Our Own Winter Olympics

I got a little loopy during the pseudo-lockdown we had after a small outbreak of cases, so when things started opening back up again, I said yes to everything.  As I've said before, it gets lonely here as an ex-pat - especially when you're far away from the other foreigners. However, because of this, the ex-pat force is determined to make things worth living for. One example was at the start of the recent Olympic games. My Russian and Iranian friend sent me an invite on the day after Chinese New Year's (February 1st) to join in a mock Olympics event. The invite was a .pdf, detailing a meet-up outside the Regency Hotel on the frozen-over lake, where we would compete against each other as representatives of our home country. Not only was I ridiculously lonely, but also it sounded like a blast. So, still figuring out how to navigate here, the day before  I call in back-up from my admin staff friend to call me a taxi to the address (I still can't use the Chinese taxi app at this point, and the English version was taken down because of a lawsuit). At 11 the next day, I'm picked up at the gate and a 35-minute ride later I make it to the hotel. 

It is freezing. The wind cuts through my clothes and when I step into a shadow I lose about twenty degrees (Fahrenheit degrees, maybe like 12 Celsius ones?). I text the friends and they are not here. I don't think it is inside the hotel, so I start to explore around and get lost for five minutes, before the friends call -- they are hungover from CNY's, so they aren't coming. There are apologies, and they genuinely sounded pretty rough, so I laughed and understood, but once again, I was on my own. Suddenly, I notice people yelling in English nearby, and trying to set up film. At least, I think it is English, but then I get closer and it sounds more like an eastern European language. Then it changes to English again, and I realize this must be the group! They wave, "Hey! You want to join? We're about to start some Olympic games." This is actually what they said, it's not a setup for my blog. 

"I know! I'm here for the games." I say back, and which point they seem confused because none of them know who I am. This becomes entertaining, and part of the reason is that there has not been any new foreigners in Tianjin in about 1.5 years. Nobody can get in - I am a type of unicorn, or more accurately an animal they thought to be extinct, so it takes them a while to recognize me. I think it is a welcome change.

We keep shifting the group to stay in the sun as we prepare the events - it feels nice, or in the shade it feels like ice teeth are nipping at all your exposed skin. We count the people and countries represented. There are about fifteen people, and thirteen different countries represented - 13! Ukraine, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Spain, Nigeria is late and hungover, but much to our chagrin arrives just as the 100-meter dash is about to begin. I am probably the second oldest one here, and not in shape because of the recent quarantine. I come in sixth place, a full second or two behind first. 

A boisterous, sporty guy named Bruno is second place, and he is the brains of the operation. He's an interesting guy. He and Hector are filmmakers, who were very busy until Covid, but now they are out of work. So, what were they to do? Make a video and put together our PhOlympics. You can see how good they are at what they do in this short clip or our shenanigans: 

Bruno wins the 200-meter dash, but I sit that one out. You can see him breaking out ahead, below.  Next we have squats. We roughly clear some ice off a cement staircase, to make it less treacherous, and race in pairs. Each pair runs up the stairs and has to do 20 crunches as fast as possible, and then runs back down to the starting point. The fastest one wins. I am staying even with the Nigerian guy until about the 18th squat, at which point my muscles give out from atrophy. I think I could have got him if it wasn't for quarantine, and because of my Jivamukti history, but I was thoroughly bested. 

Third to last is the ice cream eating contest. We are all handed a Mikey Mouse shaped ice cream bar in the freezing cold, and we stuff our faces. One of the Slovakian guys shoves the entire thing in his mouth at once, while the rest of us take giant chomps and try fight the tooth pain and brain freeze. I am getting close on this one - down to only two bites left when the Slovakian finally swallows his whole, but in doing so drops a blop - so his victory is suspect. In second place is the guy next to him who finishes one second before I do. I feel I got a silver or bronze for America in the Ice Cream eating contest.  

