Wow, it's been a while...Stop 1: Ｋｕａｌａ Ｌｕｍｐｕｒ

Alright...so as most of you know, I have a horrible habit of updating few and far between, reason being I like events to happen before I think about them and write them down. Pardon the length of this entry: I'm going to try to limit my ranting to a paragraph per area. I want to share with you all my thoughts on my trips throughout China and Southeast Asia, the placement test (again), and school.　Ｓｅｅｉｎｇ　ａｓ　ｉｔ＇ｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｎｄ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｙｅａｒ，　Ｉ＇ｌｌ　ｓｐｌｉｔ　ｉｔ　ｉｎｔｏ　４　ｐａｒｔｓ．．．ｍｙ　ｔｒｉｐｓ，　ｓｃｈｏｏｌ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ，　ａｎｄ　ｆｉｎａｌｌｌｙ　ａ　ｒｅｆｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ．．．

So, if you read my last posting, you would notice I had an itinerary all planned out. The first part of that itinerary was 广西。In one word: beautiful. There was a lot of scenery, especially in 桂林. However， 桂林 started to rain when we got there, so it was kind of a lost cause to do much anything. There were a lot of clear waters and stuff of that sort and I'm really glad to have had a chance to go there.　Ｏｎｅ　ｔｈｉｎｇ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈ：　ａ　ＬＯＴ　ｏｆ　ｃａｖｅｓ．　Ｔｈｅ　ｐｉｃｕｔｒｅｓ　ａｒｅ　ｕｐ　ａｔ　Ｐｈｏｔｏｂｕｃｋｅｔ　ｉｆ　ｙｏｕ　ｗａｎｔ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｔｈｅｍ．

Nancy and I stayed an additional night in Guilin while waiting for our flight out of town. She was still somewhat weak from the day before, when we were in Yangshuo. She barely managed to eat a couple of bowls of 粥，or porridge and she slept most of the day. She’s a trooper, though, so she managed to recover in time for our flight and to be somewhat better for the rest of this part of our trip.

The next morning, we had to get up super early to take the flight to KL. I was really excited, not only because this was the first time I was visiting Malaysia, but also the first time I would get a different stamp on my passport (with the exception of the Chinese one, which I don’t really count since it’s for school) and the first time I’d be visiting Southeast Asia. Our plane was really comfortable with leather seats and the like. Problem is: you have to pay for EVERYTHING, as with most low cost carriers. This concept will be further explored in a bit.

Upon arrival, we had to go through the standard immigration and customs measures. The Malay stamp is pretty cool because it’s purple, but it’s not something I’d rave about. Anyway, we arrived at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) and went looking for our bags. I had gone to exchange money and we almost went outside thinking we’d find the luggage carousels. Instead, we had reached the exits and had to ask security where the carousels were. -_-’’ 我真马大哈，对不对? ;p!

吉隆坡欢迎我. 它的礼物：天气非常热！My welcome gift from Malaysia: hot weather! FINALLY!!! I can wear shorts again! I’m quite happy with that because we’d have to wear SO many layers of clothing in Beijing, so it’s finally time to wear less clothing and remind myself of California. The weather is also humid, though, so it’s back to a Beijing summer where you have to shower twice because you’re sweating so much. Nonetheless, Nancy and I had to take a bus from the LCCT terminal to the main one. Although it’s cheaper to take a bus straight to KL Sentral station, I’m now one to try out the trains for everything, so that was the plan. From the main terminal, we boarded the KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral station, a 28 minute train ride costing RM35, RMB70, or about $10. As you can see from the video, I enjoyed it a lot. The scenery was amazing: palm trees galore, but that’s because the airport is in Sepang, which is in a different state than KL proper.

Upon arriving, the fun really began: KL Sentral is really, really nice, but we had to take the subway, which was also pretty cool. It’s about RMB2 per ride (RM1), but since the system is a bunch of lines that aren’t connected at all, every time you transfer, you have to pay. What a bummer. This is the time where I missed the 北京地铁 the most, because everything’s integrated, so the transfers are easy. In this case, Nancy and I had to take our luggage from KL Sentral to the RapidKL LRT for two stops. Afterwards, we took the escalators to ground level, paid another fare, and transferred to another RapidKL Line for a stop. It’s really stupid to not have the transfers be simpler, but I digress. At least this transfer beats Line 13 to Line 2 at 西直门 by far (actually, most any transfer beats that one). After walking, we finally reached Nancy’s hotel, which I would be staying at later in the week. We were SO happy to be out of the heat, and I was happy to get her settled. After that, I walked back to the LRT station and took the train for one ore stop to my hotel.

My hotel was a “limited service” hotel owned by the same company that I flew to KL in. In a nutshell, it’s pretty much a bed, a ceiling fan, and a bathroom. -_-’’ No TV, phone, room service, etc. Quite a bummer, but actually, it’s all I really needed because I was out most of the time. I did, however, purchase the Wi-Fi access, and it’s AWESOME to not need a VPN to log on to stuff that is banned for whatever reason.=) It was awesome to be able to go on Facebook, YouTube, and other sites freely.

Anyway, later that night and the next, I went to one of the reasons I even thought of coming to Kuala Lumpur and perhaps the most famous objects in the city: the Petronas Twin Towers. Now, it’s amazing to have the ability to see them in person, especially because Entrapment with Sean Connery featured them and that alone made me curious. Obviously, they’re best admired at night. They’re very beautiful (which is somewhat of a rarity in building). Just spectacular.

Anyway, along with the Petronas Towers, Nancy and I went to Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur’s shopping mall. Now, I do love to shop, but even so, I felt SUPER broke here. Lots of the luxury stores make their homes here, so you see Louis Vuitton, Parkson, Brioni, Isetan, etc. However, I did find some stores that were reasonably priced. No shopping for me, however. ;p, After Suria, we went and saw the KLCC Park, which is kind of a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and just find peace, serenity, and a lot of people exercising. ;p It was quite interesting.

