As we enter into week five, I think Jon Bon Jovi and late night Toad's goers say it best: "Oh oh, we're half way there/Oh oh living on a prayer".
Yes, we've reached the midpoint of this journey, and with it came quite a number of silly, educational, and insightful moments. Since it has been about a week since my last post, I think the best way to go about describing all of these moments would be in chronological fashion. Here it goes...
星期二, 7月8号 (Tuesday): As I may have mentioned already, everyday each student meets with his or her own language partner , or 语伴, whose purpose is to help students practice Chinese in a casual, student-to-student environment. My language partner is the somewhat quirky, endearing Peng Peng (or to use her English name: Joan). Having complained to Peng Peng on numerous occasions about my friends' and my perpetual pizza craving while in Beijing, she offered to take me to a local pizza place that she was fond of. Unlike in America, Chinese college students don't often eat pizza, finding it too expensive to consume with any regularity (which is perhaps why the Chinese are in staggeringly better physical condition than their American counterparts), so her invitation was actually very generous. This favorite pizza place of hers, however, turned out to be none other than our very own Pizza Hut.
Unlike the typical American delivery joint, this Beijing Pizza Hut was remarkably classy, fit with its own maitre'd, printed menus, and colorful wall decorations. Surprisingly, this pizza (which, to my utter delight, we complemented with a hearty piece of chocolate cake) has been the only "American" food I've had in China that has tasted similar to that which you would purchase in America. Whether that is a good thing or not, I'm not quite sure, but it was greasy and cheesy enough to satisfy any American teenager's cravings. From the picture on the left, I think it's safe to say that Peng Peng agrees.
She also introduced me to the wonders of authentic Boba tea. While Boba tea, or 奶茶 (nai cha - milk tea) is sold at numerous locations in the States, I've never felt compelled to try it before, nor did I actually on Tuesday night either, but feeling obligated to partake in a component of Peng Peng's culture as she had in mine, I skeptically ordered one, and was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. Let's just say they've been getting a lot of Tess business since then...
7月9号， 星期三(Wendesday): With this past week being that of the dreaded midterm, I was a little bit out of my element. While at Yale, I normally lock myself up in one of the Bass Library cubbies, only to be purposefully distracted by my fellow procrastinators, but with the Capital Normal University library closed for the summer, I was at a loss. So instead, a friend and I decided to take to the streets and explore Beijing, combining textual with practical study. We ended up in Houhai, which is the lake district in the center of Beijing. We meandered along the now dwindling hutongs into a bar owned by a young twenty-something couple called "Whatever." Not such a motivational title in terms of studying, but in the midafternoon and early evening, it provided us with a very stylish, but cozy place to take to the books. The walls, a rusty orange, were covered with chalk marks drawn by recent customers - even one that read Yale 万岁 (long live Yale), which was appropriately placed in full view above Harvard's 万岁 (see left). Not to worry, the two of us left our
own marks too- our names in Chinese and a sufficient amount of Yale pride. As efficient as it is to study in the dorms, I think I learned more about China from that one trip to Houhai than all the nights cooped in the dorms eating at the first floor Japanese restaurant.
While at Whatever, I also happened to catch a small portion of a new Chinese gameshow. Normally I don't take interest in watching Chinese television since, well, I only understand about one out of every ten words, but this one was different: it was a contest - in English. I don't know what the exact title was, but it must have been something like, Who Can Speak the Best Chinglish - I mean, English. The rumors are true - as much as Beijing is preparing its air, stadiums, freeways, and parks for the Olympics, the people are in training too. English is the hot new commodity, and China is providing every incentive for people to improve their language skills.
7月11号， 星期五(Friday): Midterms. That's all that really needs to be said about both Thursday and the first half of Friday. With that completed, there was an air of celebration mixed with utter exhaustion as pupil after pupil flopped down onto his/her bed for what would no doubt be a very long afternoon nap. The semester over, however, we were ready to embark on our semester break trip: a choice between Xi'an, Shanxi, and Shaolin. Most of us opted for Xi'an, and proceeded to take a thirteen hour overnight train from Beijing direct to Xi'an.
In what seemed no larger than a handicapped bathroom stall, six students piled into six beds. In this rather intimate setting, we proceeded - as all sleep deprived students often do - to talk most of the night, falling asleep to the sound of each others comments, observations, complaints, or what have you. Surprisingly though, it was the best night's sleep most of us had had in a while.
