Finn Flies East

Back to Beijing

Back to Reality. Back to the 50-vocab words-per-night agenda. Back to the grindstone.

All cliches aside, I set to really study as much as I could. I feel that I really want to retain as much Chinese as possible, and in order to do that I should really immerse myself into the language pledge, study hard, and most importantly, have fun. That first week back, I went to a local park (the same park as my earlier post “That Time I Wanted to Be a Senior Citizen”) and realized that Beijing had changed! The flowers were blooming and the sun was out! My friends and I found a small grassy spot to sit in and take in the scenery while we did our homework. 

A week later, I climbed the Fragrant Hills/Xiangshan Hills, which are near Beijing. Don’t be fooled by the word “Hill”: it was a mountain! Also, our group guide led us to one of the most difficult areas to climb, so when we got to the top, we were all sweating bullets (but saw other patrons who seemed to have taken another easier route…I saw one girl wearing high heels!) After we got to the top, we walked down to a rest area and picked up trash. There was a TON of trash, and we filled about 20 large black trash bags! Our group consisted of CET students as well as other Beijingers who really liked hiking/conserving the environment. I talked to some of them and asked them questions pertaining to their perspective of study-abroad students as well as their perspective on living in Beijing. When we got to the bottom of the mountain, I realized that we were in the Fragrant Hills Park!

WHEN I TRY TO TELL MY PARENTS WHAT I DO HERE

bjliuxueshengdiaries:

But they’re just like:

SO TRUE. Also Mulan is a great movie. In Chinese and in English. ;)

SPRING BREAK- Shanghai and Sanya

I was so blessed to have my mother come along with me for my spring break in China! Since I don’t have a multiple-entries visa, I decided to only travel within the country (which gave me a TON of options!) My mom came to Beijing a week before my spring break started, so that she could acclimate herself to the time difference (12 hours!) and get a feel for what my life as a liuxuesheng is really like. During that week, she took my roommate and friends out for dinner at a nearby restaurant! That Friday, after my finals, we departed for Shanghai!

When we arrived in Shanghai after a 2.5-hour airplane flight, we went straight to our hotel via taxi. Within the taxi ride, I talked with the driver and instantly noticed his heavy accent, which I was not accustomed to. As a study abroad student in Beijing, I am used to adding an extra “R” to a lot of our words. However, people living in Shanghai speak in a different accent, where many words that usually start with “zh/sh” are spoken with a “z/s”. Regardless, we eventually got to our hotel, which is called the JW Marriott, and was smack dab in the middle of Shanghai, and adjacent to the Renmin Gongyuan (People’s Park). Our room was on the FIFTIETH floor of the tower, and looking out the window sometimes made me feel a little queasy! However, we could see a beautiful view from our room, here’s a picture!

As you can see from the picture, we were able to see the famous bund from our room (even though it was a mile or two away!)

The next day, we slept in (I was exhausted from completing midterms as well as traveling, and my mom got a bit of a headcold), and eventually set off to see the French Concession. In 1849, the French Consul to Shanghai, Charles de Montigny, obtained a proclamation form the Governor of Shanghai to concede certain territory in the city for French settlement. From then until 1943, the French re-developed the area. Now, this area is known for its quirky shops and western architecture. When I was walking through the streets of the area, I honestly felt as if I was on the streets of New York or even Paris. I definitely wasn’t in China anymore. 

However, within the small markets in hutong-like areas, we found a bit of Chinese culture again! I was honestly a little relieved. 

From there, we decided to go to Shanghai’s most famous area: The Bund. On the way there, we passed by our hotel!

See that really tall tower that looks like it could be in a Batman Movie?! Yeah that was the hotel. It was insanely cool! Anyway, we headed to the Bund and saw its magnificence. Words cannot explain how amazing it was. And, to be honest, these pictures don’t really do its justice either. But here’s what I got.

So, on one side, you could see all of the older buildings that flaunted Neo-Classical and Neo-Renaissance architecture, such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Building, the Bund Financial Center, and the Peace Hotel.

However, on the other side, I was able to see all of the much newer Pudong Skyscrapers, such as the Hyatt, the Oriental Pearl Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center. 

Mao made his appearance, too. 

