I think I’m going to skip clever intros and just cut to the chase:
My art teacher came to class with a hangover.
I probably could end this post right here, but I’ll explain a bit. He’s a grad student here at Xiada, studying art. He’s really good and loves what he does. He really wants to help us and wants us to get it. A nice guy, albeit a bit single minded at times. For several days, he would come to class late. Like an hour late. We didn’t mind too much, we’d just paint. However, the day before, he was absent and the assistant director of our program happen to be in the building and stop in. When she heard our teacher was absent, she made some phone calls to the Overseas College here. He showed up.
The next day, he was on time! Like right on time!
With a hangover.
Now, that isn’t even the best part. Class started like this.
He walks in, looking a bit tired, under the weather. We’re getting ready to paint.
He goes to the board and begins to write on it. He says, and this is a direct quote, “Yesterday, I am drinking.” The mistake made there makes a ton of sense now that I speak a little Chinese. They do not conjugate verbs. They have one word for am, are, is, was, were, will be. You just throw another word after it to denote time. Anyway, I was a bit surprised, and on reflex, everyone turned to look at Ted, our TA, who had been translating for the class (the teacher speaks some English). He looks back and says, “What? He has a hangover.”
I understood, I was just a bit shocked.
Anyway, we’re done with painting now.
I just have one exam left, my Chinese 2 exam, and a short paper to write. The exam will be interesting because of the oral part. I’ll probably spend most the weekend studying. The biggest problem I have is usage: Chinese grammar, although loose in some areas, has a fairly rigid structure. Word order is extremely important. Sure I know the words. Sure I can say them with reasonable clarity. But where do I put them? Study study.
Picking up my ticket to Beijing today. Six days from now I leave for Beijing. A week from today I leave for America.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Laughter
Today after church, I went down to the bookstore to get a friend one of the bilingual Bibles. I wanted to pick one up myself, so I told the lady I wanted two books.
In Chinese, there are words called “measure words.” They are exclusively used after a number to denote the KIND of thing. There is a general, catchall word, but it is more appropriate if you use the proper word. So far I know the measure words for cups, bottles, books, pieces of meat (or just chicken, I haven’t figured that out yet), paper, desks, money, and probably a few other things I am forgetting. It roughly translates as two “things” or “units” and if you know the specific one, then it would be just like saying, “I’ll have two PIECES of chicken,” or “I’ll have two BOOKS.” Now most the time I do not know the measure word, so I just use the general word, which is fine. However, when I do know it, I try to use the proper one. They like that.
So, when I asked for two books, I used the general measure word. However, after a second I realized I KNOW the measure word for books, so I corrected myself by saying two books with the proper book measure word.
The lady burst out in laughter.
Now, this was not a patronizing, your-an-idiot laugh as much as the he-actually-said-something-correctly laugh. Well, I like to think of it that way. I think she was giggling because when I correct myself I purposefully pronounced both words very clearly and exaggerated the tones.
Anyway, that just made my day. I had this old woman in the church bookstore laughing for five minutes.
After that, we all went to a big Thai festival that was being held on campus. In our building alone, there are tons of Thai students. This year they had a public celebration of the Loi Kratong festival, which is a full moon type lantern festival. It seems every culture has some sort of fall/full moon festival. Ours may not be a full moon, but merely full stomachs. Anyway, they had an international beauty pageant that three of our girls were in. One of them is half-Chinese, the other full-blooded Mexican, and the third is just … white. Anyway, we went out and supported and cheered for them as they looked beautiful.
I stayed away from the Thai food, however. Twice going to Thailand and twice getting food poisoning tends to give one a physical aversion to the food.
