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