After a train ride from Xi'an to Lanzhou- this one was only 8 hours, I arrived at Lanzhou University at about 6 in the morning on Thursday. Mr. Li from the Foreign Affairs Office met me at the train station and took me to the International Guest House, where the international students live. The guest house doubles as a hotel for visitors, so my room is essentially a hotel room that I share with a girl from Kazakhstan.
I registered at the university, registered for classes, and bought my textbooks that morning. The Beginning Chinese program consists of Chinese grammar, spoken Chinese, and Chinese characters. My five books cost the equivalent of $20. In America, I probably would have spent between $300 and $500.
My classes start on Monday, but I looked over the books and they start out very basic with the Chinese words for hello, how are you, etc. Learning the characters will be hardest for me, I think. I only know about five characters because until now, I have been using pinyin, which is English characters that correspond to Chinese sounds.
Once classes start, my roommate and I will try to only speak Chinese with each other. I can't wait to learn more Chinese.
29 February 2008
26 February 2008
Xi'an
I rode the train to Xi’an with Bei, her cousin, and her boyfriend. When the four of us got off the train, it was about 5:30 on Monday morning. We took a taxi to a university-owned hotel that Bei’s cousin knew of. The hotel was reasonably priced and very safe for us to stay in. We dropped off our luggage in our rooms and then we looked for breakfast- hot soy milk and fried bread.
After breakfast, I went back to the hotel room and took a much needed shower and nap. Bei, her cousin, and boyfriend met with some other friends from Xi’an, so I had the room to myself all morning and afternoon.
Because I was in the room most of the day, I didn’t get a good impression of Xi’an until the next day. The four of us spent the whole day on the streets of Xi’an, going to parks, shopping, and eating in restaurants.
Xi’an is so much cleaner and more beautiful than Fugu. The pollution in Xi’an is relatively unnoticeable, and city workers are constantly sweeping the sidewalks and picking up trash. There are so many more trees in Xi’an as well. I mentioned the parks that we visited; they celebrate the Tang Dynasty which ruled from Xi’an beginning at about 700 A.D. The parks are filled with trees, fountains, and sculptures.
As for the shopping, I had so much fun. With the exchange rate, most shirts cost about $7, and skirts and jackets are about $20. After searching for good prices and doing a bit of haggling (with help from Bei, of course), I got some great deals. The clothes here are very Chinese in the sense that they wouldn’t be found in America. I bought four items, all of which are strange, but I think it will be fun to wear them even when I come back to America.
Because we’re staying in hotel rooms without kitchens, we eat out for every meal. Our first day in Xi’an we ate regional specialties. One of which was a noodle dish that we might call soup in America. I enjoy spicy food, but was warned to order mine “not spicy” and it still will be. Mine was so spicy it made my tongue and lips numb, but I actually enjoyed it. To cool off we had another regional favorite- fried bread filled with mutton. To me, it seemed like a cross between a Greek gyro and a shredded beef sandwich. Since then we have been eating more traditional Chinese food.
Because of the delay between our train to Xi’an and to Lanzhou, we have a total of three days here. Bei tells me that Lanzhou will be more like Fugu as far as pollution. I wish we could stay in beautiful Xi’an longer!
After breakfast, I went back to the hotel room and took a much needed shower and nap. Bei, her cousin, and boyfriend met with some other friends from Xi’an, so I had the room to myself all morning and afternoon.
Because I was in the room most of the day, I didn’t get a good impression of Xi’an until the next day. The four of us spent the whole day on the streets of Xi’an, going to parks, shopping, and eating in restaurants.
Xi’an is so much cleaner and more beautiful than Fugu. The pollution in Xi’an is relatively unnoticeable, and city workers are constantly sweeping the sidewalks and picking up trash. There are so many more trees in Xi’an as well. I mentioned the parks that we visited; they celebrate the Tang Dynasty which ruled from Xi’an beginning at about 700 A.D. The parks are filled with trees, fountains, and sculptures.
As for the shopping, I had so much fun. With the exchange rate, most shirts cost about $7, and skirts and jackets are about $20. After searching for good prices and doing a bit of haggling (with help from Bei, of course), I got some great deals. The clothes here are very Chinese in the sense that they wouldn’t be found in America. I bought four items, all of which are strange, but I think it will be fun to wear them even when I come back to America.
