Night at the BBQ

Street BBQs in Wuhan are one of the great things about the summer. Whilst many are open in the winter, it doesn’t quite have the same feel as sitting outside on a warm summer’s evening. BBQ is a slightly misleading term though – burgers, sausages and steak are not exactly on the menu. Most ‘BBQs’ are long narrow containers filled with hot coals over which they barbecue a variety of food. Most barbecues will have pork, beef, lamb, chicken feet (still don’t understand the attraction) as well as lotus root, sweetcorn, peppers, aubergine, potato, sweet bread, salted bread a variety of mushrooms, tofu and other assorted foods. Most food is thinly sliced and skewered on sticks, given a dose of spice mix (all BBQs seem to stock the same one) then cooked.

BBQ’s are typically open until very late, sometimes up to 2 and 3 in the morning which makes them a great place to grab a late dinner. This is also helped by the fact that food is brought to the table as and when it’s cooked, making sure you have a constant stream of food. This is particularly welcomed if you have taken the opportunity to have a few drinks which it really goes hand in hand with. All BBQ joints will stock bottled beer, typically around 3RMB/bottle (around 30p) and with the relaxed nature of eating you may find that you get through more beer than you realise. For those looking for harder stuff, Baijiu (Chinese rice wine) is also stocked everywhere and is as cheap as the beer. You may find that a number of things happen when you begin drinking Baijiu though, particularly on busy nights. It tends to go in roughly this order:

1.       Some local patrons (usually a group of guys) will notice you drinking Baijiu, upon which you will immediately earn their respect.

2.       In the spirit of friendship they will then drink several rounds of Baijiu with you throughout the evening (you will generally be expected to drink at least a shot’s worth)

3.       Upon them telling you that Chinese men can drink a lot, you feel a strange need to match them.

4.       The next morning you have a banging headache, the taste of Baijiu in your mouth and not much idea of how you got there.

Obviously you needn’t actually drink throughout the night, and whether or not this situation comes up, most people are very friendly. In fact that is one of the most enjoyable things about eating out, it is such a relaxed atmosphere that you can’t help but feel comfortable. Sadly this comfort rarely extends to the seating arrangements, which generally comprise of plastic stools of various colours. Most BBQ restaurants will have indoor seating (mostly used in the winter) but will also set up a number of tables and chairs outside. It is here that most people eat in the summer, and they are great places to eat, drink and watch the world go by. Then again you could down shot after shot of Baijiu with some locals, go adventuring around the city then remember none of it the next morning – it’s really up to you..

Transport in Wuhan

On my first day in Wuhan I decided that a little walk into the city centre was a good option. Only upon walking a mile or so down the road did it begin to dawn on me that my notion of being close to a nucleated centre might be a little off. Whilst at the time I felt like a bit of a let-down for giving up and retreating to my apartment, in retrospect it was a decision that saved me a lot of wasted effort. Due to the fact that Wuhan is an amalgamation of three older cities (Wuchang, Hanyang and Hankou) there is no one definitive centre, rather each district has its own downtown areas. Not only this, but the sprawling nature of the city would have meant that I would have been walking for hours before getting to the kind of area I was looking for. When getting around Wuhan you are reliant upon public transport, which is luckily quite good.

Buses are probably the easiest and cheapest way of getting around Wuhan. From wherever you are in the city you will never be far from a bus stop, with buses coming every few minutes. The bus network itself is also very extensive, making it that much easier to get around. For ticket fares they employ a flat rate for all journeys, thus long journeys across the city can cost as little as 2RMB. On the downside though, bus timetables are only written in Chinese characters so if you do plan on getting an unfamiliar route make sure you know the name of your destination in characters! At peak times buses can be somewhat overcrowded which on a hot summer day is not the most enjoyable experience.

