Sick

Today was not a good day. Last night, I got braised beef and a weird blue soda from a nearby resturant. While everything tasted good at the time, I woke up this morning with a sore throat and an upset stomach. I decided I could tough it out and went to Tai Chi this morning anyways. I felt worse and worse as the morning went on, but decided to go to class anyways. By the time I got there, I knew that I probably couldn't make it through the next few hours without passing out or throwing up. I went back to my room and the next several hours were spent unconcious on my bed or in the bathroom. On a happy note, Monica brought by some Tylenol, water, and cookies (thanks again if you're reading this!). I can't remember the last time I've felt this bad and this has definitely been the worst experience I've had on this trip so far. I was about to ask Dr. Liu to take me to the health center, but I felt a little bit better when I woke up an hour ago. All I know is that I'm never going to eat at Seaside Scenery Coffee again and I hope that I'll be well enough to go back to class tomorrow.

On the other hand, this weekend was pretty fun. I was a little bit tired when we left for Beijing on Saturday morning, but I was excited to visit some of the great tourist attractions of China. First we visited Tiananmen Square, which is one of the largest squares in the world. We visited the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong and the influence he still has on the Chinese people was especially apparent here. One man even got down on his knees to bow to the body before being pulled up by the everpresent guards. We visited the Forbidden City, which was pretty amazing, considering the size and antiquity of the structures located within. One thing I've noticed about China is the commercialization of historical sites. At almost every place we've visited, there have been merchants trying to sell us trinkets and souvenirs. It bothers me that no place is untouchable (even the room right next to the one where Mao's body is kept is a gift shop), but I guess you can't really blame these people for trying to make a little money.

Unfortunately, it was raining by the time we got to the summer palace. It probably would have been a beautiful sight on a clear day, but everything was just wet and foggy. The Peking Opera we saw was an interesting experience, but I doubt I'd ever go to for my own enjoyment. The voices of the singers are too high for my tastes and in my opinion, it doesn't sound very musical. The skill of the actors was apparent though, especially in the martial arts scenes. The next day, the class visited part of the Great Wall. It was foggy and rainy again and I feel like I missed out on some great picture oppurtunities; the surrounding mountains and scenery would have been beautiful if I were able to see them. Nevertheless, the fog added a sense of mystery to the climb and made it feel as if I were inside a cloud.

The hotel we stayed in was a nice surprise. The rooms were spacious and each of them had a balcony. I was even able to catch a glimpse of an unobscured night sky, something I haven't been able to do in Tianjin due to smog and fog. Although we visited some great historical sites, I wish we could have had more time in Beijing to explore the modern aspect of China. Hopefully, I'll feel better in time for our trip to Xi'An this weekend.

Almost Halfway Done

I finally have more reliable access to the internet since we've discovered an on campus computer lab and I no longer have to deal with treks to a smoke-filled, dirty, and smelly internet cafe. One glaring aspect of the internet in China is the government's control over what its citizens get to see, also known as "the great firewall of China". I now realize how much freedom I had in the United States; even though there are always complaints about the government infringing on civil liberties, we're probably better off than many other people in the world.

On Tuesday, I finally visited the other half of Nankai University's huge campus. I figured it'd be pretty similar to the universities back home, but like pretty much everything else in China, it turned out to be way different than I expected. It looked like an urban residential block, complete with a small market selling goods ranging from bubble tea to SIM cards. I couldn't tell if the apartments were for students or if they could be rented out to anyone and people were hanging out on the streets. In the evening, we ventured out to see what was inside this interesting-looking building next to the campus. It turned out to be a shopping mall, but it was unlike any that I've been to in the United States. The individual stores were tiny and everything was located in plain view because there was no back room for storage. All sorts of different clothes (including the everpresent shirts with nonsensical english), jewelery, and electronics stuff was for sale and there was a cafeteria on the top floor. The fried rice I had there was really good, considering that I only paid $2 US for it.

