Monthly Test

Tomorrow I have a monthly test for everything I have learned thus far in class. More than anything, all I can think about is bringing stuff back and taking stuff over to China. On an academic note, I seem to be doing well in class. On a social note, I don't have many people I would call friends. I seem to be a maneater, or something. On a personal note, I feel a little more in tune with myself than I did before. So, that's good. But we'll see. We're only one month in. 加油加油！

All By Myself

Today I decided to go to Vegan Hut for food, and to study. I texted one friend to see if he wanted to go, and of course, got a resounding "Even if I was free, which I'm not, I wouldn't go. Gross." Expected answer. On my way out, I saw that friend who proceeded to question as to why I was going to eat vegan food. His friend whose name I don't know and who doesn't know my name asked me if I'm going alone. I say yes and he repeats the question. Then, some other people I know are walking up the steps to the dorm and they ask me what I'm doing. I tell them where I'm going and where it is and the question is the same: "You're going there? By yourself? That far?"

Yes, and here is why. After some incidences with other people, I have abandoned my search for someone who appreciates the same things that I do. Most people cannot fathom why I'd travel so far to eat vegan food. Most people cannot fathom why I'd even want to eat vegan food, or to even travel so far to eat. And those who I have taken with me on my excursions to find new places in Beijing... well, I've ranted before. Rather than drag someone into my perceiving, intuitive stupor, I've just decided to go at it alone. That way I don't have to worry about someone not liking it, I don't have to worry that it's too expensive for someone else, I don't have to worry that someone will get tired of traveling so far just to get food.

I probably sound crazy to a lot of people, but the fact is that although going out like this is rather lonely, it beats being hella stressed out from all the pressure you feel when you go with someone who isn't enjoying it as much as you do, and expects you to cater to their needs. We know by now that I am no longer trying to do that. So, I piss people off. I'm looking at you, Portuguese girl.

By the way, this site is awesome.
http://thegrandnarrative.com/

More Pictures

 

This is the 先生 I buy skewers from almost every day. At first, his food gave me constant diarrhea, but now it is no more. He knows me now cuz I buy from him so much ^_^

Zsuzsi (Hungary), Ana (Portugal), Danbi aka 金秋 (Korean)

 

Hurr.

My humble digs.

成老师, my 汉语 teacher. Look at her handwriting...

 

谈老师, my 口语 teacher. She is beauteous, 5'8", and only 25.

80% of the class eating lunch together before afternoon class.

I Cracked

Yesterday, I cracked and went on a hunt for honest-to-goodness food. I looked up this small chain store, Lohao City 乐活城, whose stated mission was to provide the people of Beijing with good, whole food that hadn't been spoiled or muddled with. Essentially, a Whole Foods in Beijing. Or something like it. In my quest, I was becoming rather disgruntled as the directions given to me were totally wrong; I wasn't finding it and everyone I asked in my stilted Chinese said they had never heard of a "乐活城." So, I walked on and passed by this cafe named "Jing Fun Veggie Cafe." I thought if anyone knew where this place was it would be the people working in a vegetarian cafe. Sure enough, they told me exactly where it was. Since I already had passed though, I decided I would come back for dinner.

Lohao City was ... much smaller than I imagined it would be, but it carried some really nice stuff, stuff that I would have bought... if I had a kitchen with equipment in China. Raw cashews, frozen sorbets and fresh veggies, tons of different kinds of grains, beans and dehydrated veggies... and all in expensive-for-China-but-cheap-for-America prices. I ended up buying a couple packets of freeze-dried fruit and mushroom chips.

While the dinner at Jing Fun was good, I wouldn't consider it by any means an awesome dinner. The pasta was kind of bleh, and a little rich considering all the food I've been eating (rich and oily). I got a free cup of delicious bean soup, though. And this cheese plate which I thought was cheese... but turned out to be more of a cheese salad, four different kinds of cheese tossed w/ olive oil, olives and baby tomatoes. Which I devoured slowly because I've gone almost a month without cheese.

