LIFE IN AMOY

WARNING: This post contains potentially sensitive content. If you are inspired by Greta Thunberg, infuriated by the U.S.’ plans to pull out of the Paris Agreement, and generally anxious about the state of our planet, you may find the photos below disturbing. 

Single use plastic is everywhere. There’s really not much to say, other than it’s discouraging, sad and difficult to avoid (although admittedly we could do better). Here’s an array of the many, totally unnecessary uses of plastic we’ve come across.

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In addition to the absurd plastic usage, online shopping seems to be a way of life. Taobao is China’s Amazon and they sell virtually everything from groceries and tools, to clothing, linens, and toiletries, and everything in between.

Apparently the Chinese spend a higher percentage of their salary (over 19%) online than any other country. Every day new boxes, filled with excess packaging, are delivered to the storage lockers, shelves, and floor in our building’s lobby. We’ve certainly gotten in on the Taobao game. It can be a bit of gamble as to whether the quality will meet expectations, but we’ve had relatively good luck. It’s also cheaper and convenient, especially when you don’t know where to go in the city to find something. It does not, however, make me feel good about our ecological footprint.

The photos above were taken around our building a couple days after November 11th. 11/11, known as “Singles’ Day” or “Double 11s,” is the biggest offline and online shopping day in the world and an unofficial holiday of sorts in China where single people (and everyone else) treat themselves to gifts spending billions of dollars in a matter of hours. Retailers take full advantage offering mega sales. Move over Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In addition to the online retailers, there’s food delivery. Thanks to Eleme, a delivery service app, you can have a full meal, snack or beverage (carefully wrapped in plastic, placed in a plastic box, and put into a plastic bag) from your favorite restaurant or grocery store at your doorstep in a matter of minutes. The delivery drivers zip around the city in their trademark blue jackets with soft sided coolers rigged on the back of their electric bikes, rushing in and out of buildings, and up and down elevators. It couldn’t be more convenient but it also couldn’t include more plastic.

We’ve figured out how to raise Julia’s college fund. No, it’s not a 529 plan, mutual funds, or savings bonds. All we have to do is leverage the attention she gets just walking down the street.

First, to fully grasp the potential of this business venture you have to know WeChat. WeChat is a Chinese phone app used for everything. Think texting, phone calls, FaceTime, Instagram, Apple Pay and internet browser all rolled into one. That’s WeChat. We use it nonstop, but most importantly to pay for anything and everything. Virtually every business, including street vendors, has a unique WeChat QR code that you scan with the app that’s linked to your bank account, and voila, transaction done.

The idea is Julia has her own WeChat QR code on her shirt that people scan if they want to take her photo. We wouldn’t charge much, honestly we wouldn’t have to. 5 RMB (70 cents) a pop, perhaps more if you want a selfie. It’s brilliant actually, people would pay and she could make a small fortune. She was also recruited by a modeling agent who I politely turned down, but I could easily go back. The demand for foreign baby models is quite high and with the addition of the occasional modeling gig, she’d be rolling in it.

All joking aside, the attention Julia and foreign children, particularly those with blonde hair and curls (if she was blessed with Gabe’s blue eyes, then forget it), is incredible. It’s mostly stares, smiles, and the exclamation “kě’ài!” (cute!) or “mèimei!” (younger sister) if the person has an older child with them. Everyone is a mèimei, dìdi (younger brother), gēge (older brother) or jiějie (older sister) here, a byproduct of the one-child policy. Some people take photos as well, an accepted social norm that’s been the most difficult to wrap my head around. It’s something you’d never see back home. I’ve also been asked if I curl her hair myself, which makes me laugh as I picture myself and all the toddler moms I know finding the time and energy to curl their child’s hair every morning.

An outing to the park with Sofia, one of Julia’s classmates, and her mom Aida turned into a playdate with at least 4 other children and their parents. We joked that we have to find a secret, hidden park next time if we want to avoid the crowds.

There is genuine curiosity and adoration, and the attention is good natured. That being said it can feel a bit overwhelming and bothersome at times. It also prompted me to ask my Chinese teacher what to say if I want someone to stop (“wǒ bù yào” or “I don’t want”) so I at least know the best way to “mama bear” a situation and assert myself if the need arises. I’ve only used it a couple times, when someone tried to pick her up and when a woman was clearly trailing us in the park to snap photos.

Sometimes I wish I had the language skills to converse and engage more. I think it’d change the dynamic or at least how it feels at times, like we are a spectacle. I’m also just curious about what drives the fascination.

Julia, meanwhile, doesn’t seem to care at all. She is unfazed and on occasion we’ve watched her nonchalantly stop to pose for the camera. It’ll be interesting to see if she notices her diminished celebrity and the lack of paparazzi once we are back in the U.S.

Since it’s been awhile, here are a few photos of our latest weekend adventures.

Hai Yun Tai beach, about a 25 minute drive and located in the southeastern part of the island. A nice beach that feels like it’s miles from a big city.

Gabe and Julia outside Xiamen University and insects Julia and Sawyer trick or treating.

Julia being silly on the metro. We’ve also been riding the bus a lot. It’s easy and convenient, you just have to be to hop on and off quickly, like very quickly.

Exploring Danpingshan Park located just over a bridge on the mainland.