That Monday, my mom and I set off for Sanya for 5 whole days! We spent these days chilling by the beach (and watching people ride segways…?) and relaxing! Sanya is very popular for Russian travelers, so I was a bit taken aback when everything was either written in Chinese or Russian…not too much English! Which wasn’t a bad thing, especially because my English isn’t that good anyway. 开玩笑。

Here’s a picture of my lovely mother! Funny story, whenever a waiter at a restaurant came to our table with the bill, they would give ME the bill instead of her. I think it was because I could speak Chinese, but regardless it was really weird!

My friends (John, Bozhena, Melissa, and Greg) were in Sanya too, and we met up at the beach!

On our last night, I remember looking out at this beautiful scenery and just feeling so lucky for having the opportunity to go on such an awesome trip. I didn’t want to leave because it was so nice there, but at the same time I felt a need to go back to Beijing, to study and get the most out of my last few weeks abroad.

Washington Post: Beijing’s back alleys make a comeback

“Today, skyscrapers sprout all over the city like weeds, and beltways proliferate like age rings, plowing over these traditional communities. But in the heart of the central Gulou area, an enclave of sloping eaves and winding hutongs has escaped the ubiquitous bulldozers, defying the Chinese capital’s growth spurt.”

This quote is from an article in the Washington Post. I think it perfectly illustrates Beijing’s hutongs. I recently visited a hutong in Nanluoguxiang for Lisa’s birthday! We went to a small restaurant in one of the hutong’s side alleys that Lisa had picked out. Even though the restaurant only had one menu, the dishes were DELICIOUS and allowed its customers to put Post-It notes on the wall!

They had the best tomato-egg-stirfry dish!

Pingyao Trip Part 2: Off to Taiyuan!

After we left Pingyao, we went to the Jinzhong Qiao Residence, which was built in 1756 for the very wealthy Qiao family. It consists of 6 main courtyards, 20 smaller courtyards, and 313 rooms. Now THAT’s an estate! 

A view from one of the larger courtyards

a small courtyard. Check out the intricacy of the architectural design!

There was a mini-opera there too!

Afterwards, we went to the Jinci Temple in Taiyuan (which is the provincial capital of Shanxi). It was founded approx. 1400 years ago and is home to over 100 sculptures, temples, bridges, and terraces.

你好平遥! Ni Hao Pingyao!

I FINALLY have enough time to update my blog…after THREE whole weeks.    I sincerely apologize to those who regularly check this blog to see how I’m doing (aka see if I’m alive). 

So, three whole weeks ago, I went to Pingyao, in Shanxi Province. This trip was put together by my host institution, CET. We departed Beijing on a Thursday night, and embarked on our journey via train. China operates on two types of train systems: the high-speed rail network (the longest in the world), and the main train network, which is a bit slower. When we traveled to Pingyao, our train ride lasted approx. 12 hours, and when we traveled back to Beijing from another city, Taiyuan, our ride only amounted to about 2 hours. However, to be honest, I liked the slower train ride better! In my area of the train, each passenger was given a “hard-sleeper” bed. The beds were organized in small rooms, which each had 6 beds in each (3 bunks on each side). When we left Beijing, all of the students, roommates, and teachers chatted and played card games for approximately 3 hours, and then the lights went out, signaling everyone to go to bed. My bed was on the top bunk, which was a bit crammed, but still pretty comfortable. We woke up at 6:30 a.m. to get our belongings ready for our 7:30 arrival in Pingyao. 

Here are some pictures of the ride!

Once we arrived in Pingyao, we rode on golf carts from the train station into the old city, which is surrounded by ancient city walls (which were originally constructed in 1370， during the Ming Dynasty. These walls have 76 watch towers and 3,000 battlements). We put our belongings in our room at the Deshenglou Hotel in the heart of the mini-city and set out to explore!

This dog is the first golden retriever, and one of the first large dogs, that I’ve seen since my arrival in January. He looks a lot like my dog at home, whom I miss dearly!

We rented small mopeds (not actual mopeds, just bikes with motors…don’t worry!) and explored the city! Some of the locals were taken aback by the fact that we were foreigners, and wanted to take pictures with us. Although the idea of taking a bike around a city is pretty simple, I will remember this as a top-10 experience during my semester abroad. The city is so small, yet so vibrant with street vendors. I bought a few gifts here to give to family members and friends. 

