Public speaking has never been my strong point. Every time I get in front of a podium my hands start to sweat and I become twitchy and shaky. My thoughts race and my stomach feels like its about to empty its contents into the front row. I stutter, I forget things, and have incredibly long pauses during which the audience shifts uncomfortably in their seats. I hate everything about it. That's how I feel about giving speeches in English, now imagine how I must have felt when I was told I would have to give a 2 minute, completely memorized speech in Chinese to my classmates, teachers and the host parents. My thought process went something like this (perhaps with stronger language...) 'Oh-My-God. This is the kind of thing they should have warned me about before coming to China! I'm going to puke all over my Chinese teachers in the front row! Can I fake sick that day? What am I going to do? AGGGGHHHH!'
Yeah, something like that. So I started writing. I spent several hours pouring over my text books stringing together a short story/speech type thing (actually based on my last blog post) and was feeling pretty good about it. I had it almost memorized three days before the speeches where to be delivered and my host dad asked to see it. So, I stood awkwardly in the middle of our small combo living/dining room with him sitting before me ready to correct, and I started going through the speech. I didn't even make it to the middle before my dad stopped me and told me it was horrible. Not only were my tones wrong, but the story itself wasn't clear. This point blank criticism is something I have a lot of difficulty swallowing. I'm not used to having people tell me that something I worked hard on is awful, but a common trait amongst Chinese people is this sometimes painful frankness. So, wonderful, hours and hours down the drain and all I had to show for it was a crappy speech and seriously bruised ego. So, after 20 minutes hiding out in my room fuming internally about how baba had no idea what he was talking about and freaking out because I only had 3 days left to reconstruct my speech I emerged red eyed and humbled. “爸爸， 你可以帮我马？” (Dad, can you help me?) He could tell I was upset and spent an hour with me reworking the story. What came out of it was a much better story and the agreement that my baba would come watch me.
So the next three days I memorized, edited, and worked hard. I said my speech to myself riding my bike, in the shower, while running and before going to bed. By Tuesday morning I had it down. I was the 19th person on the list and as the number of people before me slowly shrank, the butterflies in my stomach grew. I wouldn't call them butterflies, more like herds of wild buffalo stampeding through. Then the 18th person finished. Oh, no. They called me up and I stumbled to the stage. My hands went clammy and my stomach twisted into knots. I got behind the podium and looked onto the 70 odd people sitting there, most of them bored out of their minds. I opened my mouth and... choked.
Just kidding! I remembered everything and even got a few laughs. My tones were pretty mediocre but I got through it with reasonable clarity and smoothness. It wasn't perfect and it certainly was not the best one, but it was the best I could have ever managed. : ) I saw my baba afterwards and he said it was, "不错。“ (not bad) That's a pretty big compliment coming from him so I was happy.
Well, now its 10:10 and I have to go rememorize the province map of China.
Until Next Time,
王芸 Wang Yun （aka Julia Loughlin）
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Ta de kuzi zai nar?
First of, my sincere apologies for my extreme delay in blog post. I spent from November 2nd to the 15th traveling and have since then been putting off writing a travel entry. Unfortunately, it's still not finished so to keep you updated until then I will write about my time back in Beijing since then.
Traveling was wonderful, don't get me wrong, but when I stepped off of the train into Beijing's railroad station I wanted to fling my backpack off and kiss the filthy ground beneath my feet. I was home. Beijing finally felt like home. The air was brisk and bit my nose and cheeks, and I was shuffled around roughly by the impatient crowd waiting to exit, but I couldn't care less. I got out of the station and promptly hopped on the subway to my hutong. I never would have thought I could miss my flat as a board bed or the way I can hear my next door neighbor hack lugies every morning, but I really did. :)
My baba was waiting on the sofa when I arrived. "WANG YUN! ZENMEYANG? NI SHOU LE!" (How are you? You got skinnier!) He enthusiastically grabbed my back pack off my back and gave me a hug. Hugs in China are a big deal. You don't just hug your parents for any reason, and I remembered back on the first day when I tried to give my baba a hug it was received with several awkward pats on the back. It really was an excellent indicator to me of how much my relationship with him has grown. It was one of the best greetings I have ever experienced. My mama was still at work and my jiejie didn't arrive until later that afternoon, but when they saw me that night they seemed genuinely happy to have me back.
After the enthusiastic greeting I headed off to unpack. Upon first unzipping the bag, I immediately shut it again and gagged a little. 2 weeks with 3 shirts, 2 pants, 2 shorts, only 10 pairs of underwear and socks, no laundry, and about 6 showers in total added up to a bag of stink. I left the bag on the floor, firmly sealed, and instead decided to go to the gym.
During our travels it was, for the most part, very warm. Shorts and t-shirts weather most days. So I, brimming with common sense as most of you know, put on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a fleece for good measure...
My gym is about a 45 minute bike ride from my house and by the time I rounded the first intersection past Behai park, I knew I had made a mistake. Beijing's winter had set it and it could have been at most about 40 degrees out. Apparently I was not the only one questioning my sanity because as I rode people stopped, stared, gawked, and pointed. Several of them shouted out things as I past. "Ni leng bu leng?!?" "Weishenme ni mei you kuzi?" "Nide kuzi zai nar?" (Aren't you cold? Why don't you have pants? Where did your pants go?) My favorite was just as I turned into the gym entrance, my legs a nasty shade of purple and my hands a deep grey, a little kid saw me and said to his mother, "Waiguo ren bu xihuan chuan kuzi ma?" (Foreigners don't like to wear pants?) To which his mother responded, "Bu dui, na ge waiguo ren hen ben." (Not true, that foreigner is just very stupid.) And at that moment my only thought was "Wo tongyi." (I agree.)
Besides my warm welcome home, and idiotic adventures with no pants, I have been studying hard and doing my best to explore as much of the city as is possible. My real Mama, Baba, and Didi (younger brother) will be here in 3 weeks (YAY!!!) and I still am working on planning out their trip... If they don't bring me good stuff from home and behave very well while I'm their tour guide I plan to take them to eat chou dofu (stinky tofu, really nasty stuff ) for every meal and make them use the bus system at rush hour. :) (Hint: I haven't eaten Special K in 3 months and I really miss it...)
Anyway, it is past my bed time and I must go now.
Until Next Time,
Jules
Song of the Week
Summertime by: Sublime
Traveling was wonderful, don't get me wrong, but when I stepped off of the train into Beijing's railroad station I wanted to fling my backpack off and kiss the filthy ground beneath my feet. I was home. Beijing finally felt like home. The air was brisk and bit my nose and cheeks, and I was shuffled around roughly by the impatient crowd waiting to exit, but I couldn't care less. I got out of the station and promptly hopped on the subway to my hutong. I never would have thought I could miss my flat as a board bed or the way I can hear my next door neighbor hack lugies every morning, but I really did. :)
My baba was waiting on the sofa when I arrived. "WANG YUN! ZENMEYANG? NI SHOU LE!" (How are you? You got skinnier!) He enthusiastically grabbed my back pack off my back and gave me a hug. Hugs in China are a big deal. You don't just hug your parents for any reason, and I remembered back on the first day when I tried to give my baba a hug it was received with several awkward pats on the back. It really was an excellent indicator to me of how much my relationship with him has grown. It was one of the best greetings I have ever experienced. My mama was still at work and my jiejie didn't arrive until later that afternoon, but when they saw me that night they seemed genuinely happy to have me back.
After the enthusiastic greeting I headed off to unpack. Upon first unzipping the bag, I immediately shut it again and gagged a little. 2 weeks with 3 shirts, 2 pants, 2 shorts, only 10 pairs of underwear and socks, no laundry, and about 6 showers in total added up to a bag of stink. I left the bag on the floor, firmly sealed, and instead decided to go to the gym.
During our travels it was, for the most part, very warm. Shorts and t-shirts weather most days. So I, brimming with common sense as most of you know, put on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and a fleece for good measure...
My gym is about a 45 minute bike ride from my house and by the time I rounded the first intersection past Behai park, I knew I had made a mistake. Beijing's winter had set it and it could have been at most about 40 degrees out. Apparently I was not the only one questioning my sanity because as I rode people stopped, stared, gawked, and pointed. Several of them shouted out things as I past. "Ni leng bu leng?!?" "Weishenme ni mei you kuzi?" "Nide kuzi zai nar?" (Aren't you cold? Why don't you have pants? Where did your pants go?) My favorite was just as I turned into the gym entrance, my legs a nasty shade of purple and my hands a deep grey, a little kid saw me and said to his mother, "Waiguo ren bu xihuan chuan kuzi ma?" (Foreigners don't like to wear pants?) To which his mother responded, "Bu dui, na ge waiguo ren hen ben." (Not true, that foreigner is just very stupid.) And at that moment my only thought was "Wo tongyi." (I agree.)
Besides my warm welcome home, and idiotic adventures with no pants, I have been studying hard and doing my best to explore as much of the city as is possible. My real Mama, Baba, and Didi (younger brother) will be here in 3 weeks (YAY!!!) and I still am working on planning out their trip... If they don't bring me good stuff from home and behave very well while I'm their tour guide I plan to take them to eat chou dofu (stinky tofu, really nasty stuff ) for every meal and make them use the bus system at rush hour. :) (Hint: I haven't eaten Special K in 3 months and I really miss it...)
Anyway, it is past my bed time and I must go now.
Until Next Time,
Jules
Song of the Week
Summertime by: Sublime
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sick... But Happy?
Sorry for the delay in post. I have dozens of excuses, but I don't think you want to hear all of them so please forgive me for taking so long to write to you and thank you for your patience (for the most part...)
Last week was midterms week so you can probably imagine the scene. 50 odd electric blue bundles of nerves zipping through the hall, scribbling clumsy characters on white boards, and ripping out their hair. (Actually, my hair is currently falling out an alarming pace due to stress (I think) so I refrained from the hair ripping.) So, in a word, it was chaos. I experienced mid term week in a slightly different way than most people because my Chinese teachers decided I could move up from Chinese 2 to Chinese 3. That's good news right? Here's the catch, I had 7 chapters between the two classes to catch up on by myself and one week to do it. All of my grades from the first quarter of Chinese classes, which were reasonably good, were cancelled and I start fresh with level 3. I not only had to take my Chinese midterms from level 2 (and do well on them), but also take a midterm Monday for a class 4 chapters ahead. When I found this out, one thought dominated my head and I vocalized it frequently...
