The End of My China Travels

Jack and I have made it back from Xi'an and survived two 22 hour train rides as well as getting a little lost in a strange city. We managed to see the Terra Cotta Soldiers, the Shaangxi Museum, and ride bikes around the city wall. It was a pretty fun trip and I loved spending time with Jack. Now back in Hangzhou, I have pretty much all of my belongings packed away and ready for the next trip back home. I've been so excited for this moment, and I can't really believe it's happening. It has been 5 months! I don't know where that time went and now I feel disoriented at the fact that I have a whole other life waiting for me on the other side of the world! I've missed home a lot, and until now it has just been an idea in my head. Soon it will be a reality. I have a lot I am bringing back with me and things I want to apply to my life back in the states. China has definitely been a worthwhile adventure not only because it has been fun, but because it has been difficult. I'm certainly not done with my adventures, but I am finally closing the chapter on my studies in China.

Now that I've truly lived outside of my comfort zone for a fair amount of time, I feel like I know where I'm needed and where I belong. I thought that coming to China might give me insight on how to help them resolve some their problems, but now I really realize where I need to start is right at home. Just because China isn't the U.S. doesn't mean it needs the U.S. to help it be better. They have a lot of problems, but for China to maintain it's identity they need to be resolved by the people on their own terms. With time China will come into it's own. What we can do is be a better example of what a developed country is by turning around some trends we have set in motion. China is already doing better than the states in some aspects, but they certainly aren't avoiding all of our mistakes. By following the status quo at the moment, many people are achieving a better quality of life here, but many others are still getting left behind and disenfranchised. And since China has so many people, it's on one of the largest scales ever known.

I find that life here can be summed up to one thing. Waiting in line. Everyone gathers to get what they want and what they need. Then they have to keep pushing and pushing each other to guarantee that they will get it. There is so much competition and struggle to get by in day to day life that there is no room for personal space or passive pleasantry. You either push or get pushed out of the way. Some people don't really have the ability to push back. This isn't like in the states where we are pretty much guaranteed what we need and want. Even just being an average U.S. citizen is glamorous compared to the life of average people here. WE. ARE. SPOILED. And because we have been spoiled, we think we deserve to be without really working for it or appreciating it. People here work for everything. Hopefully when I get back, I might be just a little less spoiled. I certainly appreciate what I have a lot more. I am forever changed, but only as a better Jackie, not a different one.

I So Hate Goodbyes

Today was the last day of classes for me here in China. I've been so excited about seeing my friends at home, that I let myself forget for a little while all the new people I'm saying goodbye to. I sat next to my friend Ming Dao for the last time in grammar class. In listening we all stood in front of the class and said some things to everyone. I nearly cried, even though we were all cracking jokes.

Tonight is our last class dinner and afterwards we are going to KTV. It should be a lot of fun, and hopefully I'll feel a little bit more closure. I always hate endings and I always hate goodbyes. I get like this at the end of every semester, but this is a bit different. These people I may never see again. Even if I never got terribly close with some of them, I feel an inevitable connection from just spending so much time around them. But that's just kind of life. You just get to know something and then you have to leave it behind.

Now I have two days off and a lot of studying to do. I've been really slacking off the past few days and now need to play catch up. I know I should do pretty well on the tests, but I still cant help this dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach at the thought of their approach. Worry is a disease and mine is chronic.

In the end I have a few regrets, like I usually do. I always feel at the end of things like I didn't do enough, that I should have tried more, and that weighs heavy on my heart. Luckily there are always new chances that I have to look forward to. I'm really going to try not to take for granted what I have or have had.

Not much longer till....

Not much longer till classes are over! and I get to eat sweet sweet American food and see all of my dear friends! Just a little over a week of actual classes, then three tests spread out over a week, and then a week to travel with Jack to Xi An and wherever else the wind blows us. Good thing too because it is going to be difficult surviving in this heat! It is getting into the hot and wet season here, so looooooots of humidity and just grossness. I'm excited to have some free time to finish off my Chinese shopping list and see a little more of China! I'm not excited about having to leave Jack and my friend May behind. :'(

Last weekend May and I went out for a little girls night, her treat, where we ate some of the most delicious shrimp I've ever had and then had a nice relaxing foot rub. It was pretty much heavenly. We just chatted and got to know each other even better. I'm so glad I was able to meet and get close to a wonderfully sweet Chinese friend while I've been here. It can be difficult with the language and cultural barriers to actually feel close to someone and relate to them. Luckily somehow I found a kindred spirit working just as hard(if not harder) to learn English as I am Chinese :). What I am going to have to do is find some way to treat her to something special before I leave. And possibly Jack can take over tutoring her where I left off, though I think I can say her English has improved quite a bit ;).

As for my trip with Jack, I'm pretty optimistic. Ashley and Mike have already been to Xi An and had a pretty good experience. Plus we can learn from some of their mishaps on what not to do :P. Thanks for being the guinea pigs! jk. Plus we get to see the Terra Cotta soldiers for reals! I think It will be a great way to wrap up my adventures here in China and spend some quality time with Jack before I go.

For the most part, my experience here might be called mundane with highlights, but that's just kind of me. I enjoy the mundane and the exciting. The ordinary and the extraordinary. And what are the extraordinary things without the ordinary in between? I feel as if I have really gotten the feel of this place and it's people, and that is how I remember things; by their feel, not their names etc. (Which can be troublesome) I constantly observe while not necessarily putting distinctions on things. Sometimes distinguishing things makes them lose their meaning. Though sometimes I've been at odds with my surroundings, I've always managed to come back to my center and take everything for what it's worth.

