It’s Chinese New Year, and one of the great things about it is having three weeks off. Yes, three weeks off. Just starting the second week off, and it’s been quite relaxing. Working a bit on stuff for school, and feeling very happy I am back in Xiamen. I’ve listened to the fireworks going off, despite it being a rainy day, and now a rainy evening.
However, I have been anxious recently. Hoping that being in a familiar city will help stop the anxiety. I combat it by facing my fears, using a new outlook on things, relaxing, and watching lots of stuff to distract me. I have to stop my all-or-nothing thinking, as it’s quite damaging.
Home Sweet Home
The apartment I chose here isn’t very cute. But it has the things I wanted: a two-burner gas stove, a kitchen, a family-sized refrigerator, a nicely-sized bathroom and a south facing balcony. The place is a bit chilly. I don’t like that aspect of it, but hoping when the weather gets warmer, the apartment will stay cool.
I stay home a lot. It’s funny; I never really was a homebody, but it saves money. I have plenty of food in the house, and it’s very luxurious to cozy up in my bed. The air conditioner also has a heating element, and that’s a good thing. There’s no central heating in China. In the south, air conditioners are the norm. In the north, heaters are the norm. But I got lucky this time with a combo unit in each bedroom. I was so thankful the first night I figured it out. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time in my bedroom. I have a space heater in the living room, but it doesn’t seem to help much. My bedroom is a pleasant cocoon.
I Sorta Went Home Again
Yesterday, I went to one of my favorite restaurants, and was happy to have the place to myself. From there, I walked on the beach and then went to the street where I used to live. I didn’t want to bother walking into my old apartment complex. Don’t live there anymore, and you need a key fob to open the gate. Didn’t want to bother explaining it to the gate guard, either. But I’m sort of filled at a sense of wonder being in a familiar place again. I sort of feel more secure, like I know what I’m doing. Chinese New Year is a time when people usually go home. And businesses, especially the family run places, close down. I rode by a place where I got photocopies and some photos enlarged, and noticed it was closed.
Every Little Thing, Gonna Be All Right…
I need to stop worrying so much. Because things get resolved. The setback I had in October, was just that–a setback. Am I drunk? No. It’s just one of those rare moments that I feel happy, and content. Happy Chinese New Year.
So, I’m back in Xiamen. I am happy to be here. I made great memories here, and the city is just right–small by Chinese standards, but big enough for me (its population is about the size of Chicago.) The people are friendly, the whole city is like a garden, and businesses are convenient. Everywhere I’ve lived in Xiamen has been close by to things, businesses and services I need. I have been feeling very tense lately. Someone suggested I get a massage, so I went online and saw the Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort a was a five-star place, so I decided to try it out. It’s totally worth it. I’m so glad I came.
Where It’s At
First off, the actual spa, complete with two huge swimming pools, several smaller pools, five different sauna experiences, a restaurant, a place to get drinks, and massage area is across the highway from the actual hotel. But worry not–the hotel provides a shuttle service that will get you across the road in style–a freakin’ Mercedes bus, no less.
The resort is kid-friendly and provides things like robes, towels, and plenty of shampoo, conditioner and body wash. The well-maintained large shower stalls with plenty of hot water and good pressure are a great way to start and end your day at the Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort.
Hey man, nice spa!
So when you first enter the resort, there is a front desk with signs in both Chinese and English detailing spa packages you can purchase. Don’t worry–if you aren’t sure what to get, I’d suggest the 498 Yuan ($70 USD) package. You’ll get to sample pretty much everything there is to offer, and they will throw in an hour-long massage. I was very happy with this package. It turns out it also included a meal at the Moon Pavilion.
What did I order? See below!It looked like this, close up …The bite came from me. I was so hungry, I forgot to get a picture when this was served to me.
Bilingual!
Signs are in Chinese and English. I suggest getting a robe before going out into the spa park. They give you a elasticized bracelet that also serves as your locker key. The bathrobe attendant will scan your bracelet, and poof, you get a robe. As you open your locker, there is a fresh towel and slippers inside.
See???
You should bring your own suit, but if you didn’t, there is a gift shop available to purchase one. You can also buy swim caps. I suggest you bring your own. What’s nice about this place is if you bought a limited package, but see an attraction you want to try, you can always pay at the attraction.
This place really is like an amusement park for your body. I stayed six hours, but still didn’t hit up everything. Did they have a swimming pool? I love swimming, and my plan was to swim a few laps, then enjoy everything else. Turns out they have two huge swimming pools, and I had the deep pool all to myself!
