I think I learned this from Mr.Chuang, perhaps the only thing I learned from Mr.Chuang was:
Ke bu ke yi shang ce suo?
I went to the bank today to ba mei yuan huan cheng ren ming bi. I asked the guy at the front desk, and he looked taken aback by the question. I asked it again to make sure my tones were correct. He said, "Do you mean Xi Shou Jian?" I said yeah both mean the same thing. Apparently one is more appropriate because using the former is like saying can I take a dump, and the other one is more discreet because you are saying you are going to the room where you wash your hands. Just to let you know its more courteous to use the latter question if you are out for dimsum. That is all.
I haven't decided who to take to Nancy's wedding. Actually I thought about it. Should I? I dunno.
My Tong Wu just woke up almost naked again. I mean she had the basics, but this is so AWKWARD. How can you tell someone to change a habit like that? I mean, for peat's sake, she Chinese.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Midterms
Not to cast a damper with the title, but this marks the middle of my semester. Yay! I went to Beijing during the weekend with my parents and it was a blast! I met Jiang Ma Ma who owned an awesome Vietnamese Restaurant, who treated us to dinner, and taught me how to bargain. My parents are as dark as people living in the tropics, but that seemed to be the only change. My dad was just as amiable, and my mom was the shopaholic. I never realized how good it was to be around my parents until I was actually with them. In fact, they helped me find food I had been longing for: Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds (with Vitamin D milk, no artificial sweeteners!) and Durian. We went to River Romance, and my dad bought me a Gelato. He also cut mangoes and bought really soft (albeit without flavor) bread. They also bought mangosteen, something I adored while I traveled with them. I only remember the food because I haven't tasted different flavors for a LONG TIME. I felt so pampered having them with me, because everything I wanted I got. I wasn't tyrannical or anything but it was the simplicity of just asking and getting it immediately which made it seem so gratifying at the end of the day. Sometimes I didn't even have to ask. I realized the convenience of having my parents around. But it really wasn't the convenience they offered that I cared about, more of just realizing they were a couple of meters away for a couple of days was comforting. I kept glancing at them while we were on the taxi because I knew I wouldn't see them until the end of December. I only now know how real living in another country is like. I think in Philadelphia I lived life subconsciously because my life was a routine. Sure its becoming a routine, but I waking up thinking that I've been displaced. I used to say perception is reality. If you believe it, its true. But you can only fool your senses for so long. My parents aren't watching my back anymore. Maybe thats a good thing, but I really haven't taken advantage of being independent.
My skit is in three days. Thao, me, and Steven are in a group performing "AiQingGuShi,YeAiQingShiGu". Who would've guessed! Siwen just wants to sing Tian Mi Mi and Thao is the sumo wrestler. They are both going to fight for my affection. I don't know if this is a good thing, but I'm intrigued that the story line would put me in this predicament.
I think CET really brings out the kid in me. More like the high school nerd (with a fashion sense)with all this Real World drama. I say that because whenever Caoyin and I study, we'd eventually talk about how our roommates are totally in love with other people. I kid you not. The difference is no one really does it publicly in China. Its so obvious they are attracted to one another, but its like a Chinese drama. No I'm in love with so and so, no we've been apart for years. Just like Gov School love!
I talk like there's only 2 people. To tell you the truth my class has other other people (being the advanced level). I mentioned Siwen and Caoyin. There's BaiJunNin(KFC spokesperson lookalike who loves cookies), Oelian(best Chinese speaker I've learned), AiYun(most sophisticated), Qiyin(HK gurl from Swarthmore), Mungxue(has a bf from Penn). That's about it. My teachers are like Big Brothers who just know everything. We just learned to keep our private matters to ourselves.
I think being back in an institution limits my focus on why I came to China, which was to learn to speak Chinese fluently, sing chinese karaoke without missing words, and enjoy immersing myself in the culture. Now I just memorize all day and it burns me out. I have to say its not as hard as Wharton. Nothing compares to Wharton. But sometimes I just wish I had more time to myself to explore.
Ok out of that self reflection mode. I finished the Harry Potter book. It rocks my socks. I'm happy Harry married Ginny in the end and named their kids in honor of the people who perished in the book. I miss Fred the most. George no longer has an identical twin.
Thanks for the warm wishes guys! I haven't been able to see the comments (although I do get notifications) since blogspot is blocked in China, but I'm sure I'll see them when Christmas rolls around!
My skit is in three days. Thao, me, and Steven are in a group performing "AiQingGuShi,YeAiQingShiGu". Who would've guessed! Siwen just wants to sing Tian Mi Mi and Thao is the sumo wrestler. They are both going to fight for my affection. I don't know if this is a good thing, but I'm intrigued that the story line would put me in this predicament.
I think CET really brings out the kid in me. More like the high school nerd (with a fashion sense)with all this Real World drama. I say that because whenever Caoyin and I study, we'd eventually talk about how our roommates are totally in love with other people. I kid you not. The difference is no one really does it publicly in China. Its so obvious they are attracted to one another, but its like a Chinese drama. No I'm in love with so and so, no we've been apart for years. Just like Gov School love!
I talk like there's only 2 people. To tell you the truth my class has other other people (being the advanced level). I mentioned Siwen and Caoyin. There's BaiJunNin(KFC spokesperson lookalike who loves cookies), Oelian(best Chinese speaker I've learned), AiYun(most sophisticated), Qiyin(HK gurl from Swarthmore), Mungxue(has a bf from Penn). That's about it. My teachers are like Big Brothers who just know everything. We just learned to keep our private matters to ourselves.
I think being back in an institution limits my focus on why I came to China, which was to learn to speak Chinese fluently, sing chinese karaoke without missing words, and enjoy immersing myself in the culture. Now I just memorize all day and it burns me out. I have to say its not as hard as Wharton. Nothing compares to Wharton. But sometimes I just wish I had more time to myself to explore.
Ok out of that self reflection mode. I finished the Harry Potter book. It rocks my socks. I'm happy Harry married Ginny in the end and named their kids in honor of the people who perished in the book. I miss Fred the most. George no longer has an identical twin.
Thanks for the warm wishes guys! I haven't been able to see the comments (although I do get notifications) since blogspot is blocked in China, but I'm sure I'll see them when Christmas rolls around!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Another week has gone by... (Celine Dion wordplay)
Yay! I got to watch the boolegged version of Harry Potter yesterday. My roommate's former boyfriend (yup I was right about their guan xi) put some crap on my laptop and I was able to view it. I asked him if it was wei fa (illegal), and he said "bu yi ding" (not neccessarily). Anyway...
I bought my guzheng! It costs about 1,150 RMB. I played it and I am absolutely in love with it. I can play it like a piano only it doesn't have fa or ti in "do re mi fa so la ti do". So the only song I can play is "Ma Li you yi zhi xiao yang" (Mary had a Little Lamb).
Thao and I have discussed a conspiracy theory about our teachers. We ren wei (think) that they have a meeting every night about what they find out about us in our yi dui yi (one on one) sessions. Whatever you say one day with one teacher carries over the next day to another teacher. They really care about us. But they don't believe in confidentiality. Again, ge qiang you er (the walls have ears).
Thao and I have been interviewing people every week about random topics. Last week it was about internet porn. It was a questionable method we used since we asked one guy next door who asked his one guy friend who asked his other guy friend who asked his other guy friend =4. It's like a Chain letter at its best. Anyway, all the guys have never witnessed it since there are internet restrictions in China. But I think its ke bu si yi (unbelievable).
I miss Abhi. My little apprentice tells me a certain IT guy is quitting, a blood related IT guy has a girlfriend (OMG), and my Ketki is lost in Europe. Well not lost, but its a big world. I just realized, if Abhi brings his salary over to China, he can live like a king.
My Tong Wu went to KTV twice in one week. KTV is karaoke, only the hours when its really cheap is between 12 AM-6AM. It's really inconvenient because I feel like I can't play my guzheng since she sleeps when I am awake. Today, I dunno, I was fed up with it, so I played a morning tune. It was really awkward because well she didn't chuan yi fu, like she went to sleep without yi fu. My conception of chinese people are they are really conservative, but you know "sheng ri fu zhuang" isn't something I am really all that excited in seeing.
Today I ate a bunch of mian bao (bread) that you would normally find in those Chinese bakeries in Chinatown. I am now unconsciously purchasing mian bao that I used to say had no flavor. I think my teacher described it best, what's most important is that you are full. Although today he told us he ate 3 mantous for breakfast and drank a pint of dou fu, which I think is a bit of an overkill.
Today I counted the number of mosquito bites I had. I have 22 small ones and 2 big ones. The small ones aren't noticable unless I scratch myself. Like they aren't spread out, more like juxtaposed. So 5 small ones are equivalent to one big one. It looks like I have 6, actually 4 because two are hidden.
I am so excited to see my parents this weekend in Beijing. Its not that I missed them but there are small things that remind me of them. Like yesterday, Si wen serenaded us with tian mi mi. Like I absolutely hated that song, but its an old classic my dad used to sing. Something about songs mark milestones in my life. Like The Killers "Mr.Brightside", Keane's "Somewhere only We Know", Fan Wei Qi's "Wo Men Ke Bu Ke Yi Bu Yong Gan", Jay Chou's "Qian Li Zhi Wai".
I'm going to publish a memoir in the future. Well if not publish, just tell an oral gu shi to my loved ones. I am staying in a five star hotel (AGAIN) owned by the Starwood corporation. Oh how I miss Western toilets. Also, I'm really proud with what I've learned within the past two weeks. With my friends here, I have no problem conversing fluidly. That doesn't mean I'm saying it right but I couldn't have imagined a more rapid progression. I need to learn to order food though. Chinese people don't really have an opinion about local favorites.
