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!