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.