In Chinese, there are words called “measure words.” They are exclusively used after a number to denote the KIND of thing. There is a general, catchall word, but it is more appropriate if you use the proper word. So far I know the measure words for cups, bottles, books, pieces of meat (or just chicken, I haven’t figured that out yet), paper, desks, money, and probably a few other things I am forgetting. It roughly translates as two “things” or “units” and if you know the specific one, then it would be just like saying, “I’ll have two PIECES of chicken,” or “I’ll have two BOOKS.” Now most the time I do not know the measure word, so I just use the general word, which is fine. However, when I do know it, I try to use the proper one. They like that.
So, when I asked for two books, I used the general measure word. However, after a second I realized I KNOW the measure word for books, so I corrected myself by saying two books with the proper book measure word.
The lady burst out in laughter.
Now, this was not a patronizing, your-an-idiot laugh as much as the he-actually-said-something-correctly laugh. Well, I like to think of it that way. I think she was giggling because when I correct myself I purposefully pronounced both words very clearly and exaggerated the tones.
Anyway, that just made my day. I had this old woman in the church bookstore laughing for five minutes.
After that, we all went to a big Thai festival that was being held on campus. In our building alone, there are tons of Thai students. This year they had a public celebration of the Loi Kratong festival, which is a full moon type lantern festival. It seems every culture has some sort of fall/full moon festival. Ours may not be a full moon, but merely full stomachs. Anyway, they had an international beauty pageant that three of our girls were in. One of them is half-Chinese, the other full-blooded Mexican, and the third is just … white. Anyway, we went out and supported and cheered for them as they looked beautiful.
I stayed away from the Thai food, however. Twice going to Thailand and twice getting food poisoning tends to give one a physical aversion to the food.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thanksgiving
I am certainly envious of my friends and family who have related stories of delectable meals and wonderful times with family.
How do you celebrate an American holiday in… not America?
By going to Pizza Hut.
Yes, friends, you heard me correctly. Of course, I have never eaten at Pizza Hut in the US, mainly because I’d rather spend my money on other pizzas. However, in China, a land largely free from pizza, you really don’t have a choice. Furthermore, Pizza Hut is a fancy restaurant here. And expensive. They serve all serves of other entrees, soups, salads (with a full salad bar), and a host of desserts. And the pizza isn’t have bad.
Most of our group went and we were joined by one German friend, studying here at Xiada, as well as five or six Chinese friends. And considering one of our group is a Korean who is from Paraguay (it’s complicated), studying in the US, and now studying in China (I told you…), we had three continents of the world represented.
Pretty sure the first Thanksgiving only had two.
Other than that, I haven’t done much. As a friend and I stared out his window and chatted, I commented that for almost five months I haven’t had much time to NOT do anything. I find myself increasingly tired, on edge. Time is drawing near, and I’m ready for it.
We actually did get a Thanksgiving break, which after I thought about it, was the first days off school that we’ve had. Our trips we’ve taken are all required, so I don’t really count those. Then I also realized that I’ve never missed a class, since we have a zero attendance policy, and I’ve never been late, since it is INCREDIBLY rude to be late here.
However, I still have homework to work on. I have a presentation to give about my family on Monday, in Chinese, and I need to continue to work on my translation of a Chinese song.
Sounds like tomorrow.
Oh and in case you were wondering, I did call my parents on Thanksgiving--at least Thanksgiving there. I may be half a world away, but I still must do my sonly duties!
How do you celebrate an American holiday in… not America?
By going to Pizza Hut.
Yes, friends, you heard me correctly. Of course, I have never eaten at Pizza Hut in the US, mainly because I’d rather spend my money on other pizzas. However, in China, a land largely free from pizza, you really don’t have a choice. Furthermore, Pizza Hut is a fancy restaurant here. And expensive. They serve all serves of other entrees, soups, salads (with a full salad bar), and a host of desserts. And the pizza isn’t have bad.
Most of our group went and we were joined by one German friend, studying here at Xiada, as well as five or six Chinese friends. And considering one of our group is a Korean who is from Paraguay (it’s complicated), studying in the US, and now studying in China (I told you…), we had three continents of the world represented.
