The Smell of Burning Coal

Check out this video about "the dirtiest city in the world." The images in the video from Linfen, China are so familiar to me and remind me most of my two trips to Fugu, China to stay with a friend and her family.

The gray skies, the trash everywhere, the cars... what sticks with me most, though, is the smell of burning coal. As I watched that video sitting in my living room, I had one of those strange experiences where I smelled burning coal as if I were in my friend's home in Fugu by their furnace. And that isn't the first time that has happened to me. When I first returned home from China, sometimes I would wake up in my dorm room and completely forget where I was. And then I would smell burning coal. I wasn't actually smelling it, of course, but I was remembering the entire experience of waking up in a strange world- one of pollution and gray skies and trash and cars- and smelling burning coal.

And yet, the people of Linfen- and Fugu and Lanzhou and the thousands of other polluted cities in China and around the world, still lead happy and normal lives.

12 Degrees and Smoky

On my Google homepage, I have a weather gadget that tells me the current weather conditions in Lanzhou, as well as the three-day forecast. (I also have a gadget to convert Fahrenheit and Celsius. Much easier than all that 9/5 then adding 32 stuff.)

Sometimes the weather gadget tells me it’s “cloudy” or “overcast,” but more often than not it says “smoke.” That’s right, smoke.

I think this must mean that the air is so polluted that the instruments read it as the air being like smoke. Is that possible?

Blue Skies

I used to think that seeing a blue sky every once in a while was an inalienable right of every human being on the planet. Blue skies, cumulous clouds, seeing the stars at night… what luxuries!

It’s always gray outside. And it’s hard for me to decide if it’s completely overcast, or if I just can’t distinguish the clouds from the hazy, polluted sky.

The dust and dirt don’t help the city’s complexion, either.

My friend Tracy told me that when she first got to Lanzhou in 2007, she took lots of pictures of the city and emailed them to her family. Later, Tracy realized her camera was on the black and white setting. She emailed her family back saying, “The pictures are all in black and white, but it’s actually not that different in real life.” So true!

Beijing

The only word that I can think of to describe Beijing during the Olympics is: facade.

Honestly, my least favorite part of my entire trip to China was Beijing the past few days. I remember what it was like when I flew in in February, and almost everything was unrecognizable.

Small shops and street vendors had been closed down, and I wonder what those people do now for a living. Everyone was attempting to speak English and it was awkward. It was too crowded to see anything in the city. The city looked pristine and fake.



Also, the air was bad. I know they say they cleaned it up, and I believe they did. But I lived in Lanzhou, "one of the most polluted cities in China" for five months with no problems. In Beijing I had difficulty breathing and I coughed often. I still have my cough.



It was neat to be in Beijing during the Olympics. It was an exciting atmosphere. I got to see the cycling street race which was a great opportunity.

But I didn't get to talk to any locals, except friends that I already knew who live in Beijing, and I didn't get to experience what Beijing is actually like.

I prefer small Chinese cities to large ones.

Trains

I spend an excessive amount of time on trains. It’s getting ridiculous. I’ve tried to break up my traveling, going from nearby city to nearby city so that I’m not on a train for more than 24 hours at a time.

When I have a long distance to cover overnight, I try to get a sleeper car, but sometimes there aren’t any. Surprisingly, spending the night on a hard seat surrounded by the 134 other people in the car isn’t quite as bad as expected. Maybe I’m just an optimist.

Ok, it’s pretty bad, but not unbearable. For some unknown reason (er… check out one of my previous posts called “Coal”) Chinese people won’t open the windows on the trains. So not only does it get a little toasty, the smell is overwhelming. And the bathroom on the train doesn’t make things smell any better, either.

The worst part about trains, other than grime and foul odors, is getting bored. I try to alternate between reading, listening to music, writing, talking to children, and avoiding talking to creepy old men. Chinese children are great to talk to. And they’re so cute. The creepy old men are just creepy and old and have never seen a foreigner before so they ask me strange questions. Real examples:

“What language is spoken in America?” I just thought everyone knew.
“Are there fields in America?” How do you think the population gets fed?
“At what age do girls get married in America?” Everyone gets married at exactly the same age… not.

But trains are part of what I love so much about China. The Chinese rail system really brings out the true nature and character of the people.

On the train, strangers talk and laugh together. They share their food and trade seats so families can sit together.

But trains definitely bring out the bad side as well. Many Chinese people don’t understand the concept of waiting in line. I always get pushed and shoved and stepped on. I’ve been knocked over on several occasions. And no one apologizes. This is all just waiting for the train to arrive. Actually getting on the train can be worse.

On my way from Hohhot to Baotou, the aisles were filled with people who didn’t have seats. At every stop, more people would get on than would get off. Upon arriving at Baotou, I grabbed my bag and tried to get off the train. But twenty or more people were trying to get on. And it was like a mosh pit.