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
As you can see I was a little bit stressed out... ok, a lot stressed out, but clearly, because I am writing this, I survived without throwing myself from the 6th floor window were our SYA classes take place. The midterms were hard, but I think I did ok on them (I haven't gotten them back yet). Unfortunately, the late night studying took its toll and today I came home from school sick.
I would have thought that being sick in a country half way across the world from my friends and family would be a reasonably tramuatic experience. Rather, it has actually made me see the bonds I have made with people here. For example, when I biked home and passed out in bed for 3 hours, I awoke to my baba rushing through the door to make sure I was ok and then proceeding to make me lunch and tea. My mama was equally concerned and would not stop fussing over me until I resembled an arctic explorer with all my sweatshirts, pants, gloves, scarves, and hat. I then waddled back to my room to do homework with repeated check in's from both of them. It may seem silly to you but the fact that they cared so much for my well being really made me feel better. I didn't know you could be happy and be sick at the same time, but it seems to be possible :)
Now, I feel somewhat better, although my mama is convinced I still have a fever. Right now she is edging around the door, surely about to tell me it is time for sleep. I completely agree with her and off to bed I go.
Until Next Time
Jules
Song of the Day:
Clarity By: John Mayer
Last week was midterms week so you can probably imagine the scene. 50 odd electric blue bundles of nerves zipping through the hall, scribbling clumsy characters on white boards, and ripping out their hair. (Actually, my hair is currently falling out an alarming pace due to stress (I think) so I refrained from the hair ripping.) So, in a word, it was chaos. I experienced mid term week in a slightly different way than most people because my Chinese teachers decided I could move up from Chinese 2 to Chinese 3. That's good news right? Here's the catch, I had 7 chapters between the two classes to catch up on by myself and one week to do it. All of my grades from the first quarter of Chinese classes, which were reasonably good, were cancelled and I start fresh with level 3. I not only had to take my Chinese midterms from level 2 (and do well on them), but also take a midterm Monday for a class 4 chapters ahead. When I found this out, one thought dominated my head and I vocalized it frequently...
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!
As you can see I was a little bit stressed out... ok, a lot stressed out, but clearly, because I am writing this, I survived without throwing myself from the 6th floor window were our SYA classes take place. The midterms were hard, but I think I did ok on them (I haven't gotten them back yet). Unfortunately, the late night studying took its toll and today I came home from school sick.
I would have thought that being sick in a country half way across the world from my friends and family would be a reasonably tramuatic experience. Rather, it has actually made me see the bonds I have made with people here. For example, when I biked home and passed out in bed for 3 hours, I awoke to my baba rushing through the door to make sure I was ok and then proceeding to make me lunch and tea. My mama was equally concerned and would not stop fussing over me until I resembled an arctic explorer with all my sweatshirts, pants, gloves, scarves, and hat. I then waddled back to my room to do homework with repeated check in's from both of them. It may seem silly to you but the fact that they cared so much for my well being really made me feel better. I didn't know you could be happy and be sick at the same time, but it seems to be possible :)
Now, I feel somewhat better, although my mama is convinced I still have a fever. Right now she is edging around the door, surely about to tell me it is time for sleep. I completely agree with her and off to bed I go.
Until Next Time
Jules
Song of the Day:
Clarity By: John Mayer
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Run
I am going to take a short cut in writing this blog post this week. In English class we were assigned to write an essay depicting any kind of trip we have taken while in China. It could be any real trip we have taken whether to another province or to the grocery store, and I choose to write about a run I took one night this month. My teacher encouraged us to be a little bit experimental with our in the essay so this might come across as a little bit strange for some of you. I hope you enjoy it and please keep in mind it is just a rough draft (my title is TBD)... let me know what you think.
Julia Loughlin
English D- Block
Do pg. 56-58 in the character book. Write blog post. Read to pg. 50 in the book. Study for tingxie. Do problems 1-54 on pg. 281. Make up a 2 pg. dialogue. Send generic, ‘everything is great here’ email to friends and family. Study for other tingxie. Go to sleep. Get up. Do it again. This is what my life entailed everyday for my first month in China. I worked, I studied, I preformed the robotic functions necessary to keep my head above the water, but as the days went by, the sleep decreased and my perspective on this experience became more and more skewed. I was overwhelmed, overtired, and I could feel myself slowly sinking in the rising waters. That is why on Friday, the 9th of October, I needed to run.
Running is therapy for me. The sharp tightening of my battered laces, the slow deep strain of stretching my muscles, my iPod sending charged notes through my ears, and those first few steps in which my feet anticipate the distance they are about to cover. The process is therapeutic* and that night as I set off jogging lightly out of my dimly lit hutong, feeling my muscles warm up and my brain shut down, I relished in the routine of it all. After struggling day after day at in classes at school and in making conversation at home, it felt so good to simply be sure of something.
I rounded the corner onto the narrow but crowded bar street, and the roaring night life of the city hit me. I ran past awed tourists who pointed at the crumbling hutongs and sent out bright sparks from their flashing bulbs into the night. I ran past a group of pinstriped Chinese men just out of work gathered around a small game of cards, completely absorbed in each move. I ran past a clearly enamored couple who held each other’s hands in such an innocent and pure embrace, completely oblivious to the world around them. All of this I observed as I ran towards my favorite spot in Beijing.
My running park, as I have named it because it has no name as far as I know, is a 1.5 mile long, skinny strip of grass dividing two main roads inside the second ring road. In comparison with some of Beijing's grander parks like Behai and Jingsheng, it isn’t much, but to me it is the most beautiful park in the world. During the day the park hums with activity. The elderly practice their steady Tai-Chi positions, the children roller blade with shocking agility and grace, and unashamed men and women sing cheerfully as they stroll along. At night, the park takes on a new personality. Its usually crowded and sunlit paths empty and glow eerily in the long shadows. The park benches sit abandoned, and all sound from the surrounding road ways fades away. Stray, dirt stained cats dart between the bushes playfully as if they want me to follow them and stars glint softly in the black sky. At night the park becomes a small, untouched world of its own, set in the busy streets of downtown Beijing, and it is one of the few places I feel truly comfortable. That is why as I saw the first few trees peeked out from the main road, I picked up the pace and ran towards its welcoming familiarity. I ran down the twisting path through the densely packed trees, away from the noise, confusion, and chaos of the world I had just left behind. I had gone down this path so many times before that my frazzled brain knew to shut itself off and let my feet lead the way. Slowly I let go of my deepest concerns. Every deep intake of sweet night air cleared my mind, and each sharp exhale pushed an anxiety out. Each step seemed to smash one of the worries that plagued my mind. No more thoughts of failed tingxies, homework still to be completed, or friends and family I miss. No more worries about the declining economy back at home, or milk crises where I live now. No thinking about miscommunications with host parents or not getting enough sleep. Each of these previously daunting thoughts seemed so insignificant after being crushed by my pounding feet. They all lay shattered on the tiled ground behind me as I moved with confidence through the empty park.
By the time I hit the end of the park and turned around to return home, I could feel clarity fill in the space that chaos had just occupied. I could again begin to see why I came to China, what my goals were, and how short a time this year really is. What had just seemed so overwhelming seemed so clear now. As I glided past the empty park benches and luminescent flowers, I again felt in control. My music coursed through my body as my blood did through my veins with both beats seeming to fall in a steady time. Everything fell back into place and even though I knew I was running back towards a confusing and difficult world, I could handle it. I sprinted to the end of my little park and was reluctant to leave the comfort of its familiar paths, but I knew I would be back soon.
Turning the corner, the deafening sounds, exotic smells, and intriguing sights of the explosive bar street hit me again . The awed tourists had left, probably off to see some new exciting attraction. The pinstriped men has dispersed back to their homes for dinner, leaving only their lonely wooden card table. The young couple was no where to be seen, but an elderly married couple now occupied the bench in which they had sat. The street was the same, but everything was different. I rounded back around onto my hutong street letting the darkness envelop me and the words of my song permeate the now quiet night air:
You gotta swim
Swim for your life
Swim for the music
That saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
Swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven't come this far
To fall off the earth
To some it might not make sense, but in running I remember how to swim. In running I remember how to see clearly, listen carefully, and remember what’s important. In running I remember how to keep things in perspective and not become overwhelmed. So, when everything seems to be falling apart, and my whole world is crashing around me, all I do is lace up my sneakers, plug in my Ipod, stretch out my muscles, and run.
Well that's it folks, I hope you liked it and please let me know what you think!
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Swim (as quoted above) by Jack's Mannequin
Julia Loughlin
English D- Block
Do pg. 56-58 in the character book. Write blog post. Read to pg. 50 in the book. Study for tingxie. Do problems 1-54 on pg. 281. Make up a 2 pg. dialogue. Send generic, ‘everything is great here’ email to friends and family. Study for other tingxie. Go to sleep. Get up. Do it again. This is what my life entailed everyday for my first month in China. I worked, I studied, I preformed the robotic functions necessary to keep my head above the water, but as the days went by, the sleep decreased and my perspective on this experience became more and more skewed. I was overwhelmed, overtired, and I could feel myself slowly sinking in the rising waters. That is why on Friday, the 9th of October, I needed to run.
Running is therapy for me. The sharp tightening of my battered laces, the slow deep strain of stretching my muscles, my iPod sending charged notes through my ears, and those first few steps in which my feet anticipate the distance they are about to cover. The process is therapeutic* and that night as I set off jogging lightly out of my dimly lit hutong, feeling my muscles warm up and my brain shut down, I relished in the routine of it all. After struggling day after day at in classes at school and in making conversation at home, it felt so good to simply be sure of something.
I rounded the corner onto the narrow but crowded bar street, and the roaring night life of the city hit me. I ran past awed tourists who pointed at the crumbling hutongs and sent out bright sparks from their flashing bulbs into the night. I ran past a group of pinstriped Chinese men just out of work gathered around a small game of cards, completely absorbed in each move. I ran past a clearly enamored couple who held each other’s hands in such an innocent and pure embrace, completely oblivious to the world around them. All of this I observed as I ran towards my favorite spot in Beijing.