Some of the things that were planned didn't happen, such as learning to roast tea and I have yet to see if the pictures will work out (sad I know). It seems they were just kind of empty promises for appearances, but that's something else I have learned. It just really proves that you need to watch out for yourself more here, which is a good life lesson. Some things that weren't planned also happened, such as meeting May, realizing a new spirituality, and getting to know myself. That is one of the greatest blessings ever.

Hiccemup Trucks

It is Saturday today and because China is weird, we have classes. We have a three day holiday mon, tues, and wed so both Saturday and Sunday morning 我们上课. The worst part is I have a big test Sunday morning as well! What the DEUCE! This is trespassing upon the sanctity of the weekend. If I were to look at this objectively, most people in China don't really have a weekend considering they don't have a "holy day" or anything like that, so I'm just experiencing another part of the culture. But you know what I think about that? WEH! Just push the stupid test to later in the week at least! The fate of the world might be at stake. I think I felt a rip in the space time continuum this morning when I woke up at 7.

-Me and my pEng yOus are qu-ing to Shanghai over break

-starting level 2 type stuff after this test

-definitely time to do laundry

-Trying to maintain motivation

-remembering Abi

-remembering home

-just 3 weeks of school and then one week of FREEDOM till I come home!

-I must study and do laundry now

Abigail MacQueen

So, I got some pretty awful news yesterday. A friend from Scotland I had met here in China passed away the other day from kidney failure. Her name was Abi and she was just outrageous, or maybe it only seemed that way because of her Scottish accent. She had just returned home and after only a little while needed to be hospitalized. Nobody really knows what caused it or if she came in contact with something while in China, but either way it just doesn't seem fair. She was so full of life and probably liked just about everyone. She taught me a little bit about letting go and having a good time. About doing your thing while you have time to do it. I'd only known her a short time, and just in time I guess. I'm glad she got back in time to be with her friends and family, and I guess we are all going to have to just live a little extra to make up for the loss. Still I wonder how these things can just happen and why to certain people. There isn't really any rhyme or reason to it. Just our ability to accept it or not.

In honor of Abi, I'll accept it and try to live my life to the fullest. And I'm still going to find a guy with an even more epic last name for her :)

The DAO

Education (Knowledge), though a necessary evil, is still a stain upon the primal soul. This is what my DAO book says. I kind of believe this is true. Of course education is a great and important thing because it lifts people out of ignorance and gets them to think for themselves, but it also can prevent you from seeing other knowledge clearly. The logic that "this is this, so this must be this" when nothing is so black and white. Also the more you know, ....the less is certain. We can be either lead to over certainty or complete distrust. I myself have experienced both extremes and think I am finally leveling out somewhere towards the middle.

At first I had complete faith that there was a way things were and should be. Then that illusion violently shattered and I completely lost faith in people and the things around me. That illusion is slowly crumbling as my personal philosophy and sensibilities mature. Life is all part of the process. You don't know something until you have lived it, and I have certainly lived quite a few things recently and while here in China. You need a good essential foundation to start from and build on. With that, though your personal structure may crumble from time to time, you will always have something left to go off of. That foundation is your primal soul. You are born with it and nothing can ever destroy it. Sometimes you just need to sweep away everything else to remember that it is there. Creation and destruction. Yin and Yang.

Random Notes of a Random Mind

-Foreign language might be a lost art on me. I don't like speaking

-Waffles....in China? Apparently they are filled with chili and all kinds of random assortments

-Sometimes I really don't know what I'm doing with my life

-Taken a recent interest in Japanese anime movies (GHIBLI!)

-I have not drank enough tea lately

-Sometimes I mix English, Spanish, and Chinese together in my thoughts (Spaneseish?)

-Trying to find my Dao. It actually makes sense in a lot of ways.

-Still forming my resolve on life.

-I love mountains

-Clean water and air are nice things to have. Kind of missing that...just a little

-Keep thinking about how I've come to have certain things and securities that people from other countries don't have and feel guilty about wanting clean air and water.

-Does anybody else have an existential crisis pretty much every day of their life? or is that just me?

-Trying to act normal makes my brain hurt

-What's the deal with the platypus, whales, and time?

-China is shaped like a Chicken

-I think I'm going to run away and live in the woods... John Muir style......grizzly bear style

-First need survival classes. I wonder if I actually have the guts to kill a fuzzy little bunny for dinner.

-I'm gonna go eat me some freaky waffles

北京欢迎你！Beijing!....

It's been a few days and now the group is back in Hangzhou with the humidity and rain. Beijing was wonderful. We arrived Friday morning and went straight to Tiananmen Square (where what happened there is still pretty obscured) and the Forbidden city where once only the emperor and royalty walked. We saw the dragon carved path down the middle where only the emperor could walk and many treasures of the past. The architecture was wood of vibrant reds, blues, greens, and golds. It was crazy to think of all the important people's footsteps we were walking in, and to see the absolute lavishness of their lives Then we took rickshaws through the little alley ways of Beijing to a traditional style house. For dinner we checked out a street full of food stands containing all sorts of every day food as well as odds and ends. Jack was brave enough to try some scorpion which apparently tastes pretty good. I went with fresh strawberries and grilled corn. ....Not so brave. Later we took the metro and arrived at our hotel on 体育馆路(the street). It was very nice and the beds were much softer than our ones here at school. I was pretty thankful for that after an exhausting few days of travel.

