pah-ree
My status as we landed in Charles De Gaulle Airport, Paris:
1. five hours of sleep in 48 hours,
2. having just endured the most uncomfortable plane ride in recent memory and
3. newly-turned 21. Fatal.
HOWEVER. Managed to find the Roissy bus from the terminal to take us to the city center AND FROM THERE a 15 minute walk to the hotel, WHICH I LED and WHICH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, WITH NO WRONG TURNS WHATSOEVER.
Now I need to pass out for a few hours.
But here are two pictures.
View from the hotel room. Paris reminds me of Vienna.
belated EVERYTHING post
It feels like I am going to title all my entries “belated ____ post.” This is a sad fact of life and we will all have to learn to live with it.
So! It’s been a month (!!) since I’ve been here. The end of the second week heralded the end of Intensive Czech class and the beginning of… everything else. We’ve been attending regular classes for three weeks now, and some classes I enjoy more than others, admittedly. But even the bad things aren’t so bad, and who am I to complain when I am in PRAGUE of all places. So yes.
Now comes the perilous task of documenting the past month. I don’t think I have the energy, willpower, or concentration to do it all in one go, and it’s not like I am cruel enough to subject any of you to what would certainly be an impenetrable wall of text, so I’ll break it up into weeks.
05 – 11 Sept:
05 Sept (Josefov & Pražký Hrad)
We started off looking for the Old New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga) in Josefov, the old Jewish quarter. It’s an area with a long history, but most of it has been rebuilt and overlapped with more modern buildings, so it’s difficult to imagine how it was originally. We didn’t stay long in the area after finding out that the Old Jewish Cemetery was closed for the day (Saturday, duh), but we definitely plan to go back another time, probably with our History class. I’ll be sure to give Josefov the post it deserves, because it really is an amazing, amazing place.
Then we walked to Jan Palach Square, which is right next to the bank of the Vltava River. Jan Palach was a Czech student who immolated himself in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. You can find memorials to him all over Prague. This year is the forty year anniversary of his death, and the twenty year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in Prague. It’s a very auspicious year, to say the least.
Jan Palach square is located in front of the Rudolfinium, which is an auditorium that houses an art gallery and Dvorak Hall, one of the oldest concert halls in Europe. The Rudolfinium is the seat of the Czech Philharmonic and we are most definitely going to catch a concert there soon.
From there we crossed the Mánes Bridge into Malá Strana (Lesser Town). We wandered into the gardens of Wallenstein Palace (seat of the Czech senate!) without really knowing what it was, but there were statues, fountains, an artificial stalactite wall, an aviary, and lots and lots of green. Also, peacocks. Several of them.
We made our way to Prague Castle (Pražský hrad) next, though we didn’t get to see much of it other than the vineyard and St. Vitus Cathedral (which is nothing to be coughed at). The cathedral is largest in the Czech Republic and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Within are the tombs of several kings and saints of Bohemia and also the coronation jewels (locked behind a small door with seven locks, the keys to which are entrusted to seven different people). It’s immense immense immense and very, very Gothic.
06 Sept (Prague Metronome, Letna Park, Deer Moat, Petřin Tower and Hill)
One of the program participants, Andrew, decided to lead us “off the beaten path” that day. He wasn’t kidding.
We met in front of the other apartment in Křižikova and walked along the river and then up a bunch of stairs to the Prague Metronome, which overlooks the river and the very center of the city. It literally is a giant metronome, in constant motion, and the most interesting thing about it is that it stands on the very spot where a massive granite Stalin monument used to be. The Stalin monument was demolished in 1962, and I guess Praguers thought this was a good replacement, symbolizing the break away from communism and change for the future. Sublime.
The square immediately behind the Metronome is a popular spot for skateboarders. Graffiti abounds and if you look up, you can see shoes hanging from the electric wires. Behind that was Letna Park, filled with grass and trees and cranky rollerbladers. Since the park is so elevated and located right on the bank of the river, there is no shortage of amazing, postcard-worthy views.
From Letna Park, we walked to the area below Prague Castle, specifically the Deer Moat (jelení příkop). It used to be part of the castle’s northern defenses, but now it really just looks like an enchanted forest (with pavement, yes). There did use to be deers here, but the French army shot them all during their occupation of Prague in 1741-42. Apparently, there is also a legend of a werewolf residing in the moat, from the time of Emperor Rudolf II…
Next! Petřin Hill. This is really where we veered “off the beaten path.” It was a nice walk from the Moat to the foot of the hill. We passed a charming little square where everyone stopped to buy some overpriced beverages in preparation for the hike ahead. We continue, going at a leisurely pace, enjoying the view, until we come to a fork in the road. “Hmm,” says Andrew, our fearless leader. “I think I know which way we’re going to go.” And then he plunges into the wilderness. We follow. By the way, I was wearing Converse shoes. Traction? Practicality? What’s that?
Oh, and trail? What trail? I see rocks for footing and roots for grabbing onto, so let’s scrabble up this vertical incline with no regard for our personal safety! So we do. And it was glorious.
When we make it to flat ground again, we are right in front of the Hunger Wall (hladová zeď), which was built in the 14th century during the reign of Charles IV. It was a strategic construction, intended for defense, but after the famine of 1361, the building of it also provided much needed employment, and it was thus known as the Hunger Wall.
Then we take a nice stroll over to the Petřin Tower, the “Czech Eiffel Tower.” It’s smaller, but there is a definite, blatant resemblance. We didn’t climb it, but I’ll go back some day to check out the panorama view from the top.
Now, the journey back. Our little adventure had been without incident so far. Sure, Andrew took a little tumble and broke his camera and got grass stains on his white shirt, but he’s practically indestructible and was also kind of asking for it anyway. We’re making our way down the hill on foot, and we’re nearing the end, and no one’s fallen/died/broken anything, and we can finally see civilization again, all that’s left before us is one last slope. But oh, it was a formidable slope, a worthy final opponent. What happened next, while unfortunate and devastating, was one of the best things I have ever witnessed in my life.
