I’m in China!: Eating weird stuff

The last weekend, a few of my friends and I decided to go to places in Beijing that we missed out on such as the Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Snack Street and we of course had to make a quick stop to the Silk Market. The Temple of Heaven was pretty incredible and I realize that when I get back home, it’s going to take a while to get used to not seeing thousands of years old temples and mosques. After we stopped by the Temple of Heaven to take a few pictures, we went to the Wangfujing Snack Street, because one of my friends JJ really wanted to eat a scorpion (little did he know, he was going to eat a live one). 

When I first arrived at Wangfujing, I saw tall buildings and shopping centers everywhere. I was immediately reminded of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. We went into one of these malls and seeked out a dessert restaurant called Snow Monster, which is by far 在世界上数一数二 (in the world, top one or two) places you need to go. They served this thing that was kind of like a Korean dessert called Bingsoo, except it was a lot better. I don’t know how to describe it, but it was certainly a religious experience eating this ice cream/shaved ice/God-sent dessert from heaven. After this, we went to the actual Snack Street, which had delicious little treats like scorpion, larvae, starfish, and seahorse. Wow! Tasty! Haha I was too freaked out to actually try these things, but JJ and Emma (the blue-haired girl from Penn) were so down. While struggling to remove the tail of the live scorpions and getting ready to eat, JJ and Emma started to draw a crowd. Incredible. Because I had cringed so much throughout the entire half an hour of watching them eat/snapchatting their experience, I suggested to go back to Snow Monster. So we got another one.

This was probably my favorite weekend in Beijing and it’s hard to know that there are only a few more days left in this awesome city.

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

7.3.16 iPhone 949

One of the gates flanking Tiananmen Square

 

7.3.16 iPhone 1014-min

Me with my teacher, Li laoshi

7.3.16 iPhone 1035-min     7.3.16 iPhone 980

7.3.16 iPhone 1004     7.3.16 iPhone 1001-min

After two weeks in Beijing, we visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the center of Beijing, and considered by China’s ancient dynasties to be the center of the world, as well as the point of convergence between the earthly and celestial realms.  The Square and Forbidden City were packed with people.  I learned a lot about the symbolism of Chinese animals: The dragon and phoenix represent the emperor and empress of China respectively, and while the crane represents longevity of human life, the turtle represents longevity of the life of the nation.

Great Wall

7.3.16 iPhone 517-min     7.3.16 iPhone 5717.3.16 iPhone 591-min     7.3.16 iPhone 611

The Great Wall was incredible!  We visited a section called Mutianyu, which turned out to be a very steep climb to the top.  Luckily, there was an alpine slide to take us down to the base!  As we hiked along the wall, we could see the town from which we started in the valley below and mile after mile of the Great Wall winding along the mountain peaks.  It was definitely a relief to experience such clear skies and beautiful vistas, after living through some grey days in the Beijing metropolis.  As I realized how much manpower it must have taken to build, maintain, and defend the Wall, I could definitely feel an aura of antiquity and solemnity – The Great Wall was truly a sight to behold.

Blog 6

Entering the seventh week of the summer program, the end is now in sight.  It is sometimes hard not to lose focus a bit when studying.  However, there is still a lot more ground to cover. 

By now I truly feel able to communicate with native speakers at a fairly high level.  I guess the term I would use would be “adaptability.”  I am able to enter conversation on almost any topic, and at least hold my ground.  This is comforting, for I no longer feel as lost as I once did walking the streets of Beijing.  It is similar to sports; the game has slowed down.  It is getting much easier to understand the accents and quicker pace of speaking. 

This past weekend, our summer program went to a Chinese movie theatre to watch a movie entirely in Chinese.  Because it did not have subtitles, it truly was a test of our progress.  I was excited to find I kept pace with the plot of the movie, and by the end understood almost the entirety of the dialogue.  It really was a fun assurance of the progress I have made so far. 

Blog 5

Entering the seventh week of the summer program, the end is now in sight.  It is sometimes hard not to lose focus a bit when studying.  However, there is still a lot more ground to cover. 

By now I truly feel able to communicate with native speakers at a fairly high level.  I guess the term I would use would be “adaptability.”  I am able to enter conversation on almost any topic, and at least hold my ground.  This is comforting, for I no longer feel as lost as I once did walking the streets of Beijing.  It is similar to sports; the game has slowed down.  It is getting much easier to understand the accents and quicker pace of speaking. 

This past weekend, our summer program went to a Chinese movie theatre to watch a movie entirely in Chinese.  Because it did not have subtitles, it truly was a test of our progress.  I was excited to find I kept pace with the plot of the movie, and by the end understood almost the entirety of the dialogue.  It really was a fun assurance of the progress I have made so far. 

Blog 4

Life in Beijing is nothing if not consistent.  The excitement from the trip to Xi’an has worn off, and it is time to begin the second textbook of the summer.  It is exciting to look back at the progress we all have made so far, yet daunting to see how far we have yet to go.   It is satisfying to leave campus on weekends and evenings, for it allows you to practice what you are learning every morning in class, and reassure yourself of your progress. 