Then, I got home and systematically ate myself through the freeze-dried fruit and mushroom chips. Hm... I wonder what that means. The problem with freshness in Beijing is that if you buy fruit, you pretty much have to eat it the same day. Even if you leave it in the fridge, it spoils within the day. This makes me feel that it's not really fresh and it makes me not want to buy it again (bad experience with a banana). A bit of a problem. Anyway.

Today, I went on a similar expedition, except since it was further I employed use of SMS and invited a few people to go. Two people ended up going with me, and my roommate (who decided to stay back and do her hw cuz she's Asian like that) asked me to please please get her some bread. Salty bread, because for some reason in China all the bread has this sweet taste to it.

After walking down the embassy street for what seemed like an eternity, we finally made it to Comptoirs de France, this small chain bakery/patisserie offering sandwiches, breads and sweets. And because I'm a spoiled rich American girl who compared it to American prices and deemed it supercheap even by American standards, I decided to purchase 135元 worth of stuff... about $20.00. Which, considering what I bought, came out to be about American price. Which, in the state that I was (craving anything but Chinese food) was perfectly reasonable. My companions didn't think so, though, and one started complaining about the price while taking her wallet out to pay for her sandwich. Which was half-covered by another friend who had a scholarship that gave him $3000.00 to spend on whatever the hell he wanted.

A baguette, a bag of chouquettes, six macarons, a cannelle and two meringues later, we left in search of the second place I wanted to visit; Boucherie Michel, whose establishment boasted meats, sausages, cheeses, wines, the like. We found it and discovered that holy crap, the price of cheese was severely inflated in China; it was more expensive than in America. But, of course, I bought a wedge of Mimolette cheese (I wanted Camembert cuz roomie is a fan but they didn't have it), which happened to be the most expensive cheese there. Go figure.

Within a timespan of about one hour, I spent close to 200元, 20% of my allotted monthly salary in China. For which, my  mother will not be happy about, because she wanted me to stay within 1000元 so in October she wouldn't have to dish out anything extra. But I'm happy. My stomach's happy. I can go back to eating Chinese food again. Everyone's favorite dish here is steamed broccoli. Infer why.

On Karaoke

It does seem a bit ironic, doesn't it? You fill yourself with activities to not feel lonely but inevitably feel sharp pangs of loneliness. Hoards of people go to KTV, with their friends, co-workers and lord knows who else. In a room of 16 people, it's practically a suite. A hotel. You're having fun, but as soon as someone starts singing a song you don't know, you feel left out. Bored. And then you decide that you're not having that much fun after all, and leave. And others start trickling because they realize the same thing; karaoke is competition, and unless you really love to sing those songs or unless you're just a really benevolent person who is just happy being around people who seem to be having fun, it's an isolating activity. Especially if you have four languages being sung.

Beijing Rain, Part III

OK, nevermind. The weather changed from 80-something degrees to 62 degrees in a span of 8 hours. I am not ready for this weather. Especially if this is the average autumn temperature outside. I need to go to UNIQLO, fast.

Beijing Rain, Part II

Beijing Rain over the course of one day reduces the city's overall temperature by at least ten degrees celsius. IE) I can wear my awesome clothes out now. Yessss.

Also, the Germans are leaving. Caroline and I both hope that no other new random roommates occupy the top bunks. We like our fridge full of our food and our bathroom undirty. Since it looks like we're not gonna get a 2-person room. Damn Asians. At least they're cool when you talk to them... the young ones at least.

Beijing Rain

I would have loved to have been all "singing in the rain," but my brain kept shouting "acid rain!" at me. Also, rain makes you place certain things into a lower priority category. Such as homework. And not drinking and playing beer pong. And being ok with someone you barely know touching you and kissing you like a camel. It also makes you less prone to being a wuss, therefore causing you to stop the kiss cuz  it was sucking, grab your things and shut the door behind you.

On the flipside, 五道口 is the place to be to meet other college folk who are international students... because all the Chinese students care about (the ones who care, at least) is studying and getting into a grad school abroad.

Rain also makes taxi drivers hate you, no matter who you are and where you want to go.