My running park, as I have named it because it has no name as far as I know, is a 1.5 mile long, skinny strip of grass dividing two main roads inside the second ring road. In comparison with some of Beijing's grander parks like Behai and Jingsheng, it isn’t much, but to me it is the most beautiful park in the world. During the day the park hums with activity. The elderly practice their steady Tai-Chi positions, the children roller blade with shocking agility and grace, and unashamed men and women sing cheerfully as they stroll along. At night, the park takes on a new personality. Its usually crowded and sunlit paths empty and glow eerily in the long shadows. The park benches sit abandoned, and all sound from the surrounding road ways fades away. Stray, dirt stained cats dart between the bushes playfully as if they want me to follow them and stars glint softly in the black sky. At night the park becomes a small, untouched world of its own, set in the busy streets of downtown Beijing, and it is one of the few places I feel truly comfortable. That is why as I saw the first few trees peeked out from the main road, I picked up the pace and ran towards its welcoming familiarity. I ran down the twisting path through the densely packed trees, away from the noise, confusion, and chaos of the world I had just left behind. I had gone down this path so many times before that my frazzled brain knew to shut itself off and let my feet lead the way. Slowly I let go of my deepest concerns. Every deep intake of sweet night air cleared my mind, and each sharp exhale pushed an anxiety out. Each step seemed to smash one of the worries that plagued my mind. No more thoughts of failed tingxies, homework still to be completed, or friends and family I miss. No more worries about the declining economy back at home, or milk crises where I live now. No thinking about miscommunications with host parents or not getting enough sleep. Each of these previously daunting thoughts seemed so insignificant after being crushed by my pounding feet. They all lay shattered on the tiled ground behind me as I moved with confidence through the empty park.
By the time I hit the end of the park and turned around to return home, I could feel clarity fill in the space that chaos had just occupied. I could again begin to see why I came to China, what my goals were, and how short a time this year really is. What had just seemed so overwhelming seemed so clear now. As I glided past the empty park benches and luminescent flowers, I again felt in control. My music coursed through my body as my blood did through my veins with both beats seeming to fall in a steady time. Everything fell back into place and even though I knew I was running back towards a confusing and difficult world, I could handle it. I sprinted to the end of my little park and was reluctant to leave the comfort of its familiar paths, but I knew I would be back soon.
Turning the corner, the deafening sounds, exotic smells, and intriguing sights of the explosive bar street hit me again . The awed tourists had left, probably off to see some new exciting attraction. The pinstriped men has dispersed back to their homes for dinner, leaving only their lonely wooden card table. The young couple was no where to be seen, but an elderly married couple now occupied the bench in which they had sat. The street was the same, but everything was different. I rounded back around onto my hutong street letting the darkness envelop me and the words of my song permeate the now quiet night air:
You gotta swim
Swim for your life
Swim for the music
That saves you
When you're not so sure you'll survive
You gotta swim
Swim when it hurts
The whole world is watching
You haven't come this far
To fall off the earth
To some it might not make sense, but in running I remember how to swim. In running I remember how to see clearly, listen carefully, and remember what’s important. In running I remember how to keep things in perspective and not become overwhelmed. So, when everything seems to be falling apart, and my whole world is crashing around me, all I do is lace up my sneakers, plug in my Ipod, stretch out my muscles, and run.
Well that's it folks, I hope you liked it and please let me know what you think!
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Swim (as quoted above) by Jack's Mannequin
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sweat, Blood and Tears! Or Maybe Just Really Bad Hand Cramps...
In my past blog posts I have picked out little snippets from the week that highlight how I am feeling and what I have done during that week. However, this week I will instead tell you a little bit more about a normal school day for me. This is a typical day in the life of an SYA student:
Everyday I arise in the dark at 6 o'clock sharp from my cosy bunk to quickly shower, scarf down whatever pipping hot breakfast my mama has set out for me, and bike to school as fast as humanly possible without getting mowed down by bus or taxi. Each morning I arrive at school at 7 o'clock, tramp up the 6 flights of stairs to SYA's designated hallway, and set up my books for my first Chinese class. Between 7 and 8 o'clock I pour feverishly over my Chinese vocabulary books hoping to God that some of the characters I spent hours scribbling over and over the night before begin to stick. At 8 o'clock on the dot my zhongwen laoshi (chinese teacher) comes in, takes all my chinese zuoye (homework) and leaves us for 10 more minutes of frenzied studying. After 10 minutes, my teacher reenters the room and we all know what comes next. She says the words we come to expect but still dread immensely. "Shang ke. Xian zai ting xie." Basically meaning, class is starting, now its time for your quiz. Everyday we have a quiz dictation in which our Chinese teacher says the pinyin (pronunciation of the Chinese word) and we write the character and English meaning. This may sound relatively simple to all of you back at home, but please do not underestimate the ability of sleep deprived teenagers to completely blank out after hours of studying. It has happened to me on several occasions and it is a highly unpleasant to receive the small dictation book back in my mail box covered in red ink. Anyway, after the tingxie is over class begins and we spend the next 50 minutes answering back and reciting sentences in Chinese. After that, 10 more minutes panicked studying and another Chinese class with another tingxie. So by the time 10 o'clock hits, it feels like a week has gone by rather than just four short hours.
Then what would be the regular school day for most high schoolers begins. I won't go into much detail, but the next several hours entail Honors PreCalc, English, and Chinese History, all of which the teachers expect the most out of you. So when the last bell rings, we each fill our shubao (school bags) with our mountains of homework, square our shoulders, and head home with heads buzzing with an overflow of newly acquired knowledge. Then the real work begins.
Homework is a word greatly despised by almost all students around the world and I am no excpetion. My original dislike for homework has intensified 10 fold since coming here because it means instead of exploring the cities ancient neighborhoods, or visiting the major sights, I sit in my bunk for 5 hours and solve trig, write about Chinese poetry, read about the numerous dynasties, and of course, study Chinese.
Then after the exhausting day, I stumble into my bunk at around 12 and sleep until my alarm goes off and tells me I have to do it all over again.
I realize I probably seem like I am whining, and perhaps I am being a little bit unfair. I am going to school. There has to be work. It is inevitable. I just wish I could figure out a way to manage my time better because clearly the system laid out above does not include enough time for sleep.
Also I do not want this to be read as, "I am overworked, overtired and want to come home" because that simply is not the case. Even though I am working harder and sleeping less than I usually do, I am having the time of my life. There are times during school with my friends or during dinner with my host family that I have the most wonderful moments, and I wouldn't come home even if someone told me that my host school had decided never to give homework again. That's because I know that this work is worth it, however exhausting it may be. I am tired, but I love it here.
So, now it is 12:13 pm on a Friday night and that means time for sleep. I hope whoever you are, wherever you are, that you appreciate this blog post because it is cutting into my already limited sleep time.
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Waking Up In Vegas by: Katy Perry
Everyday I arise in the dark at 6 o'clock sharp from my cosy bunk to quickly shower, scarf down whatever pipping hot breakfast my mama has set out for me, and bike to school as fast as humanly possible without getting mowed down by bus or taxi. Each morning I arrive at school at 7 o'clock, tramp up the 6 flights of stairs to SYA's designated hallway, and set up my books for my first Chinese class. Between 7 and 8 o'clock I pour feverishly over my Chinese vocabulary books hoping to God that some of the characters I spent hours scribbling over and over the night before begin to stick. At 8 o'clock on the dot my zhongwen laoshi (chinese teacher) comes in, takes all my chinese zuoye (homework) and leaves us for 10 more minutes of frenzied studying. After 10 minutes, my teacher reenters the room and we all know what comes next. She says the words we come to expect but still dread immensely. "Shang ke. Xian zai ting xie." Basically meaning, class is starting, now its time for your quiz. Everyday we have a quiz dictation in which our Chinese teacher says the pinyin (pronunciation of the Chinese word) and we write the character and English meaning. This may sound relatively simple to all of you back at home, but please do not underestimate the ability of sleep deprived teenagers to completely blank out after hours of studying. It has happened to me on several occasions and it is a highly unpleasant to receive the small dictation book back in my mail box covered in red ink. Anyway, after the tingxie is over class begins and we spend the next 50 minutes answering back and reciting sentences in Chinese. After that, 10 more minutes panicked studying and another Chinese class with another tingxie. So by the time 10 o'clock hits, it feels like a week has gone by rather than just four short hours.
Then what would be the regular school day for most high schoolers begins. I won't go into much detail, but the next several hours entail Honors PreCalc, English, and Chinese History, all of which the teachers expect the most out of you. So when the last bell rings, we each fill our shubao (school bags) with our mountains of homework, square our shoulders, and head home with heads buzzing with an overflow of newly acquired knowledge. Then the real work begins.
Homework is a word greatly despised by almost all students around the world and I am no excpetion. My original dislike for homework has intensified 10 fold since coming here because it means instead of exploring the cities ancient neighborhoods, or visiting the major sights, I sit in my bunk for 5 hours and solve trig, write about Chinese poetry, read about the numerous dynasties, and of course, study Chinese.
Then after the exhausting day, I stumble into my bunk at around 12 and sleep until my alarm goes off and tells me I have to do it all over again.
I realize I probably seem like I am whining, and perhaps I am being a little bit unfair. I am going to school. There has to be work. It is inevitable. I just wish I could figure out a way to manage my time better because clearly the system laid out above does not include enough time for sleep.
Also I do not want this to be read as, "I am overworked, overtired and want to come home" because that simply is not the case. Even though I am working harder and sleeping less than I usually do, I am having the time of my life. There are times during school with my friends or during dinner with my host family that I have the most wonderful moments, and I wouldn't come home even if someone told me that my host school had decided never to give homework again. That's because I know that this work is worth it, however exhausting it may be. I am tired, but I love it here.
So, now it is 12:13 pm on a Friday night and that means time for sleep. I hope whoever you are, wherever you are, that you appreciate this blog post because it is cutting into my already limited sleep time.
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Waking Up In Vegas by: Katy Perry
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Breathe
1 month.
Friday of this week will mark my first month in China.
It that possible?
I feel like I have been here mere days. Everything goes by in a rush of blinding colors, sounds, and smells. I have been so on the go- between class, weekend school trips, and adventures with friends- that I didn't notice the time flying by me. However, this week I am slowing down a little and I am truly absorbing Beijing.