Saturday was The Great Wall (长城). It was absolutely breathtaking!... in more than one way. The part of the wall we visited was very hilly and very broken down in parts....not the really touristy part. The sun beat down on us as we climbed up and down that great symbol of Chinese history. It is an adventure in itself. You can't help but stop and stare in awe and enjoy the challenge it poses. It was really hot and at one point all the guys had their shirts off. Quite a hilarious sight for some Chinese tourists. It was tiring work, but after a while I caught my second wind and was able to make it back to civilization. We were then welcomed back with a dinner of Beijing roast duck, chrysanthemum fish, and an assortment of other fine Chinese dishes. It was one of my favorite meals so far. After that we had the night to recover from our physical exhaustion and sunburns.

Sunday was The Sumer Palace, the former summer palace, hot pot, and a Kongfu show. The Summer Palace is where we learned about Empress Dowager Cixi, or the Dragon lady. She brought ruin to many Chinese people with her careless spending and ruled through young emperors by sitting behind a screen and tapping on their shoulders with a stick during political meetings. Not exactly someone to admire. We then went to the former summer palace which I enjoyed much more. It was full of natural beauty and of course the ruins. For some reason ruins are much more interesting to me than something perfectly preserved. We quickly ate at a hot pot restaurant where you cook your own food in a hot flaming pot of soup. Quite delicious. Then at the kongfu show we saw some amazing feats of the human body, including a man balancing a child on top of a ladder on top of his head. My favorite part was the ribbon dancing where sheets of fabric hung from the ceiling and actors suspended themselves with them.

Monday was our last day and we managed to fit in seeing Pandas at the zoo and the Temple of Heaven which apparently contains the center of the universe..... As with much Chinese architecture, numbers have great symbolic significance there. Especially the number nine that symbolizes the emperor being the son of god or otherwise a perfect being. The closest you can get to god. There were nine steps to each of the levels of the platforms and so on. There is also the echo wall that is supposed to be so perfectly round that it amplifies the voice of the emperor for all to hear. It actually works pretty well! As for the Pandas, well they were absolutely fricken adorable. Even the manliest of men could look at them and not melt into a puddle. That was all we got to see of the zoo, because of course we needed some time for some last minute shopping! I managed to blow a lot of the money that was so hard to spend previously. Still not a terrible amount, but I managed to find clothes that fit me and I've got a few nick nacks to bring back for people! So don't worry, you will get your little piece of China if you are on my nice list ;P. Anyways, it's good to be back and we had a lot of fun. I think the trip will be winding down from now on with a few smaller trips and finishing up classes. But we will see.

Life Is Good

China is just a place like any other. Sometimes I think I make things out to be more different than they are just because I'm in a different place. For a while I dreamed it up to be some remnant of the past. Historical and cultural landmarks unmarred by present day people. Then I had the audacity to think I could blame the nature of things on being in China rather than that just being the nature of things. Does that make sense? Some things truly are different, but you can't think of everything in the context of cultural differences. It's best to start off unassuming and then assess things. That way you are less likely to see things that aren't actually there. Your attitude does a lot to form the world around you.

In the states, for a while I had a pretty bad attitude. I didn't really understand what was going on around me, because I kept looking for something to blame and kept avoiding issues. Here in China I got a new start, and a new perspective. I find I've been really happy here, but it's not so much because anything is better in China. Being in a new place just forced me to look at things more objectively since I didn't know my surroundings. The nature of people is for the most part the same no matter where you go and you have the ability to shape your surroundings no matter where you are.

For some reason, I think being here has made me forgive myself for my shortcomings and accept the reality of things. I know myself and trust myself more than ever. Things will always change, but we can find comfort in some familiar things. We can become familiar with change. We can take the situations that come our way and add a special flair to them. The things we do may have little importance, but it is still important that we do them. We can discipline ourselves to forget our pride and be calm in the face of adversity. The only thing that gives negative influences power in your life is how you react to them. If you really think about things, you will often see that something you are upset about or is getting in your way is really not that important. In the big picture, life goes on. We can still be passionate about things without being foolish.

Those are just my thoughts lately. Because of this new perspective, I fear nothing, I enjoy life more, and make more out of it. Speaking of which:

-千岛湖(thousand island lake) was gorgeous. The boat ride was amazing and I once again got to enjoy the company of my classmates and of course Jack

-On one island there was a "grass slide" you could take a sled down. It was the fastest way down the mountain and so exhilarating!

-On another island we got to see peacocks and feed birds right out or our hands

-I was tempted to jump right into the water after our hike, but unfortunately no swimming

-I'm having fun in class again. good sign

-I'm a terrible tourist. I haven't really taken any pictures myself. I steal them from everybody else. Though I am enjoying living a generally normal Chinese life.

-Speaking with people is getting easier

-Finding clothes and understanding what things are worth is still difficult. But I feel good about the fact I'm not tempted to take part of the consumer lifestyle so much. Sorry if you are into knick knacks, I probably won't be bringing many back. I will still be rich with stories to tell!

-I enjoy simplicity

-More after Beijing!

Etc.

Well Last night was my class dinner, which was pretty fun. My mashed potatoes were a success and there wasn't anything left at the end. Not bad for my first time making them on my own. I was the only one to actually bring any food, so brownie points for me! The class "president", the guy who's place we had the dinner at, made us Sangria. YUM! I think I would have been happy going to Spain as well. Any who, it was nice to just hang out with my classmates outside of class and kick back. The only thing that bothers me is that soooo many people smoke! Before class, inbetween classes, one cigarette after the other. I either have to suck it up or avoid it. Sometimes the second one isn't possible. I miss Iowa's law. Apparently there is no smoking in public in Australia as well, so my classmate David sympathizes.