If you da pen ti (sneeze), say yi bai sui.
Good luck = Zhu ni xin yun.
I bought my guzheng! It costs about 1,150 RMB. I played it and I am absolutely in love with it. I can play it like a piano only it doesn't have fa or ti in "do re mi fa so la ti do". So the only song I can play is "Ma Li you yi zhi xiao yang" (Mary had a Little Lamb).
Thao and I have discussed a conspiracy theory about our teachers. We ren wei (think) that they have a meeting every night about what they find out about us in our yi dui yi (one on one) sessions. Whatever you say one day with one teacher carries over the next day to another teacher. They really care about us. But they don't believe in confidentiality. Again, ge qiang you er (the walls have ears).
Thao and I have been interviewing people every week about random topics. Last week it was about internet porn. It was a questionable method we used since we asked one guy next door who asked his one guy friend who asked his other guy friend who asked his other guy friend =4. It's like a Chain letter at its best. Anyway, all the guys have never witnessed it since there are internet restrictions in China. But I think its ke bu si yi (unbelievable).
I miss Abhi. My little apprentice tells me a certain IT guy is quitting, a blood related IT guy has a girlfriend (OMG), and my Ketki is lost in Europe. Well not lost, but its a big world. I just realized, if Abhi brings his salary over to China, he can live like a king.
My Tong Wu went to KTV twice in one week. KTV is karaoke, only the hours when its really cheap is between 12 AM-6AM. It's really inconvenient because I feel like I can't play my guzheng since she sleeps when I am awake. Today, I dunno, I was fed up with it, so I played a morning tune. It was really awkward because well she didn't chuan yi fu, like she went to sleep without yi fu. My conception of chinese people are they are really conservative, but you know "sheng ri fu zhuang" isn't something I am really all that excited in seeing.
Today I ate a bunch of mian bao (bread) that you would normally find in those Chinese bakeries in Chinatown. I am now unconsciously purchasing mian bao that I used to say had no flavor. I think my teacher described it best, what's most important is that you are full. Although today he told us he ate 3 mantous for breakfast and drank a pint of dou fu, which I think is a bit of an overkill.
Today I counted the number of mosquito bites I had. I have 22 small ones and 2 big ones. The small ones aren't noticable unless I scratch myself. Like they aren't spread out, more like juxtaposed. So 5 small ones are equivalent to one big one. It looks like I have 6, actually 4 because two are hidden.
I am so excited to see my parents this weekend in Beijing. Its not that I missed them but there are small things that remind me of them. Like yesterday, Si wen serenaded us with tian mi mi. Like I absolutely hated that song, but its an old classic my dad used to sing. Something about songs mark milestones in my life. Like The Killers "Mr.Brightside", Keane's "Somewhere only We Know", Fan Wei Qi's "Wo Men Ke Bu Ke Yi Bu Yong Gan", Jay Chou's "Qian Li Zhi Wai".
I'm going to publish a memoir in the future. Well if not publish, just tell an oral gu shi to my loved ones. I am staying in a five star hotel (AGAIN) owned by the Starwood corporation. Oh how I miss Western toilets. Also, I'm really proud with what I've learned within the past two weeks. With my friends here, I have no problem conversing fluidly. That doesn't mean I'm saying it right but I couldn't have imagined a more rapid progression. I need to learn to order food though. Chinese people don't really have an opinion about local favorites.
If you da pen ti (sneeze), say yi bai sui.
Good luck = Zhu ni xin yun.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Changhu and the World
Weekends pass by fairly quickly in China. Each week a different activity is coordinated by our Residential Director, Ling Jiu Bi. This week, it was "Take your tongwu out to bond day", meaning I spent time with my roommate. I brought Thao along because her tongwu's grandmother died over the weekend so she had nowhere to go. She's always fun company to have around. She's my age only alot shorter (Thao if you're reading this you KNOW its true). We went to Jiangsu province in the Changshu District and it was a very memorable experience.
We went to ShangHu, alot like Xihu's scenery only you have to pay 60 RMB because its scenery is maintained by the people who charge us for admission. I enjoyed just sitting on the benches and taking in the view. I kept reminding myself to live in the moment because I really don't know when I'll have an opportunity like this again. I can imagine retiring here, but I can't imagine paying 60 RMB to do it everyday. It was funny because XueFang, my roommate, was ultimately dissatisfied because she did not receive instant satisfaction. SuFang, QiYing's roommate (Qiying is from Swathmore) enjoyed the company of a friend she hadn't seen for two years so she didn't complain. Thao is so cute because she insists that I upload all of the pictures I took on facebook. I really don't mind, only that I know spending more than an hour uploading will change my study routine.
Qiying, Thao (Caoyin), and I talked while enjoying ShouLaMian (handmade noodles) for breakfast. Thao said her roommate doesn't eat breakfast or dinner. Qiying says that alot of Chinese girls think beauty comes with being thin and being really pale. I didn't really notice until it occurred to me how much my roommate and SuFang normally talk about how pudgy little boys are. When Qiying and I looked at them, we said they were "yi ban lai shuo de nan hai er" (average looking boys). When we started to describe obesity, they were really surprised. Also, XueFang became alittle tanned today and she kept complaining about it. To come to Changshu was different because everyone in Hangzhou is really thin and pale. Changshu looked like America, more industrialized, more western, alot more KFCs and McDonalds, and average looking people. SuFang said,"Nan guai wo men shuo Shang you Tian Tang, xia you Su Hang". It means, no wonder we say above is heaven, below is Suzhou and Hangzhou. My Chinese teacher in America said that Hangzhou has very beautiful scenery and beautiful women. If beauty comes with the above criteria, then I guess he's right.
I think my roommate thinks she really knows me. Its not just that she chooses my food, but she answers all of my questions. Everything, food, homework, family, love interest, hobbies, ya de ya de ya da. It's not overbearing but sometimes she's just completely wrong with her response.
I use to say the world's really small. In America, some friend ends up knowing some friend who knows a mutual friend. At most there is six degrees of separation right? I'm not really sure about that saying. Travelling alot within the past two weeks has made me come to realize how big this world really is and how I don't know anybody and how I don't understand the culture of a developing society.
A few random observations:
I saw a little boy who was balancing himself by the head to make money because his mom told him not to stop. He only made a couple of RMB. I saw a really pretty woman kick her dog across the face while she was waiting in line for food. I thought of animal abuse and vanity. There are alot of dogs that just roam around in Changshu without owners. They just kept following us around. A little kid threw garbage into a monumental foundation. There were students standing in front of a bookstore with signs asking for a job. The police station has no police. A local favorite is eating octopus on a stick. Rollerskating is only getting big. Alot of old people enjoy dancing the salsa in the street (more than 100 ppl). There are alot of stores that are dilapidated with no business. But you know what? No one really kills anybody like in America. "Zi zhi zao gu zi zhi" (take care of yourself). All they need is money so the worst case scenario is getting something stolen. The problem with taking care of yourself and less stringent security is that no one follows traffic rules. Even in the mall, on the second floor people were riding bicycles and motorcycles. My biggest fear everyday is getting hit by a moving vehicle.
I learned different ways to express my frustration in Chinese within the past two days. I'm so excited to teach people in America.
We went to ShangHu, alot like Xihu's scenery only you have to pay 60 RMB because its scenery is maintained by the people who charge us for admission. I enjoyed just sitting on the benches and taking in the view. I kept reminding myself to live in the moment because I really don't know when I'll have an opportunity like this again. I can imagine retiring here, but I can't imagine paying 60 RMB to do it everyday. It was funny because XueFang, my roommate, was ultimately dissatisfied because she did not receive instant satisfaction. SuFang, QiYing's roommate (Qiying is from Swathmore) enjoyed the company of a friend she hadn't seen for two years so she didn't complain. Thao is so cute because she insists that I upload all of the pictures I took on facebook. I really don't mind, only that I know spending more than an hour uploading will change my study routine.
Qiying, Thao (Caoyin), and I talked while enjoying ShouLaMian (handmade noodles) for breakfast. Thao said her roommate doesn't eat breakfast or dinner. Qiying says that alot of Chinese girls think beauty comes with being thin and being really pale. I didn't really notice until it occurred to me how much my roommate and SuFang normally talk about how pudgy little boys are. When Qiying and I looked at them, we said they were "yi ban lai shuo de nan hai er" (average looking boys). When we started to describe obesity, they were really surprised. Also, XueFang became alittle tanned today and she kept complaining about it. To come to Changshu was different because everyone in Hangzhou is really thin and pale. Changshu looked like America, more industrialized, more western, alot more KFCs and McDonalds, and average looking people. SuFang said,"Nan guai wo men shuo Shang you Tian Tang, xia you Su Hang". It means, no wonder we say above is heaven, below is Suzhou and Hangzhou. My Chinese teacher in America said that Hangzhou has very beautiful scenery and beautiful women. If beauty comes with the above criteria, then I guess he's right.
I think my roommate thinks she really knows me. Its not just that she chooses my food, but she answers all of my questions. Everything, food, homework, family, love interest, hobbies, ya de ya de ya da. It's not overbearing but sometimes she's just completely wrong with her response.
I use to say the world's really small. In America, some friend ends up knowing some friend who knows a mutual friend. At most there is six degrees of separation right? I'm not really sure about that saying. Travelling alot within the past two weeks has made me come to realize how big this world really is and how I don't know anybody and how I don't understand the culture of a developing society.