That night, we went to Chinatown and its most famous street: Jalan Petaling, or Petaling Street. The most memorable thing about this street was not only the fact that I had to use Chinese once again (go figure), but the massage Nancy, Derrick and I all got. Since I fail to introduce people at the right times, Derrick is Nancy’s boyfriend. We actually met at her b-day party and we clicked since. He came along with us, but met us in KL from Macau.


First thing we did: a foot massage using the fish that eat off dead skin from your feet. The feeling: it tickled like crazy! Most of them attached themselves to where I wanted them to attach themselves, but others, not so much. My feet felt good afterwards, but they didn’t get as soft as I would expect. ;p. Go figure, I would be one to want that. Lol. Walking along Jalan Petaling, you could see so many vendors selling food, handbags, sunglasses, shirts, jeans, etc. Just fun to walk around and explore it a little better. After all that, back to the hotel for bed.

Next day, we decided to go back to Chinatown, but this time, to the Central Market. The Central Market is a historical place in KL, but pretty much, it serves to sell many different types of items. I t has most all of the cultures represented, from the Indians to the Chinese to the traditional Malays, there’s a lot of stuff to choose from. I stuck to buying a turquoise necklace and a Malaysia scroll that I could hang on my wall. I kind of wanted the Malay flag, but go figure, I’ll take what I can get, right? After that, we returned to our respective hotels for a bit of a break.

Later that night, we went to Merdeka Square (merdeka is freedom in Bahasa Malay), and after almost getting run over and lost, we ran into something else first: Masjid Negara, the National Mosque. For those of you who don’t know, Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country, but is very tolerant of other religions as it is guaranteed in the constitution. Law-wise, there’s two systems: Shari’a for those who are Muslim and declare that on their ID, and the general law for those of other religions. Anyway, Masjid Negara is a work of art, at least to me. The architecture is beautiful and at night, the lights cast a soft blue light on the “umbrella” style roof. Unfortunately, we weren’t dressed properly to go in (nor do I know any other rules for non-Muslims), so we instead kept walking down the street to Merdeka Square. It’s a very large and open space. From what the sign said, it used to be some exclusive cricket field during British rule, and it was the place where the Malaysian flag first rose after the end of British rule. Afterwards, back to bed and rest

The next morning, one of the first stops we made was the Batu Caves, which were awesome. Batu Caves is a Hindu temple in KL. The first thing we noticed was the steps leading up to the caves. There are approximately 260 steps. Although that doesn’t sound like a lot, let’s just say the steps were pretty steep.　Ｙｏｕ　ｈａｖｅ　ｔｏ　ｄｏｕｂｌｅ　ｏｒ　ｔｒｉｐｌｅ－ｓｔｅｐ　ａ　ｌｏｔ．　Ｈｅｈｅ．　Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｇｒｅａｔ　ｔｏ　ｇｅｔ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｏｐ　ａｎｄ　ｓｅｅ　ｐｅｏｐｌｅ　ｗｏｒｓｈｉｐｐｉｎｇ．　Ｊｕｓｔ　ａ　ｓｉｇｎ　ｏｆ　Ｍａｌａｙｓｉａ＇ｓ　ｔｏｌｅｒａｎｃｅ　ｆｏｒ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｏｔｈｅｒ　　ｒｅｌｉｇｉｏｎｓ．Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｗｅｒｅ　ａｌｓｏ　ｍｏｎｋｅｙｓ　ｔｈｅｒｅ．．．ｒｅｍｉｎｄｅｄ　ｍｅ　ｏｆ　Ｃｕｒｉｏｕｓ　Ｇｅｏｒｇｅ．

Ｔｈｅ　ｌａｓｔ　ｍａｊｏｒ　ｓｔｏｐ　ｗｅ　ａｌｌ　ｔｏｏｋ　ｗａｓ　ｃａｌｌｅｄ　Ｇｅｎｔｉｎｇ　Ｈｉｇｈｌａｎｄｓ．　This is the only casino in Malaysia. As it's part of my major, I took a look at the scene there. A LOT of baccarat is played in these countries, as I noticed. The tables are filled with people playing this game. I had a good time with Derrick (we came out ahead) while Nancy went shopping. =)

I had to stay an additional night in KL before I left to Taiwan to meet Nancy and Derrick. It was great, although I'll miss our hangout: Station Kopitaim...which is right near their hotel. Their slushes were great..and cheap. About RM4 per drink. Hehe.

Next stop...Taipei!

Wang Family Scholarship Midpoint Report

So...as most of you reading this blog know, the way I was able to come here was thanks to something called the Wang Family Scholarship. This scholarship was created to give people the opportunity to study in a foreign country. There's 10 scholarships available for study in China and 10 for study in Taiwan. Honestly, without this particular scholarship, my dream to come here would have still remained just that: a dream. Now, it is a reality, and without their support, I wouldn't be here. Words can not express the gratitude I have for them and their generosity.

Part of what we are required to do is write a two-page essay summarizing our experiences here. Below is what I wrote them. Note that this is my opinion and how I feel about everything and I speak on my behalf. I also have some pieces of advice written in here. Not only does this apply to those that want to study here in China, but some of the pieces of advice are quite general and should apply to everyone who would like to study abroad. Enjoy!

First off, I need to thank the Wang Family for giving all of us this unbelievable opportunity to be where we are right now. Without their support, I’m sure this trip would have been impossible for many of us, myself included.

北京欢迎您。 This particular sentence is still emblazoned everywhere when I first arrived at Beijing’s Capital Airport. As we all met with our Resident Director, Dr. Scoggin, I felt excited and also very nervous. This was a brand new environment in a completely different country, not to mention the unfamiliar culture. The question became: would Beijing welcome me now as it welcomed the world last year? These thoughts were quickly pushed aside when Miss China Universe arrived at the airport, as I decided to take a picture of her. As we quickly started to head to our bus, I was very excited to see the country for the first time, as most of what I knew about it came from National Geographic and my own readings during my spare time.

In the years just prior to the Olympics, China has undergone a substantial economic boom. When they won their Olympic bid, construction ramped up even further and really hit a groove. As we drove past the Olympic Green, I couldn’t help but look at the Bird’s Nest. It’s a majestic stadium, and I have a great respect for those that competed there. It felt really great to be able to say I saw an Olympic venue, and to say I’ve visited one when I took a closer look 4 weeks later. There are other positives from the Olympics, which I will describe later on.