Tomorrow I'm finally cashing in on the photo shoot I won a while back. So Jack and I are getting official pictures together! Him somewhat reluctantly, but he can suck it up for a little bit. It will be worth the memories. The photo place also wants to use our pictures as a display at their studio. Not sure what to think of that. I guess I don't really care either way, I just want the pictures for myself. Hopefully they will come out well and we will have some fun doing it.

The day after tomorrow Is the class trip to the Thousand Island Lake. Turns out Jack and I won't be able to ride on the bus together since we are divided by classes, but we should still get to hang out on the islands. Hopefully it's not so terribly hot. Today is a little bit cooler than the past few days. But it's like one day here, it just decided to stop raining and be summer. Scorching hot and dry. Now I kind of miss the rain. The dryness makes the air feel much dirtier here and my throat has been bothering me. My room, being on the 6th floor is suffocatingly hot, even at night. Looks like I'm going to be having to use a lot more electricity during the summer on air conditioning.

Also the bugs are running rampant and I've become a human smorgesboard. Not only do I have a lot of bites, but some of them are huge! I think I might be allergic to something here. Or I'm just scratching them too much. Luckily today when I met with May, she noticed my itching and got me some salve that is supposed to keep the bugs away and heal the bites. It was funny how quickly she went into mommy mode. I told her a little bit about Iowa and Pella, but I think she was a bit distracted today because she seemed to understand me less than usual. Her son had surgery on his throat a while back so he has been having to stop in the hospital every few weeks. Also she has been very busy with her research. Guess I can't blame her. But I think I convinced her to come see Pella when she comes to the States. :)

As for class....my break wasn't long enough. Definately not motivated to go to classes, even though we only have three school days this week. Luckily another long weekend coming up and then Beijing. Hopefully I'll come back revitalized.

notes:

-excited for the Great Wall!

-Jack and I are going to try and plan a trip to see the terra cotta soldiers sometime soon!

-going to have to find a swimming pool

Two days in a row? Impossible!

My mother demands more blogs, so here I go trying to fulfill those demands. Today is Wednesday. Soon I'm going to go to the little cafe on campus to meet with May and listen to English songs such as Frank Sinatra. She has turned out to be a really good friend, and when she has some free time she promises to take me out with some of her friends around Hangzhou. I don't know if I mentioned this, but she is working on genetic research involved in human fertility. Pretty interesting. She is also the mother of a young son who I can tell she adores. She is simply a decent, caring, and intelligent person. I've met a lot of people like that here. I think most people who decide to come to China instead of somewhere more "cushy" must be somewhat educated about the world , and that many people here in China are some of the hardest working and most sane people I've ever met.

This may sound wrong but they seem......innocent. They don't seem marred at all by bad things in this world, but accept it in stride and continue on with their lives. This may also be partially them being kept in the dark by their government covering up the bad things. I think even if they were allowed to know things they aren't "supposed to know", the Chinese mentality would let them bounce back. Maintaining honor and keeping face is important in Chinese culture, but so is adjusting to change. Sometimes I think it's not so much that people don't realize the bad stuff, it's that they realize there are more important things. That we still have to live our day to day lives and we might as well enjoy it. So who's more insane? Those who tend to dwell on problems or those who tend to cover them up? I'm not sure. All I know is that the two are different.

This has been yet another blog where I start talking about something and go off on to some philosophical tangent. I never really know what I'll be writing about until it's done. You've read it. You can't unread it!

notes:

-listening test was pretty easy

-It's been sunny the past few days

-pac man's is delicious as usual and surprisingly doesn't get old

-I've played way too much minesweeper

-There's no such thing as too much sleep

-Eating a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios feels like home

-More soon

Half Way Done

So, soon I am getting ready to go to my Speaking Class midterm test. It's weird to think that I'm halfway done with my semester here. Sometimes it feels like more and sometimes it feels like less. I have two other tests this week, but this one is probably the one I'm most worried for. At least I'm getting it over with first I guess? Soon we will see how well my Chinese has come along, or at least how lazy I've been. I'm one of those people who kind of tends to absorb things easily, so sometimes I don't really try that hard, but with Chinese we just keep learning MORE and MORE words. I start learning the new ones and forgetting the old ones. I feel like a sponge that is almost at it's saturation point. The good thing is that after these tests, we have a long weekend, a class trip, and a trip to Beijing. So I will get a little bit of a break from the cramming. Hopefully the words will settle into the little crevices of my brain to stay for good.

I guess you could say I'm getting a little home sick. I'm definitely not sad all the time or anything, just longing for some familiar creature comforts. I did get an amazing package from my mother, whom I know will be reading this, so THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! once again. You kick butt at being a Madre. It definitely made my day. :D .....I think what gets to me most here is still just sticking out so much. I like low key situations, not making a scene just by existing. It really strains me sometimes, but I try to be gracious. Still, even I'm not a saint (More speaking of my expectations of myself as opposed to others). So to blow off some steam, some friends and I went to Coco Club here this past weekend. There was a lot of people, a lot of smoke, and a lot of noise. I danced like a fool, drank two bottles of water, and sweated just as much. So much fun. So much for not sticking out :P

...wish me luck!

Latent Potential

It's been a while since my last post. This is because not much of interest is really going on at the moment. I've kind of just made my way into a regular routine and now there's not much to write about. Classes are going better and better, but they are still a lot of work. I have a test over our entire first book on Thursday and Midterms are coming up in a couple weeks. I'm not terribly concerned, but I still need to just DO the review. Initiating things is not my strong point, but once I get going it's pretty easy.