I told Genta, my fellow Hunter student and roommate, to go ahead of me; this way I could keep an eye on her. Entirely honorable intentions. So she starts walking down, taking careful, measured steps, and it looks like she’s doing well, no problem at all. But as we watch, she picks up her pace, still taking tiny little steps but faster, and then she starts speeding down the hill, and suddenly–inexplicably–she drops her bag and she keeps going. At this point, Dawoon and I are staring in disbelief and confusion, and I have no idea what she’s doing, I think maybe she’s gunning for it. But why did she drop her bag?
So she’s flying down the hill with these tiny baby steps, arms bent at the elbow and hands raised to shoulder height, her bag laying abandoned in the grass, and all that was missing was a finish line for her to run through, but less than ten feet from the end, a tragic twist of fate, and she falls flat on her back.
(Site of Genta’s demise)
I would be lying if I said my initial reaction was not to double over with laughter. Because I did. I would also be lying if I said I was not laughing the whole way down to her. Because I was. And the biggest lie would be if I said that I didn’t regret not recording the whole thing. Because I really, really wish I had. For the memories.
10 Sept (boat cruise)
USAC took us on a cruise on the Vltava River, complete with dinner and beer.
As we were waiting for the boat to arrive, five of the boys decided to jump off a bridge into the river. They asked Jan, our program coordinator, and he said, “I feel it’s all right…” So they did. I was left with the glamorous task of gathering their discarded pants and shirts and shoes and bookbags and bringing them back down. As the boys were climbing out of the water, we see the police cruising down the river in their own boat. They asked for identification and I guess those five brave souls now have records in Prague.
We met our professors on the boat, and after dinner, Jan took some of the students swimming. The cruise went on into the early evening, so we got to see the city all lit up from the river. At one point we passed another boat, whose passengers started yelling/singing to us, “WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.” Indeed you are.
We passed under the Charles Bridge and when we finally docked, it was getting dark out. A quick walk past the Rudolfinium, down the winding side streets of Staré Město and we were home at Anežská.
trading steel and glass skyscrapers for the city of a hundred spires
Prague Prague Prague, city of my dreams, we meet at last.
(St. Augustine, statue on the Charles Bridge)
So I admit I have been putting off this blogging thing for the past week, but I am finally here, and that is what counts! I arrived on the 29th of August, and mostly, I have been up to a lot of walking and touristy things, like taking pictures and getting in the way of other people’s pictures. We have been attending intensive Czech class this week as well, at 9 AM every morning for four hours a day. Intimidating though that may sound, I assure you it has not been that bad, though it may help that I have been studying Czech on my own during the summer (I am a nerd, please don’t break my glasses).
Moving into the apartment was relatively hassle-free (I was the second person to arrive). The only hitches were a) dragging more than half my body weight in luggage up the stairs, and b) figuring out how to unlock the door. Because I am particularly inept, it took about ten minutes to figure out which key went in which keyhole, which direction to turn the key, how many times the key had to be turned, and in which order. It was a marvelous experience, standing outside the door with ~45 kg of luggage, a pounding headache and a deep, deep desire to take a shower and collapse on a soft surface that was preferably horizontal.
The apartment itself is very cool, the view is wonderful, and the rooms have these awesome windows with ledges big enough for you to sit on and watch the sun set on the red roofs. We live above a wine seller, who is also the landlord, and he is quite possibly the coolest person I’ve met here so far. He speaks Czech, German, Russian, and only a little English, but that doesn’t stop him from inviting us in for wine in his little wine café every time he sees us. I will definitely have to practice my Czech with him and hope he doesn’t laugh too hard.
The natives I’ve met so far are very friendly as well. The first day of class, I had forgotten my transportation pass in my room, so I told everyone to go ahead without me and that I’d catch up, no problem. What a stupid move for someone as directionally challenged as me. Needless to say, as soon as I got back out on the street alone, I was at a complete loss and my very first step was already in the wrong direction. This led to me running around the side streets of Old Town, going, “prosím prosím!” and pointing at the address of my school, hoping fervently that someone could point me in the right direction. Incidentally, although they were all very kind and patient, no one knew the way. In the end, I ran across one of the many bridges in the city (the Čechův most) and then down one direction before making a complete 180 and running down the opposite direction. By then, I think I was already halfway to the zoo, but I did find the tram, and I did make it to school (15 minutes late, but the teacher did not mind).
Anyway. Prague! It really is as beautiful as everyone says (like Disneyland, like a fairy tale!), though admittedly, it is tainted a bit by the constant reconstruction. My first night here, Dawoon and I took a walk to Staré Město (!!) and the Charles Bridge (!!), only to be greeted again and again by the scaffolding that seemed to pop up everywhere. Still, that didn’t discourage the tourists (or us!) and it was all still very hand-to-the-heart-and gasp-worthy. The tourists here are a motley bunch. Since I’ve been here, people have thanked/apologized to me in at least four different languages. Probably more. Prague’s appeal is international.
During our multiple-day orientation, we’ve had traditional Czech meals such as gulash and roast pork with knedlíky. I’ve also had smažený sýr (fried cheese), which is going to clog my arteries and kill me along with the beer I’ve been drinking almost daily (it’s cheaper than water!). But that is ok!
Our program coordinators took us on walks around the city, showing us the sights and trying to help us orient ourselves. Petr showed us Café Slavia, where intellectuals during the communist reign would gather to debate and discuss ideas (one of whom was Václav Havel, the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic). Of course, the Cafe has since transformed into a completely different setting, with its main patrons being, according to Petr, “rich business men in suits trying to look cool sipping overpriced coffee.” Still, the history is there.
When we met at “the horse’s tail” in Wenceslas Square the second day, Petr told us how, again during the communist reign, women would walk around the Square in miniskirts amidst the occupying soldiers, “because what other weapons did we have but the long legs of the Czech beauties.”