A few random observations:
I saw a little boy who was balancing himself by the head to make money because his mom told him not to stop. He only made a couple of RMB. I saw a really pretty woman kick her dog across the face while she was waiting in line for food. I thought of animal abuse and vanity. There are alot of dogs that just roam around in Changshu without owners. They just kept following us around. A little kid threw garbage into a monumental foundation. There were students standing in front of a bookstore with signs asking for a job. The police station has no police. A local favorite is eating octopus on a stick. Rollerskating is only getting big. Alot of old people enjoy dancing the salsa in the street (more than 100 ppl). There are alot of stores that are dilapidated with no business. But you know what? No one really kills anybody like in America. "Zi zhi zao gu zi zhi" (take care of yourself). All they need is money so the worst case scenario is getting something stolen. The problem with taking care of yourself and less stringent security is that no one follows traffic rules. Even in the mall, on the second floor people were riding bicycles and motorcycles. My biggest fear everyday is getting hit by a moving vehicle.
I learned different ways to express my frustration in Chinese within the past two days. I'm so excited to teach people in America.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Classes OVER!
Yay! I survived my first week of classes. I think the reason why CET is a really hard program is because it is based on "si ji ying bei" (rote memorization). You come in to class with the teacher's expectation that you know everything because they give you everything you need to prepare for. We have 100 words a day, an essay to write, and an extracurricular activity. I have chosen to learn to play the Guzheng. I realize that in middle school, my biggest regret was not learning how to play an instrument, specifically the violin. I think I like the piano better but the violin was the only one offered. Not only is the Guzheng like the violin and the piano combined, but it sounds so much better. Cao yin also known as Thao only plucked a few strings and I was hooked. It costs 1600 RMB. I don't know how much that is in American dollars (divide by 7.53) but it is so amazing. I can't wait to bring it home and teach my future kids how to play it.
Right after my exam , I immediately hopped on a bus after avoiding a shit load of traffic to go to the Decathalon store. I bought two really nice $3 badminton rackets. After playing Yu mao qiu with a friend for a hour, we ended up looking like someone pushed us into a pool. Why? Because air conditioning doesn't exist in Hangzhou (with the exception of our dormitory).
I am starting to wonder about my roommate's life. She's really nice but I know nothing about her. Yesterday was the second time she brought a guy friend over to do her homework. Maybe I am misunderstanding her because of the words she uses in Chinese, because she told me the only guan xi she has with him is that he is from her class. This morning two of my friends asked me about something red on her neck. Trying to describe it is funny in chinese, seriously because you use really basic words, like below her head looks red. Last night she bought me octopus to eat. She says its a local favorite. All I could remember were the overt suction cups.
I started to think about what its like to be a liu xue sheng. To me, liu xue sheng and international student have different connations. For one, liu xue sheng means study abroad and international student sounds like I am an outsider. I am but I think the chinese word makes me feel more accepted. I am still getting used to looking at people who wear fake name brand clothing with thick bangs or Jay Chou lookalikes. Seriously every guy who has served as my waiter had a Jay Chou haircut. Wanglehom is on my Wahaha water bottles. I miss karaoking with Frankie. Everytime I think of singing, I think of Frankie. The only songs I'm allowed to sing under the language pledge are Chinese. Its ok because I did that in the states anyway.
My immune system is kind of gay. Everytime I eat something I need to diarrhea. There are exceptions. Packaged foods don't cause me to lose control of my bowels but everything else in China seems to have an adverse effect on my digestive system. What the hey.
Judy's birthday passed on July 10th. I remembered it because that was all I could think about. I don't know if I miss my family, only I hate talking about it. My teachers should stop delving into my personal life.
Tomorrow I am going to Jiangsu with my roommate, Thao, a Shanghai person, and her roommate. We are going to the Changsu district (I think that's the chinese transaction). She has a family friend from Jiangsu. Si wen wants to go and doesn't want to go. He just can't make up his mind. My roommate thought it would be weird since he would be the only guy, dan shi wo bu zai hu. I had every intention to go to Beijing, only that this week's activity required us to take our roommate along. Beijing is 10 hours away by train and about 2 hours by plane. My mom said she bought a really cheap Qipao for only $15. Jia you ma ma!
I've become really dark. Like Nick dark. My sunscreen isn't too effective, but my umbrella is amazing. I really blend it with an umbrella. I like the utilitarian effect, but since most people who use it are girls, it is a psychological need as well. But man, my color has changed.
The mosquitoes here are amazingly small. Like they bite you and you don't notice it. But the ones at the tu shu guan (library) are huge. I know because I ended up scratching those mosquito bites for days.
I think I'm starting to forget what I normally do in America. Everything seems so normal nowadays. Like my morning cereal is actually crumbs in a bag that you put with hot water. My lunch is like "cha gui diao" (a Chaozhou dish or a Cambodian dish), only better because of the presentation. My dinner is something that looks good that probably isn't good for my health. I know the next day. If it looks too good, it probably isn't good for you. Oh another thing that is different is the time I eat. I eat at 7 in the morning, 12 noon, and a 4:30 dinner. That's pretty much it, unless you want pockey sticks as a midnight snack.
I want to go karaoke. The cheapest time is 12 midnight to 6 in the morning. I don't know if I have the strength but it seems like a worthwhile experience.
I really like everyone in my program, not like Governor's school. The difference between this and governor's school is that we had no homework back then, we just met CEOs, mudwrestled, and took dance lessons. I like everyone in the sense that people are passionate about the chinese culture, and at some point had chosen a less practical path of a Chinese major as opposed to a former engineer major. I think they live very fulfilling lives because after college, they have chosen a "I do what I want to do" kind of path, and no one can stop them.
It's an interesting experience when people get really excited because you are of Chinese descent. I say I'm Chaozhou, they say wow, so you are a Chinese person! I mean I'm American, but just to know a dialect of a surrounding province gains me acceptance. I think that is my edge. Also that I play Badminton. I went out to buy hair accessories, and asked the lady if I could bargain, she says offer a price. I wasn't really good, but she was ok with me taking my time to decide. Then she asked me why did I ask if I could bargain, I said cuz I am a foreigner. She said she couldn't see it. I think I am starting to blend in more. People have joked that one day I would marry a Chinese person. I used to vehemently deny it, now its just wu suo wei.
I miss work, Abhi, Kuong, Derek, Frankie. Experiencing a new culture has been a worthwhile experience. It feels like a displacement. It's so surreal but life continues and I just learn to navigate different scenarios day by day. At heart, I am definitely chinese. Even Si wen, and he's Caucasian. Getting ass kicked by local Badminton players, learning to use chopsticks to eat everything, enjoying a developing province's scenary, the whole she bang. I can't imagine living here because of the fewer opportunities to earn money because of the competitive nature of the living, but I can imagine coming back in the future and retiring at Hangzhou's Xihu.
What I have learned this week:
Chinese New Conception
A Superficial based on appearance Economic World
The Cellphone Revolution
Striking Down Porno in China
Awesome!
I spoke to my parents in Mandarin today. I think they are really proud of my improvement within the past week.
Where is the pirated version of Harry Potter? It should be here right now!
Right after my exam , I immediately hopped on a bus after avoiding a shit load of traffic to go to the Decathalon store. I bought two really nice $3 badminton rackets. After playing Yu mao qiu with a friend for a hour, we ended up looking like someone pushed us into a pool. Why? Because air conditioning doesn't exist in Hangzhou (with the exception of our dormitory).
I am starting to wonder about my roommate's life. She's really nice but I know nothing about her. Yesterday was the second time she brought a guy friend over to do her homework. Maybe I am misunderstanding her because of the words she uses in Chinese, because she told me the only guan xi she has with him is that he is from her class. This morning two of my friends asked me about something red on her neck. Trying to describe it is funny in chinese, seriously because you use really basic words, like below her head looks red. Last night she bought me octopus to eat. She says its a local favorite. All I could remember were the overt suction cups.
I started to think about what its like to be a liu xue sheng. To me, liu xue sheng and international student have different connations. For one, liu xue sheng means study abroad and international student sounds like I am an outsider. I am but I think the chinese word makes me feel more accepted. I am still getting used to looking at people who wear fake name brand clothing with thick bangs or Jay Chou lookalikes. Seriously every guy who has served as my waiter had a Jay Chou haircut. Wanglehom is on my Wahaha water bottles. I miss karaoking with Frankie. Everytime I think of singing, I think of Frankie. The only songs I'm allowed to sing under the language pledge are Chinese. Its ok because I did that in the states anyway.
My immune system is kind of gay. Everytime I eat something I need to diarrhea. There are exceptions. Packaged foods don't cause me to lose control of my bowels but everything else in China seems to have an adverse effect on my digestive system. What the hey.
Judy's birthday passed on July 10th. I remembered it because that was all I could think about. I don't know if I miss my family, only I hate talking about it. My teachers should stop delving into my personal life.
Tomorrow I am going to Jiangsu with my roommate, Thao, a Shanghai person, and her roommate. We are going to the Changsu district (I think that's the chinese transaction). She has a family friend from Jiangsu. Si wen wants to go and doesn't want to go. He just can't make up his mind. My roommate thought it would be weird since he would be the only guy, dan shi wo bu zai hu. I had every intention to go to Beijing, only that this week's activity required us to take our roommate along. Beijing is 10 hours away by train and about 2 hours by plane. My mom said she bought a really cheap Qipao for only $15. Jia you ma ma!
