing experience. I added actual slices of cheddar to my bing, before returning it to it’s rightful tortilla-esque wrap shape. Yes you read that correctly. I ADDED SLICED CHEDDAR.

It is difficult to express in words how wonderful this cheesy pancake encounter was. I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the taste sensation yet devastatingly desolate for people that will forever be eating cheese-less shou zhua bings. I almost ran back to the street vendor and slapped him with the remaining block of mature cheddar in the futile hope that he would see the future: cheesy bings.  Luckily, I calmed down and decided to get my priorities in check – I had to finish this cheesy shou zhua bing immediately before discussing it with others.

For now, I will keep this amazing discovery to myself (and anyone else lucky enough to stumble across this blog post. You’re welcome).

Gần đây tôi đã ăn shǒu zhuā bǐng và phô mai dày. Nó rất đậm đà! Nó có vị ngon đấy~