Time Zone

Night Time at Wen Jun Hotel
Sharon's Photo

• Why are there time zones? 

Really think about take for instance a massive country in both size and population like China who only has one time zone. While in USA there 4 time zones mainland and Hawaii. What if the USA was all on the same time zone? Interesting to think about.

What does that mean for China? As a communist country it is easier to control people if your all on one time zone.

Daylight at Wen Jun Hotel
Sharon's Photo

• What about day light savings?

Don't you just hate it when it comes time to Spring It Forward. Loosing that one hour can be traumatic to the body and mind set. Imagine a world without day light savings. Wouldn't that be splendid not to worry about loosing that one hour of sleep each year. Just move to China to avoid those dreadful time changes. 

• How much daylight do you need?

Living in NE China would be equivalent to Alaska. Winters are dark and summers are bright. In Winter the sun rises around 9 and sets by 3.  Because it's so cold that the lack of sunlight is not a problem because you spend most of your time indoors anyways. The worst season is summer. The sun peaks through the window at 3 AM and sets around 10 PM. My body would wake up around 4 and I tried to go back to sleep, but never back to a deep sleep. Oh how I hated summer because of the sunrise.

Bathrooms

Besides the kitchen the bathroom is one of the most sacred places in the home. You use the toilet at least 3 times a day. You primp and beautify yourself each morning in front of the bathroom mirror. You bathe daily to cleanse and purify your body. This room (the bathroom) is essential to your daily life.

Living in Asia can throw your whole morning schedule out of whack if your not prepared.

I am blessed to have a bathroom with a Western Style Toilet, Sink and Mirror, even a Shower. This is convenient, but sometimes I've had problems. China is the worlds biggest consumer of solar energy.  Solar energy is great as long as it works. If you end up with a broken collector you may have to suffer through an ice cold morning shower. 

Photo by me: Showing the wrong way to use a sqatty potty

My apartment has spoiled me, because as I quickly found out, not everyone in Asia is a blessed as me.

I've stay in places that have no indoor bathroom. You much use an outhouse. No problem, until I realize that it's a squatty potty (whole in the ground) and -35 C outside daytime temperature. Every morning you must heat water that will be used to your wash your face and wash your hair and brush your teeth and much more. There is no mirror  you must rely on the visual expertise of the people around you. If you want to shower you must go to a public bath house. The showers are hot and worth the money, but I find it awkward. People gawk at you. In Asia no matter if your white or black you will standout in a crowd on the streets, but in the bath house you will standout 500 times more. Be prepared to have everyone gawk  at every inch of your body. 

Life in the rural areas must be tough. So, what about the cities? They should be better. Not exactly.

I was told that the only place to find a public Western Style Toilet was at KFC. Not exactly true. I've been in many KFC restrooms across Asia and most, if not all, are squatty potties. However, I found luck at Starbucks. After living in Asia I have come to accept squatty potties for it helps strengthen my leg muscles. 

Bathrooms are something I took for granted until my move to Asia. Living or Traveling in Asia you must prepare yourself and be ready to use a bathroom that may not meet up to your high standards. My best advise is suck it up and live with it.

Before I forget: The most important thing I've learn is: Always carry tissues in your pocket or purses. Toilet paper is NOT provided in any bathroom across Asia.

My top books to read about China

1. Joy Luck Club ***
• Author Amy Tan
• This is a book that links the traditional life of four Chinese Women and their relations with their American born daughters. This inspirational stories shows how deep cultural roots can be. 
• The book became a nationally known book and soon was filmed in 1993
2. Country Driving: A Journey Through Time for Farm to Factory ****
• Author Peter Hessler
• This book is the adventures of one man's driving journey across China. First off he shares the stories and experience of driving in the rule areas of China following the Great Wall. Secondly, he tells about his experiences living in a rural village outside of Beijing. Thirdly, he talks about his visits to factories in the South of China. His stories give a deep insight into the Chinese Culture.
3. Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present ***
• Author Perter Hessler
• This books at how the history of China has a great impact on the present day China. It shows how the past and present mix together.
4. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze ***
• Author Perter Hessler
• While teaching English in Southern China in 1997 two unsubstantial events happened in the history of China: ruler Deng Xiaoping died after ruling for over two decades and Hong Kong become part of China. This book describes the events the impact on China.
5. Where the Pavement Ends ****
• Author Erika Warmbrunn
• This is a biography of a young woman who set off on an en-devour to bike for Mongolia through China and all the way through Vietnam. 
6. More to Come....

Cost of living

Take a look at your monthly expenses.

 How much money do you spend each month? 

With these hard economic times I became frugal in my spending. I budgeted every penny earned. 

Moving half way across the world, I was surprised at the drastic change in my spending. I knew China was a cheap place to live, but no this cheap. I now spend on average $150 a month. This includes everything: 3 meals a day, taxi rides, shopping, photo copies and cell phone costs. There is no way that I could live on this in the States. 

I was frugal before moving to China, but now I am the "Queen of Frugal." I live a simple live, and I'm happy. 

Currency

Europe is struggling as well as the States. It is predicted that China will become a world power in Economics in the next 20 years. hen I first moved to China the currency rate was frozen at 6.6 RMB to Dollar or 14.6 cents to the RMB. Over the past year the rate has gone from 6.6 to 6.3. If have heard that it should work its way down to 4.5 to the Dollar. What this means for me is that I get a pay raise for just working in China. Good news for me, but bad news  for my cheap life and travelers. This means that when coming from the States it will cost more to travel and live in compared to the past. Examples: Tour prices will increase around $300 or more. I like everyone else wants to invest in China, but the problem is nobody knows when the drastic growth in the RMB with happen. It may to 5 years to reach the 4.5 mark.

Visit this link to learn about living a happy life:

http://sharonrott.hubpages.com/_14gkjlab5897/hub/5-Tips-to-Living-a-Happy-Life

Visit this link to check out the currency rates:

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Keep Climbing

This is one of my favorite poems that has hung on my parents bathroom wall for years!

Climb Until Your Dream Comes True

By Helen Steiner Rice

Often your tasks will be many,

And more than you think you can do

Often the road will be rugged

And the hills insurmountable, too

Always remember, the hills ahead

Are never as steep as they seem

And with faith in your hear start upward

And climb ‘till you reach your dream

Nothing in life that is worthy 

Is ever too hard to achieve

If you have the courage to try it 

And you have the faith to believe

Faith is a force that is greater

Than knowledge of power or skill

And many defeats turn to triumph 

If you trust in God’s wisdom and will

Faith is a mover of mountains,

There’s nothing that God cannot do,

So start out today with faith in your heart

And Climb Until Your Dream Comes True

Peanut Movie.wmv

Comfort Music

Life abroad can be very interesting especially when it comes to music. Everywhere I go I find myself listening to American music. Whenever I step foot in a restaurant or taxi or clothing store they change the music to an English pop star such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber. As I leave they change the music back to Chinese music. Maybe they think changing the music will make me spend more money. 

 My favorite experience involving music was when eating at a JAPANESE restaurant in CHINA listening to an ENGLISH song "eenie meenie" by Justin Bieber. I soon began humming the tune before realizing the humor of the situation. 

The longer I lived in China the more acquainted I become with the traditional music. 忐忑-龚琳娜 TanTe - Gong LinNa is a famous song, but not because of its inspirational lyrics. It is famous because of its NONSENSE lyrics.A foreigner will listen to the song and say "It's all Chinese to me." The funny thing is that "It's all Greek to the Chinese." That's what makes this song so awesome, because even the Chinese have no clue as to what is being sung