Pretty sure the first Thanksgiving only had two.
Other than that, I haven’t done much. As a friend and I stared out his window and chatted, I commented that for almost five months I haven’t had much time to NOT do anything. I find myself increasingly tired, on edge. Time is drawing near, and I’m ready for it.
We actually did get a Thanksgiving break, which after I thought about it, was the first days off school that we’ve had. Our trips we’ve taken are all required, so I don’t really count those. Then I also realized that I’ve never missed a class, since we have a zero attendance policy, and I’ve never been late, since it is INCREDIBLY rude to be late here.
However, I still have homework to work on. I have a presentation to give about my family on Monday, in Chinese, and I need to continue to work on my translation of a Chinese song.
Sounds like tomorrow.
Oh and in case you were wondering, I did call my parents on Thanksgiving--at least Thanksgiving there. I may be half a world away, but I still must do my sonly duties!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Moon
I got done with Taiji today and took off to… well to hide. On my way to hide, I stopped at a restaurant. As I sat down, I looked up and saw an incredibly bright moon against a blue sky.
The moon. It seems brighter in the Middle Kingdom.
As I waited for my food, I pondered the moon and its importance in Chinese cultural and mythology. There are all sorts of myths about the moon and people hiding in it and all these cool things. The moon itself, however, is important within the culture.
Each September or early October, Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated. There are this sort of not good tasting things called mooncakes and in Xiamen there is some cool dice games. The roots of the festival have to do with harvest times and all that, kind of like Thanksgiving. But another meaning is the moon.
Mid Autumn Festival always falls on the full moon. There is a poem I have written down somewhere that has to do with it, but basically it is that the moon looks the same anywhere you are on the earth. We had to memorize a Chinese poem, one of the more famous ones in China, which has to do with the moon and missing your home.
When asked about the importance of Mid-Autumn, many Chinese told me that today they just remember their families if they cannot be with them during it. They often would say that they would look at the moon and dream of home. The idea is that that same moon is seen at home.
So, as I ate my food, I starred at the moon, which did seem bright, and ponder of home.
Perhaps it is fitting on the eve of Thanksgiving.
The moon. It seems brighter in the Middle Kingdom.
As I waited for my food, I pondered the moon and its importance in Chinese cultural and mythology. There are all sorts of myths about the moon and people hiding in it and all these cool things. The moon itself, however, is important within the culture.
Each September or early October, Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated. There are this sort of not good tasting things called mooncakes and in Xiamen there is some cool dice games. The roots of the festival have to do with harvest times and all that, kind of like Thanksgiving. But another meaning is the moon.
Mid Autumn Festival always falls on the full moon. There is a poem I have written down somewhere that has to do with it, but basically it is that the moon looks the same anywhere you are on the earth. We had to memorize a Chinese poem, one of the more famous ones in China, which has to do with the moon and missing your home.
When asked about the importance of Mid-Autumn, many Chinese told me that today they just remember their families if they cannot be with them during it. They often would say that they would look at the moon and dream of home. The idea is that that same moon is seen at home.
So, as I ate my food, I starred at the moon, which did seem bright, and ponder of home.
Perhaps it is fitting on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
The Note
So yesterday was a bad day.
No specific circumstance, just me coming to exhaustion. I won’t go into it other than as I walked back to my dorm last night, through the bustling streets of Xiamen, I prayed, “God. I know I’m not alone. Send me a sign. Something.”
So, last night I went to bed early. Here’s a quick shout out to my roommate who was really good about being quiet.
I get up today, make some oatmeal and coffee, as I have for the last year or so, and am poking through emails and news. I start talking to one of the Business Concentration girls on MSN. The six business concentration peeps are now interning full time with companies over here. Two of the girls are required to use MSN at work to communicate between workers. And friends.
So, we’re talking, and she says, “Did you get the note outside your door?” Now, initially, I thought it was from her, but she went on to say, “Someone gave notes to everyone. And M&Ms!” Remembering my prayer last night, I replied, “Interesting.”