Once we arrived at our temporary housing, we had a simple dinner before heading off to rest for the night. The next morning, the rush really began with the search for housing and opening bank accounts. After looking at several apartments, I made up my mind to live at 勺园，the dorms on campus. I figured it was more convenient and I would have to do fewer important things on my own, which is partially true. Living on campus was the first time I had lived on campus, seeing as even at CSU Fullerton I was a commuter going from home or work to campus and back. It provides for an interesting experience. The rooms here are quite small, but surprisingly comfortable. Everyone has their own room which consists of a bed, desk, closet and bookcase. It’s quite simple, but I like it

.

After about two weeks or so here, the registration week began. First came our actual enrollment day, where we had to go to 勺园 with all of our documents. The next day consisted of a visa overview and what our requirements were to get a residence permit. The day after that was our language placement exam. Following that was registering for classes and purchasing books. Friday was pretty much a free day. That week was quite hectic, but not too much so.

Starting classes was probably the most amazing thing here, not only because that’s what I came here to do but also because I wanted to learn a lot right away. Since I placed in the Elementary Level 2, I’m taking three classes: 汉语，口语，and 听力。Each class is interesting in its own way, but I think the one most important to me was 口语 because it’s something that I needed to learn as soon as possible. 汉语 is also important to me because it enabled me to start recognizing characters, giving me a broader vocabulary set and further enabling me to effective communicate with other people. As of now, everything still remains quite a challenge, but I definitely see how far I’ve progressed in Chinese as opposed to when I left the U.S. Perhaps the biggest proof of that is the ability to converse with taxi cab drivers. Most of the drivers here have very, VERY thick accents, and understanding them was perhaps the single most difficult thing for me. Now, though, I am better able to understand them and have also been able to discuss many different things, from how I like China to where my parents are from. My Chinese is still far from perfect, but I can see the improvement and feel like I’ve learned a lot.

Although scholastics are perhaps the single most important element of this experience seeing as most of us are learning Mandarin, China has a lot of places to see and things to offer. One of the trips we took as a group was to Inner Mongolia. The places we saw were interesting in their own ways, from the serenity and peacefulness of the grasslands to the Hengshan Temple, I honestly cherished not only the places we went to, but the opportunity to bond with the people in our program. I probably would have never talked to some of them if it weren’t for the trip. Besides the Inner Mongolia trip, having the opportunity to see the Terracotta Soldiers in Xi’an, the Pearl Tower in Shanghai, and Laoshan in Qingdao were all awesome. I do hope to have the opportunity to travel throughout China during the Spring Festival.

Of course, this experience wouldn’t have been complete without meeting new people and going out to different places within the city. Meeting people has been somewhat easy, but there is a lot that went into meeting them. Their advice on the city has been very helpful, and they’ve helped me discover different places within the city as well that aren’t very popular with foreigners. However, visiting all the tourist places also helps: Summer Palace, Lama Temple, Temple of Heaven, etc. For fun, I’d strongly suggest Wudaokou, Sanlitun, or the streets around Worker’s Stadium, as there’s a lot of places to go and have a good time with friends. The food here is amazing and definitely beats American-style Chinese food in terms of flavor. Perhaps the single biggest thing I’ve enjoyed and will miss is hot pot. I never thought something so simple would taste so good.

The next couple of items are my pieces of advice for anyone that’s planning on coming to China to study abroad next year and will focus on five main topics: money, housing, studies, transportation, and safety.

Money: First and foremost, save up! This is especially important. I wasn’t exactly prepared for the type of stuff I’d be spending on, but every yuan counts, so watch what you spend! It is essential that you obtain a Chinese bank account and a China UnionPay debit card. Most transactions are done through cash only, so you may want to change your dollars to RMB within the first two or three days. Rent and utility bills are normally paid in different areas, although living at the dorms one does not need to worry. If you have a Bank of America account, I’d probably say open an account with China Construction Bank because they have an agreement with each other. However, I’d prefer the Bank of China. From what I was told, I wasn’t able to open an account at Citibank because I’d need to live in China for at least a year prior to my ability to open an account. Nonetheless, if you have a Citibank account, your ATM card will tell you what you’re withdrawing in dollars, so it may be convenient for you to bring along.

Credit cards aren’t entirely useless, but very few places accept them. A Discover Card does come in handy though, as it is the equivalent to the China UnionPay card and can be used anywhere the China UnionPay card is accepted. However, it will take a LOT of convincing for you to be able to do so, as most merchants are very skeptical about it. Even with Discover’s own pamphlet, most stores don’t really trust my using it. However, most of the places I frequent have let me use the card with no problems.

Housing: If you don’t plan to live in the dorms, please note you pretty much are limited to about two to three days to find housing. I know it’s a bit hard to choose people you want to room with after only meeting them for about 48 hours, but you must do so in order to find a decent apartment. Most studio apartments can go for about RMB 3000 monthly, and 3 bedroom apartments can go for about RMB 6000-7000 monthly. Most landlords require you to pay either three or six months in advance in cash. Utilities may or may not be included, depending on your landlord. At the dorms, the price is roughly RMB 2000 monthly for your own room. You and two suitemates share a common area and the bathroom, but you have your own room and utilities aren’t a problem.

The best piece of advice I can give is even though you don’t really know people well, make an effort to do so and even if you don’t exactly agree on everything, common courtesy always helps make life better. If there’s anyone that’s fluent in Chinese, have them help you as much as they can. The Chinese version of a lease always beats the English one, so make sure you know what you’re signing!

School: It will be very intimidating at first to start your classes, but you’ll come to realize that most of your professors are there to help you and want to see you succeed. It will be weird to hear lectures in Chinese and very little English spoken, but it does make you focus and learn the language very quickly. However, you must also be willing to invest some time studying on your own. To be honest, all of my studying takes place outside the classroom, where I’m forced to use the words I’ve learned to communicate effectively. Although studying in your room is important, make sure you apply what you learn. It helps a lot to listen to people speak to pick up on certain things regarding accents and the like. Don’t’ be too upset if your Chinese level isn’t as high as you’d think; it’ll benefit you in the long run because you’ll learn new words that you didn’t know and it may give you and opportunity to refresh your memory on certain grammar structures you may have missed.