Traffic in Wuhan can be particularly bad at rush hour, something made worse by the fact that drivers in Wuhan can be a law unto themselves at times. Lanes, signalling and even traffic lights are sometimes a hindrance that a number of drivers choose to ignore! Having said that, other than minor scrapes I have never seen a really serious accident much less been in one, so I guess they’re doing something right. On the plus side with the construction of more overpasses and particularly the subway, congestion has eased somewhat recently, and with more lines on the subway opening this year and next, I am hoping that this is a trend that will continue.

The abundance and relatively low cost of taxis also makes them a convenient way of getting around the city. A journey of 30-40 minutes would cost around 30RMB, which while expensive compared to catching the bus, is certainly cheaper than taxis in most other countries. Again though, it is a rare taxi driver that speaks any English so make sure you learn the Chinese for wherever it is you want to go. Taxi drivers are usually quite patient and friendly though, and I have found that they are some of the best people to practise Chinese with. What I would say though is be prepared for more probing questions than you might be asked at home – the details of my monthly salary being something that most taxi drivers are very interested in!

Luckily for those coming to Wuhan now there is now a metro system which is both cheap and (more importantly) in English. Presently only two lines are open, one going across the city horizontally, while the other stretches the length of Hankou. Many of the more visited areas in the city are accessible from the existing lines and with more lines planned to open in the coming years, the city will soon be fully connected. For now though, crowded buses will have to do.

Breakfast in Wuhan

I’m sure this will be the first of many blogs we do talking about a topic that the Chinese as a nation are immensely proud of, that topic being food. Now whilst the large majority of the Chinese population are completely oblivious to what is eaten in other countries and many seem to be under the impression that a westerners diets consists solely of pizzas and burgers, there is certainly no mistake when they talk about their own food. It is undeniable that Chinese cuisine offers both variety and fantastic flavour at an affordable price. Where it is common in England to make a comment with an acquaintance about the weather or something currently in the news, in China people ask each other if "they’ve eaten?" to make small talk. If I ever run into any of my neighbours in my apartment complex it is always the first question they ask me.  

Each time I’ve been invited for dinner to one of my Chinese friends's home I’ve had such delicious food which unfortunately I’m still yet to replicate in my own kitchen. Walking the streets of Wuhan you really get a good idea of how important flavour is as even the cheapest seemingly simple dishes use a large variety of spices and sauces. Street food markets offer endless delicious, affordable snacks and play host to some exceptionally skilled cooks, it’s always a real pleasure watching fresh noodles being produced from scratch within a matter of minutes right out on the street.

Because there is so much to talk about regarding food in China today I’m just going to talk a little bit about breakfast. Noodles are very common for breakfast and there is one dish in particular which is synonymous with Wuhan “Re Gan Mian”  热干面 the translation being “Hot dry noodles”. It has a flavour not too dissimilar to a satay sauce and has a nice spicy kick to it. If you travel to other parts of China you simply cannot find it which bemuses me as it is so delicious and eaten by many people. However I can’t say I took to eating it when I first arrived as the thought of spicy noodles for breakfast wasn’t particularly appetizing to me, but now I am without a doubt a convert. I probably eat a bowl for breakfast about 4 or 5 times a week, my local breakfast place always start preparing me a bowl when the see me walking down the street.

Another common breakfast snack commonly eaten is steamed buns referred to as “Bao zi” 包子 . There are many varieties containing different fillings with both meat and vegetarian options. A lot of the bread you'll find in China can be quite sweet tasting but not in the case of Bao zi so they’re often very popular with the foreigners that come to China. It is easy to recognize places which sell Bao zi as you can see them steaming on huge steam barrels at the shop fronts which is very common sight throughout China’s towns and cities.

One dish I eat regularly is “Dou Pi” 豆皮 it’s traditionally a breakfast dish but I usually have it as a snack later in the day as its quite a heavy dish. It consists of sticky rice, eggs, beef, mushrooms and beans which is stir-fried and wrapped in a soy skin. I would say it’s not the healthiest of dishes as there is a lot of oil in but it I really recommend it for anyone who spends time in Wuhan. It is cooked in huge woks and if you ask for a portion they’ll usually cut off a couple of squared segments for you a place them in a small bowl for you.