I just started pushing people and asking them to let me off. Then the train attendants tried to help me get off by pushing other people and then by pulling me. Nothing worked. Finally, I just started yelling, “Let me get off the train! You’re all crazy!” I’m not sure if the people getting on were alarmed simply by a foreign girl calling them insane, or if they were shocked that I was speaking Chinese. There was a lot of exclaiming going on.

And they thought I was Russian. Do Russians yell a lot?

Coal

On my way from Taiyuan to Datong, my seat on the train was by the window. It's hot on trains and there are so many people, so I opened the window wide and stuck my head out the whole five hours. The scenery was great, and it felt like the other 134 people in my car weren't even there.

When the train was close to Datong, I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. My entire face was black from coal. You can imagine how dirty my clothes were. I tried to wash my face in the little sink on the train, but I think I just spread the coal around some more. There was really nothing I could do.

I talked to my mom on the phone later that night and I told her what happened. I said, "But I took a shower and washed my clothes, so it's ok."

And she said, "But what about your lungs, which you can't wash?"

Oh snap. Thank you, China.

Hua Shan

When I flew into Xi'An on Sunday, I met up with Dustin who I studied with in Lanzhou. His brother flew out here from Canada, and the three of us spent two days climbing a mountain. Hua Shan is about a two-hour bus ride east of Xi'An and is a beautiful rocky and tree-covered mountain.



We started climbing at about 8 a.m. on Monday morning, and we reached the top that evening. At the bottom, we walked up an incline, which turned into stairs, which turned into footholds in the rock with a chain to hold on to. The precipices were almost vertical.



We spent the night at a monastary at the top of the mountain. After climbing all five of the highest peaks and using harnesses to traverse some difficult parts, we headed back down the mountain to take a bus back to Xi'An.



Hua Shan is beautiful. When we were climbing the mountain, we were practically the only ones around. But we discovered that there is a gondola from the very bottom of the mountain to the very top. So after a day of rough climbing, we were tired and looking forward to enjoying the scenery. But it was difficult with throngs of Chinese tourists in high heels, dresses, and parasols, yelling on their cell phones. I think the gondola was a bad idea. Also, the beauty of the mountain was partly destroyed by litter. These same make-up clad tourists threw their custard pie wrappers where ever they pleased. It's slightly upsetting.



Even still, I enjoyed Hua Shan and the company of my Canadian friends. But my legs are extremely sore...

Sunshine

The sun in Lanzhou is pretty strong even though the air is polluted. Most of the Chinese girls carry parasols with them at all times because to them, the whiter their skin, the more beautiful they are.

These parasols cause pedestrian traffic jams when coming in and out of buildings, turning corners, and especially at the gates of the university. They're quite a nuisance. I am constantly getting decked in the head with umbrellas. I'm in the process of perfecting the art of ducking and dodging so I don't have to resort to wearing a helmet and goggles.

I created a scene the other day when I decided to study for my exams outside in the park. Most of the university's park is covered in trees, but one small section is a grassy lawn. Ignoring the signs to "keep off the grassland," I spread out a blanket and began to study.

The Chinese students walked by with their parasols, staring at me and exclaiming to their friends. One elderly lady yelled at me to put on a hat.

I can't imagine being worried about the sun in the way that these girls are. I certainly don't want to damage my skin, but to not be able to step outside without a parasol seems ridiculous. Don't they want their Vitamin D?

Homesickness

I have been in China for a month and I haven't been homesick. I don't even miss anything from America. Sure, the ice cream, chocolate, coffee, and bread are pretty lame here. I rarely hear English. It's dirty everywhere. I can't drink the water or eat fruit. But I don't care.

Really, I don't.

If I said I didn't miss my family, that wouldn't be true. But it's no different than when I'm at college in America. Last semester in the states I went home three times, during breaks. This semester I'm just not going home.

I know it's harder on my family because they worry about me more here than when I was in America. But in some ways, I feel safer here. For example, there are so many people on the streets at all hours that I can go out at night if I want. And I didn't like walking around campus after dark in the U.S...

Maybe the reason that I haven't been missing the U.S., though, is because I've been with other westerners a lot lately. It's awesome to be in China with people from so many different countries, but I get really excited about talking with other people from America. We have so much in common just because of where we're from. There's a basic understanding and common ground between all of us, and it's so refreshing.