Because we’re staying in hotel rooms without kitchens, we eat out for every meal. Our first day in Xi’an we ate regional specialties. One of which was a noodle dish that we might call soup in America. I enjoy spicy food, but was warned to order mine “not spicy” and it still will be. Mine was so spicy it made my tongue and lips numb, but I actually enjoyed it. To cool off we had another regional favorite- fried bread filled with mutton. To me, it seemed like a cross between a Greek gyro and a shredded beef sandwich. Since then we have been eating more traditional Chinese food.
Because of the delay between our train to Xi’an and to Lanzhou, we have a total of three days here. Bei tells me that Lanzhou will be more like Fugu as far as pollution. I wish we could stay in beautiful Xi’an longer!
Trains
Trains are a common form of transportation in China. I took a train from Bei’s hometown of Fugu to the capital of the same province, Xi’an. The train ride lasted 15.5 hours. That’s two hours longer than my flight from Chicago to Beijing!
Not only was the train ride long, it was also crowded and dirty. When we found our row of three seats and a small table between another row of three seats, there were sunflower seed shells all over the table and floor, as well as some orange peels. Then, instead of six of us sitting in one section, there were eight.
At least we had seats; you can get a ticket for the train but not have a seat. People were standing, sitting and sleeping in the aisles, in between cars, and on the steps between the upper and lower cars. There was no room to move. We had no choice but to step on people to get to the dining car.
Speaking of the dining car, I thought the food was good. I had beef and potatoes with rice. It tasted slightly like a roast. The Chinese people I was with thought it was horrible, though.
I was able to get some sleep on the train because I was against the window and could rest my head. Of course, my sleep was often interrupted because the train was so noisy and would often stop abruptly. My neck hurt when we got off the train as well.
I tell you all of these things, but I don’t want anyone to think that I am complaining. It was a new experience for me to ride a train this way, and I want to honestly describe it to you. I had fun on the train, getting to know those I was with and learning about train travel in China. Honestly, it was a good experience. I tell all of these negative aspects because want everyone who reads this, presumably from America, to know how fortunate we are!
Not only was the train ride long, it was also crowded and dirty. When we found our row of three seats and a small table between another row of three seats, there were sunflower seed shells all over the table and floor, as well as some orange peels. Then, instead of six of us sitting in one section, there were eight.
At least we had seats; you can get a ticket for the train but not have a seat. People were standing, sitting and sleeping in the aisles, in between cars, and on the steps between the upper and lower cars. There was no room to move. We had no choice but to step on people to get to the dining car.
Speaking of the dining car, I thought the food was good. I had beef and potatoes with rice. It tasted slightly like a roast. The Chinese people I was with thought it was horrible, though.
I was able to get some sleep on the train because I was against the window and could rest my head. Of course, my sleep was often interrupted because the train was so noisy and would often stop abruptly. My neck hurt when we got off the train as well.
I tell you all of these things, but I don’t want anyone to think that I am complaining. It was a new experience for me to ride a train this way, and I want to honestly describe it to you. I had fun on the train, getting to know those I was with and learning about train travel in China. Honestly, it was a good experience. I tell all of these negative aspects because want everyone who reads this, presumably from America, to know how fortunate we are!
Pollution
The pollution here is awful. Fugu and the surrounding region have many coal mines and plants, so the sky is a weird gray color. Also, the soil is dusty, so after even a short walk outside, my shoes are covered in dirt. And to add to all of this, people throw their trash anywhere and everywhere. The ground it completely littered with everything imaginable.
I have a sore throat and a cough, and sometimes it is hard for me to breathe. A logical guess would be that this is due to the pollution, but I may have caught a cold while traveling.
After my third day here, I am used to the smell of burning coal in kitchens, bathrooms, and restaurants. It’s inescapable.
I do want to say, however, that I don’t hate it here. Sure, it’s dirty, but that doesn’t matter to me. It’s kind of fun to wash my hands and watch the sink turn black. Haha, but really, millions of people live this way. I see how fortunate I am to live in America, and the least I can do is live alongside them with a positive attitude.