So I grab the note on my way to painting class and forget about it until I’m in my room for lunch. I pull it out, read the note. Encouragement, yes. From the note, I surmised who wrote it… It made me smile and laugh and be overall encouraged. I’m reading along, “…I just wanted to encourage you because I’ve seen your amazing people skills--“
Wait, what?
If I were to take a self-assessment test right now, I would rate my people skills as fairly low. In fact, the ONE thing I have struggled with the most and been challenged on the most in China has been my people skills. During my internship, this was something we worked on. I have felt that I’ve grown in this area. However, I’ve had plenty of opportunities that could be used to illustrate the poor use of people skills. I’ve even burned a few bridges, pissed a few people off. Now, I can’t remember if I mentioned struggling with this to this person or not, but I have a feeling I did.
Now, I know some responses to this will likely be proving me wrong, and I do appreciate your encouragements, but please understand that things have been different here. For close to five months, none of you have seen me, interacted with me (unless of course you’re reading this from China, which I’m almost certain is not the case). Things over here are different, personal faults and weaknesses are more exposed.
We all have our moments.
But the moral of all this isn’t about me, but about how God is continually faithful. To quote a book I was given at the end of my internship, “If God calls, he enables.”
Those M&Ms were good, too…
No specific circumstance, just me coming to exhaustion. I won’t go into it other than as I walked back to my dorm last night, through the bustling streets of Xiamen, I prayed, “God. I know I’m not alone. Send me a sign. Something.”
So, last night I went to bed early. Here’s a quick shout out to my roommate who was really good about being quiet.
I get up today, make some oatmeal and coffee, as I have for the last year or so, and am poking through emails and news. I start talking to one of the Business Concentration girls on MSN. The six business concentration peeps are now interning full time with companies over here. Two of the girls are required to use MSN at work to communicate between workers. And friends.
So, we’re talking, and she says, “Did you get the note outside your door?” Now, initially, I thought it was from her, but she went on to say, “Someone gave notes to everyone. And M&Ms!” Remembering my prayer last night, I replied, “Interesting.”
So I grab the note on my way to painting class and forget about it until I’m in my room for lunch. I pull it out, read the note. Encouragement, yes. From the note, I surmised who wrote it… It made me smile and laugh and be overall encouraged. I’m reading along, “…I just wanted to encourage you because I’ve seen your amazing people skills--“
Wait, what?
If I were to take a self-assessment test right now, I would rate my people skills as fairly low. In fact, the ONE thing I have struggled with the most and been challenged on the most in China has been my people skills. During my internship, this was something we worked on. I have felt that I’ve grown in this area. However, I’ve had plenty of opportunities that could be used to illustrate the poor use of people skills. I’ve even burned a few bridges, pissed a few people off. Now, I can’t remember if I mentioned struggling with this to this person or not, but I have a feeling I did.
Now, I know some responses to this will likely be proving me wrong, and I do appreciate your encouragements, but please understand that things have been different here. For close to five months, none of you have seen me, interacted with me (unless of course you’re reading this from China, which I’m almost certain is not the case). Things over here are different, personal faults and weaknesses are more exposed.
We all have our moments.
But the moral of all this isn’t about me, but about how God is continually faithful. To quote a book I was given at the end of my internship, “If God calls, he enables.”
Those M&Ms were good, too…
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Uh oh
So we’ve got a little problem. Let me stress little.
My pants don’t fit.
Well, I think one pair does because I had them cleaned in Linyi and I think they had a dryer. So they shrank.
But, I put on my other pair of jeans, cause that’s what I do when my other pair gets dirty enough, and they don’t fit at all. They’ve definitely stretched in length, which means I have to hike them up a bit, but that’s not the worst part…
You know how they say you should be able to fit two fingers into the waist of your pants?
