Road to Nanjing to Be TV Star

Sunday, July 3, 2011

 

We leave the hotel in Suzhou super early and are dressed to be television stars.  Well, ok, maybe just to be featured audience members.  I had to say goodbye to the six star room and service.  Breakfast was delicious but hurried.  As we hit the road to Nanjing, the tour guide asks if we want to sing or rest for the next 3.5 hours.  With a bus filled with talented beauties, singing was the top pick.  It was a mini talent hour where those who didn’t want to sing told jokes, recited a poem, or posed brain teasers to the audience.  We had a mix of golden oldies and current pop in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and Spanish.  Once the fun was over, everyone more or less passed out until we reached the lunch spot.

We met our local Nanjing tour guide at the lunch spot where service was lightning fast.  The local tour guide has lived all of his life in Nanjing except for a brief stint in Beijing for college.   Nanjing will always have a place in history because of the horrors incurred by its people, but the city has been making a place for itself in the world despite its sordid past.  There are still sentiments of resentment towards the Japanese, and as the local tour guide warned us, we should shy away from speaking any Japanese with the city limits.  What Nanjing is most known for now is their plum blossoms.  Every spring, there is a massive pilgrimage to Plum Blossom Mountain to view the most picturesque landscape in all of the world this one time of the year.  As the local tour guide and the Chamber of Commerce like to say, once you have a taste of Nanjing and all of its beauty, you will want to return again and again.

Off to the JSBC studios for the girls big break on the internationally popular blind date show “Fei Cheng Wu Rao” hosted by Meng Fei. All of the contestants at today’s taping were Chinese currently living in Australia.  If you want to know more about the show, you can look it up online – it even has its own page.  Yi Yao (Contestant #1) got the opportunity to wow the audience and the future viewers of the show with her eloquent Mandarin and sense of humor, representing her fellow contestants to the viewing audience.  The chamber of commerce officials who met us at the television studio were pleasantly surprised at the language skills the contestants possessed being Chinese-Americans.  The girls in the front two rows right next to the stage where the commentators were stationed.  These girls were such troopers because they has to sit in the same position, legs crossed and slanted to the side with perfect posture and smiles on their faces for nearly five hours straight.  There certainly were some characters on stage.  The current season has a couple of cosplay enthusiasts, and everyone seems to have a distinct personality from the rest of the female contestants.  How it works is that one guy comes out and the girls and the guys spend time looking each other over.  The boy makes his choices of a limited number of contestants with whom he would like to go on a blind date.  The girls also choose whether or not they like the boy.  Everyone gets to see clips of the boy’s life and testimonials from friends.  The boy then must choose two of the matches, and they get to go on a blind date.  Yes, there are occasions when there are no matches and the taping is cut short.

Once the promotional photos are taken after the taping, we do run across one of the celebrity commentators, and one of the event assistants gets her wish fulfilled.  She gets to be in the same picture as her favorite television celeb.  She was over the moon that we relentlessly sought her out when the celeb was instantly spotted because she was in the middle of being depressed that she hadn’t caught up with him on set.  She’s still over the moon with her head in the clouds because of this happy happenstance.

The officials from the chamber of commerce help us get to the restaurant where the Governor of the Jiangsu province where Nanjing is located. It is the singularly most expensive restaurant in all of Nanjing, and we all felt privileged to be invited by the Governor and dine with his representatives. Gifts and songs were exchanged to the delight of both groups. Yi Yao (Contestant #1) delighted the officials with a classic Chinese song while Danni Wang (Contestant #7) and Isabella Chen (Contestant #9) gave a shout out to American culture with a rap duet. As for the banquet itself, Nanjing is known for its tapas-style banquets where tiny individual plates bring you a large variety of traditional local dishes. You even get an individual teapot. What a way to end the evening! Tonight, we get to the hotel early, and don’t have nearly as early of a call time in the morning. Yay! A deserved bit of rest before the farewell breakfast and additional television appearance tomorrow.

All of Suzhou in a Day

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Goodbye, Shanghai!

As we say goodbye to our brief affair with Shanghai, we travel an hour and a half by bus to Suzhou, the land of fish, soft, chewy rice, and silk embroidery.  Suzhou is built on a network of canals much like Italy’s Venice and has long history to rival that of the Venetians.  The first stop of the tour of Suzhou is a visit to the Embroidery Institute founded in 1957.  One of the many early beliefs of Suzhou families was if a daughter could not embroider well, than the family would never be able to marry her off.  The current student body is comprised of 150 students; most of which are female.  The greatest works at the institute can be attributed to the natural beauty that surrounds Suzhou with the sweeping mountains, the network of canals, and the abundance of greenery inspiring the students.

