I get a lot of questions from people about life here, so I thought it would be a good time to address some of the Frequently Asked Questions…

What do you eat?
Refer to “Bon Appetit”. But we pretty much eat everything we would eat back home. There are lots of things in English writing at the stores and I usually hit up an import store once a week for specialty items (ie Nutella for the man).

Does it smell funny?
Yes, it does. Usually no more than any other big city. The one thing that is a little unusual is all of the building going on around our house. I couldn’t even count the number of skyscrapers going up outside our window. Sometimes, we get a nice chemical smell from that.

Is the government reading my emails?
Who knows. Probably. When I registered at the police station, they asked for my email address, so I wouldn’t doubt it.

Is the internet and outside news censored?
Not that I notice. I’m able to access CNN, BBC, MSNBC, etc. without any problem. Sometimes there are China negative articles, so I don’t think the gov’t could possibly catch everything. The biggest difference is that I can not access Facebook regularly and my blog runs really slow.

Do they scan you for a fever when you enter the country?
Yes. I’ve even seen someone taken into a little room in the scanning area. Basically, if you are sick, don’t enter. But, I recently read an article about a woman who was taken into quarantine at the border and, from what she said, it wasn’t a big deal. They just want to make sure you don’t have H1N1.

Do you eat dog or cat?
Not that I’m aware of and I haven’t seen it on the menu here in Guangzhou. I’ve heard than in the outlying areas of the Guangdong province, it’s not that unusual to see it on the menu.

Is everyone really smart?
Ummm…no. Those smart Chinese kids that you used to cheat off of in Algebra class…those are the elite ones.

What do you do all day?
I really don’t want to sit on my butt here. Each day I work out (either yoga or running), study French and Chinese, do household tasks and prepare things for my blog. Believe it or not, I’ve been getting over 100 hits a day. Chances are it’s the Chinese gov’t making sure I don’t say anything bad, but I was seriously overwhelmed by how many readers I have.

Do you have any friends?
Yes. Most of them are Fabien’s co-workers. They are a nice bunch and we’ve had some good times already. Unfortunately, I don’t have an Chinese friends, yet. In day to day life, I have exchanged numbers with a few Chinese girls, but friendship has come of it yet. The best part are their names. I’ve met people named Moon (a guy), Romantic, Rainbow and several Kitties. It’s like there’s a contest to find the stupidest English name possible.

So, I think that’s it but feel free to let me know if there is anything I’ve missed.

Most of my posts make fun of people and are rants of me complaining about something or someone here. I’ve received a few emails and comments from people expressing their concerns that I am not happy or don’t like being here. Contrary to the tone of my past blogs, I really am enjoying my time here and am very thankful for the experience. So, I thought it was time to be more positive and explain why China is fantastic. If you are a pessimist and prefer my negative, complainy posts, go ahead and skip this one and I promise to complain again in the future.

The economy grew 12% in the first quarter and last year 9%. Because of this the country is in big time expansion mode. Everyone has a job, no matter how important or unimportant. A lot of the time, shops just have people who stand in the aisles to direct you to what you are looking for. While, it’s not very efficient, it’s great that these people have a job. Also, looking out my apartment window I couldn’t even count the number of buildings that are going up. Some are office buildings, some apartments, some malls, etc. In the near future I plan to write a blog about my own job search experience but I’ll give you a preview….I have a 100% close ratio. Meaning from every resume I sent, I received an interview followed by an offer. It’s really pretty amazing after coming from a country in a recession.

Next, there is so much amazing stuff to see and it’s all accessible for inexpensive rates. In 2 months, we have been to Hong Kong, all over Thailand and Sanya. In June, I will go to Bali and Beijing with friends. Also, at some point I will visit the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, mountains and rivers of Guilin and probably Shanghai, Tokyo and the Philippines. There is no similar landscape in the world and I feel beyond lucky to experience it first hand. Never in my life did I ever dream that I would see all of these wonders.