This week marks the 59th anniversary of 'shiyi', the Chinese national holiday commemorating October 1st when Chairman Mao declared the Peoples Republic of China and China's 'liberation'. It is the equivalent of America's July 4th except it's during the school year and everyone gets the whole week off. I can't say I'm devastated I have no school. :)
So I started off my 'shiyi' holiday by biking to school at 9am on Saturday morning to see the capital museum and Confucian and Lama temples for a history class trip. Yes, it was somewhat distressing to have to go to school the first day of my vacation, but by the end of the day I was so completely blown away by what I had seen, that the fact that it was a school trip had no significance. The capital museum was interesting but it was the temples that really took my breath away.
The temples are giant, traditionally structured Chinese buildings with vibrant colors and magnificent halls. Their intricately designed roofs house wonderful statues of Buddha's, Confucian scripts, and various god's and goddesses. At the Lama temple there is the biggest Buddha I have ever seen (yes it is bigger the the Buddha at the Buddha Bar in NYC). From standing at the very tips of its over sized toes and craning my neck as far back as it could go, I still struggled to see the ornately carved features of his face. In short, it is huge. With the dozens of richly colored silk scarves draped around his shoulders and the intoxicating clouds of incense rising slowly from the ground, I found myself a little bit mystified and overwhelmed. It was easy to imagine several hundred years previous, worshippers kneeling at the feet of the peaceful giant, hoping he was listening to their prayers.
Sunday I awoke even earlier to go to school which most might think would be an odd choice for the second straight day of vacation. But Sunday was no ordinary vacation day. Sunday was my high schools sporting competition, and SYA students had to compete. Luckily for me, I was not one of the volunteered number who had to leap, throw, and sprint for SYA pride. Instead, I watched and cheered proudly for our class as we took home the silver overall, quite a feat considering SYA has only won once in its history. It may be cheesy, but it really did make me happy to see my classmates do so well and come together. We all got a little closer :).
Monday I spent enjoying all of Beijing's best parks with my friend, and then the next day my host family took off for a two day vacation to our laolao's (mom's mom). I have mentioned her before and we spent the two days relaxing, eating (a lot), and just enjoying each other's company. To me, it was a little bit bittersweet because it reminded me of family gatherings at home and it made me have a few pangs of homesickness. Not to worry, I quickly got over them and my chinese family kept me highly entertained. Perhaps the best part of the trip was Tuesday night. We went walking after a ridiculously large dinner and found ourselves in a little park. A park in China is not in any way, shape, or form, like a park in America. Yes there are trees and flowers and paths, but then there are the 50 odd people lined up in the middle dancing to traditional Chinese folk music. Yes, you read that correctly. In the middle of these parks there are an odd assortment of young and old, family and friends, dancing and watching, people who come to parks to let loose. There is always a DJ with a giant set of speakers playing very loud traditional music and the people listen and dance. I was thoroughly enjoying the watching and listening aspect of this excersize, but my family would not have it. My host aunt, a seemingly stern but genuinely friendly lady, pulled me on to the dance floor and she meant business. So in front of the crowd of 50 or so fascinated Chinese people, my aunt taught me to dance. At first I was mortified. Everyone stared at the funny little 'waiguoren' (foriegner) with two left feet. After a while though, when the steps became slightly less mechanical and the stares started to fade away, I began to enjoy myself. Thoroughly. My aunt led me around the park, twirling and dipping as we went, and I couldn't help but get into it. If you ever visit China, you must try to go park dancing.
Lots of other interesting things happened since I have written my last post, but I have to go to sleep now and the stories can be told another time. Before I retire to my bunk, I want to say this. A month here has already done for me what no other country/program/experience could ever do. I am learning something invaluable here- how to be comfortable and confident wherever I go. One month in and I already feel comfortable riding the buses, subways, and my bike around the city. I am not scared to have awkward or difficult conversations due to language barriers anymore because I know if I try hard enough I can get my intention across. It's been a month and I am really settling into life here. I love Beijing.
Until Next Time
Julia
Song of the Week:
See the World by: Gomez
Friday of this week will mark my first month in China.
It that possible?
I feel like I have been here mere days. Everything goes by in a rush of blinding colors, sounds, and smells. I have been so on the go- between class, weekend school trips, and adventures with friends- that I didn't notice the time flying by me. However, this week I am slowing down a little and I am truly absorbing Beijing.
This week marks the 59th anniversary of 'shiyi', the Chinese national holiday commemorating October 1st when Chairman Mao declared the Peoples Republic of China and China's 'liberation'. It is the equivalent of America's July 4th except it's during the school year and everyone gets the whole week off. I can't say I'm devastated I have no school. :)
So I started off my 'shiyi' holiday by biking to school at 9am on Saturday morning to see the capital museum and Confucian and Lama temples for a history class trip. Yes, it was somewhat distressing to have to go to school the first day of my vacation, but by the end of the day I was so completely blown away by what I had seen, that the fact that it was a school trip had no significance. The capital museum was interesting but it was the temples that really took my breath away.
The temples are giant, traditionally structured Chinese buildings with vibrant colors and magnificent halls. Their intricately designed roofs house wonderful statues of Buddha's, Confucian scripts, and various god's and goddesses. At the Lama temple there is the biggest Buddha I have ever seen (yes it is bigger the the Buddha at the Buddha Bar in NYC). From standing at the very tips of its over sized toes and craning my neck as far back as it could go, I still struggled to see the ornately carved features of his face. In short, it is huge. With the dozens of richly colored silk scarves draped around his shoulders and the intoxicating clouds of incense rising slowly from the ground, I found myself a little bit mystified and overwhelmed. It was easy to imagine several hundred years previous, worshippers kneeling at the feet of the peaceful giant, hoping he was listening to their prayers.
Sunday I awoke even earlier to go to school which most might think would be an odd choice for the second straight day of vacation. But Sunday was no ordinary vacation day. Sunday was my high schools sporting competition, and SYA students had to compete. Luckily for me, I was not one of the volunteered number who had to leap, throw, and sprint for SYA pride. Instead, I watched and cheered proudly for our class as we took home the silver overall, quite a feat considering SYA has only won once in its history. It may be cheesy, but it really did make me happy to see my classmates do so well and come together. We all got a little closer :).
Monday I spent enjoying all of Beijing's best parks with my friend, and then the next day my host family took off for a two day vacation to our laolao's (mom's mom). I have mentioned her before and we spent the two days relaxing, eating (a lot), and just enjoying each other's company. To me, it was a little bit bittersweet because it reminded me of family gatherings at home and it made me have a few pangs of homesickness. Not to worry, I quickly got over them and my chinese family kept me highly entertained. Perhaps the best part of the trip was Tuesday night. We went walking after a ridiculously large dinner and found ourselves in a little park. A park in China is not in any way, shape, or form, like a park in America. Yes there are trees and flowers and paths, but then there are the 50 odd people lined up in the middle dancing to traditional Chinese folk music. Yes, you read that correctly. In the middle of these parks there are an odd assortment of young and old, family and friends, dancing and watching, people who come to parks to let loose. There is always a DJ with a giant set of speakers playing very loud traditional music and the people listen and dance. I was thoroughly enjoying the watching and listening aspect of this excersize, but my family would not have it. My host aunt, a seemingly stern but genuinely friendly lady, pulled me on to the dance floor and she meant business. So in front of the crowd of 50 or so fascinated Chinese people, my aunt taught me to dance. At first I was mortified. Everyone stared at the funny little 'waiguoren' (foriegner) with two left feet. After a while though, when the steps became slightly less mechanical and the stares started to fade away, I began to enjoy myself. Thoroughly. My aunt led me around the park, twirling and dipping as we went, and I couldn't help but get into it. If you ever visit China, you must try to go park dancing.
Lots of other interesting things happened since I have written my last post, but I have to go to sleep now and the stories can be told another time. Before I retire to my bunk, I want to say this. A month here has already done for me what no other country/program/experience could ever do. I am learning something invaluable here- how to be comfortable and confident wherever I go. One month in and I already feel comfortable riding the buses, subways, and my bike around the city. I am not scared to have awkward or difficult conversations due to language barriers anymore because I know if I try hard enough I can get my intention across. It's been a month and I am really settling into life here. I love Beijing.
Until Next Time
Julia
Song of the Week:
See the World by: Gomez
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
So That's Why They Call It the Great Wall... It Is Kinda BIG
When you think of China, what is the first thing that pops into your head?
Maybe it's the infamous Forbidden City, or a jam packed street filled with drifting bicycles and honking cars, but for the longest time, whenever I thought of China I thought of the Great Wall.
We probably first hear about the Great Wall from our history text books. I can remember reading pages and pages about its construction, and who tried to get over it and why. It has always fascinated me and I have always had a strong desire to see it for myself. Well, this Saturday, I did. I not only saw the Great Wall, but I walked, climbed, stumbled, fell, and scrambled over the seemingly endless hills of its crumbling stairs. I spent four hours on Saturday struggling up and down the remains of the less visited and consequently less refurbished section of the Great Wall. It was immensely difficult, especially for a person like myself who is not particularly inclined to going down dozens of dangerously steep steps at a time. Despite the down pours of sweat dripping off of every inch of my body, and the reasonably frequent crab walks down stairs, I had one of the most amazing days of my life. The sun was out and the sky was about as clear as you can hope for in China, and I could see the giant stone structure snaking its way through the jagged hills. It is huge. I could see it stretch for miles and miles into the distance, and was in disbelief that after so much time it could still be standing. There is no way for me to adequately describe the sheer length and distance that the Wall spreads, but if this gives you a better idea, after 4 long hard hours of hiking, we only covered a very small section of the Wall. By the end we were all questioning why the mongouls didn't just give up when they saw the thing. After reaching the end of the hike I thought I would drop dead of exhaustion, but instead my friends and I decided to stay up a little later and explore a little bit more of the city.
We ended up in a little park near our school, however, we soon found out that it was no ordinary park. This park has a section in it called "Fun Land" which includes bumper cars, arcade games, trampolines, and a small roller coaster. Unfortunately, these were all closed for the night, but we have very intent plans to go back and visit soon. Instead we spent 2 hours just playing on the small playground near "Fun Land" and releasing out inner kindergartner. Afterwards, we all admitted we missed recess a lot :).
