The K-9 Connection

Going to the Dogs

Being raised in Seattle, a city where there are allegedly 45% more dogs than there are children, it has been quite a change living in China where the dog culture is strikingly different.  Though dogs definitely do NOT outnumber children here, like so many other things in China, the dog culture is evolving quickly.  As more and more people have the luxury of disposable income, the notion of having a dog for a pet rather than for a meal is becoming more and more popular.  In fact, last April an activist group stopped a truck in Henan province that was hauling 500 dogs off for slaughter. 

That said, dog meat was very plentiful in Hefei and I could find it at various markets throughout the city.  And while visiting the remote village of Dazhai there were lots of dogs that wandered around everywhere, but they were clearly not pets.  One of my Chinese friends told me that farmers in the countryside of Anhui would buy big dogs to help protect their homes, but they would get stolen by hungry peasants and eaten.  Another bizarre dog culture aspect I’ve encountered was seeing a row of kennels of dogs at the zoo in Hefei.  Then again, pretty much everything about that zoo was bizarre and unfortunate.

There are plenty of mangy dogs people have as pets, as well as some incredibly beautiful pure breed dogs, and the vast majority of them are not kept on a leash.  I was impressed with how well trained and obedient many of these dogs were and wondered what the owners’ secret was.  But after seeing various dogs get kicked a few times I got the picture.

I also marvel at how these dogs without leashes, and sometimes without owners, will actually manage to cross the streets and not get run over.  I still haven’t figured that secret out.  Perhaps the most entertaining, albeit slightly terrifying aspect of dog culture here is seeing them ride on the motos and e-bikes with their owners.  The dogs will either stand or sit on the floor boards at the owner’s feet.  It must be the ultimate thrill for these pups, but I really don’t know how they know not to jump off whenever they see or smell something interesting.  This mode of transportation isn’t just for the little guys either; I’ve seen a massive Old English sheepdog that could barely fit sitting at the owner’s feet and smiling happily as they putted along. 

Due to the limited space in China, the majority of dogs kept as pets tend to be small.  And similar to the dog culture in Seattle, these dogs are very much doted upon, as is evidenced by the various outfits and face painting I’ve had the pleasure of observing. 

Here are some of my favorites J    

        

Go Big or Go Home

Traveling China-Style

I am sitting here trying to figure out how to start this update, but an onslaught of questions keep running through my mind and wrapping a tangle of ropes around my thoughts.  How does one tackle the task of describing China?  What are the most important things others should know?  What are the most interesting?  The most relevant?  How can I possibly begin to define what China means to me?  Where do I start?

Here’s my summary of what an abridged Cliffs Notes version of Chinese History might look like.  Though there were Neolithic cultures as early as 10,000 BCE, the Shang Dynasty dated from 1,600 BCE is considered to be the beginning of civilization in China.  From that point on, China has been the poster child for reinvention.  One dynasty would create a Nation that was shiny, brilliant and full of new inventions and advances in society only to have the next dynasty tear it down and attempt to wipe out all traces of what had come before it.  This was repeated over and over, the most recent example being the Cultural Revolution.  Temples were destroyed, social classes were abolished, and people were sent to the country to experience Thought Reform through Labor.  But times have changed and so has the general mentality.  The country that had wiped its slate clean and brought its people to their knees has slowly but surely beckoned them to stand up again and once more encourages them to “Think big.” 

One of the defining traits of China is the drive to build things on a large scale, no matter what the cost.  Take the Great Wall, for example.  It is the largest manmade structure in the world, and the construction spanned several dynasties and required millions of people to build and rebuild it.  It has also been nicknamed the largest graveyard in the world because when workers would die from exhaustion they would be buried within or somewhere next to the wall. 

China has plenty of other really big things to boast about.  The Forbidden City is the largest palace complex in the world, and the Grand Canal is the oldest and longest man made waterway in the world.  The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world.  China has the fastest train in the world (302mph), the highest public observation deck at the Shanghai World Financial Center (it’s 474.2 m, the Burj Khalifa’s is 442 m), and the longest bridge that spans 26 miles across Jiaozhou Bay to connect Qingdao to Huangdao island.  And of course, we are all well aware of the the largest concrete structure in the world: The Three Gorges Dam. 

And thus, when I reflect on my experiences in China, the idea of ‘big’ tends to come to mind.  Perhaps the most condensed version of this was my river cruise down the Yangtze.  It started in the city of Chongqing where buildings were lit up at night and covered in the largest video advertising I’d ever seen.  I also saw the biggest, most elaborate recreation of an ancient city perched on the hill above the river.  Because this was going to be a three day cruise, I opted to spend some big money and travel in style and comfort.  And so I set off down the longest river in China on a boat that was shaped quite literally as the largest dragon I had ever seen.  It was money well spent.  I relaxed, took in the sights and still consider it one of the best memories of my time here in China.  The views of the gorges and tributary rivers are not nearly as stunning as they once were, according to the Chinese people who have seen it both ways.  But I have to admit, approaching the dam at midnight was certainly awe inspiring.  It took four hours to get through the locks, and during the tour the next morning they mentioned that they are currently building an elevator to lift boats over the damn. 

It’s fairly mind boggling to think about all the things China has built in the last few decades, but so often when I’m traveling and seeing these unnatural wonders I can’t seem to get Jeff Goldblum’s voice out of my head.  Over and over I hear his character Malcolm from the movie Jurassic Park saying, “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.”  China has certainly proved that they can build some incredible things, but only time will tell which of these things should or should not have been done.

A Familiar Face

The Bucks Stops Here

You want to know who the most recognized foreign face is in China?  Too bad.  I don’t know.  But I could take a pretty good guess.  You might think its Obama, but I doubt little kids know or care much about him.  If you guessed Ronald McDonald, I’d say you’re getting a lot closer.  But if I had to put money on it, I’d say Kernel Sanders takes the cake.  The Chinese love their chicken, and apparently Kentucky Fried is no exception.  In every major, and almost every minor city I’ve been to in China, I’ve been greeted by Golden Arches and the smiling Kernel.  But there’s a new face that is making her presence known: the face of Starbucks.   That’s right, Starbucks has touched down in Chinatown, and it’s that little mermaid and her sweet smiling face that I get excited about any time I see her in this country that is still so foreign to me. 

Every time I see the familiar green logo, I know I can get a little dose of home all the way on the other side of the world.  Some things are so different here that it’s hard to wrap my mind around it all.  But some things never change.  Starbucks is one of those things I can count on as having basically the same look, feel and taste no matter where I find it.  And sometimes, that’s the most comforting thing in the world. 

Of course, they add just the right amount of local flair to the menu and the décor.  When indulging in the ridiculously expensive Starbucks while here in China, I typically get their Green Tea Frappuccino to wash down my red bean scone.  I’ve also had the black sesame cookies, a green tea swirl cake and I’ve sampled the green tea and the taro macaroons.   All have been delicious!

Aside from Chinese inspired eats, the design of the Starbucks is also often very interesting.  Though the interior remains nearly identical to what you would find in the states, the exteriors vary greatly, and are incredibly amusing.  It’s funny because in some ways it’s like the ultimate visual blend of East meets West.  But oddly, and perhaps unfortunately, now that I’m a little more familiar with the Chinese mentality the metaphor that popped into my mind when I was looking at all of the pictures was ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing .’  But whatever, I like wolves, I like sheep, and I like Starbucks.