October 18 - October 19, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
The weather is shifting. I have to wear a hoodie everyday now. I've been working on a scarf, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. I guess we'll see how that comes out.
Every class is essentially a forward march through the content of our books, in order. The classes are really very basic and, on a lot of days, pretty boring. Four straight hours every morning can really wear on you. Even with the ten minute breaks every 50 minutes. I do feel like I'm learning some, though, don't get me wrong. My conversation skills have improved, even if I still have trouble just listening and interpreting. My reading and writing is still excellent, and only getting better. Whenever my classmate Sanket gets a text message in Chinese, he hands the phone to me and asks me to translate, and whenever a teacher makes a point of something in class she uses me as the barometer for understanding: If I get it, I can explain it to the other English speakers.
I'm surprised at just how fast the time goes. Before I know it, it's Saturday. And that's every week. And it's been nearly two months now (tomorrow, officially). I have decided, due to the advise of my adviser to stay one semester instead of two. Like a number of other things, I was a bit misinformed about the length of the semesters before I left America. If I were to stay for a full Chinese school year, I would not return home until the end of July, just in time to start the fall 2011 semester in America. Now, that means I would be missing out on the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters, as planned, as well as the Summer A, B, and C 2011 semesters. This would, according to a little thing called math, put me way behind on my schedule to graduate. That, along with a number of other factors, have weighed heavily on my decision. So, come January, I'll be back in the states. That makes tomorrow, essentially, the half-way point.
Hayden
The adventures of an American college student in China.
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School. Show all posts
28 October 2010
29 September 2010
Day 36
September 25, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
We had class today. Yes, it's Saturday here, too. The time change isn't so dramatic that Saturday is eliminated. Apparently, having time off for, say, a Mid-Autumn Festival, means that you have to make that time up somewhere else. Like the weekend. Don't get me started on how that isn't really having time off but just shuffling days around.
So, yeah, 8am class on Saturday. Awesome. You know, I'd gladly trade my Mid-Autumn days back if I could have the weekend off. The weather is finally turning around, so it might actually be possible to do something.
In any case, I have class straight through until October 1, then the Chinese National holiday starts. I get 7 days off for that. I wonder how many Saturdays I will lose because of it.
We went to the mall the other day and I snapped some pictures of odd occurrences. Like those Christmas decorations. Here's another:
Nike Sweater. A sweater from the Nike store at the mall across Chang An.
This is a woman's sweater, by the way. I can't imagine many women who could pull off that slogan. I guess it's good that the Chinese don't seem to understand what it says.
Hayden
We had class today. Yes, it's Saturday here, too. The time change isn't so dramatic that Saturday is eliminated. Apparently, having time off for, say, a Mid-Autumn Festival, means that you have to make that time up somewhere else. Like the weekend. Don't get me started on how that isn't really having time off but just shuffling days around.
So, yeah, 8am class on Saturday. Awesome. You know, I'd gladly trade my Mid-Autumn days back if I could have the weekend off. The weather is finally turning around, so it might actually be possible to do something.
In any case, I have class straight through until October 1, then the Chinese National holiday starts. I get 7 days off for that. I wonder how many Saturdays I will lose because of it.
We went to the mall the other day and I snapped some pictures of odd occurrences. Like those Christmas decorations. Here's another:
Nike Sweater. A sweater from the Nike store at the mall across Chang An.
This is a woman's sweater, by the way. I can't imagine many women who could pull off that slogan. I guess it's good that the Chinese don't seem to understand what it says.
Hayden
11 September 2010
Day 18
September 7, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
The days are dissolving into classwork and sleeping. I've fallen into the routine already. Even though I'm in China, the small section of the city I inhabit has begun to feel familiar.
The freshmen arrived today. In China, they start a bit later than everyone else. I guess it allows for the endless rounds of paperwork to be spread out a little. They won't start classes just yet, however, as they are required to do (I think) two weeks of military drills. Every student in China is required to learn military drills, it's just one of their quirks.
The freshman have made this crowded campus even more so. When I first arrived, I was a week ahead of most of the other students. Shida Rd was mostly empty, save for an odd pedestrian. Now, you have to fight your way down the sidewalk. And don't get me started on the over-populated madness that is the dining hall.
Welcome, Freshmen. The inflatable banner in front of the dining hall.
Speaking of sidewalks, the Chinese don't use them. I'm not entirely sure why they have them to be honest with you. Well, they don't use them to walk on, anyway. Cars park on the sidewalk, more often than not, and people walk freely down the middle of the street. Cars and scooters honk when they want you out of the way. It just seems like they have it all backwards to me, but then again, this isn't my country.
In other news, I met Archie's Chinese cousin today. They should swap for a little while, sort of a Country Cat and City Cat deal. Chinese Archie approached me in the park this afternoon, and was vaguely interested in me. When he discovered I wasn't holding delicious fishes, he rubbed himself against a nearby tree and ignored me.
Chinese Archie. He loves delicious fishes. I'm assuming.
I named him 二乞 （érqǐ, pronounced "ar-chi"). It sounds like "Archie" AND it means "#2 Beggar."
Hayden
The days are dissolving into classwork and sleeping. I've fallen into the routine already. Even though I'm in China, the small section of the city I inhabit has begun to feel familiar.
The freshmen arrived today. In China, they start a bit later than everyone else. I guess it allows for the endless rounds of paperwork to be spread out a little. They won't start classes just yet, however, as they are required to do (I think) two weeks of military drills. Every student in China is required to learn military drills, it's just one of their quirks.