Petr is very passionate about Prague’s transition from communism, in case it wasn’t already obvious. He even teaches a class on it. Can you guess what it’s called? “Czech Society: Transition from Communism.”
(Týn Church, Old Town Square)
Since I’ve been here, I’ve explored Hradčany, Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město, Josefov, Vyšehrad, and two Tesco superstores. I will tell you all about them in due time. I think, for now, I will have to make up for all the sleep I’ve not been getting.
a tragic lack of xiaolongbao
SO GUYS. I’ve been back in the States for about four months– haven’t updated in a while because I am a) too busy, or b) too lazy. Usually, it is the latter, but now that school’s in full swing, it will most likely be the former. Not that it matters anymore, after this post, because my travels have ended, alas and alack!
If I were to enumerate the rest of my days in China in detail, this post would go on forever. I am not going to do that, but I anticipate this post to go on for quite a while anyway. If I’m going to do something, it might as well be thorough, right? Here we go!
NANJING (the rest):
01. We saw a lot of Nanjing, which makes sense since we spent the most time here and for the most part, we were free to do whatever the heck we wanted. My professor was also the chaperon for all the side trips, so he wasn’t even there 90% of the time.
02. One day, we went to this underground mall at Xinjiekou called Fashion Lady. I kid you not. It was so– chic, for lack of a better word. The whole place was crammed with shops and people, no relief anywhere. If I hadn’t been dogging Ryan’s footsteps, I am sure I would have gotten hopelessly lost, because the neon lights down there throw off your spatial reasoning like you wouldn’t believe. This page has some pictures, but pictures don’t do this place justice. Let me tell you, Grace had a grand time here.
03. Another day, we went to Sophia’s house for dinner. Her family was so hospitable, and dinner was real, real Chinese food. And I think her entire neighborhood came to see us, because people just kept coming in (her dance teacher even showed up!). Paul gave us a hip hop demonstration after dinner. There was much applause.
04. WE SAW RED CLIFF PART TWO WITH RYAN. RED CLIFF RED CLIFF RED CLIFF. CHIBI. CHI FUCKING BI. I ALMOST CRIED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE THING, IT WAS SO EPIC. Ahem. I mean, it was great. SO GREAT.
05. Purple Mountain. Guys, guys, at least we only spent an hour climbing the Great Wall. We must have spent five hours climbing Purple Mountain. Roger, Isabel, Debora, and I went with three of the Nanjing guides: Sophia, Sabrina, and Robin (who brought his dog along! it hitched a ride in his backpack, so cute), and two of their friends, Skye and I forget the other boy. Going up seemed endless, all those steps and more steps. Coming down was faster, but painful. We were going to take the cable car down, but it was under repair. Curses! The view at the top was pretty, that’s a given, but I’m not sure it was worth all that pain.
06. After that grueling experience, we went to Gary’s birthday dinner at the revolving restaurant near the hotel. Buffet style! I ate so much sashimi…
07. We also visited Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum. Lots of walking and stair-climbing, let me tell you. But being in that circular room, with his marble coffin–carved in his likeness–below us, that was something else. It was something of a relief to escape back into the sunlight. Then we took the shuttle bus to the the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, too, but it was under construction. What a disappointment. But we climbed this huge stone tortoise! Well, Ryan and Roger climbed. The rest of us were hauled up by Ryan. I don’t know how he did it, but I bet it’s all that military training.
08. Then we took the shuttle bus all the way across to the Linggu Temple. More stairs, always going up and up and up. It was a narrow spiral staircase this time. When we reached the top, the sun was started to set, so the view was amazing, amazing. Looking down was amazing. Going down, now that’s a different story. We left at closing time, so of course there’s no one around and it’s getting dark outside and there are no lights in the temple, so we are basically descending INTO DARKNESS. We were literally groping in the dark, hugging the railing as we went down, and when we got to the ground floor, it was pitch black. We saw the outlines of the door, and we tried to pull it open, but we couldn’t do it. So Grace is yelling and yelling, and the rest of us are running around trying all the doors (they were all locked), until finally, miraculously, we got one of them open. We had no idea what had happened, but later, much much much later, when we were on the plane back to NYC, Michael confessed that he and Ryan had gone ahead of us and held the only unlocked door shut from the outside. He had pictures and even a video of the two of them trapping us inside the temple. THOSE VERMIN.
09. Anyway. Did I tell you about the subways, guys? The Nanjing Metro. SO CLEAN. SO EFFICIENT. SO NEW. I bought a subway token just to take home. It’s blue, and you just touch it to the little pad at the turnstile, and you swish through. Very cool. Then you had to insert the token into the turnstile when you wanted to get out. There are only two subway lines, though, so at least our filthy, smelly, always-where-the-fuck-is-the-train-late subways are more convenient.
10. Also, Grace and I found the best place for stinky tofu around the Confucius Temple shopping area. SO GOOD, SOMEONE PLEASE TAKE ME BACK.
11. Farewell dinner for Ryan. MY HEART DID REND ASUNDER. He got us all gifts (the most heartfelt: an amulet to keep us safe), and afterward, when he was leaving our hotel for the very last time, and we were watching him leave, and both sides refusing to move until the other did, and– AND– I count down the days until he comes to America. He was the absolute best, and I miss him desperately.
SUZHOU (city of bridges):
01. We left the hotel in Nanjing at 5 in the morning. I had slept maybe half an hour, and about three hours the night before, and three hours the night before that. I was exhausted, and depressed, but WE MUST ALL MOVE ON. Between all of us on the trip, there was so much luggage that they had to stack them inside the bus. So Grace and I sat next to a towering pile of suitcases.
02. We made a brief stop in Suzhou, to visit one of the gardens there. There are so many of those in Suzhou, I can only imagine what they must look like in the spring, with flowers in bloom and the sky clear.
03. We also visited one of its many bridges (there are approximately 1000 in the city), and Gary, Samantha and I stood on top of the railing like we were invincible.