I love to rip on the Chinese, but them and other Asians really are quite interesting. I love how they are in complete aw of me and other white people. A day doesn’t go by where someone doesn’t scream “hello” at me in the street or that they are so interested in what I’m reading in the Metro. They are also very passive people. In a city of 12 million, crime is pretty rare. I have never once felt unsafe or in danger. And even though Fabien and I get really frustrated with the communication here, they really do try to speak English way more than I try to speak Chinese. Just the other day a kid, about 6 years old came up to us on the subway and asked our names and where we were from. And lastly, I admire them because they are so resilient and accepting of their lives. When it’s hot, I don’t hear anyone complain. When they work Saturday (because everyone works Saturday), it doesn’t seem like a big deal. In China, there are two classes; peasant and non-peasant. While I still believe in the concept of the American dream and working hard to better your life, I also think there is something to be said for just being who/what you are and accepting life. If the same people were in the US, they’d be asking for hand outs and crying how someone did them wrong.

Which leads me to the number one reason I love China and most importantly one. Because Fabien is here. If you don’t want to read my gushes, go ahead and skip to the next paragraph. He is the best boyfriend in the whole wide world. For one, he invited me along on this awesome journey of China and Asia and has been more than generous with me. Knowing that I have been dreaming of Bali for years, he offered to send me (along with two other girls) as a 30th birthday present. I am beyond excited. Next, he is also very conscious about me being here away from friends and family and alone all day. He never fails to ask how my day was and that he wishes he could be home with me instead of at work. Speaking of work, everyday he works really hard to catch the 6:30 shuttle bus so he can make it home to be with me. And in addition to being the best boyfriend in the world, he is also the best man to live with. He usually offers to do the dishes after I cook dinner, brings me flowers, picks up after himself (I think I am the messy one of us) and brings me little bottles of water from work because “they fit perfect in my purse”. Even though I barely remember because I am in a coma, every morning before he leaves for work, he kisses me goodbye. And each night he lays his clothes out in the livingroom so he won’t wake me when he is getting ready. Seriously, he is the most courteous man in the world.

So you see, I do like it here and I am grateful to China and Fabien for giving me time to rest, recharge, regroup and simply enjoy life. I am taking time to smell the roses, see things I never thought I’d see in my life time and exit my comfort zone. Thank you China. You are great.

A couple weeks ago while I was leaving yoga class, a girl stopped me, looked at my bottle of ice water, gasped and then told me that I “should not drink cold water because I would not be able to have children.” I just smiled at her and said “okay” but in my head I was thinking that I’m pretty sure all the mothers I know have drank ice water in the past. Sorry China, not drinking the Koolaid. But, it did make me wonder about other Chinese health beliefs (or as I like to call them, superstitions).

This post is in honor of my mother, Fabien’s mother, my favorite “mother to be”, my sister-in-law, Heather, and all the other mothers reading. I thought you could use a good laugh on your special day, so here are some of the common pregnancy antics of China.

– Pregnancy is considered a hot condition, therefore to balance hold and cold (known as yin and yang) only cold foods should be consumed during pregnancy.
– Do no use sharp objects, such as scissors or knives, during pregnancy because if you do your child could be born with a cleft palate or lip.
– Do not touch anything adhesive or with glue, as this will cause your baby to have birthmarks.
– Do not do any heavy work or lifting or have sex because it will could cause a miscarriage.
– Do not eat pineapple because it causes miscarriages.
– Do not eat shellfish or your baby will have a rash.
– Do not eat too much otherwise your baby will be too big to deliver.
– The first month after birth is considered a cold condition and the mother should not leave the house incase the wind blows because she will get sick. Also, no washing with cold water.
– You should not wash or comb your hair during the first month because you will get a chronic headache.
– Drink plenty of hot water and tea and eat lots of fish and pig knuckle soup to compensate for the loss of calcium.
– Babies should be put to sleep on their backs to produce a flattened head which is considered more beautiful.

I hope this gave you a good laugh. Happy Mothers Day!