I can almost fit two hands.
I kid you not. Now, it’s a combination of pants stretching and me losing weight.
When we were in Shanghai, the hotel had a scale in our room. After doing the conversions from kilograms I found that according to my health examination I had when I first arrived in Xiamen I’ve lost a grand total of…
about 15-17 pounds.
I came to China with a few to lose, but dang it’s posing a problem now. The necks on my shirts are about twice the size of normal, and now my pants don’t fit. I’m cinching that belt of mine a bit more than normal.
“Oh, he must not be eating right! Losing all the weight…”
Tell you a secret:
I’m eating healthier than I ever did before I came to China. And I’m walking a TON each day. And we live on the six floor, no elevator.
Maybe that’s it…. I'm not sure...
My pants don’t fit.
Well, I think one pair does because I had them cleaned in Linyi and I think they had a dryer. So they shrank.
But, I put on my other pair of jeans, cause that’s what I do when my other pair gets dirty enough, and they don’t fit at all. They’ve definitely stretched in length, which means I have to hike them up a bit, but that’s not the worst part…
You know how they say you should be able to fit two fingers into the waist of your pants?
I can almost fit two hands.
I kid you not. Now, it’s a combination of pants stretching and me losing weight.
When we were in Shanghai, the hotel had a scale in our room. After doing the conversions from kilograms I found that according to my health examination I had when I first arrived in Xiamen I’ve lost a grand total of…
about 15-17 pounds.
I came to China with a few to lose, but dang it’s posing a problem now. The necks on my shirts are about twice the size of normal, and now my pants don’t fit. I’m cinching that belt of mine a bit more than normal.
“Oh, he must not be eating right! Losing all the weight…”
Tell you a secret:
I’m eating healthier than I ever did before I came to China. And I’m walking a TON each day. And we live on the six floor, no elevator.
Maybe that’s it…. I'm not sure...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Friend Life
How long is your friend life?
That is, how long do you, on average, keep a friend before you grow apart/lose contact/have a bitter argument/steal significant others/get kicked in the teeth/etc.
Discuss.
That is, how long do you, on average, keep a friend before you grow apart/lose contact/have a bitter argument/steal significant others/get kicked in the teeth/etc.
Discuss.
Never Take Us Alive
Ok, so somehow, even though I have yet to be able to pay my internet bill, I have posted twice within a short time of each other. I say not ABLE to pay because Monday I had class from 8 AM to 6:30 PM, and today (Tuesday) I went only to have the conversation go like this (In Chinese):
*I walk up*
Lady: You here for internet?
Me: Yea. One month.
Lady: No internet today. Come back tomorrow. (More or less literal translation. She meant can’t pay for it today).
Me: Tomorrow?! (Even though I had just remember you can only do it MWF)
Lady: Yes.
Me: Ok. See you tomorrow.
So I went to McDonalds for breakfast.
Then I went to Chinese Painting. I’m totally rocking that class. We’re doing bamboo right now. I could draw bamboo all day long and be happy. I find it strangely satisfying. I also enjoy the smell of the ink. Luckily we don’t have to grind our own though. It’s very Daoist in nature, that is, harmony, and painting with your heart and mind and all that. Taiji is also fun, but it’s more challenging. And starting to be a workout.
I did learn how to break someone’s arm today. Well, course we did it really slowly like Taiji does, but if you speed it up, you’re supposed to blocking a punch and breaking the arm.
I love this country.
So, this week and the next will be pretty busy for me. I got those two classes which are NOT pushovers. Both teachers take their vocations VERY seriously (our art teacher is a grad student in art) and require us to practice outside of class. Plus I have my Chinese class which holds regular quizzes. Just this week, we are starting our assignment to translate a Chinese pop song. We need characters / pinyin / English. I’m super excited for it and I have a good song. I feel I have a good start on it too.
That’s it. Due lack of ready internet and a really busy schedule, pictures/videos are stalled. Someday I’ll get them. Maybe the weekend?