I have a sore throat and a cough, and sometimes it is hard for me to breathe. A logical guess would be that this is due to the pollution, but I may have caught a cold while traveling.
After my third day here, I am used to the smell of burning coal in kitchens, bathrooms, and restaurants. It’s inescapable.
I do want to say, however, that I don’t hate it here. Sure, it’s dirty, but that doesn’t matter to me. It’s kind of fun to wash my hands and watch the sink turn black. Haha, but really, millions of people live this way. I see how fortunate I am to live in America, and the least I can do is live alongside them with a positive attitude.
Chinese Food
Some of the food is amazing, and some of the food will take some time to get used to.
In this region they make a special noodle, so it is found at every meal. I could hardly swallow it the first time I tried it. Of course, to be polite, I ate a lot of it. But it is so strange. At first glance, the noodles seem about the consistency of jello, but if you stick a chopstick into one and take it out, you can’t tell where the hole is. It’s just a thick, slimy, chewy consistency. And they’re huge noodles, so they are very hard for me to eat with chopsticks.
I was also served something that apparently does not have an English translation- thank goodness because I think it’s beef fat and bone. It was served with beef slices and had a clear-yellow color. It was kind of like jello, but had chunks of… something related to beef… inside. It tasted like fat. Gross.
On the other hand, I have had many great Chinese dishes. Some are similar to what is served at Chinese restaurants in America, but they taste better of course. There are dumplings, beef, pork, vegetables, peanut dishes, rice, and soy milk. I have also tried many dishes that were new to me but very good. I had pumpkin slices that were only slightly sweet, but good and juicy. I also had fried pumpkin, fried and steamed bread, pickled vegetables and potatoes. And then there are many, many main dishes that I enjoyed but don’t know what exactly was in them.
Is that good or bad?
In this region they make a special noodle, so it is found at every meal. I could hardly swallow it the first time I tried it. Of course, to be polite, I ate a lot of it. But it is so strange. At first glance, the noodles seem about the consistency of jello, but if you stick a chopstick into one and take it out, you can’t tell where the hole is. It’s just a thick, slimy, chewy consistency. And they’re huge noodles, so they are very hard for me to eat with chopsticks.
I was also served something that apparently does not have an English translation- thank goodness because I think it’s beef fat and bone. It was served with beef slices and had a clear-yellow color. It was kind of like jello, but had chunks of… something related to beef… inside. It tasted like fat. Gross.
On the other hand, I have had many great Chinese dishes. Some are similar to what is served at Chinese restaurants in America, but they taste better of course. There are dumplings, beef, pork, vegetables, peanut dishes, rice, and soy milk. I have also tried many dishes that were new to me but very good. I had pumpkin slices that were only slightly sweet, but good and juicy. I also had fried pumpkin, fried and steamed bread, pickled vegetables and potatoes. And then there are many, many main dishes that I enjoyed but don’t know what exactly was in them.
Is that good or bad?
Chinese Lantern Festival
Bei’s family took me to the Chinese Lantern Festival in Fugu. This celebration is part of the Spring Festival and the Chinese New Year. For the past month or so, most people have had off work and school. At the Lantern Festival, everyone from the surrounding area comes to the city and has a celebration in the streets. There is a parade, people selling food and trinkets, a maze to walk through for good luck the rest of the year, and of course, lost of Chinese lanterns. There are many types of lanterns at the festival, but the most common ones look exactly the same as the ones you might find at a Chinese restaurant in America. I was expecting more elaborate or ones of higher quality, but they are the same thin fabric or paper.
In China, almost every single person in the area comes to festivals like this. In America, in contrast, not everyone goes to the 4th of July parade or county fair. In China, there is nearly 100% participation. The streets of Fugu were so crowded and noisy and dirty.
I may have been the only foreigner there. I might even be the only foreigner that has been in the area for some time. Everyone stared at me, and many pointed and laughed. Some even came up to me and touched my face. They laughed and said the Chinese word for American, and they laughed even harder when I said hello to them in Chinese. It is strange to be in the minority!
22 February 2008
Bei's House
I flew from Beijing to the Yulin airport where my friend Bei and her father met me. A friend of theirs with a car drove us three hours to Bei’s home in Fugu.