I've become really dark. Like Nick dark. My sunscreen isn't too effective, but my umbrella is amazing. I really blend it with an umbrella. I like the utilitarian effect, but since most people who use it are girls, it is a psychological need as well. But man, my color has changed.
The mosquitoes here are amazingly small. Like they bite you and you don't notice it. But the ones at the tu shu guan (library) are huge. I know because I ended up scratching those mosquito bites for days.
I think I'm starting to forget what I normally do in America. Everything seems so normal nowadays. Like my morning cereal is actually crumbs in a bag that you put with hot water. My lunch is like "cha gui diao" (a Chaozhou dish or a Cambodian dish), only better because of the presentation. My dinner is something that looks good that probably isn't good for my health. I know the next day. If it looks too good, it probably isn't good for you. Oh another thing that is different is the time I eat. I eat at 7 in the morning, 12 noon, and a 4:30 dinner. That's pretty much it, unless you want pockey sticks as a midnight snack.
I want to go karaoke. The cheapest time is 12 midnight to 6 in the morning. I don't know if I have the strength but it seems like a worthwhile experience.
I really like everyone in my program, not like Governor's school. The difference between this and governor's school is that we had no homework back then, we just met CEOs, mudwrestled, and took dance lessons. I like everyone in the sense that people are passionate about the chinese culture, and at some point had chosen a less practical path of a Chinese major as opposed to a former engineer major. I think they live very fulfilling lives because after college, they have chosen a "I do what I want to do" kind of path, and no one can stop them.
It's an interesting experience when people get really excited because you are of Chinese descent. I say I'm Chaozhou, they say wow, so you are a Chinese person! I mean I'm American, but just to know a dialect of a surrounding province gains me acceptance. I think that is my edge. Also that I play Badminton. I went out to buy hair accessories, and asked the lady if I could bargain, she says offer a price. I wasn't really good, but she was ok with me taking my time to decide. Then she asked me why did I ask if I could bargain, I said cuz I am a foreigner. She said she couldn't see it. I think I am starting to blend in more. People have joked that one day I would marry a Chinese person. I used to vehemently deny it, now its just wu suo wei.
I miss work, Abhi, Kuong, Derek, Frankie. Experiencing a new culture has been a worthwhile experience. It feels like a displacement. It's so surreal but life continues and I just learn to navigate different scenarios day by day. At heart, I am definitely chinese. Even Si wen, and he's Caucasian. Getting ass kicked by local Badminton players, learning to use chopsticks to eat everything, enjoying a developing province's scenary, the whole she bang. I can't imagine living here because of the fewer opportunities to earn money because of the competitive nature of the living, but I can imagine coming back in the future and retiring at Hangzhou's Xihu.
What I have learned this week:
Chinese New Conception
A Superficial based on appearance Economic World
The Cellphone Revolution
Striking Down Porno in China
Awesome!
I spoke to my parents in Mandarin today. I think they are really proud of my improvement within the past week.
Where is the pirated version of Harry Potter? It should be here right now!
Monday, July 9, 2007
China Blues - July 9th
I've been in a somewhat depressing mood today. It's the first day of class, meaning exams galore and one ass kicking individual session with my teacher. I studied all of yesterday to prepare today, which I couldn't really prepare for because I can't prepare responses to questions that I don't know will come up. My teacher asked during the individual session, so how did you feel about your parents leaving you in China for the first time? In chinese, that's still a loaded question. You know to this day I just pretend they are on a longly postponed honeymoon vacation and they'll just pop in again. Then I sneezed today and my roommate said, "Ni dan pen ti, you ren hen xiang ni". I started crying. What a baby. Sui bian.
I plan to make an unprecedented trip to Hong Kong and Beijing during two of the next three weekends. I just need to see my family.
I've been in a somewhat depressing mood today. It's the first day of class, meaning exams galore and one ass kicking individual session with my teacher. I studied all of yesterday to prepare today, which I couldn't really prepare for because I can't prepare responses to questions that I don't know will come up. My teacher asked during the individual session, so how did you feel about your parents leaving you in China for the first time? In chinese, that's still a loaded question. You know to this day I just pretend they are on a longly postponed honeymoon vacation and they'll just pop in again. Then I sneezed today and my roommate said, "Ni dan pen ti, you ren hen xiang ni". I started crying. What a baby. Sui bian.
I plan to make an unprecedented trip to Hong Kong and Beijing during two of the next three weekends. I just need to see my family.
Friday, July 6, 2007
July 7th - Back to School
Well its back to school for me. I want to make this the most memorable and least stressful 6 weeks of summerso I decided to follow some recommendations from my teacher, Lin Jiu Bi.
1. Stay healthy
2. Stay independent
3. Study Hard
4. Don't study too hard
5. Work on my relationship with my chinese roommate.
6. The language pledge only gets easier.
7. Keep a journal
8. Consider what you'll regret not doing.
9. It's only 6 weeks. Don't beat yourself up, make the most out of it.
It makes sense. Being back in academia is alot different in a different country. I always have to be on the lookout because 1. cars look like they will hit me.2. thieves are around and normally steal bikes. 3. most of the people in Zhejiang University of Technology are guys beause I am in an engineering school.
It hasn't been as eventful as it has been with my parents roaming in the wild withcheetah signs, birds that repeat "ni hao", and taxi drivers that keep following us to drive us to shady locations, but its still interesting in a different way. This is myfirst experience washing clothes by hand, peeing in toilets in the ground, and changing my diet. I either eat congee, noodles, or less flavorful bread for breakfast. I still can'tget over the no nutritional facts ordeal, but sometimes I can't worry so much.
My roommate is cool. Her name is XueFang, she's from the Wenzhou province, so she doesn't know Hangzhou as well as her former roommate, TingTing. XueFang is really nice. In fact, she worries about me too much. She's likea second mom. She brought me to drink Bubble Tea here. Man it is so much better. It is a white drink instead of a brown drink, and just healthier without all the additives.I hate tapioca, but something about it made me continue to drink it. Again no durian shake but it's ok.
Yesterday we took our qualifying exams. I am in the most advanced level. Oh crap, that means I have to study alot more. I accidently skipped a class field trip to the Lonjing Tea Mountainsthis morning, but I remember doing that with my parents the other day, and that was a tripI am ok about missing.
There is a girl named Ruby in my program that I met on the first day. She looked at me and asked are you Vietnamese? I said no, but ever since then, she said she could talk to me better than most people in the program. I said that's probably because we are Asian. Mostof the people studying Mandarin this summer are Caucasian. I really don't mind, but there are stares from people on campus because everyone else is from or either looks like they arefrom China. I've met alot of people.
I haven't spoken English for a couple of days. It was really funny that things are becomingmore instantaneous. Normally I wake up and greet people with a what's up? This morning, Isaid to my roommate, "She me Shi?" It means what's wrong but I think its because I stillthink in English and I am translating things into Chinese. I think the language pledge is fun because we talk about really stupid stuff sometimes and its a great way of bonding withpeople in the program. I like the people in my program. There's a guy name Nick whoreminds me of Tom Hanks in CastAway. Jonathan sounds like a bad guy in a Disney Movie.TingTing sounds like she could be in a chinese soap opera. Aya is a really striking Japanese graduate student. Interesting people. Loads of fun.
The Language Pledge: If I speak English 3 times, I am sentback home to America. That is their policy. There is no restriction with Chaozhou, so yayI can still talk to my parents on the phone. That means if you are an English speaker whoknows no other language, I can't talk to you until the program is over. I can write Englishbut that makes me look like a mute.
For people interested in learning Mandarin:
You know those skits that the teacher makes you do in Chinese class? Well its like you
actually do them in real life. Chinese sentences that you formulate just don't come from thin
air. Alot of words I have come to use has been what I've been learning in Chinese class. Coming
to China is like chinese class 24/7. With the aid of Plecodict, an online chinese dictionary, I've
learned alot of crap. Not sure about retention, but recognition is a plus. The first day I struggled
with words as with utensils, favorite foods, sleeping, washing clothes, etc. Basically, whatever
words you use on a normal basis, write it down in a notepad, look up the definition and use it
in Chinatown. I basically do that here, only chinese is a neccessity because using English will
get you ripped off by people who sell stuff. My sentences are rather short, but people understand me as long as I use the right word. If they don't understand me, they correct me, and yay I've gained something. Listening and watching Chinese expands your vocabulary. Even if you don't understand it, being surrounded by it allows you to mimic those sophisticated people on TV, and that is a plus in social situations. Its strange. I never really had the guts to do it, but now that I have no choice, its like I throw random sentences and I think I'm improving. I don't neccessarily think you have to travel to China to learn Chinese, but the culture and the environmental reminders make it easier to learn it alot faster.
Random Tidbit:Mosquitoes are vicious. Everyone needs those Raid plugins. If they don't have one, they are the victim of several hungry mosquitoes the next days.
Well its back to school for me. I want to make this the most memorable and least stressful 6 weeks of summerso I decided to follow some recommendations from my teacher, Lin Jiu Bi.
1. Stay healthy
2. Stay independent
3. Study Hard
4. Don't study too hard
5. Work on my relationship with my chinese roommate.
6. The language pledge only gets easier.
7. Keep a journal
8. Consider what you'll regret not doing.
9. It's only 6 weeks. Don't beat yourself up, make the most out of it.
It makes sense. Being back in academia is alot different in a different country. I always have to be on the lookout because 1. cars look like they will hit me.2. thieves are around and normally steal bikes. 3. most of the people in Zhejiang University of Technology are guys beause I am in an engineering school.