My speaking inside of class has improved and I'm getting a little bit more confident with my abilities. I think I just stopped putting so much pressure on myself, and now that I'm relaxed, my brain doesn't fumble as much. It also helps that I am really comfortable with my class mates. I've become pretty good friends with a couple and all of them are pretty easy to talk to. The nice thing about this kind of situation is that everybody comes from different backgrounds, so we all tend to give each other a little more slack. Or at least that's how it seems to me.

The nice thing about having a routine is that I can slow down and contemplate where I'm at in my life and how this experience is changing me. Essentially I haven't really changed much at all, instead I feel it is as if I am tapping into my latent potential. I feel as if I understand myself and the world a little bit better. Being unsheltered and uninhibited is pretty great when you learn to have to have the proper mental fortitude and flexibility.

China has a different feel than the United States. There are a lot less rules and regulations. This means things often get more messy and chaotic, but I feel there is freedom in the chaos. Things are more go with the flow and things get done when they get done. I really like it. You are expected to be more responsible for yourself instead of having all these tedious rules to regulate you. Just don't be an idiot and you will be fine! For the most part. There are still plenty of things I don't like about China, and it still isn't home. I find the longer I'm here, the more vibrant my memories of home are and the more I appreciate it. But I also know that China will always have a piece of me and that I will always carry it with me.

龙井茶 Longjing/Dragon Well Tea

If you haven't noticed, many of my experiences here in China greatly revolve around the language...and TEA. God I love tea. It's taste, it's smell, the look of it, the feel of it, the art of it. EVERYTHING. Call me obsessed, but there are worse things to be obsessed with. Anyways, on Saturday I had the most spiritual experience with tea I've yet to fathom. Again with the cultural club, we went to the National Tea Museum and then up into the mountains to an actual tea field. In these places we got to sip the perfection that is Dragon Well tea and practice making it ourselves!

First off at the museum we got to watch several men hand roasting the tea in a hot metal pan(about 189 degrees C). We also got some exciting news. Two people from the group could have the chance to train in tea roasting with a tea master(师傅) the rest of our stay in China. And guess who volunteered? Jack and I! We got to try our hand (rather our bare hands) at roasting and bowed to our 师傅(shi fu). Apparently I have good hands for tea roasting because my hands can curve to the pan, but Jack...not so much :p. Neither of us had a very good technique though.

After that we went inside and a man brewed some Longjing green tea for us. This is the most famous and expensive Green Tea in China. Needless to say it was delicious. I got to try my hand at brewing and pouring the tea for everyone, which was fun. My technique could still use a little work there too though. ZHOU!咒 Then we were off to have a big Chinese lunch :D, but the best part of the day was yet to come!

We then got back on the bus and drove into a little mountain village with one narrow road where our giant bus competed for space and drove precariously close to the ledge. People there wash their belonging in the stream running through the center of the town, though they live in rather modern looking houses. This is probably due to the wealth of the tea industry. Still it was quite different from city life which has many more modern conveniences. A lot of other buildings were pretty run down and probably lacking plumbing and electricity. We managed to squeeze through to a clearing where the tea fields began, and it was gorgeous. Most people were handed a basket and we climbed stairs up into the misty mountains to pick some longjing for ourselves! It was such a gorgeous day and the breeze swept through as we meticulously hunted and gently plucked the mature tea leaves. It was hard work, but I enjoyed the simplicity of it and the beauty of my surroundings. I probably wouldn't last long on an actual tea farm though because I'd probably get fired for being too slow! The whole group managed to pick enough in 20 minutes for only seven cups of tea.

After descending we got to roast our own tea and drink it, as well as bring some home with us. It was like seeing the whole process of tea making from A to Z! This was quite the exclusive opportunity since not many people actually get to go into the fields. Now I can really appreciate what goes into each cup of tea and savor the flavor even more. Hopefully I will become a well practiced tea selector, roaster, server, and connoisseur.

汉字,tai qi, 和 Shanghai

So I really enjoy learning Chinese characters. I've always been more inclined towards writing than speaking no matter what language. Hence I excel in writing and struggle in speaking class. So I'm only half as incompetent as I formerly thought. Yay! I did really well on the first test (top 6 in the class)so I felt pretty good about myself. Still I struggle every day with the class format. AKA teachers speaking in Chinese constantly. How am I supposed to learn much if I don't know what you are saying? I understand the importance of comprehending an actual person's speech, but I'm not quite there yet. Only for the most part the things we have learned.

I think I focus a little too much on individual characters as opposed to making them into a cohesive sentence. It's just cool to know what each one stands for because that is at least somewhat concrete, but when you mix words together they can be completely different in context. In Chinese everything is basically an expression of some sort. Words are used more for their symbolic meaning than something literal. Also the language is lacking a lot of connecting words that we use in English making it awkward to translate. I kind of wish classes would slow down a bit to break things down for us. If I understand each part of a word's character, I will be able to better understand it in context. I don't just want to memorize how to say things, but their true meaning.

I'm starting other classes this week as well. Today I had tai qi class in the common area of the 留学生一号楼宿舍。Or the overseas student building number 1 dormitory. I just learned those words today so I though I'd use them :P. It was pretty fun and I was able to follow pretty well even though the teacher ONLY spoke Chinese. The moves are really cool and make you really focus. For those of you who know what the show Avatar is, Jack, Talbot and I like to say that we are learning water bending. There is something powerful in the movements. They are almost like a dance, but you feel more than just your body moving. I also have a Chinese business class Monday nights, tai qi again on Thursday, and then I start Chinese painting on Friday. Hopefully I will be able to bring home some decent self made souvenirs as well as cool skills and knowledge!