Sunday was another interesting day in the city. There is one moment that i want to put into special focus. In the morning we went to my baba's friend from middle school's house for a party. We arrived at the apartment and within 3 minutes of sitting down left for a seemingly very nice restaurant. Again, all the Chinese people discussed me like I was an object in the room rather than a functional human being who had a grasp on what they were saying. "Oh, she is here for how long? How many siblings does she have? Does she like China? How does she like Chinese food? Vegetarian, how odd! I thought Americans were supposed to be taller? Do you think she is hungry?" All of the questions were answered by my host family because no one could tell that I understood or could respond to what they were saying. Whenever I would try to interject my own answers I was unheard because of the sheer volume in the room. Instead I sat, listened, and observed the chaos, and as the attention slowly shifted off of me and on to less distinguishable topics I paid very careful attention to what was going on around me. One thing jumped out at me more than anything. Every time food was brought out the entire table (15 people or so) would examine it and prejudge it before eating. If they found it suitable it was quickly gulped up and gone. However, when the waitress brought out a batter fried fish, by which I mean a whole fish with head, eyes and tail still intact, the table went into an uproar. At first I thought it was because of the mutual disgust for the two shiny black eyes looking back at me, but then I realized that wasn't the problem at all. The entire table, with the exception perhaps of my host mom and sister, was shouting at the waitress because the fish had to much batter on it. They were not politely complaining or even asking for a new one, but shouting and pointing with vehement disgust at the thick bits of batter stuck to the fish's sides. I was at a loss as to why it was such a big deal. Every day these people not only deal with, but silently accept the lack of traffic laws, overcrowded buses and general chaos that occurs in Beijing, but when a fish comes out with too much batter all hell breaks loose. But as I watched I perhaps started to understand. The Chinese have no control over bikes, buses or traffic. They can't change some of the inefficient policies in place so they accept them as they are and do not challenge them in the way an American might. But when it comes to a meal, something that they can fix or actually change, they complain because they can.
That was my weekend. A really big wall and an over-battered piece of fish. I'd say it was pretty cool.
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Day:
Situations By: Jack Johnson
Maybe it's the infamous Forbidden City, or a jam packed street filled with drifting bicycles and honking cars, but for the longest time, whenever I thought of China I thought of the Great Wall.
We probably first hear about the Great Wall from our history text books. I can remember reading pages and pages about its construction, and who tried to get over it and why. It has always fascinated me and I have always had a strong desire to see it for myself. Well, this Saturday, I did. I not only saw the Great Wall, but I walked, climbed, stumbled, fell, and scrambled over the seemingly endless hills of its crumbling stairs. I spent four hours on Saturday struggling up and down the remains of the less visited and consequently less refurbished section of the Great Wall. It was immensely difficult, especially for a person like myself who is not particularly inclined to going down dozens of dangerously steep steps at a time. Despite the down pours of sweat dripping off of every inch of my body, and the reasonably frequent crab walks down stairs, I had one of the most amazing days of my life. The sun was out and the sky was about as clear as you can hope for in China, and I could see the giant stone structure snaking its way through the jagged hills. It is huge. I could see it stretch for miles and miles into the distance, and was in disbelief that after so much time it could still be standing. There is no way for me to adequately describe the sheer length and distance that the Wall spreads, but if this gives you a better idea, after 4 long hard hours of hiking, we only covered a very small section of the Wall. By the end we were all questioning why the mongouls didn't just give up when they saw the thing. After reaching the end of the hike I thought I would drop dead of exhaustion, but instead my friends and I decided to stay up a little later and explore a little bit more of the city.
We ended up in a little park near our school, however, we soon found out that it was no ordinary park. This park has a section in it called "Fun Land" which includes bumper cars, arcade games, trampolines, and a small roller coaster. Unfortunately, these were all closed for the night, but we have very intent plans to go back and visit soon. Instead we spent 2 hours just playing on the small playground near "Fun Land" and releasing out inner kindergartner. Afterwards, we all admitted we missed recess a lot :).
Sunday was another interesting day in the city. There is one moment that i want to put into special focus. In the morning we went to my baba's friend from middle school's house for a party. We arrived at the apartment and within 3 minutes of sitting down left for a seemingly very nice restaurant. Again, all the Chinese people discussed me like I was an object in the room rather than a functional human being who had a grasp on what they were saying. "Oh, she is here for how long? How many siblings does she have? Does she like China? How does she like Chinese food? Vegetarian, how odd! I thought Americans were supposed to be taller? Do you think she is hungry?" All of the questions were answered by my host family because no one could tell that I understood or could respond to what they were saying. Whenever I would try to interject my own answers I was unheard because of the sheer volume in the room. Instead I sat, listened, and observed the chaos, and as the attention slowly shifted off of me and on to less distinguishable topics I paid very careful attention to what was going on around me. One thing jumped out at me more than anything. Every time food was brought out the entire table (15 people or so) would examine it and prejudge it before eating. If they found it suitable it was quickly gulped up and gone. However, when the waitress brought out a batter fried fish, by which I mean a whole fish with head, eyes and tail still intact, the table went into an uproar. At first I thought it was because of the mutual disgust for the two shiny black eyes looking back at me, but then I realized that wasn't the problem at all. The entire table, with the exception perhaps of my host mom and sister, was shouting at the waitress because the fish had to much batter on it. They were not politely complaining or even asking for a new one, but shouting and pointing with vehement disgust at the thick bits of batter stuck to the fish's sides. I was at a loss as to why it was such a big deal. Every day these people not only deal with, but silently accept the lack of traffic laws, overcrowded buses and general chaos that occurs in Beijing, but when a fish comes out with too much batter all hell breaks loose. But as I watched I perhaps started to understand. The Chinese have no control over bikes, buses or traffic. They can't change some of the inefficient policies in place so they accept them as they are and do not challenge them in the way an American might. But when it comes to a meal, something that they can fix or actually change, they complain because they can.
That was my weekend. A really big wall and an over-battered piece of fish. I'd say it was pretty cool.
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Day:
Situations By: Jack Johnson
Friday, September 19, 2008
2nd Week In
Cool moments happen when you don't expect them too.
It's 5:30 on a Thursday and I'm biking home from school after martial arts class. The traffic is heavy, the sun is too hot and I feel people's heavy stares as they watch a foreigner in a typical Chinese high school uniform struggle to keep her bike upright. I am tired and have a backpack full of work to be done for tomorrow that will surely guarantee another late night. Wearily I pedal until I hit a stop light and wait to cross. As I sit waiting, I notice one particularly interested stare coming my way. I look over and a man, about 60, is smiling over at me, exuding genuinely good vibes. So, I smile back. Then in rapid fire Mandarin with a heavy Beijing accent the man asked me if I went to school around the area (that's what I assumed he said anyway) and I told him about SYA with my fragmented Chinese. The light changed but our conversation did not end. We dodged cars, swerved around people, and avoided other bikes all while chatting in mandarin. After about 3 minutes of this (a long time for me to hold a conversation) we went our separate ways and he wished me good luck. I will never see that man again but he made my day.
That's the kind of thing that makes all this work worth it. I have mountains of homework and everything here adds new stress because of the language barrier and I miss everyone, but when things like the bike conversation happen, none of the other stuff seems very important.
So, here are some of the other interesting things that happened this week. First, early this week I tried my hand at calligraphy. I have always seen the beautifully drawn characters and wished i could recreate them, but as soon as I had the brush in my hand I knew it was not going to be easy. The first issue is that I have horrible handwriting in English and that quality transfers to my Chinese writing thus making my characters look rather ugly and distorted. The second issue is my teacher. He is about 5'4", 65 years old, and is possibly the funniest man I have ever met. He has huge bottle cap lens glasses that magnify his already protuberant eyes, and he wears a little blue french style barrett that bobbles up and down as he gushes about the beauty of the characters. His chinese is impossible to understand because of the thick city accent and he shouts words at us as he tries to correct our simple mistakes. The reason he is a problem is that every time I look at him I laugh so hard that I can't hold my brush straight.
So many little things happen in a day, I find it hard to keep track of them all. I'll just list a couple. Today a lady tried to convince my friend and I to come to her store so she could take pictures to model her clothes which was highly entertaining. Monday I went to the most beautiful park I have ever been to with my family and had an amazing time. Thursday I tried martial arts and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Wednesday I had weird food and got sick. On Tuesday I made friends with my neighbor's dog and now every time I go inside he follows me. Lots of craziness basically.
Tomorrow I am going to the changchang, Great Wall, for a four hour hike. Wish me luck!
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the day:
Hallelujah by: Jeff Buckley
It's 5:30 on a Thursday and I'm biking home from school after martial arts class. The traffic is heavy, the sun is too hot and I feel people's heavy stares as they watch a foreigner in a typical Chinese high school uniform struggle to keep her bike upright. I am tired and have a backpack full of work to be done for tomorrow that will surely guarantee another late night. Wearily I pedal until I hit a stop light and wait to cross. As I sit waiting, I notice one particularly interested stare coming my way. I look over and a man, about 60, is smiling over at me, exuding genuinely good vibes. So, I smile back. Then in rapid fire Mandarin with a heavy Beijing accent the man asked me if I went to school around the area (that's what I assumed he said anyway) and I told him about SYA with my fragmented Chinese. The light changed but our conversation did not end. We dodged cars, swerved around people, and avoided other bikes all while chatting in mandarin. After about 3 minutes of this (a long time for me to hold a conversation) we went our separate ways and he wished me good luck. I will never see that man again but he made my day.
That's the kind of thing that makes all this work worth it. I have mountains of homework and everything here adds new stress because of the language barrier and I miss everyone, but when things like the bike conversation happen, none of the other stuff seems very important.
So, here are some of the other interesting things that happened this week. First, early this week I tried my hand at calligraphy. I have always seen the beautifully drawn characters and wished i could recreate them, but as soon as I had the brush in my hand I knew it was not going to be easy. The first issue is that I have horrible handwriting in English and that quality transfers to my Chinese writing thus making my characters look rather ugly and distorted. The second issue is my teacher. He is about 5'4", 65 years old, and is possibly the funniest man I have ever met. He has huge bottle cap lens glasses that magnify his already protuberant eyes, and he wears a little blue french style barrett that bobbles up and down as he gushes about the beauty of the characters. His chinese is impossible to understand because of the thick city accent and he shouts words at us as he tries to correct our simple mistakes. The reason he is a problem is that every time I look at him I laugh so hard that I can't hold my brush straight.
So many little things happen in a day, I find it hard to keep track of them all. I'll just list a couple. Today a lady tried to convince my friend and I to come to her store so she could take pictures to model her clothes which was highly entertaining. Monday I went to the most beautiful park I have ever been to with my family and had an amazing time. Thursday I tried martial arts and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Wednesday I had weird food and got sick. On Tuesday I made friends with my neighbor's dog and now every time I go inside he follows me. Lots of craziness basically.