Forbidden Fruit

Because fruit and vegetables in China are grown in unsuitable water, westerners are not supposed to eat them raw. Supposedly, my body will get used to it over time and I will be able to eat uncooked produce in the future. I mentioned my friend Tracy in a previous post. She is also from America and has been in China for about seven months, so I asked her if she eats uncooked fruit and vegetables. She does and has had no problems. I decided to take my chances, and I ate a raw tomato with some rice one evening. I should mention that I had had no adverse reactions to any of the food in China until this point. And, all because of a tomato, I was sick for three days. I'm now wondering why I didn't enjoy a banana, apple, pineapple, pear, or other tempting fruit I walk past every day at the local markets. I now know how Adam and Eve felt.

Chinese Water

The water in China is not safe to drink unless it has been boiled. It contains bacteria and other contaminants, so even the native Chinese cannot consume it.

Water is obviously very necessary for life, so everywhere I go I see large thermoses for transporting and storing water that has been boiled. Strangely, I've only ever seen one model of thermos. Someone must have a monopoly on the industry in China. Anyway, students walk around campus with the thermoses, I see them on the city streets, in the train stations, in bathrooms, and in restaurants. The images in my mind of China will always have these multicolored thermoses.

I personally do not have one of these ubiquitous Chinese thermoses. In my room I have a device for boiling water. I'm guessing that the name of it is obvious, but I can't think of what it might be. Anyway, it's like a hot plate attached to a liter pitcher. It boils the water in a minute or so and keeps it hot all day. My roommate and I drink so much tea, though, that we refill it multiple times every day.

In restaurants, boiled water is served to drink. I have gotten used to drinking plain hot water all the time. I actually can't remember if that's considered weird in America, so I thought I'd mention it. And, drinks are not served with ice. It seems counter-productive to boil water and then freeze it just so a drink is a little colder. I don't miss ice. It now seems unnecessary, like shower curtains, hot water at all hours, and western toilets. Go ahead and laugh at me.

Xi'an

I rode the train to Xi’an with Bei, her cousin, and her boyfriend. When the four of us got off the train, it was about 5:30 on Monday morning. We took a taxi to a university-owned hotel that Bei’s cousin knew of. The hotel was reasonably priced and very safe for us to stay in. We dropped off our luggage in our rooms and then we looked for breakfast- hot soy milk and fried bread.

After breakfast, I went back to the hotel room and took a much needed shower and nap. Bei, her cousin, and boyfriend met with some other friends from Xi’an, so I had the room to myself all morning and afternoon.

Because I was in the room most of the day, I didn’t get a good impression of Xi’an until the next day. The four of us spent the whole day on the streets of Xi’an, going to parks, shopping, and eating in restaurants.

Xi’an is so much cleaner and more beautiful than Fugu. The pollution in Xi’an is relatively unnoticeable, and city workers are constantly sweeping the sidewalks and picking up trash. There are so many more trees in Xi’an as well. I mentioned the parks that we visited; they celebrate the Tang Dynasty which ruled from Xi’an beginning at about 700 A.D. The parks are filled with trees, fountains, and sculptures.

As for the shopping, I had so much fun. With the exchange rate, most shirts cost about $7, and skirts and jackets are about $20. After searching for good prices and doing a bit of haggling (with help from Bei, of course), I got some great deals. The clothes here are very Chinese in the sense that they wouldn’t be found in America. I bought four items, all of which are strange, but I think it will be fun to wear them even when I come back to America.

Because we’re staying in hotel rooms without kitchens, we eat out for every meal. Our first day in Xi’an we ate regional specialties. One of which was a noodle dish that we might call soup in America. I enjoy spicy food, but was warned to order mine “not spicy” and it still will be. Mine was so spicy it made my tongue and lips numb, but I actually enjoyed it. To cool off we had another regional favorite- fried bread filled with mutton. To me, it seemed like a cross between a Greek gyro and a shredded beef sandwich. Since then we have been eating more traditional Chinese food.

Because of the delay between our train to Xi’an and to Lanzhou, we have a total of three days here. Bei tells me that Lanzhou will be more like Fugu as far as pollution. I wish we could stay in beautiful Xi’an longer!

Pollution

The pollution here is awful. Fugu and the surrounding region have many coal mines and plants, so the sky is a weird gray color. Also, the soil is dusty, so after even a short walk outside, my shoes are covered in dirt. And to add to all of this, people throw their trash anywhere and everywhere. The ground it completely littered with everything imaginable.

I have a sore throat and a cough, and sometimes it is hard for me to breathe. A logical guess would be that this is due to the pollution, but I may have caught a cold while traveling.

After my third day here, I am used to the smell of burning coal in kitchens, bathrooms, and restaurants. It’s inescapable.

I do want to say, however, that I don’t hate it here. Sure, it’s dirty, but that doesn’t matter to me. It’s kind of fun to wash my hands and watch the sink turn black. Haha, but really, millions of people live this way. I see how fortunate I am to live in America, and the least I can do is live alongside them with a positive attitude.