04. Back onto the bus, and on our way to Shanghai, all of us ready to drop off.
SHANGHAI (the lipstick of China):
01. Shanghai is very, very commercial. There was so much to see, but we only spent two days there. At night, all the lights come on and it’s like home, but so different.
02. The hotel? Beautiful. Fabulous. GLORIOUS. But. See, imagine a map of Shanghai. There’s our hotel, right, at the very bottom of it. And then there’s downtown, above it. And then, there’s the rest of Shanghai. Can you imagine how out of the way we were?
03. The first night we were there, we went to Roger’s old university, and nearby there’s this mini shopping-mall, kind of like a multi-tier plaza. We ate at Blue Frog, a hamburger joint. My American cravings: satisfied. But it took us half an hour to get there by taxi. Traffic was horrendous. At least the cabs here are cheap cheap cheap, even though it was more expensive than Nanjing’s. We also went to People’s Square, but we went really late, so everything was closed (WHAT IS THIS, CITIES SHOULD NEVER SLEEP), but there was this vendor who was trying to sell these wheels that you attach to your shoes to turn them into roller skates, and of course Grace makes a big deal about lowering the price, and soon everyone wants a pair as a souvenir to someone, and we make such a spectacle that we eventually attracted the attention of the local police, who come and chase the vendor off and break up our group. By then, we’re late, and we have to run to catch the last train– ANOTHER THING. What is this last train business. TRAINS SHOULD RUN 24/7. We didn’t have time to buy tickets, so we talked to the attendants and they just let our huge group in. But see, you can’t exit the subway stations unless you have a token, because while you scan it to enter, you have to insert it at the turnstile to exit. So, haha, we ended up paying the attendant at our stop to let us out of the station.
04. The next day, we were all over. We went to Jin Mao Tower first. There’s this elevator that goes straight up to the 88th (what a good number) floor. We got a panorama view of Shanghai, and I only wish it wasn’t so foggy and that it was nightttime.
05. Then we went to the Fabric Market, a place (indoors) where you can get a custom tailored suit for 70USD. Also, lots of scarves and ties and belts and coats and dresses and every fabric-related thing that you can imagine. And right outside, they had some really good street food: we had some sweet potatoes, and two different kinds of pancake-looking things. I wish I remembered what they were called.
06. Afterwards, we met Roger’s friend, Ting, for lunch at this Taiwanese restaurant. I think it was the best meal of the trip, hands down. On par with the stinky tofu. And that is saying a lot.
07. Then Grace and Roger went to get their hair cut. At the place that Ting took us to, they wash your hair while you’re sitting up. They squirt water and shampoo into your hair, and then they lather, all while you’re sitting in front of the mirror. Then they lead you over to the sink to rinse it off. Or maybe this is how it is in all hair salons in China? Haha. While waiting for Grace, the rest of us went to this Hong Kong style dessert restaurant. I wanted to steal their plates, they were so awesome.
08. After Grace’s hair was done, we rushed off to our farewell banquet at the hotel. We were late, of course, but Grace always makes us late, so no one was surprised. It was the night of the Inauguration back in America, but I missed it because Isabel and Debora dragged me out to play pool with them, Gary, Angela and Jaslee (Grace and Roger met Ting to go clubbing [though Ting didn't show up in the end]). The pool hall was– smoky. But everyone smokes everywhere in China, so we were all used to it. Some of the people there were really, really ace. Angela and Gary were really good, too. Some of the poses they pulled while aiming their cuesticks were hilarious.
09. The subway in Shanghai? Counts down the exact second the train arrives at the station. ACE.
10: TRAGEDIES: a) NO XIAOLONGBAO. I can’t believe I went to Shanghai and didn’t have any xiaolongbao. There just wasn’t enough time. WHAT THE FAILURE. b) WE DIDN’T GO TO THE BUND. What the hell, what the hell. I so wanted to take that boat ride at night. GUYS, if any of you ever go to Shanghai, THOSE MUST BE THE FIRST TWO THINGS ON YOUR ITINERARY.
11. Also, I’m kind of sad that we didn’t get to see the suburban parts of Shanghai, because I hear the neighborhoods there are beautiful.
12. Plane ride back, sat next to a complete stranger and discreetly watched him work on his excel worksheet. He spoke Cantonese. It made me smile.
AND THAT’S THAT, GUYS. I’m sorry for how bad I am at this whole blogging business. What an ugly word, blogging. No wonder I have no affinity for it!
… I miss China. That’s really all I can say to end this.
SO HOW WAS MY FOUR MONTH LATE POST. WORTH THE WAIT, I HOPE. Until next time.
be like the sun at midday
I am sick, I am sick, but it’s nothing serious, just a runny nose, sore throat, and an inability to hold down food.
Actually, strike that last one, because last night I managed to not overturn my stomach. What a feat! I ate well yesterday, had ramen for lunch (it was 28 RMB which is about 4$, and compared to the 11$ bowls of ramen we get in NYC—THAT’S REALLY CHEAP) and hot pot for dinner (which also came out to be about 28 RMB/person). Hot damn. The hot pot restaurant was pretty cool, with huge mushrooms, overgrown tree roots, and sakura trees as the décor.
Randomly, since I’ve gotten to China, a number of people have asked if I was Korean, first a street vendor in Xi’an, then my Nanjing partner Sabrina, and then the waitress at the tea house we went a few days ago. I don’t think I look Korean. I have asked them, 為什麼, why? But I have yet to get a substantial answer.