The freshman have made this crowded campus even more so. When I first arrived, I was a week ahead of most of the other students. Shida Rd was mostly empty, save for an odd pedestrian. Now, you have to fight your way down the sidewalk. And don't get me started on the over-populated madness that is the dining hall.
Welcome, Freshmen. The inflatable banner in front of the dining hall.
Speaking of sidewalks, the Chinese don't use them. I'm not entirely sure why they have them to be honest with you. Well, they don't use them to walk on, anyway. Cars park on the sidewalk, more often than not, and people walk freely down the middle of the street. Cars and scooters honk when they want you out of the way. It just seems like they have it all backwards to me, but then again, this isn't my country.
In other news, I met Archie's Chinese cousin today. They should swap for a little while, sort of a Country Cat and City Cat deal. Chinese Archie approached me in the park this afternoon, and was vaguely interested in me. When he discovered I wasn't holding delicious fishes, he rubbed himself against a nearby tree and ignored me.
Chinese Archie. He loves delicious fishes. I'm assuming.
I named him 二乞 （érqǐ, pronounced "ar-chi"). It sounds like "Archie" AND it means "#2 Beggar."
Hayden
06 September 2010
Day 17
September 6, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
Let's get this right out there: It rained today. All day. It was that sort of day. I went to class, I came back and I...napped.
The rest of my day was...
My life. This is what my life will look like for the next few months.
...homework.
So, how about some randomness, then?
You know what's weird? Chinese toilet paper is three-ply. This is mostly weird because everything else is so...let's say cost conscious. Seriously they will hand you boiling water in the THINNEST plastic cup you've ever touched. It's micrometers between you and scalding. But, the toilet paper is thick. First of all, it's not soft, at all. Do you remember primary school and those long rolls of butcher paper teachers had in order to distract you with drawing time? It's like that, maybe slightly less thick. But its three-sheets of that. Also, it isn't perforated, so mostly it looks like our bathroom has a roll of jagged streamers sitting on the counter.
Currently, my soundtrack is Jenny & Johnny's new (also debut, technically) album I'm Having Fun Now. The Jenny is Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley/her solo career. You should listen to "Big Wave" to see if you're going to like it. It's my favorite song on the album. So far.
Additionally, I think the Chinese character for "family" 家 （jiā) looks a bit like...
家 (jiā). def. home, family, a person engaged in a certain art or profession,
measure word for stores and schools.
...Cthulu wearing a beret. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm currently reading "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P. Lovecraft. Maybe. I'm enjoying the novella: Lovecraft manages to say so much while saying so little about saying so much. He describes everything in such detail, while simultaneously revealing nothing. It's likewatching reading a magic act.
When I was searching for a picture of Cthulu, I ran across this:
Family Cthulu. Makes as much sense as the regular strip.
Yep, I think that about sums it up.
Incidentally, a search for "beret" turned up photos of...berets. (*cough*)
Hayden
Let's get this right out there: It rained today. All day. It was that sort of day. I went to class, I came back and I...napped.
The rest of my day was...
My life. This is what my life will look like for the next few months.
...homework.
So, how about some randomness, then?
You know what's weird? Chinese toilet paper is three-ply. This is mostly weird because everything else is so...let's say cost conscious. Seriously they will hand you boiling water in the THINNEST plastic cup you've ever touched. It's micrometers between you and scalding. But, the toilet paper is thick. First of all, it's not soft, at all. Do you remember primary school and those long rolls of butcher paper teachers had in order to distract you with drawing time? It's like that, maybe slightly less thick. But its three-sheets of that. Also, it isn't perforated, so mostly it looks like our bathroom has a roll of jagged streamers sitting on the counter.
Currently, my soundtrack is Jenny & Johnny's new (also debut, technically) album I'm Having Fun Now. The Jenny is Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley/her solo career. You should listen to "Big Wave" to see if you're going to like it. It's my favorite song on the album. So far.
Additionally, I think the Chinese character for "family" 家 （jiā) looks a bit like...
家 (jiā). def. home, family, a person engaged in a certain art or profession,
measure word for stores and schools.
...Cthulu wearing a beret. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm currently reading "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P. Lovecraft. Maybe. I'm enjoying the novella: Lovecraft manages to say so much while saying so little about saying so much. He describes everything in such detail, while simultaneously revealing nothing. It's like
When I was searching for a picture of Cthulu, I ran across this:
Family Cthulu. Makes as much sense as the regular strip.
Yep, I think that about sums it up.
Incidentally, a search for "beret" turned up photos of...berets. (*cough*)
Hayden
05 September 2010
Day 14
September 3, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
Well, I've been here two weeks. My stomach has been mostly fine, the only real problem in my back. That's mostly better. Well, it's not as bad as it was, anyway.
I had my second set of classes today, Intensive Reading and Writing. "Intensive" isn't really the adjective I'd use just yet: The actual lesson was pretty straight-forward. The teacher, however, doesn't speak English at all. You have to speak English to sign up for this program, but the teacher doesn't have to speak English to teach it. Sink or swim, I guess. The writing class is...in depth. We are only going over the various strokes involved in writing Chinese characters. There are six basic strokes, and like 22 compound strokes. Something like that. We only got through the six basic strokes and 13 of the compound strokes in the two hours of class.
Friday Favorites:
This week's Friday Favorite is Jackie Chan (陳港生, Chén Gǎngshēng in Mandarin, but he's from Hong Kong, so his Cantonese name is Chan Kong-sang. His given name, Kong-sang literally means "Hong Kong born"). In America, we know him as an actor who does his own stunts. In China, they know him for his acting, singing, politics, and endorsements.
Here are some examples of the times I've run into Jackie Chan's endorsements:
Jackie Chan 1. I'm not sure what this is, some kind of mens product I think. Maybe aftershave or that sort of thing.