Tomorrow I am going to the changchang, Great Wall, for a four hour hike. Wish me luck!
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the day:
Hallelujah by: Jeff Buckley
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Party Animal
Imagine for a moment thanksgiving dinner. There is more food than you thought physically possible for any number of people to consume and too many family members to keep track of. Now imagine its all Chinese food and your family only speaks Chinese.
This is China's Mid-Autumn Festival weekend which basically entails eating until noodles come out of your ears and playing very loud Chinese board games while guzzling down bottles of Chinese beer (not that last part for me). That is basically how I spent my weekend. Yesterday we went out to a GIANT lunch with my nai nai (father's mother) and today we spent the day with my mama's relatives. This whole weekend was one big party and thus I am exhausted. I will explain how the weekend went down.
So first, Friday after school my mama, jie jie and I went to the Olympic park. It is amazing. I have no other words to describe it. Amazing. The bird's nest was huge and the water cube didn't even look real. But my favorite part? The gigantic billboard of Michael Phelps on a wall. Again, amazing. Look forward to some very nice pictures.
Then Saturday morning I got up and my baba and mama took me to go running. We biked to this busy park and they let me run for an hour or so, but the going was very slow. In case you didn't know there are a LOT of people in China and thus there were a LOT of people in the park. So after a very frustrated hour I found them and just wanted to go home. So when instead of heading towards the exit they walked towards a very long set of stairs i was more than just a little bit unhappy. But grudingly i climbed up the 200 odd stairs to find myself facing the biggest statue of buddha I have ever seen. On top of the hill in the park is this temple to Buddha and from it you can see for miles and miles around Beijing. My baba pointed out the forbidden city and I could see the Olympic park way over on the other side. It was stunning and it completely melted all of my frustration.
That afternoon we went to my nainai's hutong (very close to my own) and I can honestly say she is one of the cutest old ladies I have ever met. She must be about 4'9" with a perpetual smile on her face. I couldn't understand a word she said but I liked her all the same. So off our little jia (family) went and we arrived at a restaurant where I can honestly say I had more food put on my plate than at any other time during my life. Delicious, but overwhelming.
Then as if my day could get any crazier my jiejie, Wang Qian, took me to this "shopping mall" called Xidan. It was no shopping mall. It was an intensely overcrowded indoor market from a bargin lover's wildest fantasy. I bought a pair of shoes for the equivalent of about 5 bucks. I bought a jacket for about 8. I bought nail polish for 50 cents. Anything you could possibly want you could find in this place. So after 1 hour in the hectic maze of building we went home. I have never been so tired in my life. I went to bed at 8 and slept straight until 8 the next morning.
At 8 it started all over again. I got up to run, this time on my own to a different park and spent 30 minutes there, half running half side stepping and trying not to run over anyone. I got home and we set off again this time for the other half of the family. After 1.5 hours of traveling we arrived (still within Beijing city limits) and were warmly welcomed by yet another extremely cute old lady along with several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then another huge lunch and many attempts on their part to feed me meat (they didn't understand what vegetarian was). Then more family time with card games and board games I didn't understand. Then after several more hours, dinner and more food than should have been allowed. I kept saying bao le (Im full) but was ignored and they heaped more food onto my plate accompanied with a discussion about how I was too skinny (anyone who knows me knows this is simply NOT true).
Now I am at home. Wiped out. Exhausted. Still have tons of homework to do. But I'm happy.
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Nude by Radiohead
This is China's Mid-Autumn Festival weekend which basically entails eating until noodles come out of your ears and playing very loud Chinese board games while guzzling down bottles of Chinese beer (not that last part for me). That is basically how I spent my weekend. Yesterday we went out to a GIANT lunch with my nai nai (father's mother) and today we spent the day with my mama's relatives. This whole weekend was one big party and thus I am exhausted. I will explain how the weekend went down.
So first, Friday after school my mama, jie jie and I went to the Olympic park. It is amazing. I have no other words to describe it. Amazing. The bird's nest was huge and the water cube didn't even look real. But my favorite part? The gigantic billboard of Michael Phelps on a wall. Again, amazing. Look forward to some very nice pictures.
Then Saturday morning I got up and my baba and mama took me to go running. We biked to this busy park and they let me run for an hour or so, but the going was very slow. In case you didn't know there are a LOT of people in China and thus there were a LOT of people in the park. So after a very frustrated hour I found them and just wanted to go home. So when instead of heading towards the exit they walked towards a very long set of stairs i was more than just a little bit unhappy. But grudingly i climbed up the 200 odd stairs to find myself facing the biggest statue of buddha I have ever seen. On top of the hill in the park is this temple to Buddha and from it you can see for miles and miles around Beijing. My baba pointed out the forbidden city and I could see the Olympic park way over on the other side. It was stunning and it completely melted all of my frustration.
That afternoon we went to my nainai's hutong (very close to my own) and I can honestly say she is one of the cutest old ladies I have ever met. She must be about 4'9" with a perpetual smile on her face. I couldn't understand a word she said but I liked her all the same. So off our little jia (family) went and we arrived at a restaurant where I can honestly say I had more food put on my plate than at any other time during my life. Delicious, but overwhelming.
Then as if my day could get any crazier my jiejie, Wang Qian, took me to this "shopping mall" called Xidan. It was no shopping mall. It was an intensely overcrowded indoor market from a bargin lover's wildest fantasy. I bought a pair of shoes for the equivalent of about 5 bucks. I bought a jacket for about 8. I bought nail polish for 50 cents. Anything you could possibly want you could find in this place. So after 1 hour in the hectic maze of building we went home. I have never been so tired in my life. I went to bed at 8 and slept straight until 8 the next morning.
At 8 it started all over again. I got up to run, this time on my own to a different park and spent 30 minutes there, half running half side stepping and trying not to run over anyone. I got home and we set off again this time for the other half of the family. After 1.5 hours of traveling we arrived (still within Beijing city limits) and were warmly welcomed by yet another extremely cute old lady along with several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then another huge lunch and many attempts on their part to feed me meat (they didn't understand what vegetarian was). Then more family time with card games and board games I didn't understand. Then after several more hours, dinner and more food than should have been allowed. I kept saying bao le (Im full) but was ignored and they heaped more food onto my plate accompanied with a discussion about how I was too skinny (anyone who knows me knows this is simply NOT true).
Now I am at home. Wiped out. Exhausted. Still have tons of homework to do. But I'm happy.
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Nude by Radiohead
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Just Like a Little Kid
Have you ever had that feeling where you wake up and just know its going to be a good day? This morning I woke up and the sky was a clear light blue, a first since I have been here, and the rain had stopped after three on and off days. I knew it was going to be good day. So I woke up at 6:30, took my shower (I will explain this situation another time...), and had a breakfast of a moon cake with my baba. My baba has been riding with me to school to make sure I know where I am going on my 5 mile bike ride, but this morning he said, "You go. You know how to." Panic set in and I was very concerned (anyone who is familiar with my sense of direction would be as well). So, as if marching to my death, I put on my shoes and climbed on my bike. My baba helped me get through the narrow "hallway" in our hutong and at the door wished me good luck. I was on my own for the first time in Beijing.
The general chaos of morning traffic did not soothe my worries, and my sense of fear was heightened.
Obviously, because you are hearing from me, you can guess that I did not end up stranded in the streets of Beijing with no way to communicate. I got to school. I didn't make a single wrong turn, and in fact I was 20 minutes early. I, Julia Loughlin, the most directionally challenged person ever, got to school all by myself. I know it may sound juvenile, but figuring out my way to school was so important to me. It was the first real step, or rather pedal, to the independence I desired in coming to China.
In other news, Chinese class started today. We have two Chinese classes in the mornings that follow traditional Chinese school rules. As in, you hand in your homework for the first two classes at 8 o'clock exactly otherwise it is late and will have points docked. Also, absolutely no English is allowed to be spoken, even to ask questions. We have to have our notebooks out, pens ready at every moment to take down the notes, and that isn't when we are answering rapid fire questions in Chinese. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration on the last one. I am in Mandarin 2 and I expected it to be very difficult but it was.... well, pretty easy. They do ask rapid fire questions but I already have learned the vocab. Maybe they are just reviewing and then will launch into the hard stuff, but if it continues like this maybe it won't be so bad.
Today I also encountered my first weird food experience... by accident. My mama made this vegetable stew sort of thing and heaped some on my plate. I ate some of it and then found what I took to be a shrimp. I popped it into my mouth and realized it was no shrimp. I swallowed, unwillingly, and asked what it was... it was sea horse!!!!! Then if the dinner could get any weirder my baba pulled out an object that looked like a cross between a mushroom and a piece of beef. I asked what it was and he told me it was pigs foot! He called it a "beauty food" because it supposedly helps your skin... Yuck!
I also bought a cell phone last night at this unbelievable indoor electronics market. I can't adequately describe it but it was amazing. While my fumu were negotiating the cost of the phone I went to look at school supplies in a nearby booth. As I walked over a young Chinese woman came up to me with a big smile and said, "Ni shi mei guo!!!" (You are American). after I smiled she proceeded to touch my hair to see if it was real and then touched my arm and laughed at the hair on my arm (Chinese women don't have much on their arms). We both laughed at how much I stood out.
So, all in all a good day. I'm finding as each day passes that its the little stuff that makes all the difference. As long as I can see the beauty in the little things around me, I can learn to not dwell on the huge overwhelming aspect of it all.
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Bicycle by: Queen
The general chaos of morning traffic did not soothe my worries, and my sense of fear was heightened.
Obviously, because you are hearing from me, you can guess that I did not end up stranded in the streets of Beijing with no way to communicate. I got to school. I didn't make a single wrong turn, and in fact I was 20 minutes early. I, Julia Loughlin, the most directionally challenged person ever, got to school all by myself. I know it may sound juvenile, but figuring out my way to school was so important to me. It was the first real step, or rather pedal, to the independence I desired in coming to China.
In other news, Chinese class started today. We have two Chinese classes in the mornings that follow traditional Chinese school rules. As in, you hand in your homework for the first two classes at 8 o'clock exactly otherwise it is late and will have points docked. Also, absolutely no English is allowed to be spoken, even to ask questions. We have to have our notebooks out, pens ready at every moment to take down the notes, and that isn't when we are answering rapid fire questions in Chinese. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration on the last one. I am in Mandarin 2 and I expected it to be very difficult but it was.... well, pretty easy. They do ask rapid fire questions but I already have learned the vocab. Maybe they are just reviewing and then will launch into the hard stuff, but if it continues like this maybe it won't be so bad.