It hasn't been as eventful as it has been with my parents roaming in the wild withcheetah signs, birds that repeat "ni hao", and taxi drivers that keep following us to drive us to shady locations, but its still interesting in a different way. This is myfirst experience washing clothes by hand, peeing in toilets in the ground, and changing my diet. I either eat congee, noodles, or less flavorful bread for breakfast. I still can'tget over the no nutritional facts ordeal, but sometimes I can't worry so much.
My roommate is cool. Her name is XueFang, she's from the Wenzhou province, so she doesn't know Hangzhou as well as her former roommate, TingTing. XueFang is really nice. In fact, she worries about me too much. She's likea second mom. She brought me to drink Bubble Tea here. Man it is so much better. It is a white drink instead of a brown drink, and just healthier without all the additives.I hate tapioca, but something about it made me continue to drink it. Again no durian shake but it's ok.
Yesterday we took our qualifying exams. I am in the most advanced level. Oh crap, that means I have to study alot more. I accidently skipped a class field trip to the Lonjing Tea Mountainsthis morning, but I remember doing that with my parents the other day, and that was a tripI am ok about missing.
There is a girl named Ruby in my program that I met on the first day. She looked at me and asked are you Vietnamese? I said no, but ever since then, she said she could talk to me better than most people in the program. I said that's probably because we are Asian. Mostof the people studying Mandarin this summer are Caucasian. I really don't mind, but there are stares from people on campus because everyone else is from or either looks like they arefrom China. I've met alot of people.
I haven't spoken English for a couple of days. It was really funny that things are becomingmore instantaneous. Normally I wake up and greet people with a what's up? This morning, Isaid to my roommate, "She me Shi?" It means what's wrong but I think its because I stillthink in English and I am translating things into Chinese. I think the language pledge is fun because we talk about really stupid stuff sometimes and its a great way of bonding withpeople in the program. I like the people in my program. There's a guy name Nick whoreminds me of Tom Hanks in CastAway. Jonathan sounds like a bad guy in a Disney Movie.TingTing sounds like she could be in a chinese soap opera. Aya is a really striking Japanese graduate student. Interesting people. Loads of fun.
The Language Pledge: If I speak English 3 times, I am sentback home to America. That is their policy. There is no restriction with Chaozhou, so yayI can still talk to my parents on the phone. That means if you are an English speaker whoknows no other language, I can't talk to you until the program is over. I can write Englishbut that makes me look like a mute.
For people interested in learning Mandarin:
You know those skits that the teacher makes you do in Chinese class? Well its like you
actually do them in real life. Chinese sentences that you formulate just don't come from thin
air. Alot of words I have come to use has been what I've been learning in Chinese class. Coming
to China is like chinese class 24/7. With the aid of Plecodict, an online chinese dictionary, I've
learned alot of crap. Not sure about retention, but recognition is a plus. The first day I struggled
with words as with utensils, favorite foods, sleeping, washing clothes, etc. Basically, whatever
words you use on a normal basis, write it down in a notepad, look up the definition and use it
in Chinatown. I basically do that here, only chinese is a neccessity because using English will
get you ripped off by people who sell stuff. My sentences are rather short, but people understand me as long as I use the right word. If they don't understand me, they correct me, and yay I've gained something. Listening and watching Chinese expands your vocabulary. Even if you don't understand it, being surrounded by it allows you to mimic those sophisticated people on TV, and that is a plus in social situations. Its strange. I never really had the guts to do it, but now that I have no choice, its like I throw random sentences and I think I'm improving. I don't neccessarily think you have to travel to China to learn Chinese, but the culture and the environmental reminders make it easier to learn it alot faster.
Random Tidbit:Mosquitoes are vicious. Everyone needs those Raid plugins. If they don't have one, they are the victim of several hungry mosquitoes the next days.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
July 3rd to July 5th - Lost in the Mountains/School Escape/Language Pledge
Man! I didn't update the past three days of excitement as I lived at West Lake Youth Hostel.
Two days ago (on July 3rd), my parents wanted me to have a great time at Hangzhou before I was sent to school. They decided we would go changing more dollarsfor RenMinBi, then go shopping for Hangzhou de te se (specialties). The three treasures ofHangzhou are Longjin Tea (Green Tea), pearls, and the silk. Somehow we met a local whotold us that the waterfall was a sight not to be missed, only to end up hikingin the mountains where the farmers gathered the leaves for the Longjin Cha. We ended up gettinglost in the Longjin mountains, buying tons of tea from random farmers, nearly getting connedby someone who told to ride his car to freedom, and getting conned by a guy who broughtus to a pearl store for free who probably got a big commission because my mom spentloads of money. We did meet a kind lady who looked like she was my age but we found outshe was 45 years old. We also bought tea from her as well. It had to be the best tea I've evertasted because you could smell the taste before you drank it. Her neighbor had a birdthat could say "ni hao" and my dad became really excited. He told me a longwinded storyabout birds that could speak chinese, but I don't remember much because I was tired after walking for six hours.We tried to leave the pearl store (with directions from a police officer),but we ended walking through a highway tunnel designed for cars to drive 50 km/hour.We came out in a very vegetated area and none of the taxis picked us up becawuse taxis only pick people up at designated locations. This was the first time I've seen my mom lose her sanity. She normally doesn't walk so much in one day. Somehow we walked far enoughto civilization to a bus stop where we went to a bank to change money for a 3 o clock lunchbreak. It was a really weird day. That night we went to Lei Feng Ta and forgot all about ourtroubles. Interestingly enough, I caught every image on film, so that's what makes theevent so memorable. I continued to play it over and over again.
On July4th
I missed Mei Guo Du Li Jie! I ate my last breakfast of Ramen with my parents, and we decidedto take lots of pictures at Xi Hu since we became so familiar with the long stretch of the lake.We walked from the vegetated side to the industrial side of Xi Hu and went to Steak-Kingbecause we thought we deserved the food after the walk, although the walk was nothingcomparable to the day before. Then they drove a taxi to my school. I thought it was alotcloser to the West Lake, but it ended up across a bridge in a place that resembledShanghai. It was much polluted and more developed than the other side of Hangzhou. I'm in Zhejiang University of Technology, not Zhejiang University. As a place thatbreeds engineers, the guy and girl bell curve is highly skewed to the left. My parentsdropped off my stuff and nearly said their goodbyes until Jeremy said that today was arrival day,tomorrow would be orientation. I convinced my parents that due to the lack of internet access, I had to go back and take advantage of the benefits of living at the West Lake Youth Hostel.They decided to take some of my belongings back to the hostel, where I had a great omeletteand a traveler's club sandwich made by a chef my age. The reason why I like the hostel so much is the people who run the hostel are college students that decided they had a passionto start this up, so they charge really low and work really hard to make their dreams a reality. For instance, the staff of these students literally work there every day. Oneguy says all he does is clean because he has to to make customers happy. Dude that's patience.My last movie was a bootlegged version of Pirates of the Carribean. I thought aboutthe Harry Potter Premiere that I would be missing, but its ok because its not like I'm missingout on an opportunity of self improvement.
July 5th
My parents dropped me off. It wasn't what I would call bittersweet because they didn't kissme goodbye or anything, they just left although they said they would stay until I finished wan fan.I hung out with my roommate Xue1fang1. We went to Xihu againbecause apparently everyone wanted to go there. I went there every freakin day in Hangzhou,but I agreed to go because it felt like my turf. It wasn't a big deal but I realize I should've went somewhere else and alone to explore bus alternatives to learn the city. The language pledge has been implemented.That means I can write english but all my conversations are in chinese. Yup! The onlygray area is when I speak to my family in Chaozhou. It isn't English, but if someone in my program debates this, I can lose the privilege of speaking my local dialect. My Chaozhouhas become alot stronger since I started traveling. That's because I'm surrounded by my parents 24/7 and I can seem to pull words out of a hat that I've never used before. It's alsosomething I've relied on while I have been on campus because I can't speak Englishwithin earshot of other participants and roommates. It's hard. I learned you really haveto earn your stripes to learn mandarin. Its not like oh I'm in this country and I knowit quickly. I really have to think about how to complete sentences in a new way and expressmyself. Today I heard a westerner speak English. It didn't sound right in my ears. Ah I'm starting to think in Chinese after the first day!
I have alot of crap on my palm pilot, more blurbs to come!
Two days ago (on July 3rd), my parents wanted me to have a great time at Hangzhou before I was sent to school. They decided we would go changing more dollarsfor RenMinBi, then go shopping for Hangzhou de te se (specialties). The three treasures ofHangzhou are Longjin Tea (Green Tea), pearls, and the silk. Somehow we met a local whotold us that the waterfall was a sight not to be missed, only to end up hikingin the mountains where the farmers gathered the leaves for the Longjin Cha. We ended up gettinglost in the Longjin mountains, buying tons of tea from random farmers, nearly getting connedby someone who told to ride his car to freedom, and getting conned by a guy who broughtus to a pearl store for free who probably got a big commission because my mom spentloads of money. We did meet a kind lady who looked like she was my age but we found outshe was 45 years old. We also bought tea from her as well. It had to be the best tea I've evertasted because you could smell the taste before you drank it. Her neighbor had a birdthat could say "ni hao" and my dad became really excited. He told me a longwinded storyabout birds that could speak chinese, but I don't remember much because I was tired after walking for six hours.We tried to leave the pearl store (with directions from a police officer),but we ended walking through a highway tunnel designed for cars to drive 50 km/hour.We came out in a very vegetated area and none of the taxis picked us up becawuse taxis only pick people up at designated locations. This was the first time I've seen my mom lose her sanity. She normally doesn't walk so much in one day. Somehow we walked far enoughto civilization to a bus stop where we went to a bank to change money for a 3 o clock lunchbreak. It was a really weird day. That night we went to Lei Feng Ta and forgot all about ourtroubles. Interestingly enough, I caught every image on film, so that's what makes theevent so memorable. I continued to play it over and over again.