Jackie Chan 2. This is a kind of bottled ice tea. There are two varieties, I believe the other is green tea. There is another Chinese celebrity hocking the other tea, Jackie is just in charge of the regular variety.
Jackie Chan 3. He also helps us fight grease on our dishes. He's like the Chinese Mr. Sparkle.
Here are a few other images I pulled from the internet:
Jackie Chan Socks. Pepsi has socks, why not Jackie Chan?
Jackie Chan Camera. Apparently, Canon produced a limited edition Jackie Chan camera this year called the Eye of the Dragon.
Hayden
Well, I've been here two weeks. My stomach has been mostly fine, the only real problem in my back. That's mostly better. Well, it's not as bad as it was, anyway.
I had my second set of classes today, Intensive Reading and Writing. "Intensive" isn't really the adjective I'd use just yet: The actual lesson was pretty straight-forward. The teacher, however, doesn't speak English at all. You have to speak English to sign up for this program, but the teacher doesn't have to speak English to teach it. Sink or swim, I guess. The writing class is...in depth. We are only going over the various strokes involved in writing Chinese characters. There are six basic strokes, and like 22 compound strokes. Something like that. We only got through the six basic strokes and 13 of the compound strokes in the two hours of class.
Friday Favorites:
This week's Friday Favorite is Jackie Chan (陳港生, Chén Gǎngshēng in Mandarin, but he's from Hong Kong, so his Cantonese name is Chan Kong-sang. His given name, Kong-sang literally means "Hong Kong born"). In America, we know him as an actor who does his own stunts. In China, they know him for his acting, singing, politics, and endorsements.
Here are some examples of the times I've run into Jackie Chan's endorsements:
Jackie Chan 1. I'm not sure what this is, some kind of mens product I think. Maybe aftershave or that sort of thing.
Jackie Chan 2. This is a kind of bottled ice tea. There are two varieties, I believe the other is green tea. There is another Chinese celebrity hocking the other tea, Jackie is just in charge of the regular variety.
Jackie Chan 3. He also helps us fight grease on our dishes. He's like the Chinese Mr. Sparkle.
Here are a few other images I pulled from the internet:
Jackie Chan Socks. Pepsi has socks, why not Jackie Chan?
Jackie Chan Camera. Apparently, Canon produced a limited edition Jackie Chan camera this year called the Eye of the Dragon.
Hayden
02 September 2010
Day 13
September 2, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
First day of classes today. Finally. I thought the day would never come, honestly. I mean, I've been here almost two weeks now. Today's classes were "Listening" and "Speaking." I had them both for two hours each. The first day isn't like class in America, we jumped right in. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I knew everything in both the lessons I had today. It should get harder. I hope.
Notes. Even if you already know it, you should still write it down.
My class is an eclectic bunch. There are people from Korea, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Ireland, Germany, and Britain in my class. And me, the sole American. I am not, however, the sole ginger. I'm one of three. And I'm one of, like, 7 I've seen since I got here. I made a joke with Brian and Sebastian (the other two gingers in my class), that the home office called us and said "Go East!" Sebastian is German, one of the two Germans I've met. They're both really nice guys. The other day when my arm was hurting they suggested that I could probably get it replaced with a gorilla arm here in China, to which I replied: "Yesss, and then I can finally take revenge on my enemies! The world has not seen the last of Dr. Gorilla-Arm!" They both laughed, and made a joke about how hard it would be to fill out all the damn paperwork we're always filling out. "Your form is all complete, sir, but you've killed the receptionist." It's good that weird is universal.
Gingers. We're everywhere.
My speaking partner is a 30 year old architect from Japan who looks, maybe, 18. And he speaks NO English. At all. My "nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu" was very impressive to him. Except, you know, that's all I got. I also received my complete Chinese name today:
Zhu Haideng? Hey! I know that guy!
The teacher picked out my surname, Zhū (朱), because it sounds a bit like "Drew" I guess. It means "vermilion." I thought it appropriate.
For lunch, we tried the restaurant above the Muslim Canteen. This was out of necessity: It's a madhouse around here at noon. We managed, somehow, to get both food AND a table. So, you know, there's that. Also, it was, like, "Chinese" food. Like, in America. I had sweet 'n sour chicken!
Sweet 'n Sour Chicken. Lunch in the restaurant over the Muslim Canteen.
Tomorrow, it's "Intensive Reading" and "Writing."
朱海登
First day of classes today. Finally. I thought the day would never come, honestly. I mean, I've been here almost two weeks now. Today's classes were "Listening" and "Speaking." I had them both for two hours each. The first day isn't like class in America, we jumped right in. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I knew everything in both the lessons I had today. It should get harder. I hope.
Notes. Even if you already know it, you should still write it down.
My class is an eclectic bunch. There are people from Korea, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Ireland, Germany, and Britain in my class. And me, the sole American. I am not, however, the sole ginger. I'm one of three. And I'm one of, like, 7 I've seen since I got here. I made a joke with Brian and Sebastian (the other two gingers in my class), that the home office called us and said "Go East!" Sebastian is German, one of the two Germans I've met. They're both really nice guys. The other day when my arm was hurting they suggested that I could probably get it replaced with a gorilla arm here in China, to which I replied: "Yesss, and then I can finally take revenge on my enemies! The world has not seen the last of Dr. Gorilla-Arm!" They both laughed, and made a joke about how hard it would be to fill out all the damn paperwork we're always filling out. "Your form is all complete, sir, but you've killed the receptionist." It's good that weird is universal.
Gingers. We're everywhere.