There’s this street near our hotel called Hunan Road, and it is completely lined with restaurants. Like heaven. It’s like a linear Times Square. With only restaurants. And shorter, but still bright with lots of lights, kind of touristy, but. Like heaven. I have pictures, I wish I could post them now. (Actually, Grace’s laptop has a slot for my XD card, but her adapter is broken and she can’t charge her laptop, and mine is incompatible, so…)
Actually, one of the first times we went out to eat, we went to this place that looked like really effing awesome, outside and in, but I guess we didn’t know how to order, because the stuff that came was really—strange. They also recommended this red bean… mixture. I will be generous and call it a “drink.” So it came in a pitcher and it looked like a mushy, purple apocalypse. I took one sip and called for tea. Grace and Roger finished most of it, as I looked on in awe. And the food looked good, but it… really wasn’t. Not suited to our tastes, I suppose. The whole dinner was about 158 RMB. Really expensive, and we only ate like 1/3 of the food (I only ate a spoonful of tofu and a dumpling and was done with it). Hot pot for four people was only like, 120 RMB. Jeez.
So that was one misadventure. We have vowed never to go back there again. That night, I had another one-night stand with my toilet bowl, as did Roger (but Roger did get pretty drunk). No surprise.
But yesterday was better, discounting the brief (read: ongoing) episode where I was a silent raging mass, and today is even better because there is no class today! The past two days, my class (Revolutionary China) met at the coffee house across from the hotel. Professor Lu is so great. I’m glad I took this class instead of Intercultural Communications.
It’s almost 11 am right now, and we are going out to eat soon. The Vietnamese place finally opened up, and I really am craving some pho right now. Maybe I can convince everyone to go.
[+]
It is 7:54 pm right now. We did end up eating Vietnamese. So very good. I had actually been craving it since we’ve arrived in China. Afterwards, we waited for an hour at the bank to exchange currency, then another hour for Angela and Gary to get back from the Laundromat so that we could go out on the lake! So we rented a boat and spent an hour on the lake, where it was all foggy and misty and like crossing the Great Lake to Hogwarts. Really awesome. It was fun. The boat went at like two miles an hour and no one could really steer it, but… Oh, and we tried to go under one of the bridges. Didn’t work out. And there was a restaurant across the lake, right on the shore, and we went up to it and waved to the people inside and they waved back. Good times.
Also, on the way back from the supermarket (a whole duffle bag of food? 140 RMB = ~20 USD WHOO BABY), I got run over by a bike. No joke. It even left a tire mark on my jeans. (Yes, I took a picture.) I mean, I’m not hurt or anything, and you can’t leave China without getting run over by a bike at least once, so. There’s that. The thing is, I was walking in front of a car, so if the guy hadn’t hit me, he would have hit the car. What the hell, man. Whatever, I didn’t drop my bottle of milk tea, or my strawberry bread, or my bag of chips, so all’s gravy.
I just finished doing laundry. In the sink. I am that hardcore. I will take a picture of all my clothes hanging in the bathroom. Now Grace is holed up in there, and I am sitting on her bed typing this, and Roger is sitting on my bed watching Invader Zim.
And the best thing, guys? I don’t feel like throwing up at all.
I’m still worried/upset/pissed off about some things back home, but there’s nothing I can do about it now. I don’t know, I had a bad feeling when I started that application anyway, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it didn’t work out—THOUGH THROUGH NO FAULT OF MY OWN… whatever. There’s still some hope. A narrow window of opportunity. I WILL SQUEEZE THROUGH… let’s not talk about this.
After writing an entry, I always feel like there’s so much I’ve forgotten, but I can never remember any of it.
coming down
I am writing this on the overnight train to Nanjing, where we will be staying for two weeks. It is 8:08 pm, January 3rd, right now, and the train just started moving. We have the six bunks in one compartment deal again, but this time there is a ladder for you to climb up to the middle and top bunks. A slight improvement. The toilet is still one of those floor-level ones though.
Sorry I haven’t been online. The internet at the Xi’an hotel worked maybe 8% of the time. 92% of the time was spent desperately refreshing the browser in the vain hope that it would connect. I’ll update again when we get to Nanjing.
Yesterday, on the 2nd, after showering in the hotel, we went to the Jade factory (it wasn’t really a factory) and then to see the Terra Cotta Warriors. Xi’an is the hometown of jade, just like Beijing is the hometown of pearl! Our tour guide (Dan Dan) told us that there is a Confucian philosophy that says that Jade represents all the virtues a Chinese gentleman should have. I can’t recite it as eloquently as Dan Dan did, but it goes something like:
Just as jade is smooth and lustrous, so shall you always be benevolent; just as jade never irritates the skin, so shall you always be loyal; just as jade never has an adverse aroma, so shall you always be polite; just as jade never hides a flaw within itself, so shall you always be sincere.
Then we went to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and they—were—so—awesome. There were three pits, and although we weren’t eye-level with any of them, it was still pretty intense. I’m sure you guys all know this, but each soldier has a different face, and they used to be fully painted before all the paint faded away. The place was huge. It was like an entire underground city, and you just felt so– much. There were spots where the original roof had collapsed, so you had these piles of broken warriors and horses just lying there, and then you think about how much more they still had to unearth and to piece together, and just… how. I guess you are awed into respect. So much dedicated to an afterlife. You had to wonder at the fear this emperor must have felt, or, conversely, the arrogance. But I suppose if you unify all of China, you are allowed your arrogance.
There was a traditional tea house at the museum too, so we watched a demonstration and tried some teas, and I bought like four cans of tea leaves, two for my parents (& me) and one for Genta, one for Kriztille. I was all smiles for the rest of the day. Yay tea!
As we were leaving the place, the sun was already setting because our group was late (as always), and as we were walking through the park to the bus, we suddenly heard rapid footsteps behind us, getting closer and closer, and suddenly, about six police officers ran past us and then one of them shouts in Mandarin, “I’ve got him!” So then they double back and surround this guy in front of us who was apparently trying to blend in with our group. I think he stole something, because they ordered him to open his jacket, but I don’t know what happened after we passed him.
So afterwards was dinner, and after that, some of the people went to get foot massages, and others went back to the hotel. I did not get a foot massage, because I probably wouldn’t be able to stop laughing during it, and it would be embarrassing. So I went back to the hotel, and after a brief reprieve in our room, I went with Grace, Roger and Jaslee to explore the city.
