Ｉｔ＇ｓ ａｌｍｏｓｔ ｄｉｎｎｅｒｔｉｍｅ ａｔ Ｅｌｉｚａ＇ｓ ｈｏｕｓｅ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ Ｂｒｏｏｋｌｉｎ ａｒｅａ ｏｆ Beijing。Ｗｅ ａｒｒｉｖｅｄ ｉｎ Ｂｅｉｊｉｎｇ ｔｈｉｓ ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ ｏｎ ａｎ ｏｖｅｒｎｉｇｈｔ ｔｒａｉｎ ｆｒｏｍ Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ． Ｔｈｅ ｔｒａｉｎ ｗａｓ ｃｏｍｆｙ， ａｎｄ ｗｅ ｈａｄ ｔｗｏ ｒｏｏｍｍａｔｅ ｂｕｎｋｓ， ｏｎｅ ｏｆ ｗｈｉｃｈ ｈｅｌｄ ａ ｍｏｔｈｅｒ ａｎｄ ｈｅｒ ａｄｏｒａｂｌｅ ｓｏｎ ｗｈｏ ｊｕｓｔ ｒｅｐｅａｔｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｄ ｆｏｒ ＂ｒｕｎ＂ ｏｖｅｒ ａｎｄ ｏｖｅｒ ａｇａｉｎ．
Ｔｈｅ ｐａｓｔ ｆｅｗ ｄａｙｓ ｉｎ Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ ｈａｖｅ ｂｅｅｎ ｅｘｃｉｔｉｎｇ． Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ Ｌｉｗｅｎ， Ｅｌｉｚａ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｗｅｎｔ ｔｏ ａ ｆａｍｏｕｓ ｓｈｏｐｐｉｎｇ ｄｉｓｔｒｉｃｔ ｗｉｔｈ ｌｏｔｓ ｏｆ ａｒｔ ｇａｌｌｅｒｉｅｓ ａｎｄ ｊｅｗｅｌｒｙ ｓｈｏｐｓ． Ｉｔ ｗａｓ ａ ｂｉｔ ｔｏｏ ｗｅｓｔｅｒｎ ｆｏｒ ｍｙ ｔａｓｔｅ， ｗｅ ｃｏｕｌｄｎ＇ｔ ｆｉｎｄ ａｎｙｗｈｅｒｅ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ ｔｏ ｅａｔ ｌｕｎｃｈ． Ｗｅ ｌｅｆｔ ｔｈａｔ ａｒｅａ ｔｏ ｇｅｔ ｌｕｎｃｈ ａｔ ａ ｒｅｓｔａｕｒａｎｔ ｗｈｉｃｈ ｈａｓ ｓｉｍｉｌａｒ ｔｏ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ－Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｆｏｏｄ ｂｕｔ ｉｓ ｒｕｎ ｂｙ ｓｏｍｅ Ｈｏｎｇ Ｋｏｎｇｅｓｅ． Ａｐｐａｒｅｎｔｌｙ ｗｈｅｎ Ｃｈｉｎａ ｈａｓ ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓ ｗｉｔｈ Ｊａｐａｎ， ｅｖｅｒｙｏｎｅ ｂｏｙｃｏｔｔｓ ｔｈｉｓ ｒｅｓｔａｕｒａｎｔ， ｓｉｎｃｅ ｉｔ ｓｅｅｍｓ ｌｉｋｅ ｉｔ＇ｓ ｏｗｎｅｄ ｂｙ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ．
Ｓａｔｕｒｄａｙ ｎｉｇｈｔ ｗｅ ｗｅｎｔ ｂａｃｋ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｐｏ． Ｗｅ ｖｉｓｉｔｅｄ ｓｅｖｅｒａｌ ｐａｖｉｌｌｉｏｎｓ ｉｎｃｌｕｄｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ ｏｎｅ． Ｍｙ ｏｎｌｙ ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｉｓ ｏｎｅ ｗａｓ ｔｈａｔ ｉｔ ｗａｓ ｓｏｏｏｏ ＂Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ＂． Ｔｈｅｒｅ ｗａｓ ｂａｒｅｌｙ ａｎｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｉｎ ｉｔ ａｔ ａｌｌ ｏｔｈｅｒ ｔｈａｎ ｗａｔｅｒ ｆｏｕｎｄｔａｉｎｓ ａｎｄ ａｄｓ ｆｏｒ Ｌｏｕｉｓ Ｖｕｉｔｔｏｎ． Ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅｓ ｏｆ Ｆｒｅｎｃｈ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｄｉｄ ｎｏｔ ｉｎｃｌｕｄｅ ｔｈｅ ａｒａｂ ３０ ｐｅｒｃｅｎｔ ｏｆ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｐｏｐｕｌａｔｉｏｎ． Ｔｈｉｓ ｗａｓ ａ ｄｉｓａｐｐｏｉｎｔｉｎｇ ｂｕｔ ｃｏｎｓｔａｎｔ ｔｈｅｍｅ ｔｈｒｏｕｈｇｏｕｔ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｐｏ．Poland was really cool though. It had a pretty setup in addition to an art exibit of modern art which I actually liked. They had a six minute about poland film which acknowledged the Holocaust, which I thought was gutsy of them, especially since noone else acnowledged any of their problems.
