Xmas in Shanghai: not bad!

An early Saturday evening I’m writing for my blog in the local coffee bar Boonna. I survived Christmas in Shanghai (actually it was second time for me to spend Christmas here in Shanghai – last year I was also in Shanghai during the Christmas holiday). I’m actually doing very well, but tired of an intensive Christmas celebration schedule. Next to the Christmas days I’m not taking any free days, because there is a lot to do for de Baak. I’ll be going to Holland by the end of January and before my flight back home I have to get many things done here.

Because of the Christmas days this week went fairly quick, but many things happened – as always in Shanghai. Monday and Tuesday were very busy working days. Both evenings consisted of playing music. Monday I went to practice my bass at Jz School and Tuesday I had a rehearsal with one of the jazz bands. After the rehearsal I went to a bar where I played as a bass player on an ‘open mic’-night. It went fairly well and I’ll probably go back to that place to play again fairly soon. Maybe even to play my ‘own’ songs on which I’m still working. Could be nice.

Tuesday night I couldn't sleep very well, so Wednesday I was totally broken during the day. A Polish photographer named Bartek (he also attended the hiking trip of last weekend) came in the morning to make some pictures of me. He is working here on a project in Shanghai to take photos of people in their living surroundings (see also http://www.yetiyeti.eu/). So I probably look quite wrecked on these pictures – no enough beauty sleep. Anyhow it was cool to be included in his project. Further I had a normal working day on Wednesday and after I went to the house of Yali, who had invited some people from the hiking trip. We had a delicious vegetarian Christmas meal and ended the evening with playing music and singing in Yali’s home – great! Everybody was playing drum and I improvised on the guitar. It sounded not bad at all! After a closing drink in the Cotton Club I went to bed on a decent hour, so the next day I was fresh to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas day was fun. I went to a Christmas lunch with Jim and JP from my jazz band. In total we were a group of around 15 people. The Christmas lunch included an open bar, meaning you could drink anything you want. So I found myself drinking Champagne and Mojitos in the middle of the day. I think many people can relate to way of celebrating Christmas. I had lots of laughs and dancing during this lunch. I even won a bottle of very tasty wine, by providing the answer to question in which year the English Rockband Slade released their single “Merry Xmas everybody” (the right answer was 1973 for those that are keen to know). With this bottle of wine in my hand and five courses in my belly I left to group around 19h to go to my niece Tineke for another Christmas drink. It was a small but nice party. However, due to my big lunch I had trouble keeping my eyes open – I was the first to leave off to bed.

Yesterday (the second day of Christmas) consisted mainly of learning Chinese and a Chinese lesson with my new teacher Pamela. I’m very happy with my new teacher – my learning speed is going faster and faster, but this improvement of my Chinese classes also included more homework. I don’t know where to find the time, but so far I have been able to do my home work and impress my teacher. Next to speaking I've started to work on my Characters. I bought a Chinese mobile phone so I’m able to sent messages in Chinese. It takes me forever to complete a very simple message in Chinese, but it gives a victorious feeling.

Yesterday evening I had a blind date. Set up by my housekeeper. It was a nice girl, but I think we are not a great match. Partly because her English was extremely limited, so I could practice my Chinese even more – that was a very nice thing. After the date was finished I hooked up with my Dutch friend Jorden and we went clubbing. In the clubs I was happy to find that there are still lots of girls interested in me … thank God.

I’ll be heading home now, and feel like I’ll have a very early Saturday night after the big night out yesterday. Tomorrow will be a beautiful day, and I want to be there to enjoy it!

Shanghai: never a dull moment (and an escape to the countryside)

When I came back from Hong Kong two weeks ago I found that one of the corners of Hengshan Lu / Goa’an Lu (that’s exactly where I live) changed into a building place. Ten days and noisy nights (even more noisy than normal) resulted in a new bar (another … in this already so busy street). This made me loose ‘my’ little local fruit store, which makes the closest store now about 8 minutes walk instead on the more comfortable 2 minutes – sad news, but I’ll live. One of my favorite coffee stores was also closed last month, so there is even more pressure in discovering this city than any other metropolitan city – you loose half of what you find along the way.

There are of course also constant changes in my small life here. The most obvious one of this week is the change of my Chinese teacher. I invited my old teacher Yoyo to my concert last Sunday, but Monday I had a ‘test’-lesson with a girl, using the English name Pamela (she’s Chinese of course). This was a real improvement, so on my regular lesson on Tuesday I had to break the news to Yoyo – who toke it without looking sad. Friday I had my first real lesson with Pamela, and we agreed to do two lessons a week, so I can master this Chinese language. So far, she was really impressed by the level I reached in these first three months. If I keep this tempo I’ll be rather fluent in a year, was her view. This sounds like a good plan to me, so I’ll keep on pushing it and enjoying along the road.