On July4th
I missed Mei Guo Du Li Jie! I ate my last breakfast of Ramen with my parents, and we decidedto take lots of pictures at Xi Hu since we became so familiar with the long stretch of the lake.We walked from the vegetated side to the industrial side of Xi Hu and went to Steak-Kingbecause we thought we deserved the food after the walk, although the walk was nothingcomparable to the day before. Then they drove a taxi to my school. I thought it was alotcloser to the West Lake, but it ended up across a bridge in a place that resembledShanghai. It was much polluted and more developed than the other side of Hangzhou. I'm in Zhejiang University of Technology, not Zhejiang University. As a place thatbreeds engineers, the guy and girl bell curve is highly skewed to the left. My parentsdropped off my stuff and nearly said their goodbyes until Jeremy said that today was arrival day,tomorrow would be orientation. I convinced my parents that due to the lack of internet access, I had to go back and take advantage of the benefits of living at the West Lake Youth Hostel.They decided to take some of my belongings back to the hostel, where I had a great omeletteand a traveler's club sandwich made by a chef my age. The reason why I like the hostel so much is the people who run the hostel are college students that decided they had a passionto start this up, so they charge really low and work really hard to make their dreams a reality. For instance, the staff of these students literally work there every day. Oneguy says all he does is clean because he has to to make customers happy. Dude that's patience.My last movie was a bootlegged version of Pirates of the Carribean. I thought aboutthe Harry Potter Premiere that I would be missing, but its ok because its not like I'm missingout on an opportunity of self improvement.
July 5th
My parents dropped me off. It wasn't what I would call bittersweet because they didn't kissme goodbye or anything, they just left although they said they would stay until I finished wan fan.I hung out with my roommate Xue1fang1. We went to Xihu againbecause apparently everyone wanted to go there. I went there every freakin day in Hangzhou,but I agreed to go because it felt like my turf. It wasn't a big deal but I realize I should've went somewhere else and alone to explore bus alternatives to learn the city. The language pledge has been implemented.That means I can write english but all my conversations are in chinese. Yup! The onlygray area is when I speak to my family in Chaozhou. It isn't English, but if someone in my program debates this, I can lose the privilege of speaking my local dialect. My Chaozhouhas become alot stronger since I started traveling. That's because I'm surrounded by my parents 24/7 and I can seem to pull words out of a hat that I've never used before. It's alsosomething I've relied on while I have been on campus because I can't speak Englishwithin earshot of other participants and roommates. It's hard. I learned you really haveto earn your stripes to learn mandarin. Its not like oh I'm in this country and I knowit quickly. I really have to think about how to complete sentences in a new way and expressmyself. Today I heard a westerner speak English. It didn't sound right in my ears. Ah I'm starting to think in Chinese after the first day!
I have alot of crap on my palm pilot, more blurbs to come!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Lack of Better Editing Shanghai Files
Ugh I'll never get these entries done!
I've separated them with whatever sanity I have left since I won't have time to edit them when school starts. Written in stream of consciousness. Booyah!
July 1st
Day 3 at Shanghai
Transportation
Yes! I am at the business epicenter of China, Pudong. It very much resembles the fast paced life style of New York City. People keep moving and it is packed! I feel congested because of the many people who live in this city and the heavy pollution. The traffic is mindboddling.Bicycles and motorcycles are just as common as cars, that there are two lanes: One for cars, onefor bikes and motocycles. Motorcycles run as fast as bikes, approximately 10-15 mph. There is no such thing as yielding to pedestrians. In fact, they spare you no mercy. My parents and I were walking back to our 5 star Hotel complex at Four Points by Sheraton at Daning/Puxi, and the drivers didn't honk, only waited for us to realize that "omg the car is driving on the street and looks like it is about to hit us." I realize its a way of life. The thing that I really like about being a pedestrian is that they time how long pedestrians are allowed to cross. There is a 15 second timer telling you when a car is allowed to cross the street. I've learned to run across.
Transportation and hotel efficiency
When you buy a metro card, you swipe it through a scanner. To get off the metro, they take your card away, so it is recycled back into the system.In hotels, it requires insertion of hotel cards in order to access electricity.
China V. US
I was able to access my laptop for the past two days since June 29th, only to have my laptop run out of batteries. The American electrical outlet is not designed the same way as the chinese outlet, so I had to find the converter before I could access electricity for my laptop.
Maybe China understands capitalism better than the US...
I am bemused by the aggressiveness of Chinese people in general. I decided to term it "overt capitalism". Once they know you are a foreigner, people will attempt many tactics to make money off of you or try to rip you off with their fake stuff. I don't think the culture is neccessarily backwards, but I don't like the persistent nature of people trying to sell me their business. The people at the hotel continually tried to convince us to takeone of their tours. The unofficial taxi drivers will follow you for many meters to convince you to ride their taxi until you either cave in, ignore them, or start running. I thought it was stalkerish but I began to accept that they do that to everyone. Unless I have a scent of a foreigner. Probably not, because people normally talk to me in Shanghainese, which I don't understand, so then they switch toMandarin, which is more on my turf. A lady on the airplane asked me to fill out her baggageform in chinese. Because I sat next to her, I ended up having a conversation with her in Mandarin and I somehow started to translate between the food options she wanted on the plane.Again duality, still American but look very chinese. My clothes are different because theyare very western, but I'm sure my wardrobe will change once I find cheap items to buy.
Stores and Prices
There are stores running from miles and miles, but not every store is busy. Its hard to find cheap clothes of good quality. I'm trying to price discriminate between bottles of water. I think a fair price is 1.5 yuanat a vending machine (and 7.53 yuan equals one American dollar).
Food and culture clash
I should've brought my granola bars and Quaker Oatmeal.
I miss Western snacks! Common fruits in America are expensive! Cherries are priced high, so I end up switching to fruits like Lycee and mangosteen. You should wikipedia mangosteen. That fruit is delicious and cheap over here. It resembles a miniature orange, only white, creamy, and full of juicy/sweet flavor. I missoranges. No hypermarket sells oranges. Also transactions are different. Like I would have to go to the produce lady, get a receipt from her, then go to the cash register lady to makea transaction. Things aren't cheap here, but that's because we went to Pudong to do our shopping. Pudong is where the torch will be lit for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. We went to the famous Bund, and walked on Nanjing Lu. It models France, so everything is priced like it were in Euros, which has a higher value than that of the American dollar.I found another street North Si Chuan Lu which is cheaper. That's where the locals go,I plan to go there today to make a killing or save money from the deficits suffered yesterdayfrom purchasing all the overpriced stuff at People's Square to the Bund on Nanjing Road. That is clearly not the bargaining district. Western culture is prevalent on Nanjing Lu, but I do occassionally notice Jay Chou songs playing in the department stores.
Here, everything is pockey sticks gallore. I'm trying to find cereal.
There are no such things as nutritional facts. I am just expected to pop things right into my mouth. Sometimes I fear obesity because of the unknown contents of what I am eating, but I also don't fear it because everyone I have seen is relatively thin. There aren't high contents of MSG. Alot of their food lacks the crazy sweetness of foods in the states. Like the high quality bread. It tasted like cheese cake, only there was no flavor. So I pretty much tasted the texture of cheesecake. The street vendor's corn at Wai Tan was rather stale, but that's because its been out for more than a couple of days. We paid 3 yuan (less than 50 cents), so I guess that's fair in America. But there are tradeoffs between quality and quantity.
It's actually been particularly hard finding good food that my parents and I wait hours until we find a nice restaurant to eat. By then, I'm normally satisfied with eating everything in sight. Waiters are really agressive with us ordering food. If we order less than they expect, they would insist that we order more. My dad runs the philosophy of Ru Xiang Sui su, do as the romans do, so we ordered alot of food. I think even at cheaper prices, the fact that we order so many dishes leaves us with the same amount had we been in America. We didn't doggybag it though because no one else did it in the restaurant. Neither did we pay tip because it is a communist country.
Jet lag
Yeah I didn't experience it. I didn't go to sleep the night of my trip. I really liked how I followed the sun for 17 hours while I tried to get here. It was cool how we crossed Spokane, the PacificOcean, Tokyo (Nhut is there). There is exactly a 12 hour difference between here and Philly.That means I know exactly what you are doing.
"Life is short, so stay awake!"
I normally do follow my own philosophy.I don't like to sleep early because 1. I will be in Shanghai for another day, 2. I missed a relative who works in Shanghai. She teaches English to Mandarin students. I missed her visit and I also wanted to check out the Bund at night because that's the only time whenthe lights are on to the extreme. But no I went to sleep.
AT NANJING LU
Beijing 2008
We went to the Beijing 2008 store yesterday. There are alot of interesting looking mascots. Accross the street, people were rehearsing for the Beijing opening ceremonies. In fact, the flag bearers were twirling, and people were dressed up in their costumes. Alot of people resembling my grandparents were dancing on the streets in groups, like what they do in the Teochew Association. My dad says its a local activity for excercise.