Or maybe in three weeks when I’m in Alaska.
*I walk up*
Lady: You here for internet?
Me: Yea. One month.
Lady: No internet today. Come back tomorrow. (More or less literal translation. She meant can’t pay for it today).
Me: Tomorrow?! (Even though I had just remember you can only do it MWF)
Lady: Yes.
Me: Ok. See you tomorrow.
So I went to McDonalds for breakfast.
Then I went to Chinese Painting. I’m totally rocking that class. We’re doing bamboo right now. I could draw bamboo all day long and be happy. I find it strangely satisfying. I also enjoy the smell of the ink. Luckily we don’t have to grind our own though. It’s very Daoist in nature, that is, harmony, and painting with your heart and mind and all that. Taiji is also fun, but it’s more challenging. And starting to be a workout.
I did learn how to break someone’s arm today. Well, course we did it really slowly like Taiji does, but if you speed it up, you’re supposed to blocking a punch and breaking the arm.
I love this country.
So, this week and the next will be pretty busy for me. I got those two classes which are NOT pushovers. Both teachers take their vocations VERY seriously (our art teacher is a grad student in art) and require us to practice outside of class. Plus I have my Chinese class which holds regular quizzes. Just this week, we are starting our assignment to translate a Chinese pop song. We need characters / pinyin / English. I’m super excited for it and I have a good song. I feel I have a good start on it too.
That’s it. Due lack of ready internet and a really busy schedule, pictures/videos are stalled. Someday I’ll get them. Maybe the weekend?
Or maybe in three weeks when I’m in Alaska.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Missed This One
Found this one over on MySpace from during the Trek:
11.30.07
Word.
I'm still alive. Xi'an was great. I gave my presentation at the Da Qin Nestorian (Christian) pagoda. We rode horses through the country side to get there. It was pretty much the coolest thing. Riding a horse on a dirt road and around me people are tilling their fields.
Train to Beijing was nice. We have an odd number of people and my teachers put me in a compartment without any other of my classmates. It was stinkin awesome though. Got to talk with some really neat Chinese people. Overnight trains are kind of fun. Reminded my of those two day ferry rides in high school.
Went to the Great Wall on a perfectly clear day. Summer Palace was today. It was a bit foggy, but was still good. Tomorrow is the Temple of Heaven. I should have dinner with some friends of mine, assuming their daughter doesn't decide she wants to interrupt our dinner plans and be born. I know, I'm selfish.
Things are good, but I am looking forward to being done and being home. I haven't really had a break in a long time, and really won't have one until I return home. Something is always going on. I think we have a four day weekend, and some people want to travel, but I'm seriously considering sticking around, maybe just seeing some things in Xiamen. Relaxing.
Thursday we leave for some rural areas of Shandong. I should be going dark then, that is, no internet, no phones, etc. We'll be teaching, I believe, and visiting some churches and schools. Then on to Shanghai for a day or two, then home for the rest of the semester.
Anyway, I still exist, I'm not sick like many of my classmates. It's nice and cold up here, around 10 degrees Celsius. I'm loving it. I'll bundle up in the freezing cold over sweating any day. It's the Alaskan in me.
Ok, at a Starbucks in a far end of Beijing where I took some girls to go shopping. It's weird seeing a place I've been before. Now we gotta flag a taxi and get home. Leave comments, let me know YOU are alive.
11.30.07
Word.
I'm still alive. Xi'an was great. I gave my presentation at the Da Qin Nestorian (Christian) pagoda. We rode horses through the country side to get there. It was pretty much the coolest thing. Riding a horse on a dirt road and around me people are tilling their fields.
Train to Beijing was nice. We have an odd number of people and my teachers put me in a compartment without any other of my classmates. It was stinkin awesome though. Got to talk with some really neat Chinese people. Overnight trains are kind of fun. Reminded my of those two day ferry rides in high school.