My speaking partner is a 30 year old architect from Japan who looks, maybe, 18. And he speaks NO English. At all. My "nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu" was very impressive to him. Except, you know, that's all I got. I also received my complete Chinese name today:
Zhu Haideng? Hey! I know that guy!
The teacher picked out my surname, Zhū (朱), because it sounds a bit like "Drew" I guess. It means "vermilion." I thought it appropriate.
For lunch, we tried the restaurant above the Muslim Canteen. This was out of necessity: It's a madhouse around here at noon. We managed, somehow, to get both food AND a table. So, you know, there's that. Also, it was, like, "Chinese" food. Like, in America. I had sweet 'n sour chicken!
Sweet 'n Sour Chicken. Lunch in the restaurant over the Muslim Canteen.
Tomorrow, it's "Intensive Reading" and "Writing."
朱海登
01 September 2010
Day 12
September 1, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
Let me be right up front about this: Today was terrible. Last night, as soon as I laid down, my arm started hurting worse than before. Instead of just a pain in my tricep, now my whole shoulder hurt. If I tried to move it anywhere over my head, there was an intense, sharp pain. It was as if the nerve contracted all of the muscles in my arm at once. Maybe it did, who knows. In any case, there was no sleep for me last night. Just lying down was too much. I took half a sleeping pill hoping to doze off, but sleep came very, very late. I had to be up at around 7 this morning to take my placement exam. Let's just say that that didn't go very well. Really, it didn't go very well for anyone.
I took the exam and went out to the store to find milk. The internet seems to think this sort of thing can be caused by a calcium deficiency. Hmm. Yeah, that's what I thought, too. I mean, is it possible to be calcium deficient after two weeks? I guess so. The only dairy products I've actually had was a slice of some kind of cheese on a burger last week and whatever milk was in that black milk drink. At home, I drink milk often, eat yogurt regularly, and have butter and cheese every single day. Could it be that my body is just used to having more? Is this a (severe) sign of an adjustment?
Milk. It comes in a bag here. I dunno why.
Conversely, the internet seemed concerned about acidity. Everything I've eaten lately has been acidic. The food here is just naturally acidic. In any case, I'll probably go and try to find some vitamin supplements tomorrow. I'm getting a lot more vegetable here, I know that, but none of them are exactly fresh. And the only fruit I've had was inside a cake. Also, I might have meat two times a week. So, I'm thinking this dramatic shift in my diet might be the cause of my pain, even though my stomach has been fine.
I took a few Tylenol PM at around 10am when I got back, hoping they would knock me out. About two hours later, they did, and I was gone until around 7pm. Not a very exciting day for me.
So, that test. No one did very well. Just about everyone I know is in Class 1, which is the beginners level Chinese immersion class. Jordan ended up in Class 2, probably because his conversation skills are so good. I'm OK with this placement: They give us a week to try it out, and if I don't feel like I'm being challenged, I can move myself up to the next level. In any case, a bit of review doesn't hurt anything.
When we went this evening to see what class we were placed in, I found my name on the Class 1 List:
Huh? Hey! I know that guy!
Hmm. If their English is as bad as my Chinese, maybe we can all teach each other a thing or two.
Hagcla
Let me be right up front about this: Today was terrible. Last night, as soon as I laid down, my arm started hurting worse than before. Instead of just a pain in my tricep, now my whole shoulder hurt. If I tried to move it anywhere over my head, there was an intense, sharp pain. It was as if the nerve contracted all of the muscles in my arm at once. Maybe it did, who knows. In any case, there was no sleep for me last night. Just lying down was too much. I took half a sleeping pill hoping to doze off, but sleep came very, very late. I had to be up at around 7 this morning to take my placement exam. Let's just say that that didn't go very well. Really, it didn't go very well for anyone.
I took the exam and went out to the store to find milk. The internet seems to think this sort of thing can be caused by a calcium deficiency. Hmm. Yeah, that's what I thought, too. I mean, is it possible to be calcium deficient after two weeks? I guess so. The only dairy products I've actually had was a slice of some kind of cheese on a burger last week and whatever milk was in that black milk drink. At home, I drink milk often, eat yogurt regularly, and have butter and cheese every single day. Could it be that my body is just used to having more? Is this a (severe) sign of an adjustment?
Milk. It comes in a bag here. I dunno why.
Conversely, the internet seemed concerned about acidity. Everything I've eaten lately has been acidic. The food here is just naturally acidic. In any case, I'll probably go and try to find some vitamin supplements tomorrow. I'm getting a lot more vegetable here, I know that, but none of them are exactly fresh. And the only fruit I've had was inside a cake. Also, I might have meat two times a week. So, I'm thinking this dramatic shift in my diet might be the cause of my pain, even though my stomach has been fine.
I took a few Tylenol PM at around 10am when I got back, hoping they would knock me out. About two hours later, they did, and I was gone until around 7pm. Not a very exciting day for me.
So, that test. No one did very well. Just about everyone I know is in Class 1, which is the beginners level Chinese immersion class. Jordan ended up in Class 2, probably because his conversation skills are so good. I'm OK with this placement: They give us a week to try it out, and if I don't feel like I'm being challenged, I can move myself up to the next level. In any case, a bit of review doesn't hurt anything.
When we went this evening to see what class we were placed in, I found my name on the Class 1 List:
Huh? Hey! I know that guy!
Hmm. If their English is as bad as my Chinese, maybe we can all teach each other a thing or two.