China has such a vibrant street culture. Vendors selling food everywhere, even after dark, and you see people dressed in the trendiest fashions sitting on tiny folding stools, hunched over a tiny folding table, eating wonton noodles out of a plastic bag. I love it. Their bar district is so festive and bright and the outside facades are all traditional-looking and so incongruous to what’s inside. We scoped out a club or two, and then went back to the hotel. Grace went out again with Roger and some more of the group, but Jaslee and I decided we were too tired, so we stayed inside to watch Chinese MTV. After Jaslee left, I fell asleep watching Kung-Fu Panda in Chinese.
The next morning we got to sleep in, and for breakfast we went to KFC. I got the kid’s meal, and it came with this funky wind-up toy. It’s a sheep! Very cute.
Then we went to see the Wild Goose Pagoda (which the Empress Wu built for the express purpose of praying for her husband’s afterlife) and the Muslim Quarter, which was awesome, all old and dusty and incense-y and old. There is this narrow, winding street leading to the Muslin Quarter, and it was really cool. It’s like the Ladies Market in Hong Kong. Lots of vendors and stalls and everything everything everything. Every so often, you’d hear someone beeping at you, and you’d have to step aside to let a motorbike pass or something. The main street of the Muslim Quarter was even more intense. It was packed, with people and bikes and cars and stalls all sharing the same space, and when it got dark, the vendors just turned on the light bulb above their tables and continued on with business. There was so much local food to try, and so much to look at and it was just—epic.
I liked Xi’an a lot more than Beijing. Xi’an is in the west of China, and usually western cities are less developed than the eastern ones, but since Xi’an is a huge tourist attraction, it’s pretty modernized. It’s a really unique place, and some of the architecture was just amazing.
After running around the Muslim Quarter, we were rushed off to the train. The train station was so packed, and everyone kept staring at our group. It was a long walk from the entrance to the actual train, and with everyone lugging around their duffel bags (now filled with souvenirs), it was immensely grueling. And now, another 15 hour ride. I’ll see you guys again in Nanjing, if I survive the trip!
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In Nanjing finally! It is 8:20 pm, January 4th. I am in our hotel room. It’s a double this time, no more suites. That’s all right. It’s a little scary having a hotel room to yourself, In Beijing, I had to sleep with the bathroom light on because I was afraid that someone could pop out of somewhere at any time. Not that leaving the bathroom light on would deter anyone from popping out of anywhere, but it made me feel a little better.
The room here is really nice, but there is only one Ethernet port and no wireless, so Grace and I have to fight for the internet. She went out to karaoke, so now I get to hog the internet. Honestly speaking, I am feeling under the weather. On the train, I kept tossing and turning and generally feeling sick. I threw up once in the bathroom, but that didn’t make me feel much better. There was this guy sleeping on the bunk above mine, and he stunk so badly. And in the middle of the night, he started snoring like you wouldn’t believe. I didn’t know anyone could snore like that. The whole train must have heard him. I kicked his bed a few times, but that didn’t do any good. He was so disgusting.
Anyway. We survived, and got to the hotel around 9 am, ate breakfast (or, in my case, watched people eat breakfast), and then went up to our rooms. I still felt like crap, so I slept, or tried to sleep until the orientation for classes at 12:30. After dragging myself to the conference room and sitting there for half an hour, I dragged myself back to the room, took some medication and passed out until 3:30, at which point there was another orientation for my class. By then, our luggage had finally arrived so I took a shower and changed and went to dinner. We met our Nanjing partners, who are natives to the area and will show us around/help us with anything during our two-week stay here. My partner is a girl named Sabrina, and she is so so so adorable. She is 18, and she likes Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears, and she dances to jazz music, and she watches Gossip Girl. Paul made fun of her for that, but then I made fun of Paul for liking the sixth Harry Potter book. It was a fun dinner, and it was the first time I’d eaten since Xi’an.
I think people are going to either Walmart or karaoke, but since I felt sick again after dinner, I went back to the room, which is where I am now. I’m glad to be in Nanjing. I’m actually excited for classes too, even though we have to present on assigned chapters and write papers and whatever. My partner is Roger, and he’s a cool cat.
I am going to go back to bed, right after I find a working proxy so that I can post this. How has everyone been? Hope you’re all staying warm and not ready to keel over like I am.
8:36 pm. It’s freezing and I don’t know how to work the heat, but I am dropping like a lead balloon. Good night!
fighting for fish face
I am on the train to Xi’an right now! We spent the night on the train, and now it is 8:24 am, and we are almost there. Almost 12 hours and I couldn’t update because there was no internet, alas. The compartments on the train have six bunk beds, three on top of each other on either side. I got the middle bunk and Grace slept below me. You can’t sit up unless you’re on the bottom bunk, and there is no ladder to get to the middle or top. Just these tiny little steps protruding and then you have to haul yourself up by grabbing onto whatever you could find. Great stuff. The boys had to organize themselves into shifts to keep guard throughout the night, because there are no doors. I woke up around 3 am and stood with them for a while.
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10:34 am now, and we have just finished breakfast at the hotel and are waiting for our rooms. I reeeeally want to take a shower right now. I doubt we will get lucky again and get suites. That’s all right, though. The hotel is right in the middle of the city! And it’s a pretty commercial area so there are actually things around. Oh! And Xi’an has a city wall. I love that. I LOVE CITY WALLS. They’re so medieval. Of course, the city’s expanded over the centuries and the entirety of it is not within the walls, but. CITY WALL. They have a bell tower and a drum tower, and the architecture of those structures is such a contrast to the newer buildings that tower over them. It’s great. Beijing was sort of like that too, with rows of one-storey shops with traditional Chinese façades and roofs, and then there are these gigantic residential buildings rising up immediately behind it. It’s strange, and sort of awesome.