Grounded

I imposed a no-going-out night for myself... where there would be at least day a week where I did not go out and stayed in the dorm. So far... I've only half-fulfilled that rule, as the previous night I did stay in but I went next door to the musical Koreans to hang out with them for the first time, and tonight I spent 2 hours in the lobby half-chatting the receptionists up. Not like they had anything to do, they were technically stuck there from 8 PM to 8 AM.

For My Picture-loving Friends

Kyung-Ah/Da/Ba/Na

So the Korean neighbor I heard singing who was too embarrassed to continue when I walked in? He introduced himself and said if I wanted to come and watch I could. Kyung-Ah/Da/Ba/Na is his name. And his roommate, Jin-Woo/Voo. I wonder how they remembered what I looked like from that awkward couple of minutes. I must be pretty memorable... Yay, music! ^_^

KTV Much?

1. Financial English is not the same thing as regular English. My heart hurts for those who are stupid enough to think that they can handle financial English when they can barely say their own name in English. And then decide to cancel the next class because it's too hard even though they were warned.
2. Having someone who seems to be stuck to you is not so fun when you want to meet new people.
3. KTV with Chinese people is bomb. They just go for it. Singing "Gee" with Chinese people is bomb.
4. Meeting a BBC (British-born ChineseCantonese) is awesome.
5. Feeling normal for the first time since arriving is awesome.
6. So now, I have German roommates.

Week One

One first, terribly homesick week over. It feels like it's been forever since I came, and quite honestly I feel pretty ready to go home for good. There is a small part of me that has changed, though, that maybe I can live in this city for the allotted time, that maybe I won't be lonely. Really have to put myself out there though.

On Thursday night I went to the senior recital of this girl who played 古箏. I went with some Chinese students, notably the one I met on registration day, ZiZi. The girl who performed got hella lot of flowers. Dayam, I thought US kids got lots of flowers... no. There was enough for (a funeral > <), huge stands with pink, not red, ribbon, bouquets that would have cost well over $50 in the US, and she got about 20 of them. Girl's got enough flowers to make a garden. I was hoping to be able to hang out with the ZiZi, but she's a grad student getting her masters. Not much time for play, or conversing with me.

On Friday after class I visited part of the old palace near Tienanmen Square... from what I remember. It was very peaceful and although a lot of the people I went with didn't enjoy it, I thoroughly felt a calm and tranquil ... shimmer. Later that night, against my better judgment I was dragged to 三里屯 to go to this club/bar. Being a party pooper, I didn't drink, but I did dance... for 2 hours and got back at 2 AM. And I woke up exactly at 6:30 AM the following morning, as predicted, much to my body's chagrin. The other people I went with came back at 5:30, those crazy people.

However, I was unable to fall back asleep and thus was online, chatting, Skyping and crying whenever my mother called me. Chinese malls close early, but I got stuff at Carrefour since the Kazakhstan roommates moved out to be in their own room. Enforcing law soon! Last night, no going out because I have an interview today (Sunday) at 10 AM! Hopefully I get the job.

I Smell Like A Bar

The bar streets seem to be inhabited only by foreigners...

Work

I'm sure there's lots of quotes on work, but put simply, work makes time go by faster, good work makes you forget as you are concentrating on one task. You can forget your loneliness and stare at the words, reciting them, making sure they are right.

Funny story, last night as I was browsing the net, I heard someone singing. A boy singing. Being a musicphile, I went to seek out the source and guess what, it was my neighbor. Unfortunately one of his friends who was walking by noticed and assumed I wanted it to stop and quickly shouted something in Korean before I could stop him, and whoever it was inside stopped singing. However, the guy opened the door and I saw 4 boys, one in a top bunk who perked up and saw me, then kowtowed saying 对不起，对不起！But of course, being me I only cared that he sang again, so in stilted Chinese tried to urge him to continue because I liked his singing. But of course, they all just stared at me uneasily until I just said bye and left. I was hoping to make a music friend. Common interest. Guess not.

Homesick

I think I have a bad case of homesickness, amplified even more because my main source of comfort remains my computer. My crutch. My life.