If you think 70 degrees is “warm” water, I’ve got news for you.
Totally Chill
It’s winter here in Xiamen, but it doesn’t get too cold. I guestimated the temperature of the water was around 70 degrees F or so. I couldn’t tell until I found a temperature gauge at the side of the pool. Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort lists temperatures for every one of their therapeutic offerings–you’ll know exactly how hot or cold it is by looking at the numbers. Turns out I guessed right–the 21 C gauge is right around 69.8 degrees F. Everything is in Celsius though. If it helps you Americans, 30 C is 86 degrees F. Anything north of south of that will be either hotter or colder.
Honestly, I eased myself into the pool. Good thing too, talk about brisk! I managed 12 laps before getting out and seeing what else the park had to offer.
A handy aerial view. There are maps like this throughout Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort.
Feeling the Heat
I decided I would warm up a bit, so I went to the little circular pavilion just to the lower right of the bigger circular building in the upper left hand corner. It was full of hot water, and just the ticket to warm up. At different stations, they have free tea and hot water available. They list the health benefits from the tea so you can make a wise decision.
I decided to keep walking. Lotus Island is a attractive pool filled with all sorts of hydro massage gadgets. It reminded me of the swim club I was a member of here in Xiamen, near my first ever apartment. The Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort had a pulse pool, which was certainly different. You know how you feel when you’re getting shocked? Those weird electrical pulses? That’s what this was. Touching the area with my hand was rather uncomfortable, but placing my back near one of the plates was okay. I felt it, and it was much different from just getting pounded by water.
Lotus Island
Get Your Freak On
However, the freakiest, most entertaining station was the Fish Spa. At first glance, it looks harmless:
Nothing to see here folks…heh, heh, heh…
Just a shallow pool, about seven feet by 15 feet or so…except when you sit on the edge and soak your feet. Within seconds, hundreds of fish start dining on your flesh.
Jaws, indeed!And eating…And eating…
This helps to exfoliate your extremities. How does it feel? Glad you asked. Hate being tickled? You’ll hate it. Like being tickled? You’ll probably still hate it. I could only put up with a few seconds of being nibbled before twitching, shrieking, and raising my legs out of the water.
The bottom of the pool is basically pebbles in cement. The fish are light gray with dark gray stripes, and you literally can’t see them when they are swimming above the pebbles. It’s only when you sit at the edge and see the fish come into view inches above the step you rest your feet on that you realize dinner (you) is served. The fish are from Turkey, which normally hang out in hot springs. The pool was remarkably clean-looking, even though it’s basically a luxurious fish pond. If you didn’t pay up front for this, it will cost you 30 rmb or $4.20 to get nibbled on.
Beautiful Layout!
The resort itself is beautiful. Like an amusement park for your body. There are several water and tea stations everywhere, but I felt in the mood for a Sprite, which I bought from a vending machine at Lotus Island. Lotus Island has all sorts of hydro massage stations.
Obviously, not Sprite.
At the Tea Garden, you can literally soak in several different teas. I skipped the iced option. I got my feet wet, and I honestly couldn’t think of immersing any other part of my body in the water. At 11 C, I just couldn’t bear it. I got right back over to a pool that was 42 C, and laid right down in it.
Nom, Nom, Nom
It was then that I decided I’d try the restaurant. You’ve already seen those pictures, but I recommend getting the Japanese-style eel. There was a ton of food and I couldn’t finish it all.
By that time, my robe was soaked (idiot me had a towel, but didn’t use it to dry off after my watery adventures.) I warmed up a bit in one of five saunas, and headed for my massage.
Rub a Dub Dub
They have these giant tubes that are stacked on top of each other that I thought was the massage area, but wasn’t. However, an attendant took me to the actual spa area where I changed into disposable panties, and a loose-fitting top (think hospital scrub cut down the middle) and shorts. The massuese knocked on the door and I opened it. I was worked over for an hour (and it hurt at times) but I felt good at the end. Then I showered, dressed, and shuttled back to the hotel in the Mercedes bus, then ordered a Didi (Chinese Uber) to go home.
