It's been a while since my last post, which means there is a lot to say post-Chang Cheng.
While it's hard to believe that I've only been here for three weeks, three weeks in China seeming almost like a good two months anywhere else, there are still those moments that make you remember that, oh wait, this isn't exactly how I remember things back at home. I've finally settled into a solid daily routine, decided on all of my favorite dishes at each of the local restaurants, and know the drive from campus to Chaoyang (one of the more bustling parts of Beijing) by heart. But, this week we too encountered some not so familiar situations. One of my good friends here, Jess - a girl from the upper east side of Manhattan, with an uncanny penchant for impressions and voices, braved a tumultuous obstacle course this week. While shopping at Wu Mart, she was planning on purchasing this packaged bread that has become a staple in so many of our diets here; yet prior to checkout, and to Jess' horror, she glanced at her intended purchase only to find a large, dead mosquito proudly reclining on her beloved bread. Her ever present smile abruptly morphed into a disapproving scowl as I, true to form, exploded into a burst of uncontrollable laughter. That same week, Jess ordered a scallion pancake at the noodle restaurant down the street, and was pleasantly greeted with a long, black hair after having delicately taken her first bite. Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...
In other news, the monstrous shopping market that is Yashow introduced me to the wonderful world of Chinese pirated DVDs. I had been pining for any taste of trashy American television, and was at last comforted by the first installment of my future voluminous DVD collection. Whether a romantic comedy like 27 Dresses, a witty indy film like Juno, or the still-in-theaters Sex and the City, they are now all here (legally) for my viewing pleasure. Oh the joy...I'm now a VIP member at the DVD store there, which is somewhat pathetic, but I keep telling myself that most people came on this program to China to reconnect with their roots. Buying DVDs at Yashow is just my method of keeping in contact with my own child-of-the-entertainment-business, Hollywood roots.
All of this shopping, however, has ushered us into the newest phase of Beijing life, the mantra being: "Eat less, go to Yashow". We are given a 350 RMB stipend each week for food and other necessities while we're here, and my friends and I have decided that if we eat wisely every day, we will have more money to spend at Yashow each week. It's brilliant. Though we're really only talking about saving what would be about $3 or $4 on food, those few dollars do wonders in China - especially if you are an adept bargainer. You could even go so far as to say going shopping is an educational experience. for us After all, bargaining is an integral part of the Chinese culture, and I've been doing my best to practice as much as possible.
In complying with the rigorous demands of my new Yashow-driven lifestyle, I have added some new weekly food staples in addition to what was once only Ritz crackers. Thankfully, someone finally discovered the aisle in which the peanut butter was hidden at Wu Mart, and it is now safe to say that the foreign students have since wiped out Wu Mart's entire peanut butter stock. I've also found Cheerios here, which don't taste exactly as they do in the US, but are nevertheless surprisingly addicting. My friend has since labeled them "Zhonggros", Zhongguo being the word for "China" in Chinese. I thought it was quite clever. Lastly, Bimbo bread has managed to wiggle its way into all of our diets. I first remember buying Bimbo bread in Spain, and the name has since been permanently branded into my brain. What is white bread in Spain, though, is in China a small loaf embellished with red bean paste swirls. We 留学生 (liu xuesheng = foreign students) have begun consuming these small snacks in bulk, and often find ourselves daydreaming about the next time we'll eat one. Hopefully the title of this post now makes a bit more sense.
This was also the first week I braved the Beijing subway system. If you at first don't believe that Beijing is as crowded as everyone says, take the subway. You'll become a believer. The subway itself is pretty efficient, though the nearest subway station is a ten minute taxi ride away from the CNU campus. I haven't decided whether or not I'll be returning to the 地铁站 (ditie zhan = subway station) in the future, but I at least got the real Beijinger experience, which was furthered by my pathetic attempt to hail a taxi outside of the station to take me back to campus. Warning: do not get in the way of a Beijing 人 (ren = person) searching for a cab during rush hour. You will loose every time. Guaranteed. After five failed attempts, I happened upon a rather successful strategy: chase down an approaching taxi, place your hand on the door handle as the passenger exits the cab, and stare down all nearby taxi hawks. If you neglect to follow these rules, grabbing a cab is like trying to hail a taxi in NYC wearing a large Statue of Liberty foam hat, an I Love New York shirt, with a fanny pack around your waist. As a Caucasian, I'm an undeniable tourist, a trait that doesn't help too much in situations like this.
This was also the first week I had a Starbucks in Beijing. It was wonderfully familiar, but far too expensive for my new Yasho-driven lifestyle. Can't go to Yashow on the weekend when coffee costs you 30 RMB (about $4). Yes, it's about the same price in China as it is in the States, but I've adopted new standards since arriving here. I have begun to embody the stereotype of the parsimonious old uncle who thinks giving you 50 cents on your birthday is a valuable lesson. It might become a slight problem upon my return to the States. They say you lose weight when traveling to Asia because you don't eat as much, etc etc, but I'm starting to fear the opposite as I picture myself being escorted off the local Whole Foods premises after trying to bargain down produce prices. Oy.
Well, I think that's a long enough novel of a post for now. This week is the last before midterms, which means my trip is almost halfway done. I don't know which is scarier: that, or the midterms.
More later,
Tess
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1 comment:
I've been thinking of going to China to teach English. I'm wondering about the pay. If I took a job that provided housing and paid, say, 500 RMB, do you think that would be enough to live on or should I negotiate for more? Please let me know.
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