It seems like everyone is remodeling their apartment.  From what I’ve heard, people think it’s a “lucky” year and hey, maybe construction prices went down this year (probably not). 

It’s the Year of the Dragon and many people want to:

• get married in this year
• do-up their home
• have a Dragon baby
• and more. 

When I told my doctor earlier this year that I wanted to “just get my baby out.”  He told me that everyone else wanted to have a Dragon baby.  In the end, we had a Rabbit baby:)  I don’t follow the animal signs, but I understand now why I’m always hearing endless drilling and construction:)  It’s the Year of the Dragon.

Are your neighbors all doing up their houses?

Well we seem to have gone from not having any Starbucks to having three in a year!  We went exploring over the May holiday and checked out the new shopping center.

A new mall has gone up and in it is a H&M, Starbucks, C&A, etc.  It’s in Nansantiao. It’s on the east side of Zhongshan Road (East) The old entrance gates to Nansantiao are GONE and suddenly there’s a sleek new mall (with a WALMART!?).  The Walmart wasn’t open last weekend, but I’m sure it will be opening within the next while (maybe a couple of weeks?).  Walmarts in China carry the brand-name, but that doesn’t mean that they are identical to ones outside of China.

I have a love/hate relationship with Nansantiao.  For those who have never been there, Nansantiao is a wholesale area.  It has huge warehouses that are packed with little stores that sell things in bulk.  I tried to get my Christmas wrapping paper there and I was told I had to buy at least like 600 rolls of it.  Anyways, let’s just say I didn’t buy that much paper, but even still, I have a forever-supply of red and green paper! 

But Nansantiao is an interesting place.  You can find lots of trinkets, gadgets, toys, paper, clothes, tea sets, gifts, etc. The prices are great and it’s a good people-watching area.  It’s not a tourist destination so sellers don’t speak much English, will wonder what you are doing there and they don’t have the same sort of things as the silk/pearl market in Beijing. 

I find www.taobao.com more convenient so although I could get on a bus/ taxi and head to Nansantiao, I prefer to just look at things online and have them arrive at my door.  Don’t get me wrong, Nansantiao is an experience and sometimes I would even just save time going, having a look at things, buying them and heading back.   

So go have a wander in Nansantio and if you want to grab a coffee, either check out the new Starbucks or my personal preference: 85 Degrees.  You can get a coffee (iced or hot) for 9 rmb and they have some great pastries including a multi-grain brown bread (I think it was like 12 RMB and I really liked it) and donuts (2 or 3 RMB).  It’s not big, but I’ve still sat, read a book, and enjoyed an inexpensive coffee and something to eat.  LOVE it!

The Hanging Temple is a great place to visit.  It was beautiful, not crowded and something different.  If you have time, jump in a car, go with a tour group or get a bus there.  It’s worth a visit.

Do you know that woman in China stay in bed for a month after giving birth.  It’s called the sitting month.  They stay inside (away from the cold and wind), restore their bodies and rest.  There’s a nurse that cook for and attends to the mother and baby and it’s a special time marked with many traditions.

I’ve been told if you don’t hold this tradition, you will age quicker, you will have bad joints, bones, pains when you’re older, spots on your hands, that you will get sick immediately, etc.

The other day I was told that many Chinese woman during that time don’t brush their teeth, don’t wash their hair, can’t venture outside, wear caps on their heads when they leave the hospital, should only eat hot foods and must restore their weakness.

In Shijiazhuang, these traditions seem to me to be closely followed.

Just one of those interesting cultural things that is perhaps different than your home cultures.

We’ve loved Chinese New Year.  I’ve loved the fireworks, the festivities and seeing people together in the plazas enjoying family time.  I love watching the little kids there and thinking, “this is why they love Chinese New Year.”  I’m sure that they love the treats that they’re parents are getting them, but even more than that, I think they love just being with their family.

Before long, the vegetable markets and the rest of the stores will open.  I went to Carefour today and found lots of people, but not a lot of nice, fresh produce or foreign products like butter, cereal, margarine, etc.

I think these firework stores will soon be closing up.  So go get your fireworks soon!