This past weekend the Central College group went to Shanghai for some sight seeing. It was a good trip with its fair share of troubles. Five of us didn't bring our passport so we weren't able to check into the hotel we booked without paying a 500 yuan fine each at the police station! ya we had to go there; we are officially criminals. Fortunately one member of our group is married to a wonderful former travel agent and Chinese woman who managed to get us rooms in an even nicer hotel! OH PROVIDENCE! Thank you Wei Ling! We went to a beautiful Chinese garden, an aquarium, science museum, and of course shopping. There are soooo many people and so much stuff in that city it is insane. Needless to say, I was exhausted by the end and slept most the drive home (2 hours). Fortunately nobody died or got arrested. I call that a success.

Other notes:

-again saw a matching recycling bin for each garbage can in Shanghai

-Got foot rubs and Pizza Hut(which is much nicer in China btw)

-Tutoring May again tomorrow. :)

-Went to a cultural club party about Chinese weddings and won a 1000 yuan photo shoot!

-Did a skit with Will there about blind dates. awkward! haha

-Went hiking on the mountain next to campus on Thursday. Sooo cool

-Walked around West Lake on Friday. Then nearly passed out on a hot bus that was packed like a can of sardines and stuck in rush hour. Luckily I was saved by Korean barbecue!

-Have I mentioned karaoke yet? KTV is pretty sweet! So glamorous. So ridiculous. So fun.

-Shopping here is a skill. Bargaining is exhausting, and sometimes insulting. I'd be a fool to think that people won't try to gouge me because I'm obviously foreign. To be fair though, I did fall for it once on a shirt that doesn't even look good on me.

汉语学习：Chinese Classes

So we finally started classes last week, and I realized just how much my brain missed school. I tested into level 1.5 Chinese just like I hoped. I was very happy about that but starting off, classes have been a little bit difficult for me to keep up in. The teachers speak in mostly Chinese and I usually get the gist of what they are saying, but having so many words thrown at me that I barely comprehend is disorienting. It seems a lot of the students know more than me and are much more comfortable speaking. I hate it! I'm not used to being the dumb one in class. Usually I'm the one answering questions and speaking up, but I am completely out of my element. Unfortunately I can't really lie low and hope nobody notices my ineptness since the classes are very interactive. On the positive side, everybody seems to understand the difficulty and we are all okay with laughing at each other and ourselves.

Classes are intense (four hours of language consecutively each day and then extracurriculars). It's kind of nice just having one subject to focus most of your energy on, though homework can become redundant. Luckily I really enjoy practicing Chinese characters. Also the classes are full of diverse kinds of people. Mine has people from Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Iran, Korea, Brazil, Australia, and more. Ages of people range from 17 to I'm guessing around mid 40's. I'm lucky because most of the people in my class also speak English, so we can communicate inside and out of class. People can ask the the teacher questions that I understand and can also learn from, which has probably been most helpful. The teachers are also great. All of them are very friendly and helpful even though sometimes confusing o_O.

Through the week classes have gotten easier to process. My brain is finally adjusting to having actual stimulus after two months of winter break. I find my mind gets dull with extended respite, but I'm too fond of leisure to do much about it :/. So classes are a good thing. They make me get up and out and go do something. I've also been doing a little work here on the campus. I have taken on a 30 year old PHD student, May, as an English student. It's an interesting situation considering she is probably much smarter than me and I have no formal teaching training. Apparently just being a native English speaker is qualification enough. She is very sweet and interesting. I'm being payed for being American in another way as well. I have been asked by a professor to record some dialogues for an intro English class. It's a pretty sweet deal! Overall it's been a good first week. And next weekend the Central College group is going to Shanghai! So excited!

Other notes

-Hangzhou is a very fun city. The other night we went to this really fancy karaoke bar called KTB and sang horribly, played tambourines, and just had fun. That is a very popular thing to do here in China and I can see why :D.

-I miss a lot of food from home. Especially breakfast cereal and dairy products. There is no Mac and Cheese to speak of and pizza is very expensive. Mc Donalds and Dairy Queen aren't even the same!

-A lot of comments I get from Chinese people either involve "piaoliang" (漂亮pretty) or "hen da!" (很大very big!). Both complimentary and off-putting.

-we pretty much depend on picture menus at restaurants so we can just point at stuff

-When you order chicken, it often means you will get chicken bits (such as feet and neck pieces)

-There is Dongporou flavored ramen and potato chips as well as many other strange flavors

-I'm currently watching a Japanese anime called Full Metal Alchemist and really enjoying it, which is odd. (Not sure how thats related, but eh)

-A lot of people dress very fashionably here (lots of black and grey stuff, making me stick out even more :p)