In Conclusion …
LOVED my spa day. Back in the states I would have probably forked over $75 for just a massage, You can bet I will be returning to Riyuegu Hotsprings Resort, as the people, facilities, and food were amazing. I go through life continually disappointed and nit-picking about everything, but not this time. Love swimming, hot tubs, saunas, good food and rub downs? Check. This. Out. Oh–you do NOT have to be staying at the hotel in order to go to the spa. If your Didi driver is like mine, he will point out the spa, and take you to the hotel. If you don’t want to wait on the shuttle, you could walk over the bridge that spans the highway, but why would you pass up a chance to ride in a Mercedes bus?
Duck doesn’t seem to be a common meat item in the United States. What I mean by that is you go into a grocery store and you can get an assortment of deli meats either in the self-serve section, or the counter. You’ll find plenty of ham, chicken, turkey and roast beef, but duck seems nonexistent. I associate it with higher-end restaurants. I don’t know if Jamison Meats has duck on hand–hold on–yes! they do! Go check them out if you are in Fort Wayne. I have never seen duck in your basic grocery store.
Not so here in China, because duck is common, and deli sections frequently have packages ready to go. I dared myself to try duck tongue, and liked it, so I went for the rest of it. It’s good. If you eat meat, it’s like very tender beef.
The Dadong Duck Stops Here
I had to try Peking Duck since I’m in Beijing. There’s no shortage of restaurants here that do Peking Duck; the trick was finding a restaurant I didn’t have to wait several hours in a line to enjoy. My pick was Dadong Duck. Surprisingly, I got in right away and was thrilled.
The view from my table. It was not crowded on this Saturday afternoon.
The opener was a dish of tiny oranges. I was entertained by the chef slicing the duck right at my table. I was shown by the wait staff how to make a little pocket sandwich with my duck, and also a little burrito.
The Chinese do like their fruit. Quick tip: eat fruit BEFORE ingesting protein. If you eat fruit for dessert, you might end up with terrible gas. I got this tip from Suzanne Somers, inventor of the ThighMaster, so she should know.My veggie starter of sprouts.Showtime! The chef is setting the pieces on a little platter heated with candles. Duck skin is crispy. If you like bacon, you’ll love this.
No Bones About It
One of the really good things about eating duck at a place like Dadong is the the bones will be removed. The thing about Chinese food, especially when it comes to any kind of meat, is that the bones will be in it. That includes the head, and it can be a bit off-putting if you are not expecting it.
Ready to eat!My burrito lesson. The food in the lower right-hand corner isn’t a couple of hamburger buns. They were some sort of hollowed-out bread, so I could make my sandwich.I loved the decor here.Lots of awards on display. This is a great experience, should you ever come to Beijing. Staff is amazing!
I really enjoy how when I go out for a walk, or just to explore, I discover stuff. I was a bit disappointed with the shopping district that I went to the other day. I was looking for a pedestrian shopping road like Zhongshan Road, which has become my photographic muse. Xidan shopping district had stores, but not exactly what I was looking for. I did however get some interesting pictures while in the area. But I also stumbled upon something that led me underground. It seemed to be a park, but with skylights. What is this, I thought. I asked a doorman who spoke English what it was. I thought it was an art museum. It was The New. That’s what the sign said.
The New keeps a literally low profile.
Maybe I never really grew up, but I like stuff aimed toward young people. I was not disappointed when I stepped inside this mall. This is art as commerce, commerce as art. Because I have never seen a mall that looked so much like an art museum.
The first of many exhibits in The New.
Quite a lot of wall space was devoted to this larger-than-life ballerina. I think part of the reason I loved this mall so much was because the stores weren’t crammed together. It was definitely the “less is more” approach. But there were other malls I visited that were like this too. And it made me realize this particular approach wouldn’t work in the United States, where malls are dying.
A floor to ceiling minimal face.
At one store, I saw a jacket I was tempted by. It wasn’t necessarily something I would normally wear, but it looked like fun. However, I’m moving to a much warmer climate, so buying a winter jacket right now is pointless.
This is what I am talking about when I mean use of space.
The stores reflected the demographic they were shooting for. And maybe it was because it was a weeknight, but the mall seemed subdued. Quiet. Like an art museum.
Makeup Mecca
I had never heard of Harmay, but it blew my mind. A store devoted to self-care. Makeup, lotion, soap, skin care, perfume, dental care, and yes, self-loving. Floor-to-ceiling makeup. I legit got so turned on in this store, as weird as it sounds. I want to say it’s like a combination of Sephora and Ulta, but it’s BETTER.