We participated in a paper-cutting activity. This type of papercutting dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty in 25 AD. These masterpieces (which mine clearly weren’t) are typically hung on the door of a household during Spring Festival. What I learned is that my arts-and-crafts skills haven’t really developed at all since the third grade.

more bike-riding with Brandon

Posing on a bridge. Bozhena got some Elton-John glasses in Pingyao and has been wearing them ever since!

That night, we all congregated around a large table in the middle of our hotel, and conversed and played games. This is what the lobby area looked like in the morning. We clearly had a great time!

Holy Cross Grad Jon Favreau Makes Headlines…In China!

Saturday morning, I impulsively bought a magazine, Elle China, at a nearby 7-11 store. Later, as I was flipping through the pages, one specific photo caught my eye. I looked closer and realized this photo was attached to a small bio about Jon Favreau, Obama’s former speechwriter and Holy Cross Graduate! Here’s what they said:

“好莱坞明星从并不鲜见, 而出入白宫的政坛青年中也不乏心系好菜坞 的精英.眼下奥巴马的御用演讲撰稿人JON FAVREAU 就要离开白宫去好菜坞闯荡了.这个被称作“最懂奥巴马心思” 的三十一岁才俊要去写电影剧本. 这和他的前任jon lovett 的选择如出一辙。”

Translation: “It is not uncommon for a youth of the political arena or from the White house to become a member of the Hollywood elite. John Favreau, Obama’s main speechwriter, will leave the White House to pursue a Hollywood career. Referred to as “Obama’s mind reader”, this 31-year-old talent is going to write screenplays. He has emulated his predecessor, Jon Lovett, [who is currently the co-creator of the new NBC comedy 1600 Penn].”

My mind has successfully been blown. 哇!!!

Miscellaneous Skills

Tonight I went to see “杂技“ which literally translates to “Miscellaneous Skills” but in reality is Acrobatics! Here are some of the pictures I took, and Ill be posting a video soon!

Mike from USF, Me, Lisa, Melissa from Navy, and Li Xuan (one of the Resident Directors) I was clearly not ready for the picture but oh well!

We realized the CCTV building was only a block away! (The PM2.5 level wasn’t too great today…about 450 I think?)

欢迎光临He 老师 和 Luo 老师！

Welcome He Laoshi (Professor Baozhang He) and Luo Laoshi (Professor Claudia Ross)!!!! This past Tuesday, my Holy Cross professors visited Beijing to check up on my classmates and I. In the morning, they sat in on our drill classes, and in the evening, they took us out to a delicious dinner! When they attended our classes, I was definitely a bit nervous because I wanted to speak as clearly and as fluently as possible, but our week’s grammar was tougher than expected. We have been studying terms that relate to economics, which I personally think is very interesting, but the selected vocabulary was comparatively difficult. However, we did learn more about Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms of 1978, and compared the economic and societal structures that were apparent in China before the reforms to those that are apparent today. I personally think that there are advantages and disadvantages to the pre-1978 “计划经济“ “planned economy” and the modern “市场经济””market economy”. I also learned some new grammar/vocab pertaining to job opportunities, which is pretty ironic because a lot of people at CET are currently searching for some summer internships. Hopefully I can use the vocabulary outside of the classroom!!!

Here are some pictures from the dinner with my Holy Cross comrades and professors:

点菜

Carlo and Lisa. This was before the food came. But then…

…the food came out. This was when the waitress came with the “Chuar”- aka meat on a stick. All the boys here are pretty much obsessed with it, and they should be, because it’s delicious. These “Chuar” were especially good; they were well cooked and had the perfect amount of spicyness

Heaven on a stick.

Luo Laoshi and He Laoshi- Thanks again for a great night!!!! We are all looking forward to seeing you soon in May :)

Just Workin’ On My Fitness

Hello again! I just wanted to add a small post that has to deal with my workout routine and the nearby gym. Today’s weather was particularly beautiful (the pollution PM2.5 level was very low and the temperature peaked at 63 degrees…Farenheit. Not Celsius. If it was at 63 degrees Celsius I think we would die.) However, I decided to run inside on the treadmill at the gym, even though some of my friends ran at the nearby park. I usually try to work out 4-5 days a week, but our schoolwork can get very intense, so last week, I only went twice. This week I’m planning to go for 5-6 days…We’ll see if that will actually happen. Our gym is equipped with approx 20 treadmills, a full weight room, one bike, a stretching/yoga room with small weights, a ping-pong room (where some old men hang out and smoke cigarettes while playing ping-pong…healthy?), and a dancing room with…a stage..? Thankfully the men who smoke in the ping pong room usually keep the door closed! Here are some pics of the place. These pictures may be a little blurry, because I felt a little weird taking pictures in a gym. Haha.