Yesterday, me and one of my classmates went out to an outdoor resturant recommended by one of the other students in my study abroad group. It's located in the on-campus market area and consists of a large grill along with several tiny tables. The stools were so short that I was basically squatting for the entire meal and the sanitary conditions were questionable. Despite this, I really enjoyed the environment of this store. I've never encountered a place in the US where you sit outside in the evening and enjoy a nice meal with children and dogs running through the "resturant". The food was good, despite being a little bit spicy and I tried a couple of things I've never eaten before (chicken hearts and lamb). If no digestive issues pop up, I hope to visit this place again.

First Weekend

I just got back from the Shandong province where we visited Qufu, Confucius' hometown, and Mt. Tai. On Friday, after a five hour bus ride, we enjoyed a nice dinner and went out to explore the city. It seemed like a festive place, with several groups of people dancing and playing instruments in the park across the street from our hotel. Unfortunately, the feel of the city seemed to change later in the night - all the lights were shut off, the dancers left the park, and most shops closed their doors.

On Saturday, we visited Confucius' birthplace, their family's burial grounds, and a temple dedicated to Mencius. We were accompanied by our knowledgable tour guide, Frank, who was able to provide detailed information about all the sites we visted. It was hot and was pretty tired by the end of the day, but it was extremely interesting to visit the actual home of such an influential scholar.

The next day, we made the trek up Mt. Tai, a place of extreme importance in Chinese culture. I could feel a change in the air during the bus ride to the ropeway station. It became cooler and fresher - a welcome change from the hot and smog-filled air I had been breathing for the past week. The ride from the station up to the summit in a tiny gondola was intimidating, but the view was breathtaking. We were above the everpresent smog and could actually see a clear blue sky. I could see the unobscured sun for the first time since I had arrived in China. I had never been up on a mountain as high as Mt. Tai and the view of the surrounding peaks was awe-inspiring.

During this entire weekend, we were treated to multi-course banquets of traditional Chinese food. While I do enjoy these dishes occasionally at home, having them for every meal was a little bit tiring. They were a bit too greasy and salty for my tastes and by the end of the weekend, I was wishing for the food I normally eat back home. I also had to wash my first batch of clothes before the trip this weekend; all the washing machines were taken, so I had to handwash all my clothes in the bathtub. There seem to be no dryers on campus, so I had to hang my wet clothes in whatever space was availible in my dorm room.

The beginning of the next school week is approaching fast. I can only hope it can bring as many new and interesting experiences as I've had this past week.

First Impressions

Well, it's been four days since I've arrived in China. It was an extremely long plane ride, but it turned out better than I expected. The airplane food was alright and the entertainment was pretty good - I also got to catch a glimpse of Minneapolis and Tokyo (if only the airports). I've never been out of the country before and had no idea what to expect. At first, the differences between here and the US were not that apparent; the first stores that greeted me after leaving Chinese customs were a Starbucks and a KFC and the road from Beijing to Tianjin seemed pretty similar to any US highway (that is, until I saw the nuclear power plant by the side of the road). As the days have gone by, I have come to realize how different this place actually is.

My schedule is really packed; everyone gets up early in the morning for Tai Chi, followed by several hours of language and culture class. I'm usually really tired by the time I get back to my room and haven't had the energy to go and explore the city, although this is something I hope to do before this weekend. Class is moving a little slow since we spend a great deal of time focusing on pronouncing combinations of initals and finals, but I expect it to pick up speed within the next several days. I've never had to speak Chinese as much as I have now (even when I'm with my family) and I can feel my control over the language improving every day.

The locals around here are an interesting bunch, from my American standpoint. The streets are crowded with bicycles, cars, and pedestrians with complete disregard for the traffic laws. People practice Tai Chi on campus grounds early in the morning. Buying an item from a street vendor is not as simple as it is in the states; bargaining and haggling is expected. I gained a bit of experience with this during our class trip to the "cultural street", which is filled with stores selling a wide variety of trinkets (the picture shows this street after most of the shops have closed for the day). As a result of my very poor Chinese, I've come to experience what it feels like to be a foreigner in another country...it's been exhausting and intimidating, but never boring. I look foward to the new experiences that these next few weeks will bring me.