The mirrors in this place made catching my own reflection an unfortunate, but inevitable occurrence.As strip clubs are to guys, places like Harmay are to women (although there were guys here.)
This is what you see upon entering Harmay, which even had a rope like you see in front of clubs. The layout and design of this place was astonishing to me. Like a factory, but a luxurious factory. When I read an article online, the Beijing location was supposed to look more like an airport. I didn’t see it, but whatever. I dig Harmay CEO Damien Zhong’s retail philosophy.
A shot from the second level of The New.
It’s not a mall unless there’s something to eat.
It’s exactly what you think it is.See, it doesn’t even look like a mall!
I like lights, so sue me. So I gasped when I looked up and saw lights reflected in mirrors.
This was the section in Harmay housing all the skin care products they had. It looks like a perfect place to shoplift, but thanks to technology, there are cameras everywhere and those little anti-shoplifting stickers on everything.
Several stools in the mall were made to look like oversized computer keyboard keys.
A hanging sculpture near an escalator. See what I mean by art museum?
The bathrooms didn’t disappoint either.
Dyson faucet and hand dryer, all in one. I wish I could buy stock in this company. Their products are amazing.Another shot of that sculpture pictured earlier.The back of a store. I’ve never seen this type of wall before, or the kind of material used. I guess they don’t care about shoplifting in China, which means they can get creative with building.My sin, my soul.I almost didn’t walk into this tucked-away corner of Harmay, only to discover that there was a whole other area that had, among other things, vibrators. Bear in mind, this is a family-friendly store, any any kid could get into this area. But I’ve even seen vibrators at the check out counter of convenience stores too, which just adds to the mystery that is China. No strip clubs or pornography, but vibes are right out there in the open.
I would have to think if Andy Warhol, whose Popism I’ve been rereading, would absolutely adore The New. Commerce as Art, art as commerce. Never mind that there wasn’t really anything in The New that qualified as art. But if you are open-minded enough, I guess fruit sandwiches, and rhinestone-studded puffy jackets could qualify. Andy Warhol would approve.
I had a dream about my father last night. I rarely dream about my deceased parents, but I feel when they show up, they are visiting me. This was my dream from last night, as recorded in my journal:
Strange dream about my Dad. We were at the [Memorial] Coliseum, I think, and Joe Biden might have been speaking. It seemed dark at this rally. Dad didn’t want to listen to whatever was being said, so he got out some earbuds to listen to his radio. I did the same. Then he got up to talk to someone. He came back and said we were leaving. I was looking for the paperwork we came with. It was like there was shelving separating us from the row of people in front of us. I hoped I had all the papers we needed. On the way out, Dad held me by the hand. There was a stack of newspapers on a table and I grabbed some on the way out. The paper had a story about the Barenaked Ladies. Was it WhatzUp? What a weird dream.
The Memorial Coliseum is a venue located in my hometown, of Fort Wayne, Indiana. My Dad and I spent a lot of time there, but we were watching hockey games, not attending rallies, if indeed that’s what this was.
I don’t quite understand putting earbuds in, if he just got up to go anyway. But taking me by the hand was a bit odd. I mean, I think I was an adult in this dream. If I’d been a little kid, I am not sure I would have grabbed for a few copies of WhatzUp, the weekly I used to work for. The Barenaked Ladies being on the cover was weird too. I used to like them back in the day; I even got to meet them, but you know that saying, “never meet your idols”? Yeah, it was an underwhelming meet up. I wonder if anyone had briefed them they were actually going to meet fans that night. It was so bad, 30 seconds in, I really did want the floor to swallow me up. So I don’t know what’s going on with them. I should go online to see if anyone connected with them had a dust-up.
The dream represents loss: my father, my local writing career, my youth. I have had problems with insomnia, but it was nice to sleep deep enough to dream. The drawback of that, of course, is troubling dreams. But thanks Dad, for coming to visit. Say hi to Mom for me.
So I went to 798 Art Zone. I never really did anything too artsy in Guangzhou, although I did go to at least one museum. In Beijing, 798 Art Zone is an area with buildings that used to be military factories. It reminded me of the International Harvester complex in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That means nothing to anyone reading this (except for one person) but anyone who has ever worked on a factory campus back in the day will know what I’m talking about. Instead of one big building, there are a series of buildings, each of which house something vital to the complex. “Make art, not bombs” could be the slogan of this area. I was aware of this area, but didn’t get a chance to visit until the weather got colder. I’ll bet it’s a happening place during warm weather.