Ｓｕｎｄａｙ ｗｅ ｗｅｒｅ ｏｎ Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ ｔｉｍｅ （ａｃｃｏｒｄｉｎｇ ｔｏ Ｅｌｉｚａ）ａｎｄ ｓｌｅｐｔ ｋｉｎｄ ｏｆ ｌａｔｅ． Ｗｅ ｔｏｏｋ ｔｈｅ ｓｕｂｗａｙ ｉｎｔｏ ｔｈｅ Ｐｅｏｐｌｅ＇ｓ Ｓｑｕａｒｅ ａｎｄ ｗａｌｋｅｄ ａｒｏｕｎｄ ｆｏｒ ａ ｗｈｉｌｅ． Ｗｅ ｄｅｃｉｄｅｄ ｔｏ ｇｅｔ ｔｉｃｋｅｔｓ ｔｏ ａ ｍｏｖｉｅ ｃａｌｌｅｄ ａｆｔｅｒｓｈｏｃｋ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｉｓ ａ ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌｌｙ ｄｏｎｅ ｍｏｖｉｅ ａｂｏｕｔ ｔｈｅ ｌｉｖｅｓ ｏｆ ｓｕｒｖｉｖｏｒｓ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ Ｔａｎｇａｎ ｅａｒｔｈｑｕａｋｅ ｉｎ １９７４．Ｉｔ ｈａｓ ａ ｌｏｔ ｏｆ ｈｉｓｔｏｒｙ ｉｎ ｉｔ ａｓ ｗｅｌｌ， ｓｏ Ｉ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｄｅｆｉｎｉｔｅｌｙ ｒｅｃｏｍｍｅｎｄ ｉｔ ｔｏａｎｙｏｎｅ ａｔ ｈｏｍｅ． Ｅｖｅｒｙｔｈｉｎｇ ｈｅｒｅ ｈａｓ Ｅｎｇｌｉｓｈ ｓｕｂｔｉｔｔｌｅｓ， ｉｔ＇ｓ ｖｅｒｙ ｃｏｎｖｅｎｉｅｎｔ．
Ａｔ ｎｉｇｈｔ ｗｅ ｗｅｎｔ ｂａｃｋ ｔｏ ｔｈｅ ｅｘｐｏ ａｎｄ ｖｉｖｉｓｉｔｅｄ Ｉｎｄｉａ， ｔｈｅ ｋｉｎｇｄｏｍ ｏｆ Ｍｏｒｏｃｃｏ， Ｌｅｂａｎｎｏｎ ａｎｄ Ｉｒａｎ． Ｉ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｌｏｖｅｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｔｕｆｆ ａｔ ＩＮｄｉａ＇ｓ ｐａｖｉｌｌｉｏｎ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｈｏｐｅ Ｉ ｃａｎ ｔｒａｖｅｌ ｔｈｅｒｅ． Ｉ ｇｏｔ ｒｉｄｉｃｕｌｏｕｓ ｄｉｒｔｙ ｌｏｏｋｓ ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｍｉｄｄｌｅ ｅａｓｔｅｒｎ ｐａｖｉｌｉｏｎs ｆｏｒ ｌｏｏｋｉｎｇ ａｒａｂ ａｎｄ ｎｏｔ ｗｅａｒｉｎｇ ａ ｈｉｊａｂ．
Monday we went back to the expo for the last time. We saw Israel and Pakistan, both pretty good pavillions. At the Israel one I asked about a temple in Beijing for the high holy days, and I think I know where to find one now. We then went over to the Africa part of the Expo and saw a drum show. Inside of the Africa Pavillion we walked around for a bit before a man at the Mali station asked if I spoke french. Eliza does, so she spoke with him in her third language for a while. She said she understands now how I feel because her head hurt afterward.