Hagcla
30 August 2010
Day 10
August 30, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
Tonight, when we entered the dining hall, I realized that I wanted to try one of the other options we have with our student cards. Across the plaza from the main entrance of the dining hall is the Muslim Canteen, the dining hall for Muslim students. Well, its not JUST for Muslim students, but the food is prepared in accordance with Muslim standards. That means no pork, or at least that's how it was explained to me. The Muslim Canteen is smaller than the main hall, and also much cleaner. Not that the regular dining hall is dirty, its just that things here are less...sterile than in America.
The Muslim Canteen. Across from the regular dining hall.
The food was similar to the food across the way, but there was the noticeable inclusion of beef. Also, while the main hall looks a bit like Grand Central Station at rush hour, the Muslim Canteen was virtually empty. Double win!
Afterward, we went exploring. There are several mysterious staircases around that needed investigating. They lead to: A restaurant, a small shop, and a pyramid, respectively.
The Pyramid. "Its like the Louvre!" - Jordan.
Also, in my quest for milk, I found this:
Walnut & Peanut Milk. Just what it says on the label.
Verdict? It tastes like a melted peanut butter milkshake. Fail. Also, bleck. Also, I've been burping up peanut butter all night.
And, just for everyone back at home, this is what a Chinese toilet looks like:
Chinese Toilet. That's what they look like, alright.
Just be glad I can't show you what they SMELL like.
Hayden
Tonight, when we entered the dining hall, I realized that I wanted to try one of the other options we have with our student cards. Across the plaza from the main entrance of the dining hall is the Muslim Canteen, the dining hall for Muslim students. Well, its not JUST for Muslim students, but the food is prepared in accordance with Muslim standards. That means no pork, or at least that's how it was explained to me. The Muslim Canteen is smaller than the main hall, and also much cleaner. Not that the regular dining hall is dirty, its just that things here are less...sterile than in America.
The Muslim Canteen. Across from the regular dining hall.
The food was similar to the food across the way, but there was the noticeable inclusion of beef. Also, while the main hall looks a bit like Grand Central Station at rush hour, the Muslim Canteen was virtually empty. Double win!
Afterward, we went exploring. There are several mysterious staircases around that needed investigating. They lead to: A restaurant, a small shop, and a pyramid, respectively.
The Pyramid. "Its like the Louvre!" - Jordan.
Also, in my quest for milk, I found this:
Walnut & Peanut Milk. Just what it says on the label.
Verdict? It tastes like a melted peanut butter milkshake. Fail. Also, bleck. Also, I've been burping up peanut butter all night.
And, just for everyone back at home, this is what a Chinese toilet looks like:
Chinese Toilet. That's what they look like, alright.
Just be glad I can't show you what they SMELL like.
Hayden
29 August 2010
Day 9
August 29, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
A low key day 'round these parts. The bulk of the day was taken up by studying. We have a placement test on Wednesday, and we thought it wise to refresh our memory on some of our vocabulary and grammar.
Apart from that, Jordan wanted to try the western restaurant. I had a club sandwich:
Club Sandwich (总汇三明治 lit "Chief Class Sandwich"). From the western restaurant next door.
It was pretty good. I don't think they have lunch meat here, however, as the meat was some sort of carved ham and turkey/chicken. Also, it had egg on it, which may or may not be a variation I'm not familiar with. Also, it came with a glass of...
Ice Water. That's right!
...ICE WATER. With ICE! Also, I learned to ask for things with ice: 加冰. I may make it yet.
On other things I want to eat/drink news, I haven't been able to find milk. Not really, anyway. They must not drink it in the manner we do. Also, I don't have a fridge, which is kind of a problem. There are small cartons available at the markets that are labeled "Walnut Milk" or Jujube Milk," but none that just say "Milk." One of the cartons contains "Black Milk," which Jordan and I both assumed meant chocolate milk. Xiao Liu corrected us; apparently it's milk with a hint of coffee. So, you know, that's pretty OK. UPDATE: I translated the ingredient list: Fresh Cow's Milk, White Cane Sugar, Black Rice, Black Beans, Black Sesame, and Soy Protein.
Black Milk (黑牛奶) . It's milk with other ingredients as well. Pretty good.
Hayden
A low key day 'round these parts. The bulk of the day was taken up by studying. We have a placement test on Wednesday, and we thought it wise to refresh our memory on some of our vocabulary and grammar.
Apart from that, Jordan wanted to try the western restaurant. I had a club sandwich:
Club Sandwich (总汇三明治 lit "Chief Class Sandwich"). From the western restaurant next door.
It was pretty good. I don't think they have lunch meat here, however, as the meat was some sort of carved ham and turkey/chicken. Also, it had egg on it, which may or may not be a variation I'm not familiar with. Also, it came with a glass of...
Ice Water. That's right!
...ICE WATER. With ICE! Also, I learned to ask for things with ice: 加冰. I may make it yet.
On other things I want to eat/drink news, I haven't been able to find milk. Not really, anyway. They must not drink it in the manner we do. Also, I don't have a fridge, which is kind of a problem. There are small cartons available at the markets that are labeled "Walnut Milk" or Jujube Milk," but none that just say "Milk." One of the cartons contains "Black Milk," which Jordan and I both assumed meant chocolate milk. Xiao Liu corrected us; apparently it's milk with a hint of coffee. So, you know, that's pretty OK. UPDATE: I translated the ingredient list: Fresh Cow's Milk, White Cane Sugar, Black Rice, Black Beans, Black Sesame, and Soy Protein.
Black Milk (黑牛奶) . It's milk with other ingredients as well. Pretty good.