Breakfast is very affordable here, wherever you are in the city these dishes will be readily available nearby and the Chinese are always so happy when you embrace their food.

Sport

I like many of the foreigners living in China love my sport and although trying to keep up with events back home can often mean staying up to the early hours it’s all very accessible. As an Englishmen I’m a big football fan (Charlton Athletic) and it may surprise you to know that they don’t cover many games live from The Valley in Wuhan. After years of living here I’m still yet to meet a Chinese person who understands why I don’t support Man U, Chelsea or Liverpool. Coverage of the Premier League here is pretty good with a 3:00 Saturday kick off always shown live on TV as well as the late Sunday game. There are two pundits who cover all the matches with the Alan Hansen equivalent being a man seemingly in his early 70’s…whilst I do question his credentials slightly my intermediate understanding of Mandarin means I don’t fully understand his analysis. It’s no Monday Night Football with Gary Neville…although probably better than Keys and Gray.  The Champions league is also shown live on TV but with the 7 or 8 hour time difference it does mean staying up til the early hours. Other sports from back home are harder to catch, most people don’t really know what rugby or cricket is but there are a couple of foreign bars which show the Six nations and Test cricket.

Basketball is probably the most popular sport among young people in China with the NBA shown regularly. The NBA players are huge stars here and you can often see them on some dodgy TV adverts not too dissimilar from the Japanese Lipstick Joey advertises on friends. Students play basketball a lot and when I first arrived my teaching colleagues invited me to play basketball with them which became a weekly activity. The guys I played with were all very competitive and I really enjoyed playing with them, we always went for BBQ and a few beers afterwards too.  Badminton is another very popular sport here so if you enjoy playing you will definitely meet some friends to play with and no matter where you live in the city they will be some badminton courts not too far from you. Wuhan is also the home of tennis player Li Na and with her success over the past few years tennis is growing in popularity, if you are a keen player then be sure to bring your racket with you as there are plenty of courts around.

I thought it would be fitting to write about sport this week as it coincides with David Beckham visiting Wuhan in his new role as an ambassador of Chinese football last week. Chinese league football has had plenty of bad press in recent years and especially Wuhan’s team which has changed its name several times because of off the field issues. Last season Wuhan Zall as they are now called were promoted to the top division and they have played their first two games of the new season…losing them both. They play in a 60,000 all seater stadium and although the capacity isn’t often reached there is a great atmosphere and I really recommend anyone living here to go a check out a few of the games, although prepare yourself for some questionable refereeing decisions. From my experiences of being here sport can be a great way of making friends when you first arrive and lack any language skills.

Seasons in Wuhan

We are now entering one of two windows in the year when the weather is very pleasant. Whilst exact times vary, these windows are roughly March-May and September-November. While it would be easy to name these periods ‘Spring’ and ‘Autumn’ this is not the narrative most Wuhan people give. According to most people, Wuhan only has two seasons; summer and winter. Known as one of the three (or four depending who you ask) furnaces of China, summers in Wuhan can be slightly uncomfortable to say the least. Temperatures are typically in the mid-30s though can reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius on particularly uncomfortable days. Perhaps worse than the temperature though is the humidity which can be quite stifling. Luckily for most teachers coming to Wuhan, the peak temperatures are reached in July and August which happily sits outside the school year (giving you an opportunity to get somewhere a little cooler). Winters are cold though not too bad, the temperature rarely getting beneath freezing. Despite the temperatures being no lower than England, my Chinese friends promise me that it is terribly cold and warn me constantly to wrap up. Whilst I appreciate their friendly worry, I know other circumstances where it has been slightly more frustrating. A friend of mine was constantly warned by his co-workers to ‘Wrap up more!’ and ‘Be careful – the Wuhan winter is very cold!’ only for him to exasperatingly reply that as a Canadian he was used to sub-zero winter temperatures and actually the 2 degrees Celsius winter low represented quite a mild day!