There are also multiple organizations available to students. Now, I regrettably didn’t join any this semester for the fear of my Chinese not being up to par. Next semester, I’ll probably make a better effort to join some of the clubs, since my Chinese will be somewhat improved.

Transportation: With regards to traveling both within and outside of China, plan ahead. Airplane fares do go up, especially over the Spring Festival. I’d also advise picking low-cost carriers to go outside of China and just sticking with any of the major airlines to travel within the country. Interesting, but it does save you a lot of money in the long run, especially if you plan to travel to more than one destination. Traveling by plane or train isn’t too expensive, so it all is a matter of choice.

As for Beijing, the subway system will become your best friend. As I mentioned, the Olympics led to massive expansion and construction projects. The subway was one of those projects. Line 4 is conveniently placed right outside the East Gate, and it can take you to many other places, such as Tian’anmen Square via a transfer to Line 1, Guomao via Line 10, the Olympic Green via Line 8, and if you don’t want to walk ever, to Wudaokou via line 13. At the price of RMB 2.00, it is perhaps your most convenient option. If possible, you can also master the numerous bus lines. Most of them charge RMB 1.00 and charge a maximum of up to RMB 4.00 for long distances, so the bus may be much more convenient than the subway. Then again, you also need to know the exact bus stop you’d like to go to and any possible transfers you’d need to make. This is made difficult by the fact that there isn’t really a map of the bus lines. Taxis aren’t all that bad, depending on where you are and where you’re headed, but from Sanlitun (the bar street) back to PKU costs roughly RMB 50, so you may want to factor that in if you like to consistently go out.

Safety: On the safety front, I haven’t felt unsafe the entire time I’ve been here. I’ve been out at late hours of the night, but I’ve never felt uncomfortable to walk alone at night back to the dorms from different places. Of course, if you feel unsafe, I’d suggest taking a taxi or keeping in contact with friends. People here are for the most part quite nice. They do take an interest in talking to foreigners and may ask questions that you may not be comfortable answering. It’s alright; it’s all part of the culture. In most cases, using basic common sense will keep you safe here. Just be careful with money, as fake RMB 100 notes still make their way into basic currency, albeit quite rare. Everyone can tell, though.

After all the experiences I’ve gone through here, I’ve come up with an answer to whether or not Beijing has welcomed me: Beijing has welcomed me in a way I never thought possible. It has left its mark on me and I know that when I return to the U.S., I will come back a stronger, more independent and culturally savvy person. This experience so far still remains the experience of a lifetime, and I look forward to what the New Year brings.

Four Months Already?!?

I really can't believe time's flown by; today's 2010! I've already been here four months. Quite an interesting journey, but still very exciting.

On the main note, I dyed my hair a sort of copper brown color. It was interesting because I'd never dyed my hair, so I kind of did it more out of curiosity than anything else. I'm OK with it..it's not that big of a deal, although it's a major change than what I'm used to. =) However, I decided enough's enough and dyed it a darker brown. You'll see pictures of my former hair color later. ;p

Note number two: I went to Shanghai not too long ago. A round trip flight to Shanghai cost $125, pretty cheap considering it's a three hour flight and the train ride goes for about the same price but is 17 hours long. Upon arriving at Pudong International Airport, my friend and I took the Maglev train, which is the first Maglev train used commercially. It was awesome, as the train went from 0.... ...to 430 km/hr in the course of 5 minutes. That's pretty cool, especially because the train just streaked by Shanghai traffic and it literally looked like a blur of red. I took a picture of several of the different speeds.

After the 8 minute Maglev ride, we had to transfer to the Shanghai Metro. Some notes: the Shanghai Metro is a lot longer than the Beijing Metro. It has a lot of lines, too. However, the fares range from RMB 3-5 depending on what station you're ending up at. Beijing's metro is RMB 2 flat. Furthermore, the line we took reminded me strangely of Subway Lines 1/2 here...low and behold it was line 2 I had taken. Go figure.

After the train ride, I had to walk through a LOT of construction before I arrived at my hotel for the night. It was a great view, as illustrated by the picture.

It was awesome. After settling down for the night, we went to the Huangpu River and took the cruise. It was interesting to see Pudong and Puxi, the Pearl Tower on the Pudong side contrasting with the Bund on the Puxi side....great, great. Afterwards, I guess there wasn't really much to do, so we headed back to the hotel for rest.

The next morning, after switching hotels to the Puxi side, I actually felt lazy and didn't do much at all. All I went to do was go to the gym and work out. It felt awesome to run..something I hadn't done in months and something I will aim to pick up next semester so I can come back looking better than I did...I hope. ;p. However, I did go and explore the Expo 2010 sites. Although most everything is under construction, so you can't really get all that close, I could still see the China Pavilion. It was an awesome site and I really do hope to see it during Expo time, although I'm sure that the ticket to Shanghai will be ridiculously expensive at that time.

During the evening, I met up with my old high school classmate, Sophia. It had been almost 4 years since I had seen her, so it was quite interesting to catch up on what she's been up to. She was studying at Fudan University for the quarter, which finished not too long ago. She's in Taiwan right now, I think, but she'll soon be back in the U.S. It was great. We went to different places, mainly the shopping district, Madame Tussaud's... ...and the Jinmao Tower, the second tallest tower in Shanghai, next to the World Financial Center (where I stayed the previous night). Here's where something really hit me: Shanghai is quite expensive...we shared a platter of different desserts and I ordered a drink...almost $45. 0_o. Go figure. After that, I headed back to the hotel for bed.