Went to the Great Wall on a perfectly clear day. Summer Palace was today. It was a bit foggy, but was still good. Tomorrow is the Temple of Heaven. I should have dinner with some friends of mine, assuming their daughter doesn't decide she wants to interrupt our dinner plans and be born. I know, I'm selfish.
Things are good, but I am looking forward to being done and being home. I haven't really had a break in a long time, and really won't have one until I return home. Something is always going on. I think we have a four day weekend, and some people want to travel, but I'm seriously considering sticking around, maybe just seeing some things in Xiamen. Relaxing.
Thursday we leave for some rural areas of Shandong. I should be going dark then, that is, no internet, no phones, etc. We'll be teaching, I believe, and visiting some churches and schools. Then on to Shanghai for a day or two, then home for the rest of the semester.
Anyway, I still exist, I'm not sick like many of my classmates. It's nice and cold up here, around 10 degrees Celsius. I'm loving it. I'll bundle up in the freezing cold over sweating any day. It's the Alaskan in me.
Ok, at a Starbucks in a far end of Beijing where I took some girls to go shopping. It's weird seeing a place I've been before. Now we gotta flag a taxi and get home. Leave comments, let me know YOU are alive.
Whoops
It’s been brought to my attention that I haven’t updated in a while.
Sometimes I forget, honestly. And we were roaming around China like nomads. And before that I was taking tests every day. Things got crazy there for a while. So crazy that the days began to blur together.
We probably looked like some afterwards.
But seriously, we had a great time. Here’s a hopefully quick recap:
Time: Two weeks
Cities (In order): Xi’an (Shaanxi Province), Beijing (Beijing Municipality), Linyi (Shandong Province), Shanghai (Shanghai Municipality).
Transportation methods: Plane (2), Bus (1; 10 hours, however), Sleeper Train (2)
Famous places seen: Terracotta Soldiers, LouGuanTai Daoist Monastery, Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter (Xi’an), Xi’an city wall, Da Qin Nestorian Pagoda, Forest of Steles (Beilin Museum), Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, JingShan Park, BeiHai Park, YongHeGong Tibetan Temple, Han Tombs where the oldest manuscript for Sunzi’s Art of War was found, Shanghai Museum. I suppose one could include Xi’an, Beijing, and Shanghai as sites seen.
Times I rode a horse: 1
Times I gave a presentation after riding that horse: You guessed. 1.
Strange things eaten: Dog (again), Donkey (again), Scorpion, Locust
Hotels stayed in: 4
Pictures taken: Over 1,000 (700 in Beijing alone)
Times called “uncle” in Chinese: at least 7
Times I was solicited for “a lady”: 4
Times I pulled ponytails/tapped kids on the shoulder and ran away/or generally played with kids: The entire time we were in Linyi (5 days).
Times I sang the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” with Michelle in a classroom: 3
Schools visited in Linyi: 3
Banquets/Ceremonies attended: 4? Maybe 5?
Classes visited in Linyi: at least 6
Times I felt like a celebrity when I was at those schools: Every single freaking time
Times I saw a woman with bound feet: 1
Times I took “illegal photos” (that is, a photo where a sign said “NO PHOTO”) in temples: I lost count after something like 30.
Times I got yelled at for it: 1
Times I saw things that can never be described in a story or a photo: Too many.
So hopefully there is a brief overview of what went on. We toured, except in Linyi where we visited schools and churches and taught. Lots of time on the road. Lots of time walking. It felt great to be in the cold for once. Xiamen is around 75ish F. Evening are perfect.
It is good to be back thought. Familiarity and all. The Trek did seem to bring us all together as a group. Some good time, some hard times, some times I wanted to kill folks… that’s all normal though. Now, I’ll just be taking Chinese 2, Chinese Painting, and Taiji. Mondays are going to be crazy busy for about two weeks. We have a four day weekend over Thanksgiving. Some are going to travel—I’m probably just going to stick around and relax. Visit some places here in Xiamen. I’d love to travel to Yunnan or something, but four days… and I’m sick of traveling and spending money.