Anyway, the winter has very much broken and we are now treated to brisk mornings and warm afternoons. With the change in season also comes a change in food. Seasonal vegetables are changing with cai tai (a personal favourite) beginning to drop off restaurant menus. Soon though I hope that liang mian will be making a return, a delicious cold noodle dish widely available and particularly tasty on a hot day. Along with this, shao kao (barbecued meats and vegetables) establishments are beginning to fill the alleys with tables and chairs providing a great place to get some late night food and beer. Winter-warming spicy hot-pots are eaten less (at least by me..) and the sales of chilled nai cha (milk tea) and dou jiang (soy milk) are back on the rise. That is one of the great things about the seasons, the feel of the city really changes and there are different things to look forward to at different times. Having said that, I’m certainly hoping for a long spring!

Nightlife in Wuhan

Maybe one of the most of the exciting aspects of teaching English in China is the nightlife. The image of China in The West doesn't necessarily reflect my experiences since being in Wuhan. Young people of China today have a similar attitude to going to bars and clubs as westerners do and because of this all the major cities in China have a big choice of Chinese style clubs and Western Bars due to the significant market for it.

I have made many Chinese friends from going to bars and its pretty common to meet Chinese locals who can speak English. Chinese people will tell you that they're very traditional and don't really got to bars and drink....well there is a lot of them that do.

The Chinese style bars are quite expensive as you need to buy a table, not too dissimilar to some of the more expensive bars in London, there are usually some performers such as singers and dancers.  Even though the price of drinks is relatively expensive Chinese people in these types of bar are very welcoming and it's pretty normal to be invited over to join a table for a few drinks. Also there doesn't seem to be any particular busy night, every night seems similar in terms of numbers which can work at well for people who work at training schools and have their days off during the week.

Wuhan has a few foreign bars scattered around the city and they’re great for meeting up with other foreign teachers, watching sport and getting some good beer. They stock many of the same drinks as in Europe although it is a little pricey compared to drinking local Chinese beer which costs as low as 20p a bottle, however its seriously lacking in quality! Most bars serve western food but again the quality is not close to what you might get at home but its enjoyable enough and not too expensive.  The pizzas available are pretty decent and much cheaper than Pizza Hut.

Helen’s Bar

There are a few Helen’s bars around China, in Beijing, Shanghai and there are 3 in Wuhan. They attract a fairly large foreign crowd, many of my friends and I go regularly. The staff can all speak some English so it’s a great place to go when you first arrive in China and are still unfamiliar with the language. We've had some great nights at Helen’s and often take advantage of a lot of the deals they offer, some nights they give away free beers and also have ladies nights on Wednesday which is just free drinks for Girls! They serve western style food all night such as burgers, pizzas, chips and nachos! It’s pretty cheap and has a really good atmosphere, its foreigner friendly but also has a lot of Chinese customers too making it a good mix for a night out.

Vox

Vox is another bar aimed at foreigners, they have good sized dance floor so is often where people end the night after a few drinks before. On weekends they also have live bands playing which can bring in large crowds and create a really good atmosphere. Tickets to get in are cheap and they have a good drinks selection which is all reasonably priced, there is also loads of great snack food just outside the front entrance so it’s good to pop out every now and then if you’re hungry.

 

 

Ever since I arrived in China I have been really happy with the nightlife, I never really thought about it before I came and didn't consider the fact there would be bars the same as back home. It wasn't a factor for me when I started my application to come and teach here but now I’m here I’m glad there are plenty of places to go and get a beer after a weeks work. The only difference being you have to trade in your end of night kebab for some egg riced rice...small price to pay though.