is the party over? or is it just beginning...
in shanghai, it was an intensive summer language program. so we only had chinese class, and it was concentrated in 3-hour morning doses, with an easier conversational class thrown in during the afternoon. our afternoon class had no homework and our morning class was pretty light, minus hardcore preparation for the next day's lesson. we had chinese roommates our age, so we weren't required to meet with language partners for tutoring. most afternoons, we played in the city, went to the gym, or relaxed.
... then i was galavanting around western china for three weeks!
NOW, i am settled at BLCU and digging in my heels for a real semester. morning classes are tough, chinese homework is heavy, and we have to meet with graduate student language partners for one hour, three times a week. AND we haven't even started our two english-taught courses on modern chinese history (1979-present) and economy! those will be in the afternoon. it's gonna be a heavy, heeeavy semester.
on the other hand, we have a great group of about 20 students that has already clicked really well. we live in a dorm chock-full of other international students studying chinese, on a gorgeous campus in northwest beijing. we have an amazing director that has already planned a sick trip later this fall to qinghai [in my case, BACK to qinghai, so happy], and a trip outside beijing where we hike back to the city... ON the great wall! so is the party over? or is it just getting beginning?
we shall see. anyways, we've been in beijing for nearly a week. it's been a whirlwind of getting settled, meeting each other, trudging through orientation programming, and fun outings to get to know the city. the main points i take away from this week are:
1) i love my new surroundings, but i can't help but compare to shanghai. BLCU's campus is super open and green, which is great for my running habit and general mental health. but the nearby food options are not as extensive as in shanghai (cry) and i miss my chinese roommate immensely.
2) i LOVE my program-mates. right now i feel slightly isolated from them, because i am the awkward exception that has been here for 3 months already and kind of knows how to get around/can speak chinese in daily settings like restaurants, stores, etc. but that gap will melt away so quickly! and we have already bonded quite well as a group (group karaoke outing saturday night was key, ha)
3) i love my director. han bing is quite impossible to describe, so i won't try too hard. but he is basically an amazing chinese man who has traveled the world, speaks english like an american, married an american woman! and has "connections" EVERYWHERE. he is constantly jacked up on caffeine (ten cups of coffee a day... at least. no lie.) and he says everything in superlatives. a SUPER AMAZING professor, or THE MOST INTERESTING guy ever, or THE BEST chocolate chip pancakes of life. he wrote us a 15 page manual outlining all the food available around our campus.
so lastly, here are a few of this week's highlights:
finally, a picture of in front of the gate of heavenly peace! tiananmen 天安门, which of course represents the entrance to the forbidden city, and opens onto the infamous tiananmen square.
all the girlies on top of tiananmen, overlooking the square :)
a street food vendor at wangfujing proudly displaying the bbq-roasted sheep testicles that four of our boys were about to eat...
and the boys eating them!!! aiiii yaaaaaa
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Peggy and the boys confirm that there are not that many foodie places around your dorm :( but I am sure you will figure out good eats soon!
ReplyDeleteSo you basically make my gallivanting around make sound like I'm a slacker, way to be. You're off being productive and learning and I'm bonding with Ho Chi Minh...
ReplyDeleteYAY can't wait for you to show me around Beijing soon, slash hold my hand through all the crazy Chinese-ness.
PS, I wish you were gallivanting here with me. 'Twould be even more baller.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried dumplings and roast ducks? They are the famous and traditional Beijing dieshes. And also bird's nest soup? Its a delicacy in China.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your days~~~
Gillion
www.geocities.jp/hongkong_bird_nest/index_e.htm