Before we worked out, we HAD to take some crazy pictures. 

The funniest thing about this place is the staircase. Each side of the staircase is equipped with four of these posters which tells a little bit about each trainer. Here is a picture of Pi Jun / John Peterson with one of the posters showcasing the one trainer with abnormally large arms but a very small head. 

很帅！Melissa thinks he’s very handsome! These posters mainly portray the male trainers, but there is one female poster. Her pictures include her lifting a 5-lb weight (she’s very strong!) and giving a thumbs-up. 

That Time I Wanted to be a Senior Citizen

Last weekend I went to a nearby park with Lisa Hua! We had a great time exploring the area, and realized that the park was PACKED with old people. They all were singing, dancing, playing 麻将 (mahjiong), meditating, or just enjoying the scenery. Lisa and I tried to fit in with them. I meditated on this rock…

And Lisa explored the bamboo forest.

But seriously, we had a fun time. Who knew that senior citizens could have this much fun?! One area in the park had a bunch of food stands and small shops. I bought some dried coconut, dried kiwi (delicious!), and apricots.

Some people liked to twirl flags. (Who knows the official word for twirling flags? My english has gotten pretty rusty lately because I can only speak Chinese!)

The park even had a boathouse! I desperately wanted to bring a rowing shell onto that water and take a couple of strokes. (Ok, I would only be able to take like 5 strokes, and then I would be out of space…but still. I miss rowing!)

This pagoda is near the lake, but on a bit of a hill. The views were so beautiful! I want to come back when the weather gets a little warmer and read a book/do my homework/relax!

The National Museum of China!

Last week I went to the National Museum of China, which is conveniently 20 minutes away from CET via subway! It is next to Tian’anmen Square, The Forbidden City, and the National People’s Congress Standing Committee Building; right in the heart of Beijing! I had never been to a museum that’s this large, and had so many interesting artifacts. First we went to the Ancient China exhibit on the bottom floor, and saw artifacts that dated from the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) all the way to the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). After, we went to a few exhibits pertaining to modern Chinese history and  China’s foreign relations.Exterior Shot 1

Exterior Shot 2: View From Tian’anmen Square

The main lobby. I really liked the museum’s interior architecture

A steel sword. Totally wanted to use this and unleash my inner Mulan! :)

Three sculptures from Xi’an’s “Terracotta Warriors” collection. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, was buried among the 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses in order to protect him in the afterlife. These sculptures date back to approx. 209 BC. The National Museum of China only has 3 of these sculptures in order to maintain the collection in Xi’an as restored as possible. 

The Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, a Buddhist artifact from the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Avalokitesvara means “The one who hears the cries of the world” or “the lord who looks in every direction”.  Like I said in the YongHeGong Buddhist Lama Temple post a while ago, I find Buddhist art and culture very interesting and intriguing!

Why the long face?!

One of the hallways in the museum. Check out the people sleeping on the bench (left side of the picture). 随便睡！

This cute couple were wearing the EXACT same clothes! Taking the relationship to the next level I guess (Pun)

2 Porcelain swans given to Mao Zedong by Richard Nixon in 1972.

A tapestry depicting the Amazon River. Given to Mao Zedong by former French President Georges Pompidou in 1973

I forgot to take a picture, but the museum also has the flag raised by Mao Zedong at the Proclamation of the PRC!

After, we saw Tian’anmen square. The weather was beautiful! (Compare this picture to one of my first blog posts when I went to the Forbidden city…the pollution levels had decreased significantly) When we finished taking pictures, we walked to Wangfujing, a very lively shopping area which had a bunch of shops and small eateries, including…

This little shop. The cockroaches on sticks were still alive, and their legs were moving. Thanks, but no thanks :)