Finally, the last morning, I went out to see different places. First we went to a garden in Shanghai that was said to be 400 years old. I forget the name now, but the area itself felt very old, despite the Dairy Queen and KFC that stand there. It was great just to walk around the garden and be surrounded by different pavilions, although the weather looked like it was going to refuse to cooperate. After that, we took a cab to Xintiandi, another bar area (The Bund being the first). Quite modern, but nothing of interest, so we chose to walk to the People's Square before heading back to head to the airport. For a whirlwind weekend, it was quite fun, and I'm glad I saw another bustling Chinese city.
Before we end the discussion on Shanghai, let me introduce you to the mascot for Expo 2010...海宝。A lot of nicknames have sprung up for him, like toothpaste and some other one I won't bother saying...but he's it. Quite an interesting mascot. Supposed to remind people of a wave, but kind of reminds me of a shorter, squatter, blue Gumby.

School: Finals are here! Hanyu Thursday, and Kouyu FridayMost nervous for Hanyu/Kouyu, but that is just me. Lol. Must survive this week.

Next: Christmas/New Year's....they were alright. I missed home, obviously...mainly because of the stuff that my Christmas and New Year's entail: Family gatherings and lots of food. I miss the people that matter the most to me...they know who they are. It was weird not celebrating these holidays as much as I needed to, but Christmas was nice, especially because I went out to dinner with friends, so it didn't feel like I was entirely alone. However, it was fun.

Finally: TRAVEL TIME! Lol..I can't wait. So, from January 17 until February 22nd, I'll be out of Beijing in search of warmer weather...literally. The following is my itinerary during this time:

January 17-24: Guangxi, China
January 25-February 1: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
February 2-8: Taipei, Taiwan
February 9-12: Hong Kong
February 13-15: Macau
February 16-21: Manila, Philippines

I'm super excited to be going to all these places. I really want to see Asia, and I picked places that piqued my interest for different reasons, be it the sights, the language, the culture, the money, and/or the people. My one regret: not adding Thailand to my list. However, I picked the places where I'd have the least difficulty getting around, so we'll see.

Anyway, time to study now...test tomorrow and Friday. Test number one: EPIC FAIL! No joke...who decides to hold an exam on a Monday at 8 a.m. right after it snows? -_-''

Color Change

So I haven't really had time to update, but I'll update on some of the basics today.

Halloween came and went a long time back (yes, it's been THAT long). As a basic piece of information, most Chinese do not celebrate this holiday, but as more and more Westerners have come here, the Chinese have become slightly more curious and have even started celebrating said holiday. I didn't really do much other than stay home...bored, but I'm not willing to go clubbing with too many people. Lol.

First off, I went on a trip to Xiangshan, the Fragrant Hills. I went with Daren, Vera, Daren's language partner, and some of his classmates. It was quite interesting, seeing as at first, the only two I was really comfortable with were Daren and Vera, since I've known them the longest. Nonetheless, it was quite easy for me to somehow fit in with his friends. Although my life experiences and Hanyu level is different than theirs, they all seem like interesting people. It was nice to talk to them and learn different things. Daren's language partner, Xiao Li, was really nice. I liked to ask her small questions about different things that I didn't know and learn something from it, although by now, I've forgotten most of it. Talk about not applying what I learned. -_-''

Anywho, it's also begun to snow recently. It's a wonderful feeling and I really do wish that China gives me my first White Christmas. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas kept coming to mind every time I went outside. Some of the pictures I have taken show the scenery here; it's amazing. However, the trade-off is the FREEZING cold temperatures. At night, it falls below 0 degrees Centigrade, and for someone that's absolutely not used to that, it's quite a shock to realize that the light windbreaker I bought earlier doesn't really do much. I guess it's time to trade up to a thicker jacket. As a side note, snow here tends to last a while on the streets and the like....it's been two weeks since the most recent snowfall, and there's still a lot of snow left on trees.

I've also noticed that I've begun to hang out with certain people a lot more. I've kind of made my set of friends that I'm really happy with....similar to the set of friends I have at home. In this kind of place, it's easy to succumb to loneliness, so I've been really picky about that and what I choose to do with my friends. I've also kept my guard up, which is bad, but there's only very few that I've let it down with, not only because they've earned my respect and trust, but I feel like there's a closeness I share with them for many reasons.

Nancy's birthday came and went recently as well. Honestly, Nancy has practically become my sister throughout this trip. I'm so happy I can say that, especially given my first impression of her. We've shared a lot of experiences, stories, and advice in the short time I've known her. I'm so thankful that she's around for so much. Even when I feel down, I possibly can't be all that depressed around her, because she gives me hope and makes me laugh in different ways...mainly her being her and saying crazy stuff. This is the picture I took of us at her birthday...

So, the guy on the left is one of my friends that I made while coming here. His name's Sai, and he's a graduate from the Beijing Normal University. We've hung out a couple of times before, seeing as he's my tutor in Chinese. He's full of a lot of interesting stories, and he and Daren got along pretty well because they both share an interest in anime and tennis. I'm actually glad I brought him along, as now he knows most of my friends. Of course, the birthday girl was awesome and I'm really glad she liked what I bought for her. Jen, of course, is "China Mom," and it was interesting to see her order and get pissed off at the waitresses because they weren't bringing the food fast enough. There were about 30 to 40 people here, so it was kind of important. She's awesome in her own right, especially because I know that if I ever have something serious to talk about, it's her I'll be talking to.

On other fronts, school is still school: a challenge. I'm over Hanyu and Kouyu is always fun. Tingli is alright; not a challenge, but not as boring as one would expect when listening to a tape for 2 hours. I'd better worry, because this week is midterms for Hanyu and Kouyu, so I'd best be on top of my game. My feeling: EPIC FAIL! ;P However, I'm not going to get too hung up on it. The good news is that I'll soon be heading to Shanghai. One of my high school classmates is currently studying at Fudan University, so I'll hopefully have a chance to see her while I'm on my trip there. It'll be another long blog entry. Next major holiday: Thanksgiving...will tell you more about it later. =)

Midterms Week and Xi'an

Finally...midterms week has come and gone. There's not really much to cover on that front other than how I'm feeling about both my midterms. I have TingLi midterm in two weeks. I think that one will be the toughest, seeing as we don't use Pinyin and the tapes are tougher to comprehend...it's quite difficult for me, but hopefully, the more time I spend in China, the better my listening comprehension goes.