On the bus

Our tour guide

Arriving in Suzhou

Sunny Suzhou

Three styles of embroidery have been developed over a thousand years of history rooted in Suzhou.  There is a the single-sided, which is pretty self-explanatory, where the image is only depicted on one side of the textile.  The double-sided illustration has the exact same image on both sides of the textile, allowing onlookers to enjoy both sides.  The double-sided with three differences is the most challenging where the embroiderer must skillfully stitch two completely different images on each side of the textile.  The three differences that distinguish this method of embroidery are the difference in patterns between the two sides the difference in stitches on each side, and the colors used on each side must be different.  The contestants marveled at the precision and skill of the students as well as admired the pieces in the shop.  Entire mountain and water brush paintings interpreted perfectly by needle and thread is no small feat.  Several pieces at first glance seemed to be normal Chinese calligraphy of poems and the like, but at closer observation, you can just barely make out that each individual thread isn’t actually the bleed of the ink from a brush pen but the painstakingly detailed work of a true master.

Watching students

A closer look at her work

Embroidery Artistry

Secret Garden

The girls were treated like true celebrities.  We picked up government officials at every stop on the Suzhou tour.  Each venue provided security to grant the girls VIP access as well as us, staffers.  Onlookers were compelled to ask about the girls and try to take their pictures.  Even our tour guide’s colleagues have requested that she take photos of this specific tour group because their office normally gets the happily retired couples time on their hands.  They envy her so.  I was amazed at just how much star treatment the girls received.  I was lucky that they provided our badges early this morning because otherwise, I would have been cast aside completely by security.  They were surprisingly efficient, and the onlookers respected our group’s space most of the time.

Museum designed by IM Pei

The Suzhou Museum was a whirlwind rush through the collections, specially guided by the museum’s curator.  The most notable feature of this museum is the unique architecture reflective of the Chinese culture of black and white, the positive and negative reflected in the national animal, the giant panda, the mountain water paintings, and even, some believe, in the black irises and white eyes of the Chinese people.  From the museum, we moved onto Suzhou’s lead export, silk.  The silk factory we toured included a level of demonstrations, a level of shopping, and an entire level of restaurant.  We were mesmerized by the collection of silk thread from the cocoons of the silk worms.  In one part of the factory, we got to help a couple of workers pull the loosened cocoon into a layer in the stuffing of a comforter.  It was unbelievable how strong and thin the layers were that we pulled.  The lunch provided was about the same as the other prepared menus, but this is to be expected.

Silk Museum

Such a thin layer of silk!

On the hottest day of the year so far in Suzhou reaching 38°C (100.4°F) and feeling far warmer because of the heavily humid environment, we made our way in the shade through the old town. Much like we Americans walk through Colonial Williamsburg to see how things were in different time, we ambled through the old village visiting the Humble Administrator’s Garden which was anything but humble. In the olden days of Suzhou, to be able to afford rocks dredged from the bottom of the lake by manual laborers was a status symbol. The more or bigger rocks you had was a sign of the money you made. Some of these one family homes seemed to be able to house at least a couple of families, but the belief that one should be able to enjoy the sun and water in your own home was very prevalent, so gardens were large, and front doors were small.

Amazing private gardens

Wishing Tree

I got a few moments to chat with the founder of the Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant, William Yip, during our stroll through the old houses.  With all of the work, sweat, and tears that go into preparing the contestants, training the contestants, and watching them move onto bigger and better things, why put forth the effort?  For him, the farther the girls grow up away from China, the farther they grow away from the culture and the history.  Hopefully, by holding this pageant, he and the very involved members of his board can prove to the contestants that beauty isn’t the only thing they have going for them, that it’s their Chinese culture that unites them and the talent and skills that they learn over the course of the pageant stay with them for a lifetime.  Beauty can’t be the only thing.

Our day in Suzhou ended with a lavish banquet in the mountains overlooking Taihu Lake.  First, we had tea at the summit, and a bit of Q&A time with local officials.  One question that stuck with me is that the girls were asked whether or not they would be willing to stay and work for the tourism bureau seeing as they excelled in both Mandarin and English, almost all of the girls raised their hands.  All of the contestants have such diverse backgrounds, I wasn’t expecting such a uniform answer.  I guess this trip has already made quite an impression on the contestants.

The lavish dinner included all of the local specialties.  I do mean all because there were nearly 20 dishes in total counting the appetizers, dessert, and fruit courses.  In between entrees being served, I had the opportunity to get to know some of the contestants a little better.  For Contestant # 10, Allison Ye, she joined the competition because she had spent much of her life just being American.  It was in college at Syracuse University where she found that she could speak Cantonese with her peers.  She began to discover the rich culture and history through finding her mother tongue.  This sparked her quest to find out more.  With her interest piqued and her friends and family suggesting that she tryout for the pageant, she now has the opportunity to find out more about her part in this rich civilization that calls itself the nation at the center of everything.