Umbrella-ella-ella
Another thing I really respect about the economical nature of the chinese people is howthey use umbrellas. Instead of worrying about putting sun tan lotion and hats, they useumbrellas to cover them from sun exposure. Umbrellas are rather trendy, in fact the morefashionable people use the more fashionable umbrellas. I got one of my own. Haha againru xiang sui su. McDonalds and KFC are just as trendy. People were there at 7 AM for breakfastand it was packed. Its probably because both western stores run 24 hours a day.It caters to families with the same low price. The difference is there may be two floors of a McDonald's chain and it looks like a high quality restaurant.
Conned
Watch out for counterfeit money.
Yesterday, while we were at Nanjing Lu,a female state representative talked to my dad and said he resembled her brother. Then somehow,she tried to convince him to purchase silk. She said the silk was very cheap, and two women agreed with her.It sounded like a version of the Shrek movie when Gingie's legs were cut off with the short king."Do you know the muffin man?" The muffin man. Then muffin man. I thought it was funny, but Idon't really like the pushiness of making a sale.
Cheap form of Communication
Oh yeah, skype rocks. 4 cents connection fee plus two cents per min afterwards.
Recycle/claustrophia/people look/pollution
Even the hobos on the street come up to you to take your plastic bottles so they can make a few RMB. One thing is for sure, they are rather economical. By 10PM, lights begin to close down.Even in the most commercial area, they really conserve electricity. That is the difference betweenNew York and Shanghai I think. Oh besides the fact that because the population is so big,the trams are really crowded. You really get up close and personal with the people you ride with on the metro. Also, when you are merely walking, you might just end up hitting someother pedestrian because there are so many active people. Everyone looks the same to me. Samesize, same look, same modest clothes. People don't normally wear makeup here. They are humblelooking. Pollution is rather bad. If I looked outside everyday, I would sayhazy and humid. My dad says its hard to breathe. I think I can get used to it, as long as I have some form of oxygen.
Shou La Mian- Hand made noodles Restaurant (Observations)
You actually have to pay upfront before you eat. Alot of young girls who work there. Most people who work in the restaurant are very young. Very efficient but very crowded.
Stream of consciousness
1. The locks at the hotel are different.
2. Bring toilet paper, but public restrooms are unbearably stinky.
3. My laptop can't read chinese so that's a problem when my residential director asks me to spell my name in chinese characters for my ZUT id.
4. No MOSQUITO BITES WHILE IN SHANGHAI (next stop Hangzhou).
Overall Evaluation
I know Shanghai has a really in your face kind of culture, but I like it. I like the constant advertisements and being surrounded by Chinese words.There is a large learning curve for my Mandarin studies by being in this environment.It helps to have a Palm Pilot that has a built in chinese dictionary so I will enable me to recognize words with a touch of a button. Everyday I wake up realizing I am in Shanghai(which is a little unsettling) but then I adapt pretty quickly to those changes. I realizeat some point, local culture will seem common to me, but then I'd forget my observations.So I decided to log them as a stream of consciousness before my converter fails on me andI can't write again.
I've separated them with whatever sanity I have left since I won't have time to edit them when school starts. Written in stream of consciousness. Booyah!
July 1st
Day 3 at Shanghai
Transportation
Yes! I am at the business epicenter of China, Pudong. It very much resembles the fast paced life style of New York City. People keep moving and it is packed! I feel congested because of the many people who live in this city and the heavy pollution. The traffic is mindboddling.Bicycles and motorcycles are just as common as cars, that there are two lanes: One for cars, onefor bikes and motocycles. Motorcycles run as fast as bikes, approximately 10-15 mph. There is no such thing as yielding to pedestrians. In fact, they spare you no mercy. My parents and I were walking back to our 5 star Hotel complex at Four Points by Sheraton at Daning/Puxi, and the drivers didn't honk, only waited for us to realize that "omg the car is driving on the street and looks like it is about to hit us." I realize its a way of life. The thing that I really like about being a pedestrian is that they time how long pedestrians are allowed to cross. There is a 15 second timer telling you when a car is allowed to cross the street. I've learned to run across.
Transportation and hotel efficiency
When you buy a metro card, you swipe it through a scanner. To get off the metro, they take your card away, so it is recycled back into the system.In hotels, it requires insertion of hotel cards in order to access electricity.
China V. US
I was able to access my laptop for the past two days since June 29th, only to have my laptop run out of batteries. The American electrical outlet is not designed the same way as the chinese outlet, so I had to find the converter before I could access electricity for my laptop.
Maybe China understands capitalism better than the US...
I am bemused by the aggressiveness of Chinese people in general. I decided to term it "overt capitalism". Once they know you are a foreigner, people will attempt many tactics to make money off of you or try to rip you off with their fake stuff. I don't think the culture is neccessarily backwards, but I don't like the persistent nature of people trying to sell me their business. The people at the hotel continually tried to convince us to takeone of their tours. The unofficial taxi drivers will follow you for many meters to convince you to ride their taxi until you either cave in, ignore them, or start running. I thought it was stalkerish but I began to accept that they do that to everyone. Unless I have a scent of a foreigner. Probably not, because people normally talk to me in Shanghainese, which I don't understand, so then they switch toMandarin, which is more on my turf. A lady on the airplane asked me to fill out her baggageform in chinese. Because I sat next to her, I ended up having a conversation with her in Mandarin and I somehow started to translate between the food options she wanted on the plane.Again duality, still American but look very chinese. My clothes are different because theyare very western, but I'm sure my wardrobe will change once I find cheap items to buy.
Stores and Prices
There are stores running from miles and miles, but not every store is busy. Its hard to find cheap clothes of good quality. I'm trying to price discriminate between bottles of water. I think a fair price is 1.5 yuanat a vending machine (and 7.53 yuan equals one American dollar).
Food and culture clash
I should've brought my granola bars and Quaker Oatmeal.
I miss Western snacks! Common fruits in America are expensive! Cherries are priced high, so I end up switching to fruits like Lycee and mangosteen. You should wikipedia mangosteen. That fruit is delicious and cheap over here. It resembles a miniature orange, only white, creamy, and full of juicy/sweet flavor. I missoranges. No hypermarket sells oranges. Also transactions are different. Like I would have to go to the produce lady, get a receipt from her, then go to the cash register lady to makea transaction. Things aren't cheap here, but that's because we went to Pudong to do our shopping. Pudong is where the torch will be lit for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. We went to the famous Bund, and walked on Nanjing Lu. It models France, so everything is priced like it were in Euros, which has a higher value than that of the American dollar.I found another street North Si Chuan Lu which is cheaper. That's where the locals go,I plan to go there today to make a killing or save money from the deficits suffered yesterdayfrom purchasing all the overpriced stuff at People's Square to the Bund on Nanjing Road. That is clearly not the bargaining district. Western culture is prevalent on Nanjing Lu, but I do occassionally notice Jay Chou songs playing in the department stores.
Here, everything is pockey sticks gallore. I'm trying to find cereal.
There are no such things as nutritional facts. I am just expected to pop things right into my mouth. Sometimes I fear obesity because of the unknown contents of what I am eating, but I also don't fear it because everyone I have seen is relatively thin. There aren't high contents of MSG. Alot of their food lacks the crazy sweetness of foods in the states. Like the high quality bread. It tasted like cheese cake, only there was no flavor. So I pretty much tasted the texture of cheesecake. The street vendor's corn at Wai Tan was rather stale, but that's because its been out for more than a couple of days. We paid 3 yuan (less than 50 cents), so I guess that's fair in America. But there are tradeoffs between quality and quantity.
It's actually been particularly hard finding good food that my parents and I wait hours until we find a nice restaurant to eat. By then, I'm normally satisfied with eating everything in sight. Waiters are really agressive with us ordering food. If we order less than they expect, they would insist that we order more. My dad runs the philosophy of Ru Xiang Sui su, do as the romans do, so we ordered alot of food. I think even at cheaper prices, the fact that we order so many dishes leaves us with the same amount had we been in America. We didn't doggybag it though because no one else did it in the restaurant. Neither did we pay tip because it is a communist country.
Jet lag
Yeah I didn't experience it. I didn't go to sleep the night of my trip. I really liked how I followed the sun for 17 hours while I tried to get here. It was cool how we crossed Spokane, the PacificOcean, Tokyo (Nhut is there). There is exactly a 12 hour difference between here and Philly.That means I know exactly what you are doing.
"Life is short, so stay awake!"
I normally do follow my own philosophy.I don't like to sleep early because 1. I will be in Shanghai for another day, 2. I missed a relative who works in Shanghai. She teaches English to Mandarin students. I missed her visit and I also wanted to check out the Bund at night because that's the only time whenthe lights are on to the extreme. But no I went to sleep.
AT NANJING LU
Beijing 2008
We went to the Beijing 2008 store yesterday. There are alot of interesting looking mascots. Accross the street, people were rehearsing for the Beijing opening ceremonies. In fact, the flag bearers were twirling, and people were dressed up in their costumes. Alot of people resembling my grandparents were dancing on the streets in groups, like what they do in the Teochew Association. My dad says its a local activity for excercise.
Umbrella-ella-ella
Another thing I really respect about the economical nature of the chinese people is howthey use umbrellas. Instead of worrying about putting sun tan lotion and hats, they useumbrellas to cover them from sun exposure. Umbrellas are rather trendy, in fact the morefashionable people use the more fashionable umbrellas. I got one of my own. Haha againru xiang sui su. McDonalds and KFC are just as trendy. People were there at 7 AM for breakfastand it was packed. Its probably because both western stores run 24 hours a day.It caters to families with the same low price. The difference is there may be two floors of a McDonald's chain and it looks like a high quality restaurant.
Conned
Watch out for counterfeit money.