Today we had lunch with her parents, who are both very nice, in addition to her cousin. They don't really speak english, so Eliza acts as interpreter and I try to speak as much as I can. It's exhausting. Tonight Eliza and I are going out to a Karaoke bar with her friends! It should be fun.
Dinner's ready, gotta go!
Love love
Wendy
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Hello all,
Ｉ ｄｉｄ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ａｃｃｅｓｓ ｔｏ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｌｏｇ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｐａｓｔ ｆｅｗ ｄａｙｓ ｓｏ ｔｈｉｓ ｐｏｓｔ ｉｓ ｄａｔｅｄ Ａｕｇｕｓｔ ２６ｔｈ．
I am safe and sound in Shanghai! I unfortunately do not have access to my blog while here, but Eliza can give me the software to get around that once I am in Beijing.
So here's my overview of the trip so far.
As soon as I said goodbye to mom, Laura and Greg, I made my first Chinese friend. The guy standing behind me heard me say I was going to China and asked about it. He was a Chinese student studying at a University in Italy and traveling around the U.S. for his summer break. On the flight to Detroit I sat next to a Japanese woman who clarified that the kanji Japanese characters have the same meanings as their Chinese character counterparts. The man sitting next to her was a Greek national visiting family in the U.S. I thought it was an interesting omen of things to come.
Immediately after I got off of my flight I was approached by a guy who asked if I went to UMass. I said yes, and he preceded to reveal that we had been in a Model UN conference committee together this previous November. He was going on the same flight to Shanghai and was going to teach English in Hanzhou for a year. On the long but uneventful flight I sat next to a Chinese man who had lived in the U.S. for 11 years with his wife and now two young american kids. He talked about how he wants to send his kids back to Chinese every once and a while so they don't forget his native language. He's having trouble with his younger daughter. It was a little sad. I spoke with an ex-Marine who was extraordinarily jaded with his life in China, and said that knowing a language will never help me get a job anywhere. Interesting view on the world, but very cynical.
So what I didn't realize about Pu Dong airport is that it is about a 2 hour drive from Shanghai. Luckily, Eliza's friend Zach lives in Shanghai, and his dad offered to come pick me up at the airport, then preceded to take me, Eliza, Felicia and Liwen out to my first Chinese meal of the year! The hostel is called the Blue Mountain Hostel and it's really nice.
Today Felicia, Liwen Eliza and I had breakfast together before Felicia left for a vacation to Hong Kong. Then we walked to the Expo! It was very hot, so it was a good thing I had my umbrella, something unnecessarily ridiculed by Americans. And good that I'm now used to the DC weather (thank you greg) so it wasn't unbearable, since it was only hot and not humid. We went to the Spain, Turkey, Finland and the UN pavillions. Spain was the best by far, with a huuuuuge baby robot which looked like a lifelike baby but fifteen million times the size which creepily blinked at you and opened its eyes. We only had to stand in line for an hour and a half for that one. Turkey, I was surprised to see, did not mention its populations affinity to Islam once. They based their exhibit on being the crossroads of civilization two thousand years ago. Finland had a bunch of high tech picture taking devices, and a picture of me awkwardly sticking my tongue out managed to appear on a big screen in front of everyone. The UN was small and uneventful. There was a room of statistics about different countries. I was not surprised to see that on the "amount of political freedom/openness" scale China was not listed as one of the countries which answered the survey.
Now I'm back at the hostel and am exhausted. Tomorrow we may get a foot massage for an hour for about five dollars. I'm greatly looking forward to it.
Love and miss you all!
Ｉ ｄｉｄ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ａｃｃｅｓｓ ｔｏ ｔｈｉｓ ｂｌｏｇ ｆｏｒ ｔｈｅ ｐａｓｔ ｆｅｗ ｄａｙｓ ｓｏ ｔｈｉｓ ｐｏｓｔ ｉｓ ｄａｔｅｄ Ａｕｇｕｓｔ ２６ｔｈ．
I am safe and sound in Shanghai! I unfortunately do not have access to my blog while here, but Eliza can give me the software to get around that once I am in Beijing.