Yesterday we went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Amazing amazing amazing. Super crowded, but it’s so beautiful in there! And huge. So huge. Like the Summer Palace, only it was linear and not so sprawled out, but still very very impressive. There were a lot of peddlers outside of the Square, but there were none once we got into the city. One of the guys in Fiona’s group, Jason, bought an entire bag of earmuffs and hats and gloves from this one lady for 200 RMB, and walked around trying to sell them himself. It was the funniest thing ever. Eventually he just started giving them away to whoever wanted them. He gave a hat to a little kid, and you should have seen the smile on his face.
Speaking of the Summer Palace, there was something I didn’t mention (because I was a mess, sorry) There’s this analogy for the emperor and his people, how the emperor is a boat, and the people are the waters, which means that the people support the emperor but can also overturn him. So in the Summer Palace, there is this massive marble boat, as if to say, “you can’t overturn me.” Quite the statement, although it was ruined a little by the broken motorboat stuck in the ice next to it. (The lake in the middle of the Summer Palace is an abundant source of pearl-producing oysters.)
Anyway, yesterday we also went to this Eastern medicine place, where they sell herbal remedies and give massages and check-ups. There’s this method of diagnosing that consists of checking the six different pulses in your wrists. I went in for a check-up, and they said there was nothing wrong with me. Ha! Some people were found to have kidney and liver and digestive problems, though, and they gave them a prescription. It was pretty cool. And at lunch, Gary and Grace were fighting for the fish head. So they could eat the face. The one time I forget to bring my camera, lunch turns out to be interesting. Oh well.
Also, we went to a supermarket before dinner. We got like, a huge bag of snacks for a little more than 1 USD. Fantastic. And there is this Beijing local snack called Bing Tong Hu Lu (literally ice sugar gourd), which is basically this stick of fruit glazed with sugar. So good. We had a stick of tangerine slices and a stick of strawberries. Both had some sort of mystery Chinese fruit at the ends that no one could name. But it was good too. For dinner, we had Peking duck! Scrumptious. It was a nice way to end our stay in Beijing. After that we boarded the overnight train to Xi’an (the train station? IMMENSE. GARGANTUAN. LIKE GRAND CENTRAL MULTIPLIED BY FIVE).
I lied last time. I don’t hate the people in this program. They are a cool bunch, and I guess I was just in a dour mood the other day.
As for today—WE ARE IN XI’AN. Xi’an means the “western peace.” It was really foggy when we got out of the train station. Bleak. But it was better once we got out of the outskirts of the city and into the city proper (WITHIN THE CITY WALL WHOO). Short drive to the hotel, where we had breakfast and got our room assignments.
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It’s 11:51 am now, and I am in my room, all showered and ready to go out again. I am sharing a room with Grace this time. They gave us a suite (like our rooms in Beijing), because they don’t have enough doubles (again), and so I will be sleeping in the same bed as Grace. The bathroom has two sliding doors and no locks. Also, there is a closet outside of the bathroom that is connected to the closet inside the bathroom—really it is the same closet and you can open it from both ways, so that means there are three ways into the bathroom and zero locks. Also, the toilet wouldn’t flush, so we had to open the lid and pour water from the sink in there to get it to work. And there are weird bulges in the wall behind me. Xi’an is shaping up to be quite the adventure. (The room’s still nice… looking.)
Anyway, it is time to go now (TERRA COTTA WARRIORS), so I will be back later. I hope this update was substantial! Alas, I cannot put up pictures because I forgot the USB cable for my camera. PLEASE DO NOT STONE ME TO DEATH. Thank you for reading, guys. I miss you all too! And Happy New Years! Finally. Fiona was on the phone with her mom yesterday as New York was counting down, and the entire group was screaming out numbers in the streets outside the Forbidden City. We were a spectacle.
Everyone take care!
hero status
Blasting Yoko Shimomura (Destati) on your ipod while standing atop the Great Wall, coat flapping in the wind, toes completely frozen, lungs threatening to collapse… something about that is just so… SO—
The tour guide said that there’s a saying that goes, “you’re not a hero until you’ve climbed the Great Wall.” Well, guys. Today, I have achieved hero status. Those steps were STEEP. They were as high as my knee. Looking down from the first watchtower, you’d be amazed how far up you climbed. Some people went all the way to the top; I stopped after I cleared the first level. It was really, really hard to breathe up there. Kiki would have been fine, I think, but a brat like me who’s lived at sea level her whole life… well.
But that was the highlight of my day. The rest of the day was honestly pretty depressing. I mean, the Summer Palace was beautiful and amazing, but with all the peddlers and street vendors flocking after you with their wares and barely comprehensible English, that was when you realized how vast and how insurmountable the social gap is in China. There’s something sad about their persistence. I don’t know. Yesterday, there were construction workers striking outside of the hotel, because they weren’t getting paid for their work. At one point, they entered and lined up in the lobby. People started taking pictures, and I wanted to punch them.
Beijing is such a lonely city. It’s huge, and everything is sprawled out, so you get these long stretches of road lined with nothing but gaudy restaurants and hotels with gigantic flashing neon signs for the tourists, and you see people walking or biking alone in the cold and dark, and it’s just. You get homesick like that. You get the feeling that everything and everyone is here specifically for the tourists tourists tourists, and that makes me a little sick. Does that make sense? But I know we are keeping to the areas that are custom tailored for tourists, so maybe it’s better in the city proper. I don’t know. Either way, I don’t want to be a downer, so I’ll stop talking about that.
Last night’s Peking opera was pretty awesome. After a bit, you learned to tolerate the, um, very stylized vocalizing they do. The sets and costumes were really pretty, and the characters were adorable. It was a tragedy, though (what do you expect with a name like “Forbidden Love”), so the last scene was a silhouette of Xu Xian—whose one true love was sealed away for all eternity—standing on a bridge, all by himself, holding an umbrella, and singing in a broken voice, “If you were a wandering fish, I’d be the waters of the ocean…”
Anyway. I hate to admit this, but I already am sick of everyone in this program. But we will not dwell on that. I can’t wait to get to Nanjing so we can be on our own.