Today I also encountered my first weird food experience... by accident. My mama made this vegetable stew sort of thing and heaped some on my plate. I ate some of it and then found what I took to be a shrimp. I popped it into my mouth and realized it was no shrimp. I swallowed, unwillingly, and asked what it was... it was sea horse!!!!! Then if the dinner could get any weirder my baba pulled out an object that looked like a cross between a mushroom and a piece of beef. I asked what it was and he told me it was pigs foot! He called it a "beauty food" because it supposedly helps your skin... Yuck!
I also bought a cell phone last night at this unbelievable indoor electronics market. I can't adequately describe it but it was amazing. While my fumu were negotiating the cost of the phone I went to look at school supplies in a nearby booth. As I walked over a young Chinese woman came up to me with a big smile and said, "Ni shi mei guo!!!" (You are American). after I smiled she proceeded to touch my hair to see if it was real and then touched my arm and laughed at the hair on my arm (Chinese women don't have much on their arms). We both laughed at how much I stood out.
So, all in all a good day. I'm finding as each day passes that its the little stuff that makes all the difference. As long as I can see the beauty in the little things around me, I can learn to not dwell on the huge overwhelming aspect of it all.
Until Next Time,
Julia
Song of the Week
Bicycle by: Queen
Monday, September 8, 2008
Not All Fun and Games
I knew when I signed up for this trip it was going to be hard academically and in terms of missing people back home, but I could never have fully understood the culture shock or how difficult adjusting would be. Everything here is different. On the roads there is a blatant disregard for traffic laws that would put even most NYC cab drivers to shame. While eating half of my food ends up in my lap because of my complete lack of chopstick wielding skills. Everywhere I go people's glances seem to linger, and I know I stand out. Its all a little bit difficult to take in while trying at the same time to master, in just a few months, a language so complex it takes several years for most people to learn. Our teachers keep telling us that every week it gets better and by the time a month rolls around we will all be fine. I hope this is the case.
However, I don't want people to think I don't like it here. Amidst this struggle and anxiety there have been some truly funny moments, most including my host family. Tonight, while we were walking home, I asked my dad what American movies he liked. He first said he liked James Bond, but then something in Chinese I didn't understand. He said something that sounded like " Taaaii- son". And after I gave him another confused face he proceeded to grab his ear and chomp his teeth together like he was chewing. He likes Tyson- the wrestler who bit another man's ear off! We laughed about it for a very long time, and when the laughter died away I realized that all this difficulty is worth it. After that my host mom, who speaks NO english, took my hand and said I was her haizi, child, just like her real daughter Wang Qian. It reminded me of why I came and gave me a boost.
Well, its time for me to go to sleep, I'm exhausted!
Until next time,
Julia aka Wang Yun- the name my host dad gave me. It means lively and nice smelling :)
Song of the Day:
Falling Away With You by Muse
However, I don't want people to think I don't like it here. Amidst this struggle and anxiety there have been some truly funny moments, most including my host family. Tonight, while we were walking home, I asked my dad what American movies he liked. He first said he liked James Bond, but then something in Chinese I didn't understand. He said something that sounded like " Taaaii- son". And after I gave him another confused face he proceeded to grab his ear and chomp his teeth together like he was chewing. He likes Tyson- the wrestler who bit another man's ear off! We laughed about it for a very long time, and when the laughter died away I realized that all this difficulty is worth it. After that my host mom, who speaks NO english, took my hand and said I was her haizi, child, just like her real daughter Wang Qian. It reminded me of why I came and gave me a boost.
Well, its time for me to go to sleep, I'm exhausted!
Until next time,
Julia aka Wang Yun- the name my host dad gave me. It means lively and nice smelling :)
Song of the Day:
Falling Away With You by Muse
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
I have had to pinch myself every couple of minutes today. I am in China. Really in China.
We landed yesterday afternoon after a very long day. It was amazing to watch as our plane descended into the thick layer of smog hovering over Beijing and all of a sudden see the city emerge. I was exhausted, had a head ache, hadn't eaten anything good for 12 hours, but I was in Beijing so nothing else seemed to matter. From the newly constructed airport building that put most American airports to shame, we got on buses to our new school. There we sat through a brief orientation session and got to know a little bit about the city. After that all 54 of us stumbled out of the building, bleary eyed, and were greeted by our new families! My family found me and grabbed my luggage, ignoring my protests, and got a taxi. I was amazed as I watched the city fly by me in a swirl of characters and bright lights.
Then we arrived at our hutong. It is a small but charming little house with 5 or 6 rooms. I unloaded my stuff and then my host mom put delicious and unidentifiable food on the table and proceeded to load my plate. It was very good even though I have NO idea what I ate. After that I passed out on my bed, which is a flat board with a blanket over it that is surprisingly comfortable, and slept.
The morning came and I ate some other equally delicious and unidentifiable food. Then my host parents went to the police station to get my residence permit and took me to a bike shop (I will post pictures from that soon). I now am the proud owner of a pink bike that is an inch or two short for me, but I love it anyway. I then went on my bike to school with my host dad, a good 30 minute ride, and was assaulted from all sides by buses, cars and other bikes. It was terrifying, but I am sure I will get used to it soon. Did I mention I can't find a helmet anywhere...
Afterwards we went to school and my host dad dropped me off. I heard all the tales of the other students first nights in China ranging from taking showers with buckets to living in two story houses. It is a big mix of situations.
In the afternoon we went on a scavenger hunt through our neighborhood in small groups and had to do things ranging from using a public telephone to finding out how much getting your hair washed costs. It was exciting, but incredibly tiring. The heat was slightly oppressive and the cloud of smog seemed to grow denser by the minute. On my way home with my host dad I had a little bit of difficulty staying awake let alone being alert enough to navigate the packed roads. Overall, it was an exhausting but wonderful first day in Beijing.
I miss my family and friends a lot, but I have been so busy that I haven't had time to dwell in it. I hope I don't get too home sick... or physically sick for that matter- one person in our group is already having digestive issues...
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Day
First Day of My New Life By: Bright Eyes
We landed yesterday afternoon after a very long day. It was amazing to watch as our plane descended into the thick layer of smog hovering over Beijing and all of a sudden see the city emerge. I was exhausted, had a head ache, hadn't eaten anything good for 12 hours, but I was in Beijing so nothing else seemed to matter. From the newly constructed airport building that put most American airports to shame, we got on buses to our new school. There we sat through a brief orientation session and got to know a little bit about the city. After that all 54 of us stumbled out of the building, bleary eyed, and were greeted by our new families! My family found me and grabbed my luggage, ignoring my protests, and got a taxi. I was amazed as I watched the city fly by me in a swirl of characters and bright lights.
Then we arrived at our hutong. It is a small but charming little house with 5 or 6 rooms. I unloaded my stuff and then my host mom put delicious and unidentifiable food on the table and proceeded to load my plate. It was very good even though I have NO idea what I ate. After that I passed out on my bed, which is a flat board with a blanket over it that is surprisingly comfortable, and slept.
The morning came and I ate some other equally delicious and unidentifiable food. Then my host parents went to the police station to get my residence permit and took me to a bike shop (I will post pictures from that soon). I now am the proud owner of a pink bike that is an inch or two short for me, but I love it anyway. I then went on my bike to school with my host dad, a good 30 minute ride, and was assaulted from all sides by buses, cars and other bikes. It was terrifying, but I am sure I will get used to it soon. Did I mention I can't find a helmet anywhere...
Afterwards we went to school and my host dad dropped me off. I heard all the tales of the other students first nights in China ranging from taking showers with buckets to living in two story houses. It is a big mix of situations.
In the afternoon we went on a scavenger hunt through our neighborhood in small groups and had to do things ranging from using a public telephone to finding out how much getting your hair washed costs. It was exciting, but incredibly tiring. The heat was slightly oppressive and the cloud of smog seemed to grow denser by the minute. On my way home with my host dad I had a little bit of difficulty staying awake let alone being alert enough to navigate the packed roads. Overall, it was an exhausting but wonderful first day in Beijing.
I miss my family and friends a lot, but I have been so busy that I haven't had time to dwell in it. I hope I don't get too home sick... or physically sick for that matter- one person in our group is already having digestive issues...
Until next time,
Julia
Song of the Day
First Day of My New Life By: Bright Eyes
Monday, September 1, 2008
Almost There
It's finally here. After 140 odd days of wait I'm leaving. Tomorrow is my last day at home before I leave for California and then onto China. I don't know what to think. I am so ready to leave, it feels like I have been waiting forever, but I'm also sad. I know this is the end of a chapter in my life. I'm going to come home a little different and perhaps the people around me will be a little different as well. I keep reminding myself its the beginning of something wonderful and new.
I do have a bit of exciting news. I found out my host family situation. I have a mama (mother), baba (father) and jiejie (older sister). My sister is a sophomore at the University in Beijing and is home "quite a bit" according to the information sheet I received from SYA. I also found out, when I braved a phone call to my new Chinese family, that she speaks some English. I called and spoke to her for a little while using my limited mandarin vocabulary. She seems very nice and is going to pick me up at the airport of Friday. My host father said something in rapid fire chinese and then handed the phone back over, but even in a different language he sounded friendly.
The whole phone call made me excited and so ready to get there. I just want to be there and skip these painful goodbyes. My friends threw me a lovely going away party but it didn't feel real. I couldn't make myself understand I was saying goodbye for a year, not just a coupe days. It will settle in eventually I'm sure.
I probably won't write again until at least Saturday because I will be disoriented, tired, and overwhelmed, but by then I will be in Beijing. At home. :)
Until then,
Julia
Song of the Day:
Like A Rolling Stone By: Bob Dylan
I do have a bit of exciting news. I found out my host family situation. I have a mama (mother), baba (father) and jiejie (older sister). My sister is a sophomore at the University in Beijing and is home "quite a bit" according to the information sheet I received from SYA. I also found out, when I braved a phone call to my new Chinese family, that she speaks some English. I called and spoke to her for a little while using my limited mandarin vocabulary. She seems very nice and is going to pick me up at the airport of Friday. My host father said something in rapid fire chinese and then handed the phone back over, but even in a different language he sounded friendly.