Kouyu: I actually had a tough time with this test...but I did fine. The questions were quite tougher than I first imagined, but nonetheless, it was alright. The final mini-speech was tough, especially because I'm not that good with sentence structure and the like. E for effort. The next day, she told us that no one had failed the exam. I'm going to take it as a good thing...at least in the short-term.

Hanyu: I'm actually impressed with how I did on this test. With the sole exception of measure words, which were my worst area, I missed small things in every section...no more than half of a point to one point total. I'm quite proud of myself for it, but I really need to step up my game in order to get a good grade in this class.


So...now that we've gotten out of this part of school life, let's get into the other part that most interests me: tourism!!! I had the opportunity to take a weekend trip to Xi'an this weekend as I write this part, I JUST got off the taxi back to my dorm. Honestly, I think it was well worth the trip, especially because I want to see and do so much while I'm here. Heading to Xi'an was on my list of things to do. I'm kind of happy I went now over the National Holiday because everyone flocks out of Beijing to those types of places during the holiday. I had such an awesome time! I took a soft sleeper as opposed to the hard sleeper in Qingdao..loads better, despite the price being doubled. Nonetheless, upon arriving at the Xi'an Railroad Station, you're greeted by the below....
....the City Wall, which is the only full wall preserved in all of China. Most of the Beijing City Wall was demolished when Lines 1 and 2 of the Subway were built, so only certain gates remain. However, to be able to see this was one of the best things I've ever seen in my life. We'll discuss this a little more later in the post.

After a brief stop at the hotel, I went to the Xi'an Restaurant, a place that serves popular Shaanxi Province fare (a small note here: Shaanxi is not to be confused with Shanxi; they're different characters and there's a third tone in the former, hence the additional "a" in Romanized Pinyin, where as Shanxi is the first tone, the "xi" is identical). I had a couple of things, but I took pictures of two different things, this oil pastry and eggplant which was sweet, sour, and spicy....how's that for a flavor combo?
After said brunch, I went to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, colloquially called Dayongta. It's actually quite a nice place, with a lot to see and walk around with. Unfortunately, I wasn't interested in paying RMB to actually climb the tower, so I chose to admire it from the outside. It was really nice. However, I did see this kettle in the front and I kind of felt like I should take a picture with it...imagine if I had toppled it over; probably would have been banned for life from Xi'an.
After Dayongta, my friend and I took a walk down the main avenue in front of Dayongta while I got a mini-history lesson. Xi'an is the start of the Silk Road, and is also the capital of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was one of, if not the, most prosperous dynasties in China at the height of its time. Most of the stuff in Xi'an stems from that particular dynasty, and Xi'an and Shaanxi Province are taking advantage to lure foreign investment into the city. As such, the street we walked on serves as the prime example of this, as it is becoming very commercialized, with places such as the Westin starting to build and Hyatt and Best Western already in the city. As this is outside the old City Wall, I'm not surprised. The Inner City still hasn't changed all that much, but is slowly modernizing as well.

Anyway, we came across the Tang Paradise, which in itself is quite beautiful. I don't really know all that much about it, but it seems to be something newly built to capitalize on the above. Otherwise, it has been renovated and modernized. Anyway, the place was quite beautiful and I could imagine myself being in the Tang Dynasty walking along the wooden walkways. That day was Senior Citizens Day (as was Monday Beijing Time), so there were a lot of older people showcasing things such as Tai Chi and ballet. I took a picture and my friend and I also had a discussion on the differences between the Americans and the Chinese. It seems like the Chinese are much happier than their American counterparts. Perhaps its because Chinese culture dictates that the family cares for the elderly and Americans have to worry about Social Security and the like.

After the Tang Paradise, we went to a calligraphy museum near the City Wall. It was nice to see some of the older stuff that was there, especially because so many things are preserved and were carved in stone. There were a lot of stuff from Confucius, mainly his teachings and several edits to his books. Although I couldn't understand anything, my friend was kind enough to explain a lot of the stuff that was on there. Although I couldn't understand, I was just glad to be able to have that opportunity.