Yesterday, while we were at Nanjing Lu,a female state representative talked to my dad and said he resembled her brother. Then somehow,she tried to convince him to purchase silk. She said the silk was very cheap, and two women agreed with her.It sounded like a version of the Shrek movie when Gingie's legs were cut off with the short king."Do you know the muffin man?" The muffin man. Then muffin man. I thought it was funny, but Idon't really like the pushiness of making a sale.
Cheap form of Communication
Oh yeah, skype rocks. 4 cents connection fee plus two cents per min afterwards.
Recycle/claustrophia/people look/pollution
Even the hobos on the street come up to you to take your plastic bottles so they can make a few RMB. One thing is for sure, they are rather economical. By 10PM, lights begin to close down.Even in the most commercial area, they really conserve electricity. That is the difference betweenNew York and Shanghai I think. Oh besides the fact that because the population is so big,the trams are really crowded. You really get up close and personal with the people you ride with on the metro. Also, when you are merely walking, you might just end up hitting someother pedestrian because there are so many active people. Everyone looks the same to me. Samesize, same look, same modest clothes. People don't normally wear makeup here. They are humblelooking. Pollution is rather bad. If I looked outside everyday, I would sayhazy and humid. My dad says its hard to breathe. I think I can get used to it, as long as I have some form of oxygen.
Shou La Mian- Hand made noodles Restaurant (Observations)
You actually have to pay upfront before you eat. Alot of young girls who work there. Most people who work in the restaurant are very young. Very efficient but very crowded.
Stream of consciousness
1. The locks at the hotel are different.
2. Bring toilet paper, but public restrooms are unbearably stinky.
3. My laptop can't read chinese so that's a problem when my residential director asks me to spell my name in chinese characters for my ZUT id.
4. No MOSQUITO BITES WHILE IN SHANGHAI (next stop Hangzhou).
Overall Evaluation
I know Shanghai has a really in your face kind of culture, but I like it. I like the constant advertisements and being surrounded by Chinese words.There is a large learning curve for my Mandarin studies by being in this environment.It helps to have a Palm Pilot that has a built in chinese dictionary so I will enable me to recognize words with a touch of a button. Everyday I wake up realizing I am in Shanghai(which is a little unsettling) but then I adapt pretty quickly to those changes. I realizeat some point, local culture will seem common to me, but then I'd forget my observations.So I decided to log them as a stream of consciousness before my converter fails on me andI can't write again.
Walking through the West Lake
Ok maybe I've been alittle harsh on Hangzhou. I've had three Wahaha water bottles with a picture of Wang Lehom as a label and I've listened to neverending repeats of Jay Chou's music at a local department store. But I didn't pay any mind until I strolled through Xi Hu. I laid my eyes on Lei Feng Ta and immediately fell in love.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Hangzhou
I know what you are thinking. What happened to Debbie within the past week? If that's not the first thing on your mind, then why are you reading my blog? Things have been crazy, from paying 80 RMB for an hour of internet access at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel to my parents losing my old digital camera AND my uncle's prized camcorder to being on a neverending quest to find a converter so I can plug any electronic devices I have. In other words, no access to electricity or consistent communication. It's not that I have been inconsiderate, its that I have been in locations that charge me an arm and a leg to update my online journal. It's disheartening. Don't worry. I scribbled mental notes on my palm pilot, my hand, and pieces of toilet paper so it is a matter of compiling and editing it so it becomes coherent as opposed to me babbling. Ok, on with the adventure!
Day 5 in China
Hangzhou - Day 1 Morning
You know that feeling when the Denominator is about to drop and your heart stops? My heart literally sank as I passed rice fields, farmers, and unfinished buildings while on the bullet train from South Shanghai Railway station to Hangzhou. As we made it to our stop, it was confirmed, I am living in a relatively underdeveloped province of China. I will be missing the advertisement clutter of Shanghai. Instead, I am surrounded by much vegetation and foreign fruits. There would be less chinese-english word pairings and less up close and personal encounters with hobos, money grubbers, and people in general on the subway and on the streets. The human interactions I will miss less, but I think Shanghai is a breeding ground for Chinese scholars because chinese words with English subtitles exist for miles and miles. Shanghai was really crowded, this place feels like its in the middle of nowhere. It's like when I resided in Bethlehem, PA while apart of PGSGE, it's the Quakertown of China without the Quakers.
My first experience at the West Lake Youth Hostel feels much like home! However, when my mom witnessed the youth surrounded in the area and the fact that it resembles a house, she quickly looked at me with disdain and approval. I could emphathize because we did stay at a five star hotel for three nights in Shanghai (benefit of being my dad's daughter). Unfortunately, Starwood Hotels don't exist in Hangzhou. I think my parents are adjusting to the hostel though, it has great air conditioning! The expense sure is relatively small compared to the amount spent while on Huaihai Lu, Nanjing Lu, and Changle Lu in Shanghai. Our dinners haven't been cheap either.
I haven't been hit with nostalgia but I do think about what everyone is doing 12 hours behind in Philadelphia when I first wake up. I look at my watch and say, Judy must be prepping up her mind for the Harry Potter book and movie. I also think about my friends who might be playing Graffiti or craving MSG. Sometimes I think about the clean air and the lack of humidity. Other times just the nice toilets. Be thankful for what you have people!
Random note: There is no such thing as obesity in China.
Hangzhou - Day 1 Evening
Immodium
ok I experienced it. As careful as I was about my food selection, something about the crabs, clams, or vegetables caused me to lose control of my bowels. I know, disgusting. Vincent said I would experience it, but it didn't happen to me during the four days I was in Shanghai, only now that I have arrived in Hangzhou. Again I haven't recovered from the shock, moving from Shanghai, the business central of China, to what resembles farm land. There is alot of vegetation around. My mom even spotted a banana tree. I can't imagine studying here for a month, but I guess I'll make the most of my experience. The well prided fish of Hangzhou isn't as good as I thought it would be, but then again we probably didn't go to the best restaurant anyway. I found it interesting that all the waiters and waitresses were filed military style. They look like my age, some look like they are alot younger than me.
I am staying at a hostel with my parents. They aren't digging the youth culture of the environment, but they have decided to stay because of the overpriced dinner we paid for to compensate for the cheap residence.
I can't wait to find a cinema around this place. I'm not going to miss the Harry Potter Premiere.
Question:WHERE IS THE CEREAL AND OATMEAL?
I've uploaded a few videos of my Shanghai expedition to compensate for the tardiness of my Shanghai log.
www.youtube.com/dtrinhatwharton
Day 5 in China
Hangzhou - Day 1 Morning
You know that feeling when the Denominator is about to drop and your heart stops? My heart literally sank as I passed rice fields, farmers, and unfinished buildings while on the bullet train from South Shanghai Railway station to Hangzhou. As we made it to our stop, it was confirmed, I am living in a relatively underdeveloped province of China. I will be missing the advertisement clutter of Shanghai. Instead, I am surrounded by much vegetation and foreign fruits. There would be less chinese-english word pairings and less up close and personal encounters with hobos, money grubbers, and people in general on the subway and on the streets. The human interactions I will miss less, but I think Shanghai is a breeding ground for Chinese scholars because chinese words with English subtitles exist for miles and miles. Shanghai was really crowded, this place feels like its in the middle of nowhere. It's like when I resided in Bethlehem, PA while apart of PGSGE, it's the Quakertown of China without the Quakers.
My first experience at the West Lake Youth Hostel feels much like home! However, when my mom witnessed the youth surrounded in the area and the fact that it resembles a house, she quickly looked at me with disdain and approval. I could emphathize because we did stay at a five star hotel for three nights in Shanghai (benefit of being my dad's daughter). Unfortunately, Starwood Hotels don't exist in Hangzhou. I think my parents are adjusting to the hostel though, it has great air conditioning! The expense sure is relatively small compared to the amount spent while on Huaihai Lu, Nanjing Lu, and Changle Lu in Shanghai. Our dinners haven't been cheap either.
I haven't been hit with nostalgia but I do think about what everyone is doing 12 hours behind in Philadelphia when I first wake up. I look at my watch and say, Judy must be prepping up her mind for the Harry Potter book and movie. I also think about my friends who might be playing Graffiti or craving MSG. Sometimes I think about the clean air and the lack of humidity. Other times just the nice toilets. Be thankful for what you have people!
Random note: There is no such thing as obesity in China.
Hangzhou - Day 1 Evening
Immodium
ok I experienced it. As careful as I was about my food selection, something about the crabs, clams, or vegetables caused me to lose control of my bowels. I know, disgusting. Vincent said I would experience it, but it didn't happen to me during the four days I was in Shanghai, only now that I have arrived in Hangzhou. Again I haven't recovered from the shock, moving from Shanghai, the business central of China, to what resembles farm land. There is alot of vegetation around. My mom even spotted a banana tree. I can't imagine studying here for a month, but I guess I'll make the most of my experience. The well prided fish of Hangzhou isn't as good as I thought it would be, but then again we probably didn't go to the best restaurant anyway. I found it interesting that all the waiters and waitresses were filed military style. They look like my age, some look like they are alot younger than me.
I am staying at a hostel with my parents. They aren't digging the youth culture of the environment, but they have decided to stay because of the overpriced dinner we paid for to compensate for the cheap residence.
I can't wait to find a cinema around this place. I'm not going to miss the Harry Potter Premiere.
Question:WHERE IS THE CEREAL AND OATMEAL?
I've uploaded a few videos of my Shanghai expedition to compensate for the tardiness of my Shanghai log.
www.youtube.com/dtrinhatwharton
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