Hayden
25 August 2010
Day 4
August 24, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
The day before, at registration, my teacher told me that I would need to get a medical exam in order to extend my student visa and stay in the country for longer than 30 days. He said that I could take the exam anytime in the next month, but that this week was best as next week would see an influx of students at all the local universities, and an increase in individuals going in for the exam. He carefully cut out four of my photos and gave me a slip of paper with instructions on it. He said a taxi would be best and should cost around 15RMB.
I got up early, showered, and prepared by looking up the phrase "Where is the taxi stand" on my translator. I left the hotel before 7am and asked guards at every gate, all of whom pointed me ever onward. I stood on Shi Da Road for some time as the guards attempted to flag a taxi for me. A half hour passed with no luck. They suggested I try Chang An, so I walked down to the corner and tried further. I asked a woman at a street cart, but she ignored me. I waited another half hour and decided that today would not be my day. The bus was also an option, but when the proper bus pulled up, it looked like this:
The K631 Bus. There wasn't room for me to ride this bus.
Mornings on Chang An are beyond busy. Cars, buses, scooters, bicycles whizzing in every direction. There are separate lanes for the buses to travel on, and a separate lane for the bikes and scooters. Xiao Liu has assured me that there is reason behind all of this, but too often I've found myself dodging a honking car only to come face-to-face with a bus, and then dodging the bus by leaping onto the sidewalk to stare down a scooter. The traffic here is chaos like you wouldn't believe, with every manor of vehicle vying for dominance on the road.
The scooters occupy an interesting niche in the pack. They drive on the main road, as well as in the bicycle lane. They can even drive on the sidewalks if they so choose. If you stand still in this town long enough, scooters will mark a path around you. They also seem to exist in their own legal space. I've seen whole families riding on one scooter, I'd seen men with boxes strapped 6 feet high on the back of their scooter, today I saw a man, and this is no exaggeration, with two full halves of a butchered pig bungee-corded to his scooter with nothing between the pig and the air but the elastic bands. On rainy days, the scooter riders drape plastic ponchos over themselves as they zip along. It gives them the appearance of a moving circus tent.
Scooter Riders. A couple ride a scooter down Shi Da Road.
In lieu of going to the Doctor's Office, I chose to eat a meal in the dining hall for the very first time. I had just gotten my Student Card the day before and had yet to use it. I walked through the gates, past the library, and into the dining hall.
The Dining Hall. Like the interior of most buildings here, it looks like a government facility. Because, it is.
The Dining Hall consists of a long counter divided into a series of windows. Each window lists a specific food and its price. I'm not certain if the food present at the windows is the same as listed, but I doubt it is always the case. The section labeled 没饭 does serves rice, at least. Each window is also fitted with a small machine. When you order something, the person types something into the machine and the price pops up on the display screen. You then place your card against the machine and it deducts the appropriate amount of money from your account.
I had two items for breakfast. The first was a local delicacy that looks like a pizza.
Sānjiǎo Bǐng(三角饼 lit. "Triangle Pastry"). It looks like a pizza, but it isn't.
I had known before I bought it that it was not a pizza. Xiao Liu and I discussed American food the day before and she mentioned that there was a local dish that looked like pizza. That dish, as it turns out, was Sanjiao Bing.
The second item I had was a kind of bun called a baozi.
Bāozi (包子 lit. "steamed stuffed bun"). The delicious buns I had for my first dining hall breakfast.
The baozi were absolutely phenomenal. They contained a mix of vegetables and maybe rice or cellophane noodles. Xiao Liu said they also had a bit of meat, but I couldn't tell either way. She had a good laugh when I tried to talk about them. I had asked a girl at the table next to me what they were called, and I thought she had said saozi (嫂子). Saozi means sister-in-law. "How can you eat your sister-in-law?" Xiao Liu laughed.
I tried to buy an orange juice from the dining hall, but was informed that since the person who sells them was not at her stall I could not buy one. I guess each stall can only ring up one type of item. I went outside and across the street to the small market and bought one there.
"Orange Juice." Minute Maid Orange Juice, or so it claims.
Orange juice here is strange. Or at least in my experience. It's not so much juice as Tang with pulp floating in it. And not just a little pulp, like Simply Orange levels of pulp. The Chinese love drinks with stuff floating in it.
I spent most of the day in my room, resting. I decided to go to dinner since breakfast had been such a success. Dinner would be slightly less so. My first course was a cold noodle bowl with some pepper sauce and sesame oil. Delicious.
Cold Noodles. They were really flavorful.
The second thing I went for was the duck. If you know me, if you've been to Chinese restaurants with me, you know I love duck. I motioned for the butcher to cut me a piece, he grabbed one of the ducks and cut off a few slices. He weighed them out: 5RMB. It seemed like a fortune compared to everything else, but oh, well: It's duck! Yes, but its duck in China. I was a bit confused by it, as it seemed to be mostly fat.
Duck. Or, well, duck fat.
I ate what meat I could find and then a few pieces of fat thinking maybe that's the way its supposed to be. After a few bites, I gave up on it and tossed it out. I asked Xiao Liu the next day if that was correct, if it was supposed to be mostly fat. I felt like I'd been gypped. She informed me that it was correct. Apparently, you eat it with white rice.
I perused the line one last time and grabbed two of what I thought were baozi to take back to my room. They looked identical, but it would turn out that they were not, in fact, baozi. They were just the bread part, no filling. Oh well, at least breakfast was awesome.
One item I did not partake in:
Pig Hearts. The heart of a pig, roasted until golden...maroon.
Hayden
The day before, at registration, my teacher told me that I would need to get a medical exam in order to extend my student visa and stay in the country for longer than 30 days. He said that I could take the exam anytime in the next month, but that this week was best as next week would see an influx of students at all the local universities, and an increase in individuals going in for the exam. He carefully cut out four of my photos and gave me a slip of paper with instructions on it. He said a taxi would be best and should cost around 15RMB.