After the calligraphy museum, we climbed the City Wall and took a bike ride around. We completed it in over an hour. The view was BEAUTIFUL, and it offers such a distinct contrast between the two areas. There's the city inside the city wall, which retains a lot of traditional architecture and areas. Outside the city wall, it is slowly becoming a modern city similar to Beijing. I seriously hope that Xi'an manages to retain more of it's traditional flavor, as that's what draws people/tourism here. After completing the bike ride, the night fell on Xi'an, and the gates were lit up so beautifully. I loved it.
After the city wall, it was time for dinner. We headed to the Islamic Quarter of Xi'an. As Xi'an was the start of the Silk Road, it received a lot of people from Arabia and this portion of the city has a high concentration of Muslims. There is also the Great Mosque there, which I believe is one of the few mosques in China. The influence can even be seen in the people, with the hats and women wearing head coverings. I was quite taken with it and I liked the flavor of the area. I'm slowly starting to realize that China is actually somewhat tolerant of the main religions. It's very interesting and somewhat of a paradox for me. In the Islamic Quarter, there is another famous restaurant in Xi'an which serves a particular kind of bao, which is a form of dumpling. This bao is called san xian tang bao, in which the stuffing consists of chicken and shrimp. It was delicious. I also had the below, which I believe is a form of "eight treasure" porridge. It was quite good, with a sweet and somewhat sour taste to it, which my friend told me comes from the fermentation process.
After dinner, we came across a sort of shopping district within the Islamic Quarter which reminded me greatly of Silk Street, although the prices were much cheaper than said area. For eight items between my friend and I, we spent 400 yuan. It was an awesome deal, since the traditional Chinese "Mao" jacket I wanted was initially offered to me for half of what we paid for all of the items.
However, the most interesting and perhaps one of the most memorable experiences was when I met a gentleman making traditional Chinese seals. I decided to purchase one, and we started talking about where I'm from and how my Hanyu was pretty good. He also explained the meaning of my name in greater detail. His last name,铁, means iron in Chinese and my friend told me it's a fairly uncommon last name. So, the characters of my Chinese name are 杜文康. The first character, 杜, is the closest Chinese equivalent to my last name, Duran. Character number 2, 文, has a meaning of literature and writing. Finally, the third character, 康, means health. 铁 先生 explained to me that the second and third characters have two possible meanings (of course, my friend translated for me, since I understood very little): the first is that I have a healthy sense of literature, and is the definition that I'm aware of. The second was that the person is rich, perhaps in experiences, perhaps in knowledge, but it had nothing to do with money. I liked the latter definition, since it struck me as the most interesting and is probably why I'm here: to seek to be richer and share it with others. He was a very candid and interesting gentleman, and I didn't feel stupid when I was around him at all, even though my Hanyu was horrible. I took a picture with him since the seal he made was awesome. After this, it was back to the hotel room and bed. =)The next day, we headed to the Xi'an Railway Station to take a shuttle that would lead us to the Terracotta Army, which was about an hour to an hour and a half outside the Inner City. Before that, we stopped at one of the Tang Dynasty's old bathhouse areas. According to the museum I visited here, the current area of the location is only one-tenth the size it was during the Tang Dynasty, and it went up the mountain that was there. The water here was very, very clear, since the hot springs in the mountain ran to them. It was a nice sight, but I was also very stoked to see the Terracotta Army. So, after walking around the gardens, we took another bus to the final destination, 兵马俑. This is the site of the Terracotta Army, and it was built for the first Qin emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. He pretty much built this for approximately three decades until his death. However, after his death, several looters came in and broke and burned the figurines, and those also remain here to this day. The site is divided into four main areas: Pits 1-3 and the Exhibition Hall. I took a picture at the Exhibition Hall first, as it's a UNESCO site and I figured that I might as well have a picture to prove it.
Inside the exhibition hall were several introductions to the Terracotta Army, how they were built and several replicas of what was meant to be there. There were also several of the real Terracotta statues there on display for people to get a glimpse of them before they headed to the main pits. After this, I took a look at Pit 1, which is probably the most famous, best excavated,and best preserved pit in the area.From what I remember, if Pit 1 were completely excavated, they would find about 6,000 terracotta figurines. Unfortunately, the Chinese (and most archaeologists, for that matter) haven't found a very effective way of preserving the figurines, since as terracotta is pretty much earth, it starts to decay once it's exposed to the air. It would be awesome for them to find a way to save them all, as this is probably one of the most important cultural treasures to China. So many people come here to see it. In the front, upon entering the pit, you see the above picture. As you go to the back, you see the below, which is where archaeologists try to rebuild those statues that were broken and that they have managed to find all of the pieces.
Pits 2 and 3 weren't exactly interesting, and while Pit 2 was quite large, it didn't really have any statues to see there. I believe that archaeologists have stopped excavating due to the preservation problem I mentioned earlier.
After the Terracotta Army, we walked outside onto this sort of shopping street right outside the gate. It's interesting to see how many places have emphasized and developed commercialization. What were once probably roads leading directly to destinations now have shopping streets in front of them selling trinkets and things of the sort so that tourists can purchase them. Once we found a bus, we headed back to Xi'an and to the final two spots we would go to on our trip: the Bell.... and Drum Towers. They aren't really that far from the Islamic Quarter, nor are they far from each other. However, I wasn't really interested in paying 50 yuan to enter both of them. As a side note, your Chinese Student ID is your best friend. I paid half price at all the historical places I went to. It's a big savings and it adds up. We decided to admire them from the outside before grabbing a quick dinner and heading to the train station.

Overall, this experience was probably one of the most interesting ones I've ever had during my time here. It was great to see the history this place holds, while also have a chance to see the modernization that is happening just like in the rest of China's major cities. Hopefully, it will continue to maintain the culture and history of such a period while moving forward into China's new era.

Alcohol, Bars, Midterms and Casinos

So.....as the title mentions, this post is focused on the four things that I found interesting this week: my trip to the "infamous" La Bamba, alcohol, my upcoming midterms, and some recent casino news that I find interesting.

First off, the weather (completely random, I know). The winds of change are blowing...literally. Friday afternoon, I went out to run some errands, and there was a very high wind blowing. It's like the Santa Ana winds back at home...but worse. They blew my hood off my head....it was interesting. I loved the wind here, though....it had a bit of a chill to it that hit my cheeks, but I still like it. Recent weather reports have stated that there's still two more cold fronts that are bound to hit the area within the next week, which will bring high winds, rain, and potentially snow. I'd better get that North Face jacket I bought here ready, since it's going to be put to good use. =) As I write this, the wind is starting to howl outside my window...literally howl.

Now to the four major topics: the first two go hand in hand. Last night was my roommate Troy's 26th Birthday. Now, I normally don't drink or anything, but since it was a special occasion, I decided to let my guard down. I went over to a friend's place where they had already started a bottle of Johnnie Walker Whiskey. I joined in on the fun and took three shots with them. Afterwards, we went to La Bamba, which I had heard about multiple times, since most everyone in my program had gone there a couple of times. I actually enjoyed the ambience and atmosphere there. The Dodger game was on the TV, but I wasn't really paying attention, seeing as I was too busy buying my friend a drink. In total, 4 drinks for about $15 is not too bad, at least on my perspective, especially when stuff like this in the States cost upwards of $10 for one. Of course, one has to be super careful, so I normally just wait at the bar and watch the drink made, since for the most part, I know the ones I like to order. It was great to be around them in a different place and just let loose for a while.

