Right now I am in Fugu, Shaanxi, China at the home of my friend Bei. In just a few days, I hope to travel to Yulin, just south of Fugu, and see a few things there. Yulin has some unreconstructed sections of the Great Wall as well as some Buddhist caves. From Yulin I want to take a train back to Xi'an so that I can take a train to my friend Lei's hometown.
Fugu is not quite as I remembered it from when I came in February. The local government has been working hard to improve the conditions here. Fugu has new parks along the Yellow River, new apartment buildings, plans to build a bridge, and the city seems a little cleaner.
It is great to be with Bei's family again. They are so kind to me. The last time I was here, I of course could not speak any Chinese. But even though I can now, they won't let me speak it. I understand when her mother says to Bei, "Tell Caiti in English that..." and Bei tells me in English. It's slightly frustrating. Bei's family does speak a local dialect, but it is similar enough to standard speech for me to understand.
When I leave Bei's home, I hope it's not the last time I see her and her family.
Showing posts with label Xi'an. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Xi'an. Show all posts
19 July 2008
16 July 2008
Hua Shan
When I flew into Xi'An on Sunday, I met up with Dustin who I studied with in Lanzhou. His brother flew out here from Canada, and the three of us spent two days climbing a mountain. Hua Shan is about a two-hour bus ride east of Xi'An and is a beautiful rocky and tree-covered mountain.
We started climbing at about 8 a.m. on Monday morning, and we reached the top that evening. At the bottom, we walked up an incline, which turned into stairs, which turned into footholds in the rock with a chain to hold on to. The precipices were almost vertical.
We spent the night at a monastary at the top of the mountain. After climbing all five of the highest peaks and using harnesses to traverse some difficult parts, we headed back down the mountain to take a bus back to Xi'An.
Hua Shan is beautiful. When we were climbing the mountain, we were practically the only ones around. But we discovered that there is a gondola from the very bottom of the mountain to the very top. So after a day of rough climbing, we were tired and looking forward to enjoying the scenery. But it was difficult with throngs of Chinese tourists in high heels, dresses, and parasols, yelling on their cell phones. I think the gondola was a bad idea. Also, the beauty of the mountain was partly destroyed by litter. These same make-up clad tourists threw their custard pie wrappers where ever they pleased. It's slightly upsetting.
Even still, I enjoyed Hua Shan and the company of my Canadian friends. But my legs are extremely sore...
We started climbing at about 8 a.m. on Monday morning, and we reached the top that evening. At the bottom, we walked up an incline, which turned into stairs, which turned into footholds in the rock with a chain to hold on to. The precipices were almost vertical.
We spent the night at a monastary at the top of the mountain. After climbing all five of the highest peaks and using harnesses to traverse some difficult parts, we headed back down the mountain to take a bus back to Xi'An.
Hua Shan is beautiful. When we were climbing the mountain, we were practically the only ones around. But we discovered that there is a gondola from the very bottom of the mountain to the very top. So after a day of rough climbing, we were tired and looking forward to enjoying the scenery. But it was difficult with throngs of Chinese tourists in high heels, dresses, and parasols, yelling on their cell phones. I think the gondola was a bad idea. Also, the beauty of the mountain was partly destroyed by litter. These same make-up clad tourists threw their custard pie wrappers where ever they pleased. It's slightly upsetting.
Even still, I enjoyed Hua Shan and the company of my Canadian friends. But my legs are extremely sore...
A Whole New World
I couldn't get train tickets from Chengdu to Kunming like I had wanted. I contacted some of my Chinese friends and was invited to return to my friend Bei's home, so my traveling is looking a lot different than it did a few days ago.
I flew from Chengdu to Xi'an on Sunday. Flying in China, for me, is not preferable. Because China is so diverse, it is shocking to step off an airplane into what seems like another world. By train, I can watch the countryside change and I have a day or two to get used to the differences in the regions.
In fact, staying in Chengdu made me truly realize how diverse China is. Some example are the food, the spoken language, and the habits and customs of the people. When I first came to China, I liked the food, but it was so different that I didn't want to eat much. When I arrived in Sichuan, it was the same. The food is so different from the Lanzhou food I am used to that I didn't have much of an appetite for the first few days, even though the food was delicious. The spoken language in Chengdu was difficult to get used to as well. For instance, the "sh" sound is pronounced more like a simple "s" which caused much confusion for me. And, in Chengdu, the people are more relaxed and laid back. They are more wealthy than in Lanzhou, their city is more western, and they are more concerned with safety and sanitation. The differences between the provinces are enormous, and traveling is very eye-opening and educating.
As for Xi'An, I not only have been here before, but it is fairly similar to Lanzhou. It feels more like home! Going to Bei's home will be like home as well; when I first came to China, I stayed with Bei and her familiy. At that time, I was unable to verbally communicate with them. Now that I can speak Chinese, I will be able to truly express to them how grateful I am for their kindness to me.
I flew from Chengdu to Xi'an on Sunday. Flying in China, for me, is not preferable. Because China is so diverse, it is shocking to step off an airplane into what seems like another world. By train, I can watch the countryside change and I have a day or two to get used to the differences in the regions.
In fact, staying in Chengdu made me truly realize how diverse China is. Some example are the food, the spoken language, and the habits and customs of the people. When I first came to China, I liked the food, but it was so different that I didn't want to eat much. When I arrived in Sichuan, it was the same. The food is so different from the Lanzhou food I am used to that I didn't have much of an appetite for the first few days, even though the food was delicious. The spoken language in Chengdu was difficult to get used to as well. For instance, the "sh" sound is pronounced more like a simple "s" which caused much confusion for me. And, in Chengdu, the people are more relaxed and laid back. They are more wealthy than in Lanzhou, their city is more western, and they are more concerned with safety and sanitation. The differences between the provinces are enormous, and traveling is very eye-opening and educating.
As for Xi'An, I not only have been here before, but it is fairly similar to Lanzhou. It feels more like home! Going to Bei's home will be like home as well; when I first came to China, I stayed with Bei and her familiy. At that time, I was unable to verbally communicate with them. Now that I can speak Chinese, I will be able to truly express to them how grateful I am for their kindness to me.
29 February 2008
Registering for Classes
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.
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.
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)