Fugu is a very small town, but it is still crowded and full of people. Bei lives in a house on a hill. The outside of her home looks old and run-down, but inside it is decorated with large mirrors, murals, Chinese wall hangings, and plenty of furniture.
Bei's home is heated with coal and is rustic as far as the bathroom is concerned, but her family has a television, a computer with an internet connection, a refrigerator, and a kitchen.
Her family has been so wonderful. They want me to feel at home and at the same time experience Chinese life. Bei speaks English very well and her sister Miou has a smaller vocabulary, but none of her other family members speak English at all. It is difficult for me to express to them how grateful I am, but I am learning some Chinese words from Bei so she doesn't have to translate as much.
Fugu is a very small town, but it is still crowded and full of people. Bei lives in a house on a hill. The outside of her home looks old and run-down, but inside it is decorated with large mirrors, murals, Chinese wall hangings, and plenty of furniture.
Bei's home is heated with coal and is rustic as far as the bathroom is concerned, but her family has a television, a computer with an internet connection, a refrigerator, and a kitchen.
Her family has been so wonderful. They want me to feel at home and at the same time experience Chinese life. Bei speaks English very well and her sister Miou has a smaller vocabulary, but none of her other family members speak English at all. It is difficult for me to express to them how grateful I am, but I am learning some Chinese words from Bei so she doesn't have to translate as much.
Beijing
On Monday I flew over the North Pole from Chicago to Beijing. When I arrived at Beijing, a friend of a friend met me at the airport. She is a young Chinese girl whose English name is Amy. She studied in Australia for a few years and now lives in Beijing. Amy drove me from the airport to the hotel so I could check in, and then we went to a restaurant for Peking duck, the specialty of Beijing.
The duck did not still have its head on. I was slightly disappointed and slightly relieved.
After dinner, which was very good by the way, Amy drove me all around Beijing. I saw Tiananmen Square, government buildings, and construction in preparation for the Olympics this summer.
The rumors I heard about Beijing before I came all seem to be true: it is crowded, noisy, there are lots lights and signs, people on bicycles, and the drivers are crazy. No one follows any rules of traffic. U-turns, driving on the wrong side of the road, and stopping traffic to turn around are all common. Also, pedestrians often walk within inches of quickly moving traffic.
The people in Beijing are very hospitable. Many of them speak some English, so if I had a question at the airport or hotel, someone was able to help me. Strangers who wanted to improve their English would start a conversation with me as well.
I spent less than a day in Beijing, which is not enough time to take even part of the city, but it was a good first two days in China!
The duck did not still have its head on. I was slightly disappointed and slightly relieved.
After dinner, which was very good by the way, Amy drove me all around Beijing. I saw Tiananmen Square, government buildings, and construction in preparation for the Olympics this summer.
The rumors I heard about Beijing before I came all seem to be true: it is crowded, noisy, there are lots lights and signs, people on bicycles, and the drivers are crazy. No one follows any rules of traffic. U-turns, driving on the wrong side of the road, and stopping traffic to turn around are all common. Also, pedestrians often walk within inches of quickly moving traffic.
The people in Beijing are very hospitable. Many of them speak some English, so if I had a question at the airport or hotel, someone was able to help me. Strangers who wanted to improve their English would start a conversation with me as well.
I spent less than a day in Beijing, which is not enough time to take even part of the city, but it was a good first two days in China!
17 February 2008
Who Am I?
I fly to Beijing tomorrow and I still don’t feel anxious.
It’s not real yet.
But I thought I’d write about why I want to study in China for six months. I get that question a lot. I know it’s not going to be fun or easy, but nothing worthwhile is.
I don’t really have an answer to that question. But I’ll try.
First of all, I have wanted to study abroad for a few years now. And more recently, I decided that I wanted an extreme cultural experience. If I’m going to study abroad, I might as well go for it in a country that I know little about and where I don’t speak the language. China definitely falls under those categories for me. More obviously, my school has an exchange program set up with this particular university in China.
In addition to experiencing a different culture, I want to learn about myself. I know I have it easy here in America, and I want to know who I really am.
Like I mentioned before, the title of my blog comes from a song by the band Sherwood. A few of the lines are:
All of the ways that I have tried to understand
Have taken me further from the place that I had planned
And maybe the reason I have strayed so far from home
Is I have insisted upon traveling alone.