A ride to the teahouse

Fresh green tea

A photo with our hosts

Dinner Banquet

For Ji Ke “Ke Ke” Sun, Contestant # 13, she started out as a famous ping pong player, a very stereotypically Chinese endeavor.  However, she realized that becoming a professional ping pong player wasn’t what she wanted out of life, so she switched gears and is now taking all the right steps to becoming an international superstar.  Being a College of William and Mary alumna, I have a direct connection to Contestant # 6, Miriam Lau, as the Tribe’s green and gold are near and dear to her, too.  After a few more questions, we both lived in Richmond, Virginia, and had far more things in common than this writer ever thought she would with a beauty pageant contestant like our penchant for seeking out Wawa’s during road trips.  As we continued to see dishes come out of the kitchen, I learn that many of the ladies at my table have discerning palettes when it comes to traditional Chinese cuisines.  Contestant # 12, Meng Di Wu, is quite the cook at home and takes a lot of pride in her cheesecakes as well.  Mei Shao, Contestant # 11, grew up in the kitchen cooking for herself and her family.  For Jasmine Hayter, Contestant #14, growing up with a Taiwanese mother (learning zhu ing fu hao and traditional characters) seems to have influenced her love of sweet red beans.  This fully realized half British, but really, all Taiwanese girl knows what she likes.

There is so much more to learn about my travel companions and the pageant coordinators.  Good thing we will be together through July 14^th discovering China together.

Until tomorrow!

The 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant

Friday, June 24, 2011

This is the first installment about my whirlwind tour with the Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant.  I’m kicking my blog off with a grand party.

Swag bags and smiles

Entering the newly opened Grand Restaurant on the top floor of the New World Mall, the space truly exemplifies the name.  What seems to be a football field-sized restaurant, the opulence almost requires sunglasses.  The doorway to the special dining room is decorated with a monochromatic balloon arch of a few different shades of violet.  Staff from La Peau Day Spa and Beauty Salon quickly check you in and hand you a shiny, gold-boxed gift.  When I am seated, I watch one lone violinist still practicing on stage while everyone else is buzzing around her.  I sit and listen to the practice as well as soak in all of the energy around me.

Dinner was full of laughs

I run into Everlyn Ho, artistic director of La Peau.  She is outfitted in an elegant, black silk dress modestly accented with lace and a train to boot.  This event also happens to be the 5^th anniversary of La Peau as well. She is on the board for the beauty pageant and rightfully so even though she was being pulled in a million different directions, she remained composed and took time to chat and compliment new arrivals. It seemed like she was able to be in several places at once with staff asking her questions, sponsors wanting to chat, and press wanting photos.

I am seated with the rest of the press who had been invited to cover the event. My colleagues are tasked with taking photos and selling ad space while I get to enjoy the food and just observe. Fourteen beauties take part in the 2011 competition.

Introducing the 2011 Miss NY Chinese Pageant Finalists

All fourteen are in attendance as well as all of the winners from the previous years. Everyone is perfectly coiffed with gorgeous, body-hugging dresses and perfect appointed makeup. The evening starts far later than expected, but over the course of the evening, we see multiple courses served family style in the Chinese tradition as well as many speakers and displays of talent.

Amazing talent all around

After a tribute to previous years of the pageant and a look at the future of the pageant with an upcoming trip to China for a friendship and goodwill tour of the pageant’s sister cities, the first course of appetizers roll in. Beautifully plated, there is a variety of small things to taste such as fried shrimp balls, sesame balls stuffed with meat, nuts, and mushrooms, and many more interesting nibbles. One by one,  contestants and past winners take the stage to serenade the crowd with her favorite Mandopop tune. The second dish of large, fried shrimp in a sticky sweet coconut cream sauce and candied walnuts and pecans appear on the lazy susan in front of us. With several songs down, the interpretive dances begin to delight the audience. The third course is a stir-fried lobster dish cooked to perfection. The audience is treated to the precision of ballroom dancing middle schoolers from a local dance school. The fourth dish are thin steaks pan-fried with precision as well to a perfect medium.

Celebrating 10 years of Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant

A pair of tango students from the school wow the audience as we drink dragon-phoenix style soup.  How apropos!  A delicately steamed fish kissed with hot oil with fresh spring onions and ginger graces the table next.  At this point, I’m really stuffed even though I know there are still two dishes left of fried rice and stir-fried, hand-pulled noodles.  The starches are left to the end just in case someone hasn’t stuffed themselves to the point just shy of bursting.  Beyond the traditional eight course meal, there is still a dessert plate of fancy gelatin slices with dried plums, dessert soup filled with baby tapioca pearls, coconut milk, diced mango, and slices of grapefruit reminiscent of Malaysian burbur chacha, and of course, fresh slices of melon.

The night ends with more gestures of appreciation and cake – Asian style sponge cake sandwiching fresh fruit cocktail and a whipped pastry cream.  A wonderful night was had by all, and this writer even got to take home a few things to remember the evening.

Celebrating 10 Years

Next up, flying to China.