7月12号， 星期六(Saturday): We arrived in Xi'an bright and early, tour guides escorting us from the train station to our hotel - the accommodations of which outshone every aspect of our dormitories back at Beijing. It was there where we found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - a buffet of banana bread, croissants, eggs, french toast, cheerios, yogurt, bacon, and hash browns. It was love at first sight - and digested even sooner. That afternoon we saw the famous Wild Goose Pagoda, the city wall, and a Muslim market, which sold the Mulan-esque crickets (which I think were actually locusts) in bamboo cages. Saturday night, though, brought us into the very authentic world of Chinese entertainment. No, not the Tang Dynasty dance and song performances we watched while eating eighteen different types of Chinese dumplings - karaoke. KTV is the big name in karaoke in China, and as soon as we set foot into the Xi'an branch, four Chinese students turned into American Idol's Best of the Worst show. While the English song selection was limited only to songs titled A-C (the disappearance of D-Z is still under investigation), we sang proudly and loudly to the likes of Billie Jean, Hit Me Baby One More Time (under Britney Spears, not H), Bye Bye Bye, and Barbie Girl. Most of the songs, however, did not have the accompanying music videos, so while singing a song like All Star, an upbeat, rip your voice box out of your throat type of song, we got to watch picturesque montages of Chinese scenery and the pensive poses of Chinese and American models. It didn't seem to affect our singing too much, though - according to the amused/horrified looks of the employees' faces upon our exit, I'm pretty sure that despite the sound proof doors, they could easily hear us sing our American hearts out.
7月13号， 星期天(Sunday): Sunday brought us to the Eighth Wonder of the World: the Terra Cotta soldiers. Unfortunately, while they advertise the existence of three full pits of these little guys, there is sadly but one. Pit 1 was definitely impressive, though the experience, as most anticipated ones are, was not as staggering as I had imagined. Nevertheless, I have a few pictures to share.
One more thing: as promised, this weekend led me to a T-shirt worthy of mention. While vising the terra cotta soldiers, we happened upon this little boy touring with his parents. Without saying anything else, I will let the T-shirt speak for itself:
7月9号， 星期三(Monday - Tuesday): We returned back to Beijing on Monday, classes canceled for the day. They resumed again today (Tuesday), and there is nothing of much interest to speak of in that department. My one creation today, however, has been a new series that I'm starting in Beijing (well, in my head at least, to amuse myself). The Duke program students are big gym goers, and everyday when my roommate and I go to the gym at around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, we always happen upon the same group of people there. The gym itself is very nice, with new equipment and TV monitors attached to the tredmills. The only downside is that the AC is not very strong, and you end up looking like you've just come back from swim practice every time you go. Regardless, while walking back from the gym today, I thought it reminded me of one of those cheesy soap operas. I have dubbed it : GYMWATCH - the sweaty, Chinese exercise edition of the classic Baywatch. It's only funny, though, because while, yes, everyone is sweaty with glistening muscles, etc etc, there is this one girl, whom for her protection and dignity I will call Larissa. Larissa is one of those girls who wears the short shorts, the fake tan, the fake nails, the fake smile, and the fake reputation. She likes to go to the gym everyday for a short ten minute hop on the tredmill and then scurries over to the weight lifting area to flirt with all the guys who collect in that area. She says she's a dancer, so while talking to these guys, she pulls her legs up over her head, does many a downward dog position (and its variants), and asks them to spot her as she attempts a fifteen pound bench press. When I get off the tredmill each day with my roommate, we gaze over to that area, utterly amused by her behavior. Hence the creation of Gymwatch and its star: Larissa. I'm still waiting for an interesting plot line to unfold, but we still have four weeks.
Well, I think that's enough to carry you through for another few days. Bye for now!
再见!
-Tess
They warn you before you come here that Beijing is stock full of Yalies, and I guess I should have known since I ran into three Bulldogs my very first weekend here, but for some reason I keep thinking the world is bigger than it actually is.
I don't think Caucasians are a common sight here in Beijing, as cosmopolitan as it appears to be. Before I knew it, I was transformed from a broken-Chinese-speaking student into a royal celebrity. I must have posed with five different people before I finally broke loose - and they say you have to have talent to be admired. I think I finally understand why Michael Jackson is the way he is.
Standing in front of these two buildings is such a different experience than watching TV cameras pan the area or seeing snapshots in the newspapers. You could feel the anticipation and excitement, the magnitude of the Olympic Games, and what they symbolize for China as an up-and-coming powerhouse. In conjunction with the construction of these architecturally-forward stadiums, the city too is undergoing massive renovations in preparation for the big 08.08.08. Our host university, which is basically a slab of concrete, was last week transformed into Los Angeles's Huntington Gardens, with flowers and banners strewn across the campus. Olympics banners now hang from every bridge, highway overpass, and lamppost. Cars are now restricted to driving only on certain days, and you can actually see some blue in the sky. It's almost like a new city.
What made this particular event interesting was not the sixth or seventh roast duck I've had in Beijing, but rather its various edible appendages. Apparently duck in China is served with other "duck-related" side dishes, as one of my friends put it, which meant our table was laden with duck liver, gizzard, intestines, and webbed feet. Against my better judgment, my motto that night was, while in China, do as the Chinese do, but I'm not quacking yet, so I think it worked out okay. 
What was most striking, however, was walking through these hutongs. Next to Tiananmen Square, which perhaps contains the most lavish and opulent series of buildings, exists a series of alleyways with dilapidated buildings and dirt floors. A hallmark of the Qin Dynasty, people still live within these small villages, though the government is demolishing most of them, building tall skyscrapers in their stead.