My work for the Baak is going well. My break in Hong Kong really helped to get a clear view. I’m quite confident that I’m able to deliver some valuable results in the first half of 2009. Music is also good – jamming with some people last week, learning lots of new jazz songs – I can play around 15 now – and I’m also starting to learn how give a bass-solo. A very good development, because than you can really start to show off. This Friday morning I was interviewed by people for ICS – a local Shanghai television station - on my experiences as a newly arrived musician in town. They where at the Jz School Xmas-party and met me there. So, I’ll be on television here very soon – probably just for a few minutes – but quite nice.

So this week was packed with music, Chinese lessons and work for de Baak, especially because this weekend I went on a hiking trip with a group of Chinese and two guys for Poland, so all my plans had to be squeezed into five days. Yali called me last Tuesday, and said the magic words: “Bas, forget about you drinking plans for this weekend and enjoy nice clean air in the mountains”. Some relaxation and clean air sounded like a good plan, so I said yes. So Friday evening at 7.30pm we left Shanghai for a little weekend of hiking. It was maybe not what I would call a weekend of relaxing, but the air was definitely clean – and the people very nice. Next to that I was able to practice my Chinese heavily, with all these Chinese people (which I did).

We left Shanghai on Friday night for and 8 hour drive to arrive at 3.30am in a place where we could sleep. Of course I didn’t sleep in the buss, so I was wrecked when they woke me at 6.30am to start hiking. Chinese like to start early …. We hiked for about 6 hours before we arrive at a nice little old town, where we had our hostel, which was in the oldest and most beautiful house there. We enjoyed a diner at a local restaurant and had a quiet evening with some games – I was reading for most of the time, but joined in the last game (and won). Today not sleeping in either, but 8am was already a bit better. After another morning of hiking we had a lunch and drove back to Shanghai. I was home at 21pm, toke a shower and started to write this blog. I must admit that my eyes are quite heavy … I will have no problem to find my sleep tonight.

To see more of the country side was also good. It’s so different to the big city life here in Shanghai. They are two different worlds. The county side life seems to be easier going (although they probably work hard there). There is even a difference between the little towns and the real county side people. The last group really lives in a very small world that probably hasn’t changed to must when compared to their lives in the 1960s – at least on the outside. In the little cities the modern elements are slowly entering. Next to house of an old craftsman I found for example a mobile telephone shop in one of these county side towns. The presence of the two guys from Poland and me created a little fuss in town, especially by the kids. Now I can talk a little Chinese makes it possible to communicate with them (which is great fun)!

For now I leave it at this – I’m in need for sleep. One thing is certain, China has many faces and I’m just getting started to gain some understanding of it. It is still fascinating and I am very happy that I joined this little trip. I’m ready for the next working week ….. I don’t really celebrate Christmas this year, although I will have a Christmas lunch on Christmas day, so I won’t be alone – good!

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

A very musical week

Sitting here quite exhausted on an Sunday night at home. I had quite a busy week and I am happy to be here and relax a little. I haven’t been home one night this week, so it’s time for a little rest. This week has been all about music for me. I had 4 rehearsals and 3 gigs and I attended 2 concerts – all in one week. It is a little much, but definitely worth it. I’m getting more and more familiar with the world of jazz, so that’s a good thing. Keep up the good work! Just before I went to Hong Kong another Jazz-band asked me if I could be their bass-player for one time, because their bassist went on holiday. I said that it would be fine, but that we needed to rehears to get it right, so I had two rehearsals with this band and of course also two with my own band. So that was my Tuesday and Thursday night. After the rehearsals I went to a concert both times – I got inspired, but it also made me come home late and not sleep enough.

Monday and Wednesday I had diners with friends followed by drinks and interesting discussions. Especially on Monday night I had an interesting discussion with Michiel and Rosalie after our nice Chinese meal. They have been here for far over a year now and they've red quite a lot about Chinese culture and its history. Our talk was mostly concerned with the situation of contemporary China and its position within the world. I’m not able to give a short and clear summary right now – too tired. But believe me it was interesting and inspired me to learn and read more about China. So far, I haven’t been able to read a lot. And I'm already getting busier and busier … where to find time? Who isn’t wondering about this?