Oh, and thanks guys, for commenting! I would reply, but the firewall here makes it too difficult; it’s all I can do to find a proxy that works long enough to let me post.
!! HAPPY NEW YEARS !! For me, anyway. Whoa, living in the future. It’s not a big deal here in China, so nothing’s going on. I’m exhausted anyway. Hope everyone back in the states is enjoying their winter vacation! I am going to pass out now.
landings
FINALLY IN BEIJING. FINALLY GOT A PROXY TO WORK. HURRAH HURRAH.
Recap of the last day (two days? I don’t know anymore). Written at various times offline–
December 28th-30th:
So I got to JFK airport at the designated time of 8 pm. Check-in didn’t start until 9 pm, which was a drag. Grace came a little later with her family and her boyfriend, and together with my mom, they proceeded to scare us with every horror story about the Motherland they had in their collective repertoire (there were a lot of them). We finally got rid of our baggage and were whisked (very briskly) through security. That was a hassle. I had forgotten that we had to take off our shoes, so I was hopping around on one foot, trying to unlace my boots. Of course, belts also had to go, so I had to walk through with one hand holding up my pants. I promise you I was the picture of dignified.
We got to the gate at around 9:30, and proceeded to sit for three hours. One of those three hours was spent listening to Grace flirt with her boyfriend on the phone. Scintillating stuff. Another half hour was spent trying to find “the girl with the white top and purple pants.” We found her in the end. Also, a bottle of Coke was $2.70.
Anyway, am writing this on the plane now. It is 1:35 am, December 29th. They just turned off the seat-belt sign, and put on a movie (50 First Dates—gag). If I were wittier, I’d make some clever commentary about the airline safety video and stuff, but I am not. I do have to say that I love plane take-offs. NYC was a glittering expanse beneath us, neat rows of lights and everything so tiny, and as we moved away from the metropolitan areas, everything got formless and dark. But my ears didn’t pop, which is a major plus.
In about 15 minutes they are going to serve us dinner/breakfast. Good thing too, because I am starving, and my head kind of hurts. I probably won’t be able to post this until we get to the hotel in Beijing. That’s about 20 hours from now. There’s nothing to see outside the window now. O sadness.[+]
6:38 am now. Haven’t slept at all, can’t get comfortable. The food was good though, but maybe only because I was really hungry. They had this apple pie/cake thing and it was strangely satisfying. But I am so exhausted. Nine more hours to go. Eyes are too tired to read or to do anything. WHAT NOW.
So far, the lady in the row in front of us got dizzy and was on the verge of fainting, and another lady two rows in front of us threw up. Is it something about my presence, or Grace’s, I wonder? Very intriguing. I met Grace’s friend, Gary. At one point, we were trying to teach him how to pick up stewardesses in Mandarin. “你要不要？ Do you want it?” Unf, baby.
I have been able to pass for a Mandarin speaker so far! But it is only a matter of time before they find me out to be a sham. O the disgrace.
So tired, want to sleep…….
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Well. It is now 1:34 pm and I am in Beijing! Currently trying to get proxies to work for me, but alas alas, no such luck.
The rest of the flight from NYC to Shanghai was spent in sleepless agony. We landed around 5:30 am in Shanghai, and I got kind of homesick when the plane was descending and I looked out the window and it was nowhere near as impressive as NYC. Anyway, baggage claim and re-checking in took forever, but we still had three hours to kill before our transfer flight to Beijing. Most of the group sat down and got something to eat, which made most of us to be late for boarding. Grace, Fiona and I barely made it past the gate and onto the shuttle bus, and as the doors closed, we saw one of the girls standing at the gate with this look of absolute panic on her face. Then the bus started to pull away and everyone let out a collective, “Oooohhh.” But we got her in the end, and the two hour flight to Beijing was relatively eventless. Claimed our luggage, got picked up, and was shuttled off to our hotel. But let me tell you, dragging around 60+ pounds of luggage with you = not fun at all. My arms will be so sore in the morning.
Oh, but I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM. They didn’t have enough doubles SO THEY GAVE US SUITES. Oh my God, it’s so nice. It has a view of the courtyard and everything. I’m on the eighth floor. I will post pictures when I can, but SO. NICE. The bed looks amazing. I will sleep like a babe tonight. And the television and the bathroom and the alarm clock with a port for your ipod—just trust me, everything is spectacular. Except the internet. ARGH FIREWALL.
So. Now (3:10 pm, December 30th), in about three hours we are meeting for dinner and then going to a Peking opera show. I suspect that everyone will sleep through that, but. That’s jetlag for you.
Fiona just called, and we are going out to explore the city once Grace is done showering. Honestly, I am about to keel over and sleep forever, but you know. It’s not everyday you’re in Beijing. Unless you live here. Shut up.
Long post is long.
北京歡迎你!
departure eve
So I leave tomorrow night, and instead of packing and generally getting things ready for my epic adventure on the other side of the world, I am bumming around the house, baking cakes and playing video games (at least I am playing something relevant– Dynasty Warriors. The sixth one). Got to see Genta and Ricky today! That is something. I think it’s finally getting to me that I won’t be seeing any of my friends except Grace for three-and-a-half weeks… Grace. Let’s not dwell on that. I am sure we will get along. Must keep her off my bed.
I will start packing in earnest tomorrow, and read over all the trip notes that the Professor’s sent us (there are a lot of them; the man loves his emails). I wonder if my suitcase will be over 50 pounds. I’ll weigh it on the scale tonight. Also got to remember to charge everything (laptop, camera, cell phone, ipod). What will I do on that 15 hour flight? Sleep? Work on my Chinese? Talk to Grace??? … at least books don’t run on batteries, eh?
Nothing much to say. The excitment will come to me when I am finally on the plane. Hopefully I’ll find a way to post when I am over there. Rest assured, you’re not shutting me up that easily!