The sheen of life in a new country has given way to an acceptance of routine.  I no longer consider myself a tall American strolling about campus, but more integrated into the college life here at Peking University.  Meals are still a problem faced sometimes, as bad experiences in ordering food at one of the dining halls has temporarily excluded it from the meal options.  If there is one thing I am missing right now about America, it is the food.  However, there are other options, and it is not a pressing problem. 

再见, 中国 (See you again, China)

Today was my last day in Beijing, and I was battling a lot of different emotions as I left our dorms and headed to the airport. A part of me missed my family, my dog, and the familiar smell of cheeseburgers. However, a part of me recalled all of the hard times and the amazing memories that this country has given me. I began to feel a rush of emotions as I hugged Emma, our beloved friend from the University of Pennsylvania, the same girl who dyed her hair blue and bravely ate live scorpions. I felt the same rush when I bought my last mango ice cream from the convenience store that we went to every single day, and as I was packing my luggage, every object reminded me of a specific memory, whether it was bargaining at one of the markets or buying something from a street vendor. It was an unforgettable eight weeks, and I’ve been so fortunate to have this experience, to meet some of the most amazing people, and to have a more authentic perspective of China.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Before going to the airport, one of my instructors, Hu Laoshi, treated me to a pizza dinner and to coffee right after. As we were eating, I asked him why he chose to be a teacher, and his response left me feeling inspired. He told me that he chose to teach because he learned as much from his students as they learned from him. Exchanging different opinions and perspectives with his students, who came from all walks of life, inspired him to become a better teacher. I related to his response because I strongly believe that building perspectives around authentic and immersive experiences lead us to become more empathetic and aware as students. I’ve corrected a lot of preconceived notions that I had upon coming to China, and I feel as if I am leaving this country with a motivation to continue gaining these authentic experiences and learning more about the world.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I have a week to rest before I continue my Chinese studies at Notre Dame, but being in China has transformed the way I learn and retain the language. I am interested in seeing how this change exactly goes about once I start class. For example, speaking with local residents really heightened my sense of how colloquial Chinese is spoken, and I am finally more comfortable with presenting speeches and engaging in basic conversations. This was such a rewarding experience, and I am so thankful for this amazing opportunity to not only learn about a unique country, but also learn more about myself in the process.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

PKU Global Village

7.3.16 iPhone 116-min7.3.16 iPhone 394

Peking University has been gracious enough to host the NDiB (Notre Dame in Beijing) students in its international student dorm complex, known as PKU Global Village.  In my opinion, the accommodations were very nice (even better than some Notre Dame dorms) and it was very convenient to walk from the dorms to our classroom building.  I took the first picture from a pedestrian overpass that connects Global Village to the main campus.  And, as you can see, the skies are sometimes blue!  The Global Village includes a few convenience stores, some restaurants, and even an underground gym.

7.3.16 iPhone 622-min

Fengshui fountain

7.3.16 iPhone 638

Busy work-station

 

The Last Weekend

Seven weeks flew by so quickly and it feels like I arrived at Beijing International Airport just yesterday. The last weekend led my friends and I feeling bittersweet, but we made the most out of it. We had already gone to a lot of places, so we decided to fill our weekend activities with things we haven’t done yet like visiting the Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Snack Street, Old Summer Palace, and the Capitol Museum.last8

My friend, JJ, had one last mission in Beijing and that was to eat a scorpion, so we took the trek to Wangfujing Snack Street and was pleasantly surprised to find squirming scorpions lined up on a stick. I could barely look at it without cringing inside, so I was so amazed when Emma bravely got a stick of scorpions, took out its tail, and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Her last words were, “When in China, do what the Chinese do.” JJ followed after Emma, but as he was about to eat the scorpions, a bunch of Chinese people crowded around him in awe and took pictures. It wasn’t the first time JJ had a bunch of people take pictures of him, but it was an interesting sight to see a crowd cheering him on as he was fulfilling his last mission.

last6last7

I had not visited the Old Summer Palace, so on Sunday, I decided to go around 6 p.m. My other classmates told me that it was just a big park and was not worth going to, so I had very little expectations. However, when I arrived and saw the willow trees dip down into a reflective lake with giant Water Lilies crowding its surface, I was in awe of the beauty around me. The best part was the sunset, and for the first time in Beijing, I forgot that there was air pollution and just watched the splashes of orange paint the sky over the lake.

last1 last2

I definitely think this last weekend summed up my experiences in China so well. I had the opportunity to do (and watch) crazy things, explore the most known and unknown places in Beijing, and find beauty in the most unexpected places. It is a bittersweet feeling knowing that I only have a couple of days left; I am ready to return home and to Notre Dame but I also wish I had one more weekend in China to learn and explore.