So here's my overview of the trip so far.
As soon as I said goodbye to mom, Laura and Greg, I made my first Chinese friend. The guy standing behind me heard me say I was going to China and asked about it. He was a Chinese student studying at a University in Italy and traveling around the U.S. for his summer break. On the flight to Detroit I sat next to a Japanese woman who clarified that the kanji Japanese characters have the same meanings as their Chinese character counterparts. The man sitting next to her was a Greek national visiting family in the U.S. I thought it was an interesting omen of things to come.
Immediately after I got off of my flight I was approached by a guy who asked if I went to UMass. I said yes, and he preceded to reveal that we had been in a Model UN conference committee together this previous November. He was going on the same flight to Shanghai and was going to teach English in Hanzhou for a year. On the long but uneventful flight I sat next to a Chinese man who had lived in the U.S. for 11 years with his wife and now two young american kids. He talked about how he wants to send his kids back to Chinese every once and a while so they don't forget his native language. He's having trouble with his younger daughter. It was a little sad. I spoke with an ex-Marine who was extraordinarily jaded with his life in China, and said that knowing a language will never help me get a job anywhere. Interesting view on the world, but very cynical.
So what I didn't realize about Pu Dong airport is that it is about a 2 hour drive from Shanghai. Luckily, Eliza's friend Zach lives in Shanghai, and his dad offered to come pick me up at the airport, then preceded to take me, Eliza, Felicia and Liwen out to my first Chinese meal of the year! The hostel is called the Blue Mountain Hostel and it's really nice.
Today Felicia, Liwen Eliza and I had breakfast together before Felicia left for a vacation to Hong Kong. Then we walked to the Expo! It was very hot, so it was a good thing I had my umbrella, something unnecessarily ridiculed by Americans. And good that I'm now used to the DC weather (thank you greg) so it wasn't unbearable, since it was only hot and not humid. We went to the Spain, Turkey, Finland and the UN pavillions. Spain was the best by far, with a huuuuuge baby robot which looked like a lifelike baby but fifteen million times the size which creepily blinked at you and opened its eyes. We only had to stand in line for an hour and a half for that one. Turkey, I was surprised to see, did not mention its populations affinity to Islam once. They based their exhibit on being the crossroads of civilization two thousand years ago. Finland had a bunch of high tech picture taking devices, and a picture of me awkwardly sticking my tongue out managed to appear on a big screen in front of everyone. The UN was small and uneventful. There was a room of statistics about different countries. I was not surprised to see that on the "amount of political freedom/openness" scale China was not listed as one of the countries which answered the survey.
Now I'm back at the hostel and am exhausted. Tomorrow we may get a foot massage for an hour for about five dollars. I'm greatly looking forward to it.
Love and miss you all!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Leaving For China
Hello friends and family.
I started this blog in order to better record what I experience during my nine month study at Peking University in Beijing, China. As a disclaimer, I'm both new to blogging and bad at recording things that happen to me, so I will try to update as much as possible. I think once I become savy enough I can even post pictures here.
So I will be leaving Logan Airport at 12:33 this coming Wednesday August 25th. If experience proves me correct my plane will travel over the North Pole before landing at 7 a.m. in Shanghai, China (local time 7 p.m.). I'll then take a taxi to the Blue Mountain Youth Hostel to meet my friend Eliza. We'll be staying for about four days and going to see the Shanghai Expo and other sights around the city. After that I'll take an overnight train to Beijing, where I'll stay with Eliza and her family until September 2nd when my orientation starts.
I have a plane ticket booked to Boston for May 2, 2011. We'll see what happens in between.
I started this blog in order to better record what I experience during my nine month study at Peking University in Beijing, China. As a disclaimer, I'm both new to blogging and bad at recording things that happen to me, so I will try to update as much as possible. I think once I become savy enough I can even post pictures here.
So I will be leaving Logan Airport at 12:33 this coming Wednesday August 25th. If experience proves me correct my plane will travel over the North Pole before landing at 7 a.m. in Shanghai, China (local time 7 p.m.). I'll then take a taxi to the Blue Mountain Youth Hostel to meet my friend Eliza. We'll be staying for about four days and going to see the Shanghai Expo and other sights around the city. After that I'll take an overnight train to Beijing, where I'll stay with Eliza and her family until September 2nd when my orientation starts.
I have a plane ticket booked to Boston for May 2, 2011. We'll see what happens in between.
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