For me, this song is about understanding who I am, where I am from, the world around me, and where I fit in. And every time I think I have something all figured out, I don’t. I keep getting further away from what I thought was true. So now, I’m going far away from home for what is hopefully one of the best experiences in my life.
It’s not real yet.
But I thought I’d write about why I want to study in China for six months. I get that question a lot. I know it’s not going to be fun or easy, but nothing worthwhile is.
I don’t really have an answer to that question. But I’ll try.
First of all, I have wanted to study abroad for a few years now. And more recently, I decided that I wanted an extreme cultural experience. If I’m going to study abroad, I might as well go for it in a country that I know little about and where I don’t speak the language. China definitely falls under those categories for me. More obviously, my school has an exchange program set up with this particular university in China.
In addition to experiencing a different culture, I want to learn about myself. I know I have it easy here in America, and I want to know who I really am.
Like I mentioned before, the title of my blog comes from a song by the band Sherwood. A few of the lines are:
All of the ways that I have tried to understand
Have taken me further from the place that I had planned
And maybe the reason I have strayed so far from home
Is I have insisted upon traveling alone.
For me, this song is about understanding who I am, where I am from, the world around me, and where I fit in. And every time I think I have something all figured out, I don’t. I keep getting further away from what I thought was true. So now, I’m going far away from home for what is hopefully one of the best experiences in my life.
02 February 2008
Expectations
I will leave for China in less than three weeks, but I’m not feeling anxious yet. Maybe it's because I’m keeping busy. Or maybe it’s because I have no idea what to expect. No idea at all. I don’t know where I’m living or what classes I’m taking or anything about what studying abroad will be like. You probably know as well as I do.
And I don’t know the language. I’m trying to learn as much as I can, but the way I’m feeling now is that no matter how much I learn before I leave, I will still be unable to communicate with anyone who does not speak English. Don’t get me wrong; I’m definitely going to try to speak as much Chinese as I can. But really, what’s all this studying going to amount to? I know how to say “the boy” “seven cats” “she has short hair” “the man dances” and hundreds of other useless words and phrases. I want to work on more practical Chinese, such as “bathroom” “taxi” “bottled water.” It has taken me hours and hours to learn what little I know now. I feel like I’m wasting my time because once I’m immersed in the language I’ll pick it up much faster than here in America. But I’ll keep pressing on…
It’s strange to think that in a matter of days, I will be on a plane to China. For six months I will be in a foreign country missing my train, eating endangered animals, failing classes because I don’t understand the language, taking cold showers once a week and getting food poisoning, while the lives of the people that I know and love will be going on just as before. Not that my friends and family won’t grow and develop in their own ways, but how will I fit back in when I come home?
Instead of worrying about the future, I’m going to enjoy each day and commit everything that happens in these last few weeks to memory. If you find me staring at you or laughing for no reason, I’m probably thinking about how much you mean to me.
And I don’t know the language. I’m trying to learn as much as I can, but the way I’m feeling now is that no matter how much I learn before I leave, I will still be unable to communicate with anyone who does not speak English. Don’t get me wrong; I’m definitely going to try to speak as much Chinese as I can. But really, what’s all this studying going to amount to? I know how to say “the boy” “seven cats” “she has short hair” “the man dances” and hundreds of other useless words and phrases. I want to work on more practical Chinese, such as “bathroom” “taxi” “bottled water.” It has taken me hours and hours to learn what little I know now. I feel like I’m wasting my time because once I’m immersed in the language I’ll pick it up much faster than here in America. But I’ll keep pressing on…
It’s strange to think that in a matter of days, I will be on a plane to China. For six months I will be in a foreign country missing my train, eating endangered animals, failing classes because I don’t understand the language, taking cold showers once a week and getting food poisoning, while the lives of the people that I know and love will be going on just as before. Not that my friends and family won’t grow and develop in their own ways, but how will I fit back in when I come home?
Instead of worrying about the future, I’m going to enjoy each day and commit everything that happens in these last few weeks to memory. If you find me staring at you or laughing for no reason, I’m probably thinking about how much you mean to me.
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