Anyway, I’m slowly uploading photos over at http://picasaweb.google.com/tyler.cronk. Drop by. I think I’ve finished the photos in Beijing. I’ve tried to only select the good ones and offer some commentary/historical context on the places. I also have eliminated the many temples I visited—I find those things totally interesting, but most people think one Buddha looks like the next. If you’re interested… talk to me.
Should be posting a non-China story sometime soon, in two parts. So strap yourselves in for that.
Sometimes I forget, honestly. And we were roaming around China like nomads. And before that I was taking tests every day. Things got crazy there for a while. So crazy that the days began to blur together.
We probably looked like some afterwards.
But seriously, we had a great time. Here’s a hopefully quick recap:
Time: Two weeks
Cities (In order): Xi’an (Shaanxi Province), Beijing (Beijing Municipality), Linyi (Shandong Province), Shanghai (Shanghai Municipality).
Transportation methods: Plane (2), Bus (1; 10 hours, however), Sleeper Train (2)
Famous places seen: Terracotta Soldiers, LouGuanTai Daoist Monastery, Bell Tower, Muslim Quarter (Xi’an), Xi’an city wall, Da Qin Nestorian Pagoda, Forest of Steles (Beilin Museum), Great Wall, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, JingShan Park, BeiHai Park, YongHeGong Tibetan Temple, Han Tombs where the oldest manuscript for Sunzi’s Art of War was found, Shanghai Museum. I suppose one could include Xi’an, Beijing, and Shanghai as sites seen.
Times I rode a horse: 1
Times I gave a presentation after riding that horse: You guessed. 1.
Strange things eaten: Dog (again), Donkey (again), Scorpion, Locust
Hotels stayed in: 4
Pictures taken: Over 1,000 (700 in Beijing alone)
Times called “uncle” in Chinese: at least 7
Times I was solicited for “a lady”: 4
Times I pulled ponytails/tapped kids on the shoulder and ran away/or generally played with kids: The entire time we were in Linyi (5 days).
Times I sang the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” with Michelle in a classroom: 3
Schools visited in Linyi: 3
Banquets/Ceremonies attended: 4? Maybe 5?
Classes visited in Linyi: at least 6
Times I felt like a celebrity when I was at those schools: Every single freaking time
Times I saw a woman with bound feet: 1
Times I took “illegal photos” (that is, a photo where a sign said “NO PHOTO”) in temples: I lost count after something like 30.
Times I got yelled at for it: 1
Times I saw things that can never be described in a story or a photo: Too many.
So hopefully there is a brief overview of what went on. We toured, except in Linyi where we visited schools and churches and taught. Lots of time on the road. Lots of time walking. It felt great to be in the cold for once. Xiamen is around 75ish F. Evening are perfect.
It is good to be back thought. Familiarity and all. The Trek did seem to bring us all together as a group. Some good time, some hard times, some times I wanted to kill folks… that’s all normal though. Now, I’ll just be taking Chinese 2, Chinese Painting, and Taiji. Mondays are going to be crazy busy for about two weeks. We have a four day weekend over Thanksgiving. Some are going to travel—I’m probably just going to stick around and relax. Visit some places here in Xiamen. I’d love to travel to Yunnan or something, but four days… and I’m sick of traveling and spending money.
Anyway, I’m slowly uploading photos over at http://picasaweb.google.com/tyler.cronk. Drop by. I think I’ve finished the photos in Beijing. I’ve tried to only select the good ones and offer some commentary/historical context on the places. I also have eliminated the many temples I visited—I find those things totally interesting, but most people think one Buddha looks like the next. If you’re interested… talk to me.
Should be posting a non-China story sometime soon, in two parts. So strap yourselves in for that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)