I got up early, showered, and prepared by looking up the phrase "Where is the taxi stand" on my translator. I left the hotel before 7am and asked guards at every gate, all of whom pointed me ever onward. I stood on Shi Da Road for some time as the guards attempted to flag a taxi for me. A half hour passed with no luck. They suggested I try Chang An, so I walked down to the corner and tried further. I asked a woman at a street cart, but she ignored me. I waited another half hour and decided that today would not be my day. The bus was also an option, but when the proper bus pulled up, it looked like this:
The K631 Bus. There wasn't room for me to ride this bus.
Mornings on Chang An are beyond busy. Cars, buses, scooters, bicycles whizzing in every direction. There are separate lanes for the buses to travel on, and a separate lane for the bikes and scooters. Xiao Liu has assured me that there is reason behind all of this, but too often I've found myself dodging a honking car only to come face-to-face with a bus, and then dodging the bus by leaping onto the sidewalk to stare down a scooter. The traffic here is chaos like you wouldn't believe, with every manor of vehicle vying for dominance on the road.
The scooters occupy an interesting niche in the pack. They drive on the main road, as well as in the bicycle lane. They can even drive on the sidewalks if they so choose. If you stand still in this town long enough, scooters will mark a path around you. They also seem to exist in their own legal space. I've seen whole families riding on one scooter, I'd seen men with boxes strapped 6 feet high on the back of their scooter, today I saw a man, and this is no exaggeration, with two full halves of a butchered pig bungee-corded to his scooter with nothing between the pig and the air but the elastic bands. On rainy days, the scooter riders drape plastic ponchos over themselves as they zip along. It gives them the appearance of a moving circus tent.
Scooter Riders. A couple ride a scooter down Shi Da Road.
In lieu of going to the Doctor's Office, I chose to eat a meal in the dining hall for the very first time. I had just gotten my Student Card the day before and had yet to use it. I walked through the gates, past the library, and into the dining hall.
The Dining Hall. Like the interior of most buildings here, it looks like a government facility. Because, it is.
The Dining Hall consists of a long counter divided into a series of windows. Each window lists a specific food and its price. I'm not certain if the food present at the windows is the same as listed, but I doubt it is always the case. The section labeled 没饭 does serves rice, at least. Each window is also fitted with a small machine. When you order something, the person types something into the machine and the price pops up on the display screen. You then place your card against the machine and it deducts the appropriate amount of money from your account.
I had two items for breakfast. The first was a local delicacy that looks like a pizza.
Sānjiǎo Bǐng(三角饼 lit. "Triangle Pastry"). It looks like a pizza, but it isn't.
I had known before I bought it that it was not a pizza. Xiao Liu and I discussed American food the day before and she mentioned that there was a local dish that looked like pizza. That dish, as it turns out, was Sanjiao Bing.
The second item I had was a kind of bun called a baozi.
Bāozi (包子 lit. "steamed stuffed bun"). The delicious buns I had for my first dining hall breakfast.
The baozi were absolutely phenomenal. They contained a mix of vegetables and maybe rice or cellophane noodles. Xiao Liu said they also had a bit of meat, but I couldn't tell either way. She had a good laugh when I tried to talk about them. I had asked a girl at the table next to me what they were called, and I thought she had said saozi (嫂子). Saozi means sister-in-law. "How can you eat your sister-in-law?" Xiao Liu laughed.
I tried to buy an orange juice from the dining hall, but was informed that since the person who sells them was not at her stall I could not buy one. I guess each stall can only ring up one type of item. I went outside and across the street to the small market and bought one there.
"Orange Juice." Minute Maid Orange Juice, or so it claims.
Orange juice here is strange. Or at least in my experience. It's not so much juice as Tang with pulp floating in it. And not just a little pulp, like Simply Orange levels of pulp. The Chinese love drinks with stuff floating in it.
I spent most of the day in my room, resting. I decided to go to dinner since breakfast had been such a success. Dinner would be slightly less so. My first course was a cold noodle bowl with some pepper sauce and sesame oil. Delicious.
Cold Noodles. They were really flavorful.
The second thing I went for was the duck. If you know me, if you've been to Chinese restaurants with me, you know I love duck. I motioned for the butcher to cut me a piece, he grabbed one of the ducks and cut off a few slices. He weighed them out: 5RMB. It seemed like a fortune compared to everything else, but oh, well: It's duck! Yes, but its duck in China. I was a bit confused by it, as it seemed to be mostly fat.
Duck. Or, well, duck fat.
I ate what meat I could find and then a few pieces of fat thinking maybe that's the way its supposed to be. After a few bites, I gave up on it and tossed it out. I asked Xiao Liu the next day if that was correct, if it was supposed to be mostly fat. I felt like I'd been gypped. She informed me that it was correct. Apparently, you eat it with white rice.
I perused the line one last time and grabbed two of what I thought were baozi to take back to my room. They looked identical, but it would turn out that they were not, in fact, baozi. They were just the bread part, no filling. Oh well, at least breakfast was awesome.
One item I did not partake in:
Pig Hearts. The heart of a pig, roasted until golden...maroon.
Hayden
Day 3 (2)
August 23, 2010 - Xi'an, Shaanxi Provence, China
I began my third day in Xi'an very early. I laid down for a nap the night before, and I woke 12 hours later. I thought I had managed to skip the jet-lag, but I guess I was wrong. Before Xiao Liu and I went out to register and run errands, I walked down the hallway of my building and stepped out on to the stairwell to look outside. It was before 7 am, and already there were people playing table tennis in the park behind my building.
