Stephen

Ramblings of a seriously bored person in Hainan, China

The Coolest Name Yet!

Mista "P" writing:

As you probably already know, many, if not most Chinese students have an English name. Some names are chosen, like Selina for example, because it's easy to pronounce relative to their own language. Naturally, I don't blame them one bit. This topic has been mentioned on other blog sites like Sinosplice so I won't go into a lot of details. But I will say...some of the students have chosen some really bizarre names. One for example is Do Do; not the bird, but a regular morning activity after a cup of hot coffee!

But his has to be the coolest name yet: Canaxe. 

This is a second hand story (the jest it) from a dear friend of mine who personally knows this young man and the details about how he came to chose this name.

The story behind the name CANAXE:

Friend: Where did you come up with this name?

Student: Well, I like candy but that name sounds like a girl.

Friend: Your absolutely right and not a good name for a man.

Student: I know! Then the word axe came to my mind.

Friend: Really!? Why that word?

Student: Axe is a man's tool and it's very strong.

Friend: That's true. It is a great tool and takes a lot of strength to cut down a tree or chop wood.

Student: That's right! So I began to think about "candy" and the "axe". I thought, hey...I can put the two words together because I like candy and the axe is very strong and it won't sound girly.

Friend: So that's how you came up with "Canaxe".

Student: Yep!

That is so cool and very imaginative. I bet this guy is the only one...out of 1.3 billion folks...that has a name like this! 

posted by: stephenthegreat at 19:11 | link | comments (2) |

Fuunn

Stephen writing..

Now that the twelve teachers and their 5 kids are gone.. it sure is getting quite in our house. I don't wake up to my 3 year old cousin Lora screaming in my ear, "WAKE UP STEPHEN!!!!" and enjoying every min. of it.. i don't hear in the afternoon, stteeeppphheeenn.. can we go get an ice cream? and giving me a sad puppy face.. it's quite different around here without 12 people in your house.

I'm still teaching at the kindergarden, and these kids aren't as nice and cute after teaching them for a little over a month. When you first start.. talking in the class, you can kind of deal with it... but then.... i mean after a while.. they just get annoying, so i've learned to become more strict while teaching them now, make them fear me.. but.. no matter how strict.. mean.. i mean to be.. they look at me and laugh.. saying, 'Stephen, you aren't very good at being mean'.

I would write more, but i must eat and get ready to go teach my little darling kindergarden class.. hee hee.. but i'll try towrite more later!

posted by: stephenthegreat at 18:24 | link | comments |

Whoa! In China!?

Mista "P" writing:

I was checking out Googles news on China yesterday and came across an article that was....not like China.

Hangzhou is preparing to have the first public nude bathing area! What a shock. According to the article, several female students had decided to bare it all and go swimming. Security came, clothes back on, but the park owner saw this as a new development for tourist - nude bathing. Come to find out there is no law against this but if the public deems it bad or a public nuisance, then it stops.

Public nuisance - let's see - traffic jams, people falling out of trees while holding their binoculars, the pointing, staring, yelling etc. Nuisance?

I never would have or could have imagined that China would even consider something like this. So call me a prude, old-fashioned or a rightists - this ain't good!!!

 

posted by: stephenthegreat at 18:13 | link | comments (1) |

Boomin Changes

Mista "P" writing:

Food

I suppose it's like this everywhere in China, but here in Hainan we're really blessed with the restaurants on every corner. I'm telling ya, they're everywhere, on every main street, side street and alley. If you have money...you can eat and the variety of foods and prices seem to be endless. We've got Korean, Japanese, Singapore and just about every province of China is here. Western restaurants aren't the norm. As a matter of fact, besides KFC, McDonalds and Winners Pizza, that's it, at least for now. Sometimes I really grave a big ol' juicy T-bone or a Reuben from Subway! Man that would be so nice. Now don't get me wrong, what we do have is good. Some of the best food I've ever eaten has been right here in Haikou City. But I will admit, it did take me awhile to get to use to the heavy use of cooking oil. I call those dishes, even though they taste really good, "floating dishes". I could change the oil in a car with some of the dishes. But again, it's so good.

One surprise is the number of coffee houses we have. Yes, we do have a lot tea houses, but coffee definitely surprised me. Maybe we'll get a Starbucks one day. I had no idea that Chinese like to drink coffee. Now if I could just find a can of Maxwell House or Folgers I'd be sitting in high cotton.