I don't know what else

An Explosive End to a New Beginning

So last night was Lanterns Day, which means the end of the Spring Festival and the New Year celebrations. There have been fireworks every morning and pretty much every night since we got here because of these celebrations. Last night was a great show and it was supposed to be the last of the fireworks, but I guess this morning somebody had some leftovers :/ haha. We had our own party here at the Central College office with some of the professors which was a bit overwhelming. Everyone was speaking Chinese with each other, though they pretty much all knew English. It takes a lot more patience and effort to try and communicate across cultures. Also, being shy I mostly kept to myself. Though I did partially learn how to play Mahjong from a couple professors (I still don't really know what I'm doing though I know some of the general rules). For those of you who don't know, Mahjong is a game with domino like tiles. You draw 14 in a very specific order and try and get three or more of a kind, 3 of a series, and wild cards. Thats about the best I can describe it at the moment. It's rather fun and I won the first game and Jack had to pay me double! haha. but then he won three consecutive games :/ lol. Oh! and there were also riddles posted all over the room for people to answer. I got to be the official prize giver for correct answers which was fun. That is another part of the celebration. Lastly, we made and ate soooo much jiao ze, or dumplings. yum
On a cultural note, something I keep having to remind myself of is to give and recieve things with both hands. That is considered the polite way to do things in Chinese culture, and I can understand that. Otherwise it's kind of like giving someone the brush off, which we tend to do in our culture. Also I've been informed that by trying to be polite by saying thank you to people, sometimes it may actually be considered rude. If it is somebody's job to do something, I guess it is not necessary to thank them. Doing so may mean you look down upon them. Also you do not tip people because it means the same thing. Now I know a lot of the struggles foreign people have in our country trying not to step on any toes. In some cases, for some reason being American means I'm forgiven easily. There have been many cases of people wanting to get pictures with members of our group because we are white. Or they just take pictures of us without our consent like we are just as much of an attraction as the scenery. It's like being somewhat of a celebrity when all I really want to do is blend in. I'm uncomfortable with the special attention .....and the fact that I tower over most people. I feel like some beast of a woman at times. The fact that there are no clothes here to fit me doesn't help either :/. Other than the akwardness, I'm having a lot of fun and enjoying the challenges I'm faced with. :D

Are you talking to me?

I have met so many lovely Chinese people...and I've hardly been able to say a word to them that they would understand. It's frustrating because I want to make a connection with these people. Some times it seems like they are talking to me, but I can't tell or I have no idea whats going on. Nonetheless they are very gracious about my American ignorance for the most part. At least when I start learning more Chinese I'll easily be able to find a place to use it and practice.
Also, just yesterday the rest of the students moved in to get ready for classes. These are people from all over the world who speak numerous languages. Everyone stares and wonders about the others. Our group now realizes that it was rather nice having the dorm all to ourselves since it was like we had our own private elevator. Now there is a lot more waiting and congestion. It will be worth it though once we start meeting interesting new people and can finally stop wondering.
Something I find slightly funny is that many public places here play old American pop music like Mandy Moore and Avril Lavigne. It's also kind of scary because it is like China is only a decade away from becoming the new U.S. I really wish other countries wouldn't follow in our crazy ass foot steps. Pop music was awful. Industry is awful. Media pressures are awful. Self-righteousness is awful. Greed is awful. Bamboo forests and clean water are much more valuable. Relationships are much more valuable.
Relationships seem much simpler here. People actually like people. Friends hold hands. They want to be around people without any hidden motives. Just the other day we sat in a little tea shop and this amazing lady poured us cup after cup of tea for free! There was no pressure to buy anything, she simply enjoyed the art of making tea for company. Her helper even smelled the lid of the tea pot everytime she brewed something because she enjoyed it so much. She even had me and a friend try to do it ourselves. Needless to say we ended up buying plenty and pledging our loyalty to the store.
Other notes
-just got an hour long back massage for 40 yuan or about 7 dollars. soooooo gooooood
-bananas taste better here and my favorite fruit lady has tasty papaya! *salivates* My favorite
-Had my own tea party today with my new tea set! And a flower tea that blooms in water!
-I hate Chinese toilets. They are a basically a plastic hole in the ground that flushes. You squat and "do your business" as my teacher Li Shumin says. You also need to bring your own toilet paper
-I really need to do laundry
-I'm on skype between 7-9PM Iowa time most days

Milk Tea, Bamboo, Plum Blossoms, and Pagodas

First, might I say that I love real Chinese food. Tea...there's always tea. I tried milk tea which is delightfully refreshing and has these gelatin balls that you suck up your straw and chew on. Fun fun! Then dumplings, dong po rou (a teryaki like pork with a thick layer of fat that is specific to Hangzhou and delicious), bao zi, egg cake, POCKY!, duck, and much more. I've also tried fungus and frog soup, dumpling soup with little shimp that have their eyes and everything still, grape and aloe juice. Most of us don't speak but a few sentences of Chinese, so when ordering food we just kind of point at something on the menu and hope its not freaky. The bright side is even if something isn't great, which has never been the case so far, everything is very cheap so you dont have to worry about wasting too much money on trying something else. You can find a typical chinese meal for anywhere from 3-10 yuan which equals a little over a dollar or less. :O When we eat larger group meals it is served on a giant lazy suzan at a large round table and we order numerous dishes to sample. Everyone attacks with their chopsticks and it can get rather competitive. We find we are honing our chopstick skills rather quickly ;D.
Other than the food we have been to see the XiXi Wetlands where we took a boat ride through fields of blossoming plum trees and bamboo. Amongst them was a genuine old silk farm and a town square with traditional chinese architecture and scenic surroundings. My favorite thing was an over hundred year of tree that twisted and turned in all directions over the water. The next day we went to the West Lake area and walked up the steps to a pagoda with a great view over the lake. Unfortuantely the city, despite its natural beauty, is rather smoggy at times and the view can be rather obscure. The pagoda had many beautiful wood carvings, paintings, and sculptures. We learned about the white snake fairy lady and got quite the work out. Then today we went to the Huang Long (or Yellow Dragon) Park. Here we had another strenous hike through the winding hills of Hangzhou and saw the Yellow Dragon waterfall, the temple for lovers, and many the scenic views. Then we were off to a mausoleum that told the history of several heroic Chinese generals. After taking a bit of a break our group decided to head off to Traditional town where there is lots of great shopping for traditional Chinese type objects...go figure. It's been a great time.
Some notes on environmental observations
-for many garbage cans there is a matching recycling bin right next to it ( smart huh? )
-I've been told that pretty much all the garbage is picked through for recyclables
-Sometimes the sky is more brown than blue (smog)
-Many Chinese people enjoy getting out into nature and doing exercises such as tai chi
-We must boil all our water before drinking it, which is why tea is drank so often
-We have to closely monitor our energy use at our dorm since we only get a fixed amount each month
Why can't some of these things be implemented in the U.S.? ( the first and last ones)