One of many murals in 798 Art Zone, but this might be the biggest.
Basically these buildings are rented out by all sorts of creative types. There are galleries, shops, and places to eat. The complex is closed off to cars, so it’s like a little pedestrian town with sculptures and murals nearly everywhere you look. The main street, so to speak, is home to UCCA (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art).
Not as big as the last mural, but still pretty big.
When I first showed up, I was bummed to find out UCCA was closed to the public. There was an exhibit by Maurizio Cattelan that I wanted to check out, modern art seemingly being lazy and amusing at the same time. (See my Cattelan post here.) Never heard of Cattelan? Not to worry! Recreate his genius by purchasing a banana and sticking it on a white wall with duct tape.
UCCA’s ad for Mr. Cattelan and The Last Judgment, a show full of dead animals and various likenesses of Cattelan.
Make sure the banana’s curve is to the left, if you are aiming for authenticity. In true marketing genius, the museum is selling rolls of duct tape and bananas (real as well as plastic) so you too can create “modern art.” Andy Warhol would have approved.
I like how the UCCA store had real, plastic, and plush bananas so you could have a choice.This was one of a series of several sculptures just sitting out. I’m positive the same artist did a sculpture of several bulls in Wanfujing Shopping Street. The technique and coloring look the same.Not sure what this means. Like, no matter how big you are, you can still be caged?I thought this graffiti was colorful, so I took a picture of it. Graffiti DOES exist in China, and 798 Art Zone is probably one of the few places where it’s actually allowed. Even the public toilets are some of the cleanest I’ve ever seen in the world.Fallen, but in Flight. Artist: me. The reason I titled it that is because even though these leaves are on the sidewalk, the perspective is they are slanted up. Get it? Plenty of art on the street if you don’t want to pay for the museum.I thought this was a particularly beautiful mural.I like how most of the letters in “NOODlE” are capitalized, except for the lower-case “l”. Is it Noodle Bar or NOODlE Bar? Whatever it is, I applaud the owners for being subversive and exploiting font choices to seem more X-rated than this probably is.
I went back for a second trip to 798 Art Zone and I finally got to see Cattelan’s work, which did not disappoint.
After a quiet day at home, a fun night with former colleagues. I ended up with a gift and felt bad because I hadn’t brought anything for anyone. Perhaps I can make it up to them.
I went out to do a bit of sightseeing before I have to leave and I saw the Temple of Heaven and a bit of Olympic stuff. I couldn’t believe my stamina, but the temps won out. My hands were so cold, I didn’t want to have to get on the subway home, so I took a Didi just so I could sit down. Yes, I went five hours today on my feet and no lunch. At home now with the space heater aimed at my feet because they were freezing too.
One of the great things about this awesome apartment is even with the bitter cold, I have not had to turn on the heat. The space heater is quite enough to keep me cozy on the couch. If I decide to exercise in my spare bedroom, I can always aim the space heater down the hallway so I get a bit of a warm breeze. But I usually don’t need it.
But it’s the night before Christmas and I found a picture my bestie from China was asking about. It took sitting in rush hour traffic in Beijing and wondering where the hell that picture was. But I found it doing a search on our chat. I opened up our chat and hit media, and there was every photo/video we’d sent. And there was that horrible lunch she was served in the hospital. I remember her texting that to me and asking what it was.
Maurizio Cattelan is someone I’d never heard of when I was hoping to see his show, advertised outside the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA). Modern art is always entertaining for its seemingly lack of skill or talent, and the “statements” it tries to make, but I enjoy it anyway. This post isn’t for the squeamish, or by those put off by taxidermied animals. I was relieved when I found out Cattelan only preserves animals who have died naturally. Still, a horse hanging out of a wall is a bit unnerving. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Cattelan’s work seems to be influenced by death, religion, humiliation and himself. In a move that Andy Warhol would approve of, one time Cattelan was offered space but didn’t have any art to put in. So he rented the space to a company for an ad. And yes, this is sponsored by Gucci, and a big ass screen topping the gallery shows the expensive clothes you can buy. Perhaps ironically, Gucci sponsoring an exhibit that seems a bit obsessed with death seems appropriate, since Patrizia “Lady Gucci” Reggiani Gucci had her own husband murdered.
It was an enjoyable afternoon seeing the exhibit. If you are a fan of modern art, catch this show in person if you can.
No Way! Laowai! 
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