After my break in the Hong Kong I have a much clearer picture for my work for De Baak. I have three concrete projects and was happy to have been able to make some appointments the coming week to get two of these three projects rolling. When I was in Hong Kong I decided to start calling more instead of sending endless email. I started to use this strategy this week and it’s paying off. Calling is so much more effective and you get also a good picture of what’s happing in the Netherlands. So, the telephone will be a new a good way to communicate. Though a friend I found a new international calling system called Rebtel (www.rebtel.com). It’s great you can call international and only pay local costs (check it out!). These systems just make the world smaller and smaller …

I went to the local tailor on Wednesday and bought a new winter coat, new suit and a two shirts. Going here to the tailor is a real treat – its so damn cheap. For all these items I paid ¥ 1.100,- (which is a bargain). Further I have a Chinese name now, so I finally can get my Chinese name card. I cannot pronounce my own name yet, but I’ll practice it before I'll hit the Chinese market with my new card. My study of the language is going alright, but because of all these rehearsals this week it’s has been a bit slower than normal. I’m listing to Chinesepod right now, so catching up! Further I’ll probably change my Chinese teacher soon, because I met a really good one and I feel I’m ready for a more professional approach.

This weekend has been about music, music and music. I didn’t party too much, because I needed my energy during the day. I had some drinks on Friday, but didn’t go clubbing. So, Saturday I was fresh and had two rehearsals during the day and a big gig in Pudong in the evening. Our gig was in the Jin Mao Tower, which is a famous building. Everybody knew it, except me, so I was happy to see it. It’s quite a luxurious place. We played for around 200-300 people who were having diner. So real background music – nice! After our gig we were also invited to enjoy the delicious foods there. Today was the Xmas party of the Jz School. I had my two performances and as the climax we could make our own dumplings. Which I enjoyed making and eating. So until now I earned two free meals with my music here in Shanghai – it’s a start.

Now I will hit the shower and then go to bed with a book. It has been a good week and I'm ready for more these …

Returned to Shanghai, and ready for part 2

Just returned from Hong Kong and I find myself behind my computer to work on my blog. I had a very good time with my friend Theo in Hong Kong, but I must say I’m happy to have returned to Shanghai. It really felt like coming ‘home’. I was in Hong Kong for 10 days and that’s quite a while. I was a little scared it would be strange to come back, but it feels very good and I’m ready to enter the second chapter of my stay in China. In Hong Kong I didn’t speak any Chinese for two weeks, but my first taxi ride from the airport gave me confidence – I didn’t forgot everything.

Shanghai is totally cold, when I arrived here tonight the outside temperature was only two degrees above zero. An extremely big difference with the sunny HK-days I have enjoyed the last two weeks. During the day I could leave the house in my shirt – Hong Kong in December, wow! However, this winter feeling in Shanghai also makes my Dutch heart beat a little faster. In Hong Kong I got most of my planned work done and even met a few interesting people - so I slowly start to expend my network all over China and I get in a position to start to connect more and more dots.

Everyday I made long hours in Theo house to finish all my outlines and plans of the coming six months. I was glued to the computer screen. On Monday and Tuesday I didn’t even leave his apartment to have a nice walk in the sun. To make up for all the hard work I treated myself to a visit to Macau on Thursday. Macau is the Las Vegas of China, and close to Hong Kong. You can take the boat there, which will only take you an hour. I have never been to Vegas, but I think the experience will be similar. The casinos in Macau are gigantic buildings, containing thousands of hotels room, a bunch of restaurants, a complete shopping centre, conference rooms and of course very large play halls. There are maybe 10-20 of these mega casinos in Macau today, but they are currently building the same amount of new ones. Macau will definitely be the Vegas of the 21st century. Impressive! I tried my luck on the slot machines, but I've seem to have lost that somewhere along the way.

Gambling is illegal in China, but Macau is like Hong Kong and Taiwan a SAR (Special Administrative Region). The Chinese call this: “One country, two systems” (I think they say this, because “One country, four systems” would sound a little overwhelming for us Westerns). So gambling is illegal, but not in Macau – that's simply another system. Quite a smart why to keep people happy and in the meanwhile keep the mainland ‘free’ of those ‘evil’ gamblers. Until 1999 Macau was under governmental control by Portugal. So everywhere on the street you could see Portugese signs and there was an old city centre, which really gave me a feeling that I was in South-Europe, except for the thousands of Chinese, which you normally do not accouter in these large numbers in the Mediterranean. There was an old fortress there on a mountain with beautiful views over the entire city. It was an interesting sight – the combination of a European town centre, with the enormous casinos in the background.

Friday was the 5th of December – a very special day for us Dutchies! Being a guest at Theo’s, I didn’t have to worry that I would miss this great party. A friend of Theo had arranged a real ‘Sinterklaas’-party, with poems and presents. It was a nice party with around 15 Dutch people. After the poems and presents a real house party broke loose in which I found myself with the other guests dancing and singing in the living room - it totally didn’t feel like I was on the other side of the world. Actually Hong Kong didn’t feel much like China at all. In my view it's an totally international city, where the whole world connects to do business, business and a little more ...... business. Now I’ve returned to Shanghai I feel I’m back in China again. It will only be around 7 more weeks before my first return back to Holland - my God, that scares me, but I’m physically and emotionally ready for this second chapter – let’s make it happen!!!