Second to last is the beer-drinking contest. Looking at the size of the dudes involved, I don't think I would have stood a chance - but I did have training. However, because I am Celiac's, I unfortunately can't participate. This time it is China for the gold,  Lee manages to polish off his beer in a few seconds. My college buddies would honestly not be impressed - because I definitely had one who could drink a beer in two seconds flat. 

Last, and for some reason after the beer-drinking competition, is the distance run. Not too bad, I think it's just one mile - but I don't trust my legs. I know I could run it, but afterwards we are going to be walking for a few miles, and I don't know what these atrophied limbs can do, so I regretfully sit it out. Looking back, maybe I should have chanced it. * Below you can see the other side of the city-scape downtown, not that it begins to encompass it, because it is huge (at least compared to downtown Charlotte, which you can almost fit in one picture). 

*Rant Warning: If you continue, you will hit a rant speedbump. Below this is a picture of the commemoration of the communist revolution in China - 1921-2021, 100 years ago. You see these in many places. It is fascinating to be in a place that celebrates their communist heritage, albeit even if China doesn't know what communism is. Most people don't - because they associate it with authoritarianism, when by the book it's leadership by community. China is both of these mixed with capitalism in a blender. Most people here have no idea what capitalism is, it is often used as a scare word like socialism in the states, but then again, Americans have no idea what capitalism is either. Our economic worlds are a complex amalgamation of socio-capitalistic markets, and there is no separating one from the other - just determining which policies are best for that particular market regardless of the narrative you've been propagandized into believing. It's exhausting to have an economics degree and hear people argue about the apples and oranges of an economic reality vs. a system of governance. Whelp, they do it here too, but in a much more unified and still irrational way. To compare, I would say imagine that in America we have individualist propaganda, and in China we have collectivist propaganda - both use these narratives to accomplish things that are not actually in line with our moral codes, or the moral codes actually written in the theory of the systems. The problem is that it doesn't ever matter the name of the system in place, but how the people within it act. 

I could keep going for hours on this subject, but that's getting away from the purpose of my blog here. Thanks for joining me on this slightly off-topic rant. 

Last, and for some reason after the beer-drinking competition, is the distance run. Not too bad, I think it's just one mile - but I don't trust my legs. I know I could run it, but afterwards we are going to be walking for a few miles, and I don't know what these atrophied limbs can do, so I regretfully sit it out. Looking back, maybe I should have chanced it. Below (I went a little video crazy) are two videos of the frozen lake and the people of Tianjin enjoying it. 

After our award ceremony, we all go to Turka - a local Turkish restaurant run by an Indian restaurateur. We order coffees and a carafe of what I'm sure is concentrated mango juice, then spike it with Vodka to get a little tipsy and de-stress from the last 3-ish weeks of pseudo-lockdown. My eggplant dish comes thirty minutes later, but it is worth the wait. We stay for a good 3-4 hours, which is actually great for the restaurant, because they have been struggling during this time. It is the perfect experience to refuel my extrovert social battery - I have both social batteries, kind of like a hybrid car. 

Finally, I go to some hangout spots afterwards with a tightly-knit group of women who have all been here for more than three years. One is Peruvian, one is British, and the other a white woman from Zimbabwe. They all know each other and talk at speeds that leave me listening and catching up. I don't mind at all, because I am anxious to soak it all up. I stay out for as long as I can. I manage to order a cab on the Chinese app, and much like most Chinese taxis, it gets here so fast we aren't even ready for it yet. We jog outside to find it on the street slowly drifting away from us. It can't see us, because we are behind it. The driver is calling us, and my Zimbabwean friend offers our best broken Chinese as we chase after it. For some reason, it doesn't stop, so we chase it for a few blocks until much later, when the driver finally realizes the situation. Another car pulls behind it, and we have to run after it for another few blocks - welcome to Chinese taxis after midnight. Finally, it stops at an intersection, I say my goodbyes and begin the 40-minute journey home. It was a good day. 

*Events happened on February 1st, 2022.