From the Flight Friday and Notes from Saturday and Sunday

你好！我在加拿大。

Hey! I’m writing to you from 30,000 feet in the air over Canada! We are headed towards Alaska where we will then cross the Pacific Ocean. Currently we have been on the plane a little under three hours with eleven left to go. Sleep has already failed me though I feel shockingly conscious. I guess sitting around for hours doesn’t really take it out of you. Everything has gone off without a hitch, we all just need to fight off boredom and restlessness now. I’m going to try and work on my Chinese in preparation for my placement exam and daily use.

I also have a great book from my cousin to work on called The Web That Has No Weaver. It is all about Chinese medicine, which should be enlightening and helpful. I’m so excited to learn about this kind of stuff and I love the Chinese language. It is very elegant in its profound simplicity. Each word seems significant and goes farther than words in our language do, yet because of this sentences seems a simple arrangement of words. It is hard to explain and to understand, but by learning more about Chinese philosophy I will be able to better understand the language because the two are inextricably intertwined. Philosophy is involved in every aspect of Chinese culture and it is inspiring. From some readings I have found much of it to hold true to life.

It still hasn’t really hit me that when I get off this plane I will be in China. I guess cause I really have no idea what I’m going to find so I can’t get a picture into my head.

Post flight notes

-flying over Alaska was terrifying (we dropped 5,000 ft in 3 minutes)

-So exhausted once we got here and very grumpy

-communication is very difficult

-The food is delicious and cheap! (fed 8 people with 5 dollars)

-Indoors is colder than outdoors (first night sleeping was freezing! And the beds are as hard as a board)

-We have t-shirt weather here!

-The university is as large as Pella at least, with at least as many people

-Driving is terrifying!

-People stare a lot

-I can write for a Chinese newspaper and get paid!

I am having the time of my life :D

Starting off the blog: Take two

So I've been thinking....My first blog post was a pretty anti-climactic way to start things off. There's so much more going on in my head. Lately though I am so overwhelmed I can't hardly decipher whats going on in there. Also I just figured I should put something there so people would have something once they started following. I'm very glad I have a few followers already! Thanks for caring about what would otherwise be rather insignificant thoughts. They may still be insignificant, but I'd like to think I have at least something remotely intelligent and interesting to write about. I mean...I'm going to fricken China! How many people get to say they studied in China for 5 months? I've hardly been able to function I've been freaking out so much. I've also been very bored and this blog has helped resolve a bit of both of those things.

Something that I forgot to mention is the environmental focus I will be putting on my experiences there, and also somewhat spiritual since for me the two can't really be divided. Yes I am a dirt-worshipping, tree-hugging, hippie. I'm very interested in the environmental and social issues facing China at the moment as well as the traditional culture that focuses a lot on the elements and balance. It seems a contradiction for the Chinese to follow our industrial example when there has always been such a deep reverence for the natural world and its forces. I'm hoping I'll see some traditional practices still being relevant and will try not to be cynical about modernizations I may not like. I think I've imagined the China of old more so than the China of today. There is much here in the U.S. I'd like to escape while in China, but I know that won't exactly be the case and that would pretty much defy my purpose.

So excited! But so sad :(

My pending departure is getting to me more than I expected. I'm not afraid of going to China, I'm afraid to leave Pella behind. It feels as if I will miss so much here. I know I will be having amazing experiences of my own, but the people and things I leave behind weigh heavy on my heart. I'm going to miss my family and friends so much. I don't want the distance to come between us. I'm trying to leave things in a good state here, and I'm not sure how they will fare without me there. Not that you guys cant function without me, I just like being a part of your lives and the things going on here. I don't want that to not be the case anymore. I hope that we will all be able to keep in touch and that the distance wont seem so far. I guess its good that I'm so happy that I don't want to leave, but I know this trip will be a very important chapter in my life. I just wish I could take you all with me! I don't have to travel far to find myself because everything I need has always been right here. That sounds like a cheesy line from the Wizard of Oz, but oh well. It's true. I will certainly grow as a person, but I like growing with you. I hope you all know how much I care and that doesn't change just because I'm not there.

Pre-Departure

So I just started my blog. I have 2 weeks till I leave for China and I'm very excited. It's kind of hard to believe that I will be so far away for so long. I am not looking forward to packing away my life and hoping I am well prepared. I always forget something minute but important like a toothbrush...or socks. Luckily I always manage to survive.
Right now in China it's been around 50 degrees and rainy. Be very jealous. I can't wait to see the beautiful scenery and the big cities. I'm hoping I'll be able to catch a few waves at some point and attempt to surf. Also I really hope there are good rocks for climbing!
Being in a new place is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Everything is an experience. I'm wondering how it will be once I become familiar with my surroundings. Hopefully I'll be able to find my place. More to come. Likely from China itself!