The other thing that is changing are some of the grocery stores. Most folks, including us, buy most of our food (vegetables and meat) from a nearby market. If you've never been to one of these, it's a trip. Fresh food is good but watching them butcher a rabbit, pig a or chicken is..well..I never saw it done in a Krogers. Maybe they should, that way you will know it's fresh. The market near our home has a unique smell which is a sinus opener and it's crowded but they never seem to run out of food. But what I've seen change is at one of the larger or maybe the largest grocery store here, One Pro. It's beginning to look like Krogers. I guess it's trying cater to the more affluent people or to those that don't have time to go to the market, which is ok but the market is a world of its own. To buy fresh at the market means getting up really early and trying, if you can, beat the crowd for the best picking. But be warned if you go - WASH, WASH, WASH - the food. Even the eggs. Yes, that's right, even the eggs. They are so fresh they still have the residue from leaving their home in the hen. Not a pretty sight.

posted by: stephenthegreat at 20:41 | link | comments |

Still Boomin

Mista "P" writing:

Construction

The economic boom here has been tremendous to say the least, especially when it comes to housing. There are new high-rise apartment complexs being built everywhere. It kind of reminds me of the boom in Houston, Texas during the late 70's and early 80's. Everyone was heading to Houston to work. It's really amazing to see just how fast they can erect a 30 story building! But it does seem we're being overbuilt considering Hainan's  primary industry is mostly tourism - shopping, restaurants, etc. There a few heavy industries here like Mazda, but that's not the norm.

So where are all of the people coming from to live here and where do they work to buy a new apartment? Beats me! Only thing I can figure is they're from the Mainland buying a summer home or retiring. The nice thing about the housing is that it does give you a variety of places to chose from and allows you to bargain for the best price. And let me tell you, they are some really nice places to live. 

When we fisrt came here, there were signs of what apparently was a former "boom". The sign - a lot of unfinished, towering, skeletal buildings. Now, even those building are being completed which naturally improves the beauty of the city. Nothing like looking at a 35 story building that's unfinished, especially when it sits in the middle of town. Billions of RMB or dollars are being spent here. Just in the district where we live it's changing at a rapid pace. Out with the old and in with the new. It's just hard to for me to realize where the people are going to come from that can afford to buy a new place and work here. Obviously theses investors know something I don't but f the boom does stop, at least there will be a lot empty, finished buildings this time.

posted by: stephenthegreat at 21:33 | link | comments |

We're Boomin and Shakin in Haikou!

Mista "P" writing:

I haven't spent much time telling you about Haikou City. So for the next few posts, I'll do my best.

Transportation

I've lived here a little over two years now and I can definitely see the "boom" here. For example, just within my apartment complex, two years ago the parking lot had a few cars - now it's full, actually, overcrowded. The street out in front used to have very little traffic. Now - you had better look both ways when crossing. The traffic is heavy and crowded, with motorcylces, taxis, buses, trucks, cars. scooters, bicycles(both electric and leg power) all vie for a spot on the road.

The city leaders appear to be doing their best in trying to manage this. Road projects seem to be never-ending here from resurfacing to widening to new roads being built. Their doing their very best, I think, to meet the needs. One major road in the downtown area has been made a one-way and traffic rerouted to help ease the congestion. It's so much better now.

The city has also purchased quite a number of large, new, air-conditioned, buses and has added several more bus routes and increased the number of buses on some routes. For example, there isn't an area of the city that I can't get to by bus now. Convient - you bet, even if it does take an hour to go 20 minutes by taxi. I can't afford taxis everyday anyway.

The city has stopped issuing motorcycle and scooter tags in an attempt to decrease their numbers. Can't say that I blame them. If there is one thing you've gotta watch out for - it's them. Getting off and on the bus, walking the sidewalks, etc. they're everywhere. In their defense though, it is a cheap, affordable means of transportation.

I do hope the city doesn't eliminate the motorcyle-for-hire though! These guys are fun to ride with and it's cheaper than a taxi but more than a bus. The air blowing through your hair, the smell of diesel exhaust at the red lights...sometimes I feel like a biker without the babe just riding on one! Gotta buy black!

posted by: stephenthegreat at 16:09 | link | comments |

Nuttin Much

Mista "P" writing:

What's been going on with me in tropical Haikou City? Nuttin Much!

Today I went by Stephen's house to drop off some books and saw the greatest sign for a hospital. Now I realize that translating one language into another; in this case Chinese into English, can be a difficult thing and sometimes the best way to do it is to be blunt and to the point. The sign, located in a part of town that I had never been to before, will definitley get your attention and most likely a laugh or at best a good, "Whoa, did I read that right? Stop and go back. I gotta read that again!"

The sign: ANUS AND BOWELS HOSPITAL 

What else could you say? Maybe......

BUTT AND GUT HOSPITAL

 

 

posted by: stephenthegreat at 20:51 | link | comments (2) |