The whole phone call made me excited and so ready to get there. I just want to be there and skip these painful goodbyes. My friends threw me a lovely going away party but it didn't feel real. I couldn't make myself understand I was saying goodbye for a year, not just a coupe days. It will settle in eventually I'm sure.
I probably won't write again until at least Saturday because I will be disoriented, tired, and overwhelmed, but by then I will be in Beijing. At home. :)
Until then,
Julia
Song of the Day:
Like A Rolling Stone By: Bob Dylan
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
15 Days
These late summer days seem to slip through my fingers no matter how hard I try to hold on to them. 15 days until China, 2 weeks until I leave for California. I can't decide whether I want these days to move a little quicker so I can just get there already, or if I want to put them into slow motion so they last a bit longer. It's been a little interesting :).
The one thing that makes me feel so much better about leaving is having conversations with some of people going with me next year. They are all so nice and I can't wait to meet them! It's amazing to find yourself talking to a total stranger (who won't be a stranger for long) and find out how many things you have in common. I've talked to people who like the same music and movies, but I've also talked to people who share the same sorts of worries and concerns. They have the same hopes for next year- to learn Chinese (obviously), but then deeper ones too like understanding more of the world and to push themselves to become better people.
Well my bed is calling me and tomorrow my empty suit case awaits. TIme to start packing!
Until next time,
Julia
My friend suggested I change Song of the Week to Song of the Day because I write these a little irregularly so here goes
Song of the Day: Calling You by Blue October
The one thing that makes me feel so much better about leaving is having conversations with some of people going with me next year. They are all so nice and I can't wait to meet them! It's amazing to find yourself talking to a total stranger (who won't be a stranger for long) and find out how many things you have in common. I've talked to people who like the same music and movies, but I've also talked to people who share the same sorts of worries and concerns. They have the same hopes for next year- to learn Chinese (obviously), but then deeper ones too like understanding more of the world and to push themselves to become better people.
Well my bed is calling me and tomorrow my empty suit case awaits. TIme to start packing!
Until next time,
Julia
My friend suggested I change Song of the Week to Song of the Day because I write these a little irregularly so here goes
Song of the Day: Calling You by Blue October
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
30 Days
China, China, China. It seems to be everywhere.
When I go past a newspaper or magazine rack the word CHINA is the first thing I see. There is an excess of articles about the Olympics, the pollution, and the general excitement surrounding it this year.
It's all I talk about, it's all my parents talk about, it's what my friends dread to talk about, but it seems to come up all the time anyway.
Every time I see something even slightly Asian themed, be it a book or dress or picture, I gravitate towards it, hoping perhaps it can give me some clue of what I am in for next year.
I have taken out half the books in my library about China hoping to familiarise myself enough with its history, people, and customs that I won't completely fall on my face and embarrass myself with my own ignorance when I arrive.
Every day I listen to Chinese language tapes so that when I get there I won't sound completely demented and ridiculous. However, it is highly likely that I will end up sounding like an American idiot who clearly doesn't belong even with my best efforts. I will continue to try and learn anyway.
It is clear from all of this that I have become a little tiny bit China obsessed.
Anyway, less than 1 month left til my departure. I am undeniably nervous, but becoming more and more excited to meet my new classmates and explore my new home. I know this next month of tedious preparations and difficult goodbyes will be hard, but I also can see that once I'm there, it's all going to be worth it.
Til' next time,
Julia
Song of the Week: Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel
When I go past a newspaper or magazine rack the word CHINA is the first thing I see. There is an excess of articles about the Olympics, the pollution, and the general excitement surrounding it this year.
It's all I talk about, it's all my parents talk about, it's what my friends dread to talk about, but it seems to come up all the time anyway.
Every time I see something even slightly Asian themed, be it a book or dress or picture, I gravitate towards it, hoping perhaps it can give me some clue of what I am in for next year.
I have taken out half the books in my library about China hoping to familiarise myself enough with its history, people, and customs that I won't completely fall on my face and embarrass myself with my own ignorance when I arrive.
Every day I listen to Chinese language tapes so that when I get there I won't sound completely demented and ridiculous. However, it is highly likely that I will end up sounding like an American idiot who clearly doesn't belong even with my best efforts. I will continue to try and learn anyway.
It is clear from all of this that I have become a little tiny bit China obsessed.
Anyway, less than 1 month left til my departure. I am undeniably nervous, but becoming more and more excited to meet my new classmates and explore my new home. I know this next month of tedious preparations and difficult goodbyes will be hard, but I also can see that once I'm there, it's all going to be worth it.
Til' next time,
Julia
Song of the Week: Cecilia by Simon & Garfunkel
Friday, June 6, 2008
90 days
Is it uncommon to dread a day completely but at the same time yearn for it like none other? That is how I have felt about the last day of school at Holy Child, being yesterday, for a very long time. I couldn't wait to break out the doors towards sunshine and the promise of freedom! However, all good things have consequences that can be painful at times. I had to say goodbye to my teachers, who I look up to and respect. I had to say goodbye to some of my classmates too and it was so difficult. It was so bittersweet, but now I look forward.
My departure to China keeps drawing nearer and I am so nervous. I want to go so badly because it will be an incredible experience, but it still means breaking out of the comfort zone I have been building up in Rye for the past 8 years. I am comfortable here with my loving family, friends, all my possessions, my school, and my own little niche in Rye. But that's the problem. I have gotten too comfortable and have stopped challenging myself to grow as an individual. Going away for a year is a big challenge and I hope that with it comes great rewards. I want my eyes to be opened to another part of the world. I want to see another way of life so that I can challenge my own ideals and mores.
Until next time,
Julia
ps. I have decided to include in my blog a "Song of the Week" just for fun.
Song of the Week: Jamie All Over by Mayday Parade
My departure to China keeps drawing nearer and I am so nervous. I want to go so badly because it will be an incredible experience, but it still means breaking out of the comfort zone I have been building up in Rye for the past 8 years. I am comfortable here with my loving family, friends, all my possessions, my school, and my own little niche in Rye. But that's the problem. I have gotten too comfortable and have stopped challenging myself to grow as an individual. Going away for a year is a big challenge and I hope that with it comes great rewards. I want my eyes to be opened to another part of the world. I want to see another way of life so that I can challenge my own ideals and mores.
Until next time,
Julia
ps. I have decided to include in my blog a "Song of the Week" just for fun.
Song of the Week: Jamie All Over by Mayday Parade
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
134 Days and Counting
Well, it is still 134 days until I leave for Beijing, but I can't even say how excited I am! However, with this sense of excitement is a growing apprehension about what life is going to be like next year. So, the nerd in me took over for a while and I did some research about Beijing. Here is some of the stuff I found out:
*Basically, Beijing is HUGE! The total population for the city and all the little suburbs is right around 15 MILLION people!!! In the city alone there are 7.3 million! Just to give you an idea of how many people that is, in 2000 Manhattan's population was just over 1.5 million people.
*Beijing gets REALLY cold. I mean like right around 5 degrees F cold... with blisteringly bitter winds ripping down the mountains that surround the city... BRRRRR!
*When I typed in "traditional food in Beijing" roast duck and "hot pot" with mutton came up as the most commonly eaten foods... Good bye being a vegetarian!
*There was also a ton of cool stuff on the Forbidden City and the Great Wall and I am so excited to go see them!
Anyway, even though the size, weather, and food came across as slightly intimidating, it hasn't turned me off going at all. In fact, it just makes me want to see and experience it all for myself.
Well, until next time- Julia
*Basically, Beijing is HUGE! The total population for the city and all the little suburbs is right around 15 MILLION people!!! In the city alone there are 7.3 million! Just to give you an idea of how many people that is, in 2000 Manhattan's population was just over 1.5 million people.
*Beijing gets REALLY cold. I mean like right around 5 degrees F cold... with blisteringly bitter winds ripping down the mountains that surround the city... BRRRRR!
*When I typed in "traditional food in Beijing" roast duck and "hot pot" with mutton came up as the most commonly eaten foods... Good bye being a vegetarian!
*There was also a ton of cool stuff on the Forbidden City and the Great Wall and I am so excited to go see them!
Anyway, even though the size, weather, and food came across as slightly intimidating, it hasn't turned me off going at all. In fact, it just makes me want to see and experience it all for myself.
Well, until next time- Julia
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Letter
I have never applied to college. I have never applied to for a job. In short, I have never had to wait basically helpless for a decision I care so much about, that is until this past month. All of March and the beginning of April I have been waiting desperately to find out whether I got into SYA China (school year abroad), an opportunity to go live in China for a full 9 months!!! For a person like me who has a constant itch to travel and see new things, this was an opportunity of a life time, and I sent in my application praying I would be accepted. Well yesterday, after a long month of nerves, break downs, and some serious "basket-case" moments, the letter arrived. I was at play practice and my mom opened it with me on the phone... IT SAID YES!!! I imagine I would have been quite a sight bouncing around and screaming my lungs off, but honestly it was such an amazing feeling. My mom was a little sad sounding and told me that it was a "bittersweet" moment for her. I'd be doing something that would incredible and life changing, but I would be gone and she would miss me (I'm going to miss her a TON as well). But this morning I saw one of many examples of how lucky I am to have parents who love me. Even though my mom really does not want me to go, this morning when I came downstairs she was filling out the forms for me to go. I have to admit I got a little teary (though this may also have had to do with the fact that when I come downstairs in the morning my dog greets me by biting my hands...). it was incredibly sweet of her though and it just goes to show parents aren't always that bad ;).
But that was just the beginning! Once I got to school everyone was so AMAZING and supportive. Also, I can honestly say I have the BEST friends in the entire world. They really don't want me to leave but their enthusiasm and support were completely genuine. I love them to death (you know who you are).
Anyway I am a little sleep deprived (thanks AP history :P) and need to fit in some serious REM cycles...
Until next time- Julia
PS. It is currently 10:21 AM in Beijing!!!
But that was just the beginning! Once I got to school everyone was so AMAZING and supportive. Also, I can honestly say I have the BEST friends in the entire world. They really don't want me to leave but their enthusiasm and support were completely genuine. I love them to death (you know who you are).
Anyway I am a little sleep deprived (thanks AP history :P) and need to fit in some serious REM cycles...
Until next time- Julia
PS. It is currently 10:21 AM in Beijing!!!
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