Happy Chinese New Year!  I think many people are back in Shijiazhuang during this time (perhaps from abroad, or studying, working, etc.)  I hope if you’re back here, that you have a great time with your family.  And if you’re just arriving, enjoy getting to know the city and find your way around it.

Chinese New Year is almost here!

And this year it’s the Year of the Dragon.  Many Chinese will get married this year, pregnant mothers are trying to “delay” birth so that they have a dragon baby and special events will be scheduled this year.

What you can expect over Chinese New Year

• Fireworks being sold everywhere
• Large containers of everything from eggs, to oranges and chocolate being sold (people give these away, keep them for when their family visit, etc.)
• TONS of people at the supermarket “stocking up” before stores close
• People getting very excited to go to their “home-towns”
• A bit of a craze at the train station and a shortage of train tickets
• Chinese lanterns being hung everywhere
• Chinese families will begin to clean their houses based on the superstition that they are clearing away the old spirits.
• You can find red envelopes very easily (and everywhere).  If you are good friends with a Chinese family, it’s expected that you give their baby or child money inside of the envelope.  I think a standard amount is usually around 100 RMB.

What I never expected

• The fireworks last for about 2 weeks (24 hours a day)
• The car alarms are also quite loud
• China mobile closes and you don’t want to be stuck without phone credit
• The veggie markets are closed (so stock up on your veg and fruit)
• If your local corner shop is open, most likely their prices will increase during this time.
• People will be wearing beautiful new clothes.  I was in my regular attire:)
• The fireworks boxes are amazing.  You need to watch them being set off – it is quite a spectacle.  People take turns lighting off their boxes and crowds stand by to watch.
• People don’t just buy A firework.  I’ve seen that car boots are FILLED with boxes small and big.
• Things to stock up on: big bottles of water for your water dispenser, phone credit, food (although larger supermarkets ARE open during the day.  They close earlier though) some fireworks, chocolate, etc.

Enjoy Chinese New Year (the Spring Festival) and talk to you in the Year of the Dragon:)

Get yourself a Christmas tree, listen to a Christmas station on Jango and get into the Christmas spirit:)  More and more people in Shijiazhuang are celebrating Christmas, but it makes so much difference to have a small tree, Christmas decorations and listen to holiday music.

I love making holiday cookies.  They taste great and they’re nice little things to give away to neighbors, friends, etc.

Hope you have a great Christmas and are blessed with peace and joy.

For those of you who live relatively close to the Wonder Mall, Starbucks is now open:)  It opened yesterday (mysteriously not on the 10th).  It’s a nice place.  I had a sandwich and tea tonight.  Vanilla steamed milk yesterday:)  It’s perhaps a bit quieter than the Wanda Mall Starbucks, but that’s ok.

The Holiday Inn in the Wonder Mall should be opening within the next couple of months.

The Intercontinental Buffet near the Wanda Mall is great.  We went out for a special event with friends.  Great selection.  Only complaint, couldn’t find cold water anywhere.

Not sure what Christmas plans are happening.  If anyone hears of anything, let everyone know.  I imagine that like usual, the bigger shopping malls and grocery stores will have lots of Christmas sales and discounts and some of the malls have special Christmas parties.

There is a foreigner Christmas party (for those working as teachers, doing business here in the city, etc.)  It’s an invite only event and thrown by the Shijiazhuang government.  I’m not sure when it’s happening this year.

If you’re looking for Christmas decorations, check out Nan Santiao.  They have TONS.  Bring your camera because you can get some great photos of shops spilling over with decorations and people all crowded in there.  You can get Christmas cards there too, but expect to pay around 2.50 -3 rmb per card.  They are very nice, but also a bit formal.  This year I got all of my cards on taobao.   I got boxed sets that I’ve very pleased with and they cost a lot less than buying individual cards.  Overall, it was a lot easier than bargaining, going downtown and buying individual cards.  NOTE: If you mail them from China, you need to get a special envelope and then put the address on THAT envelope.  I forgot and had about 30 cards all addressed that I wanted to mail out.  In the end, when I realized they wanted me to re address all of them, I just sent them in one package to a friend.

Links to Christmas cards:

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=13246859799  and http://trade.taobao.com/trade/detail/tradeSnap.htm?tradeID=112688642600234

Happy Holidays!