Morning Table Tennis. It's not even 7am and already the people of Xi'an are enjoying ping pong.
A View From the Stairs. The park behind my hotel.
We ran my errands, had lunch, and then I walked around to take a few pictures of the school. My school in the southern part of the city, with the main gates on Chang An Nan Road.
The Main Gates of My School. The front gate of Shaanxi Normal University (陕西师范大学).
The Main Gate gives way to a long promenade, lined with classroom buildings.
The Promenade. Just on the other side of the main gate.
At the end of the promenade, is the school's main library.
The Library. With statuary and without.
Just in front of the library is a large piece of stone statuary that looks like natural rock. I asked Xiao Liu what it was and she said "A statuary." I said "Yes, but what does it represent?" "I don't know," she said." I laughed and said "我也不知道!" ("I don't know either!"). On either side of the library are two small, identical, traditional Chinese gardens.
Library Garden. One of two traditional gardens flanking the library at SNNU.
The school is practically covered in gardens, every corner is marked with one. Every time we passed a garden, I jokingly said "Look! A garden!" and Xiao Liu added "It's a nice place to read a book."
Gardens. Two of the many, many, MANY gardens on the campus at SNNU.
The primary means of transportation for the students on campus are bicycles, and the campus is riddled with them.
Bicycles. There are bicycles everywhere at SNNU.
Another peculiar thing I've noticed is the abundance of thermoses around certain buildings.
Thermoses. Some buildings on campus are surrounded by thermoses.
Xiao Liu told me that students place the thermoses there to collect rainwater, and then the water is heated inside the building. Apparently none of the dorms have hot water, and all of the students have to pay to get their thermos water heated.
A few turns past a few gardens, and you'll find yourself facing Shi Da Road. Shi Da Road actually features TWO gates from SNNU. The first is pretty, if utilitarian:
Shi Da Gate 1. The first, and more municipal, of the two Shi Da Road gates for SNNU.
The second is unusual and beautiful.
Shi Da Gate 2. The second gate on Shi Da Road.
The gate is made of two small towers, the bottom of which are dragons' heads. The dragons' heads spew water into two trenches that line the street leading to the school's dining hall. The trenches are filled with large stones, creating a sort of stream between the sidewalk and the street. I commented on how beautiful it was and Xiao Liu said "Beautiful? It is just a gate."
Another block or so and you'll find yourself on the beautiful, shaded street of my hotel. Every street in this part of the city is heavily shaded with trees made bright green by the frequent rainfall.
The Street Where I Live. The tree-lined road in front of my hotel.
There is so much beauty everywhere. And this is only the small section of the city I occupy.
Hayden
I began my third day in Xi'an very early. I laid down for a nap the night before, and I woke 12 hours later. I thought I had managed to skip the jet-lag, but I guess I was wrong. Before Xiao Liu and I went out to register and run errands, I walked down the hallway of my building and stepped out on to the stairwell to look outside. It was before 7 am, and already there were people playing table tennis in the park behind my building.
Morning Table Tennis. It's not even 7am and already the people of Xi'an are enjoying ping pong.
A View From the Stairs. The park behind my hotel.
We ran my errands, had lunch, and then I walked around to take a few pictures of the school. My school in the southern part of the city, with the main gates on Chang An Nan Road.
The Main Gates of My School. The front gate of Shaanxi Normal University (陕西师范大学).
The Main Gate gives way to a long promenade, lined with classroom buildings.
The Promenade. Just on the other side of the main gate.
At the end of the promenade, is the school's main library.
The Library. With statuary and without.
Just in front of the library is a large piece of stone statuary that looks like natural rock. I asked Xiao Liu what it was and she said "A statuary." I said "Yes, but what does it represent?" "I don't know," she said." I laughed and said "我也不知道!" ("I don't know either!"). On either side of the library are two small, identical, traditional Chinese gardens.
Library Garden. One of two traditional gardens flanking the library at SNNU.
The school is practically covered in gardens, every corner is marked with one. Every time we passed a garden, I jokingly said "Look! A garden!" and Xiao Liu added "It's a nice place to read a book."
Gardens. Two of the many, many, MANY gardens on the campus at SNNU.
The primary means of transportation for the students on campus are bicycles, and the campus is riddled with them.
Bicycles. There are bicycles everywhere at SNNU.
Another peculiar thing I've noticed is the abundance of thermoses around certain buildings.
Thermoses. Some buildings on campus are surrounded by thermoses.
Xiao Liu told me that students place the thermoses there to collect rainwater, and then the water is heated inside the building. Apparently none of the dorms have hot water, and all of the students have to pay to get their thermos water heated.
A few turns past a few gardens, and you'll find yourself facing Shi Da Road. Shi Da Road actually features TWO gates from SNNU. The first is pretty, if utilitarian:
Shi Da Gate 1. The first, and more municipal, of the two Shi Da Road gates for SNNU.
The second is unusual and beautiful.
Shi Da Gate 2. The second gate on Shi Da Road.
The gate is made of two small towers, the bottom of which are dragons' heads. The dragons' heads spew water into two trenches that line the street leading to the school's dining hall. The trenches are filled with large stones, creating a sort of stream between the sidewalk and the street. I commented on how beautiful it was and Xiao Liu said "Beautiful? It is just a gate."
Another block or so and you'll find yourself on the beautiful, shaded street of my hotel. Every street in this part of the city is heavily shaded with trees made bright green by the frequent rainfall.
The Street Where I Live. The tree-lined road in front of my hotel.
There is so much beauty everywhere. And this is only the small section of the city I occupy.
Hayden
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