Next, Midterms week has arrived at BeiDa. Lovely.....at least my TingLi exam isn't until next month. Hanyu and Kouyu are required to give midterms this week. I don't really have a study guide for Hanyu other than know your sentence structures and vocabulary words. Speaking of which... I have a character exam tomorrow. -_-'' My Kouyu professor gave me a study guide. We each had to pick time slots, and yours truly had the FABULOUS luck of being number one. Anyway, the test is 6 minutes long. There are six portions to the test...take too long and you jeopardize your time for the remaining portions. It consists of:
1. Repetition: The professor will say a sentence and ask you to repeat it. Each repetition is worth 5 points each.
2. Q&A: The professor will ask you a question, and you are required to answer using a new vocabulary word. 5 points
3. Sentence Structure Q&A: Again, a question is asked, and you will be required to use a certain sentence structure to answer the question.
4. Topic-Based Dictation: After selecting a topic and looking at the possible vocabulary words, you are required to make 6 sentences using a minimum of four vocabulary words.
Although the test is short, it's important to do well here, as there's only three tests that account for 70% of your final grade. Homework and other stuff compensates for the remaining 30%

Finally, my favorite topic: casinos. For those of you who don't know, my major is Business Administration with a concentration in Entertainment and Tourism Management. My goal is to hopefully either obtain a second B.A. in Gaming Management or enter UNLV's MBA in Hotel Management program. My main area of interest is Macau and its rapid development into the new Gaming Capital of the World. I personally agree with this assessment, although Vegas is still the Entertainment Capital of the World mainly because Macau hasn't really started to establish itself as a place to stay for longer than a day. It established itself as a gaming capital where it's predominantly Asian clientele stayed and played as a day trip and returned to other places, such as Hong Kong, which is I believe less than an hour away. Furthermore, since the legal gambling age is 18, it's easier for them to get a larger amount of people playing. In the last week, there's three major developments that may change the way Macau does business to a more Vegas-esque structure. For starters, Macau wants to elevate the legal gaming age to 21. This means that foreigners that want to avoid the 21 and over Vegas casinos by coming here will now be out of luck. Second, they want to stop the expansion of Vegas casinos and casinos in general. They feel like the expansion has been too quick and they want to control it just a little. Mainly, they plan to stop foreign entry into the market, at least for the short-term. Finally, the son of Macau's famous gaming clan is opening his own casino in opposition to his father's casino company. He is part of a joint venture with the son of an Australian media family. It's interesting at least for me to be able to analyze this type of stuff, since they feel that Asia will recover faster than any other portion of the world. While that remains to be seen, I hope to have an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at Macau's gaming industry.

Well...that's it on my front. Back to Hanyu/Kouyu studying.

Friends and Stories

So this last week has been quite interesting...not only because of the earlier post, but because I've done a lot of soul-searching this week.

Going back to school was awesome...because it makes me realize what my focus here is: to study Chinese to the fullest of my ability. Although most people ditched, it was still good to be back...it made me feel good and got me back into the grind.

Then again, it also is a daily reminder of the whole "I'm not at home" part of life. Homesickness is my worst obstacle. It's the thing that causes me to isolate myself and keep to myself and my room, because it's the one source of stability I have. It does make me happy to speak to people from home, because it reminds me that there's people out there that care about me and that are happy I'm here because I wanted to be here. Nonetheless, it's a struggle.

After class, Stephen, Ryan and I went to Shao Yuan for lunch. It's pretty inexpensive for the food you get...about $2 for lunch. It's quite a good bargain. While we were there, we saw our RD, Dr. Scoggin, so we decided to sit down with her and talk about our holidays. It was awesome to have a conversation with her, as she has so much insight and experience in China and Chinese culture. We talked about China's 60th and the significance the number had in Chinese culture (which I mentioned in an earlier entry), her trip to the CSU IP program in Taiwan and the differences between our program, the one in Taiwan, and other programs such as Tsinghua University and Beijing Language and Culture University. We also discussed how things have changed for us as opposed to when she was a student here and the whole staring portion of the experience, and by this I mean when Chinese people stare at you because you're foreign.

I've seen Dr. Scoggin and her son Peter on several occasions, and I can attest that she is as Chinese as any native Chinese person here. Her Chinese is excellent, and she's very knowledgeable about most everything here. She gives me hope that I can hopefully somewhat assimilate into Chinese culture and be able to survive here, albeit for the extent of my stay.

This past weekend I've pretty much kept to myself. While Daren had an amazing adventure at the Great Wall (I'm slightly jealous I didn't go, but hopefully I"ll be able to make my own journey out there), I spent my weekend helping a friend of mine. He is taking part in a competition that involved my reviewing and editing several documents and a video. The concept was quite interesting, and it made me happy that he trusted me and my command of English well enough to edit and have a say in certain elements of their project. I really hope they get short-listed, as if they do, they'll further develop their idea, which piques my interest. I'm quite excited. As a reward/payment, I will get to enjoy hot pot for a week..his treat. I'll take a picture of the hot pot in the future for you all to see what it's like and I'll explain it in a separate post, as it's quite an experience.

Today, Monday, I got to see one of the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics professors I had met at CSUF a while back. (Background Info: CSUF played host to about 30 Chinese professors from the TUFE last fall. They came here to take several of our business classes, including Business Writing. Professor Nagano was their liaison, and I had the opportunity to talk to them on multiple occasions. I kept in touch with one of them, who I met today). After looking for a couple of minutes, we decided to go to Pizza Hut, which was actually really good by my standards. It's quite expensive, as Pizza Hut here is a sit-down restaurant, and the setting is very contemporary. The pizza was a bacon pizza, which was really good. The professor, her cousin who studies at the University of Geosciences and I had an awesome time...I had an opportunity to practice my Chinese while her cousin practiced English with me. It was really nice.

Afterwards, we went to a bookstore across the street. It was nice to look at all the Chinese books, although I obviously can't read them yet. Upstairs, there's an area for textbooks, and I decided to buy an Elementary Business Chinese book to study during my free time, since I really would like to be able to take Intermediate and/or Advanced Business Chinese next semester. Hopefully, with the help of my Hanyu and Kouyu classes, I can progress rapidly to complete this goal.

Meanwhile, the professor was telling me about the completion of her first book and her plans to publish another. While her first book is aimed at business students in China, her goal is to have her second book published worldwide. She asked me to assist her with editing portions of her second book, which I accepted. With all these editing gigs, I should have changed my major to Journalism or something. =)

Anyway, it's time to get back to studying...Hanyu and Kouyu Dictation tests tomorrow are not that fun. Later!