Today we're supposed to go get our passports back from the Vietnamese embassy. But it's snowing, and I don't want to go. It's too stinking cold to go outside. It's currently 18 degrees. The high today might just soar up to 28. But let's not hold our breaths.
My toes are purple.
In better news, though, I'm reading The Horse and His Boy, and it's going really quickly, and it's a pretty alright book. Also, we got an itinerary from the Professor's parents for when we are in Bangkok. So we know now when we're going to temples and on the floating market and stuff like that. The Professor wants to go to Chinatown. When he suggested this, I almost hit him in the face. Really. But then I realized he just wants to show off his cultural-adaptation to his parents, and that's understandable. I bet they'd speak Cantonese, though. We may try anyway.
We treid to watch Catch and Release with Jennifer Garner, et. al yesterday. We got bored and turned it off. Then we watched Gridiron Gang, which I also found boring, but it played and I watched/slept.
I've got a few letters to write yet.
T
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Finals ended, and did the semester, with a certain flourish that is most commonly associated with childbirth or the end of a course of antibiotics. The tests were difficult, but they are done. I am glad, and I must admit I'm the ever-so-slightest bit proud of myself for getting through a whole semester of Chinese language school at a real university in Beijing.
Last weekend was quite an adventure. A bunch of us went to the hutong. We walked about in the very cold for a while, and finally landed at the restaurant we wanted. Well, kind of. When we got there and let the workers know that there would be 9 (actually, 11) of us, they said that we couldn't eat there, because there was some function going on. However, they informed us, we could eat in Hutong Bar, which is about three doors down, and they would bring the food to us. So we did. It ended up that we filled up a small room in the bar. I had fish and chips, as did several others, and it was quite tasty.
After the feasting, we headed out to do some shopping along the street. We went into a few shops and bought a few things, though nothing extraordinary. I replaced my Beijing shirt, because the first one got a hole in the armpit, and I want a good shirt. As the day progressed, the number of people sticking out the cold in the hutong dwindled, and finally it was DC, TJ, his friend Russ, and me. Russ wanted a stamp of his name carved in Chinese, so we went into a little shop that does just that. They let us know it would be an hour before the stamp was ready.
DC knew about a Buddhist monastery with observances every day at a certain time, so we hopped into a taxi to kill the hour before the stamp was finished. I showed the taxi driver on the map where we wanted to go, and off we went. As we travelled through the Tian'anmen area, I was pointing out to Russ the places as we passed around the back of the Forbidden city and the side of the oh-so-famous Square. The taxi driver understood exactly what I was doing, since I kept saying words like "Tian'anmen" and pointing. He also knew that I speak Chinese. So he started giving me the tour. He told me which was the Great Hall of the People and Mao's Mausoleum. Actually, he understood that I didn't quite get "Mausoleum" so he just said, "Mao Ze Dong, Mao Ze Dong" and then stuck his tongue out and slumped to one side. Apparently the Mausoleum is where Mao had a massive stroke and lays dead. Farther down the road he pointed out the redlight district. I didn't get it at first, "red light area" in Chinese doesn't mean much. Then I realized that nasty is nasty everywhere. When he started miming painting his face, I asked if they were prostitutes. He said yes, and was amused at my knowledge of the slang for prostitutes. You live and learn, friends.
The monks and the chanting were interesting, but by far less funny than the taxi ride. I stood there with my bag from the t-shirt purchase, and had no inclination that I was offending the entire Buddhist-following contingent. It turns out that after a monk (whilst chanting) glared at me with hatred and indignation, I looked at the picture on the bag. Buddha. As Santa. With a hippie peace-sign necklace. And two peace-sign hands. Grinning in all his ridiculousness as a cartoon. Oops. I swapped my hands to behind my back...
That night we had a birthday party for the 3 year old. Zhu ni shengri kuai le!
Lately the Professor and I have watched the second season of My Name is Earl which is purchased on dvd. That show is ridiculously funny. If you get past the sort of hillybilly redneck vibes it gives off on the surface, it is amazingly clever. I recommend it.
Time to get visas for all of Southeast Asia.
T
Last weekend was quite an adventure. A bunch of us went to the hutong. We walked about in the very cold for a while, and finally landed at the restaurant we wanted. Well, kind of. When we got there and let the workers know that there would be 9 (actually, 11) of us, they said that we couldn't eat there, because there was some function going on. However, they informed us, we could eat in Hutong Bar, which is about three doors down, and they would bring the food to us. So we did. It ended up that we filled up a small room in the bar. I had fish and chips, as did several others, and it was quite tasty.
After the feasting, we headed out to do some shopping along the street. We went into a few shops and bought a few things, though nothing extraordinary. I replaced my Beijing shirt, because the first one got a hole in the armpit, and I want a good shirt. As the day progressed, the number of people sticking out the cold in the hutong dwindled, and finally it was DC, TJ, his friend Russ, and me. Russ wanted a stamp of his name carved in Chinese, so we went into a little shop that does just that. They let us know it would be an hour before the stamp was ready.
DC knew about a Buddhist monastery with observances every day at a certain time, so we hopped into a taxi to kill the hour before the stamp was finished. I showed the taxi driver on the map where we wanted to go, and off we went. As we travelled through the Tian'anmen area, I was pointing out to Russ the places as we passed around the back of the Forbidden city and the side of the oh-so-famous Square. The taxi driver understood exactly what I was doing, since I kept saying words like "Tian'anmen" and pointing. He also knew that I speak Chinese. So he started giving me the tour. He told me which was the Great Hall of the People and Mao's Mausoleum. Actually, he understood that I didn't quite get "Mausoleum" so he just said, "Mao Ze Dong, Mao Ze Dong" and then stuck his tongue out and slumped to one side. Apparently the Mausoleum is where Mao had a massive stroke and lays dead. Farther down the road he pointed out the redlight district. I didn't get it at first, "red light area" in Chinese doesn't mean much. Then I realized that nasty is nasty everywhere. When he started miming painting his face, I asked if they were prostitutes. He said yes, and was amused at my knowledge of the slang for prostitutes. You live and learn, friends.
The monks and the chanting were interesting, but by far less funny than the taxi ride. I stood there with my bag from the t-shirt purchase, and had no inclination that I was offending the entire Buddhist-following contingent. It turns out that after a monk (whilst chanting) glared at me with hatred and indignation, I looked at the picture on the bag. Buddha. As Santa. With a hippie peace-sign necklace. And two peace-sign hands. Grinning in all his ridiculousness as a cartoon. Oops. I swapped my hands to behind my back...
That night we had a birthday party for the 3 year old. Zhu ni shengri kuai le!
Lately the Professor and I have watched the second season of My Name is Earl which is purchased on dvd. That show is ridiculously funny. If you get past the sort of hillybilly redneck vibes it gives off on the surface, it is amazingly clever. I recommend it.
Time to get visas for all of Southeast Asia.
T
Friday, January 11, 2008
I took my oral examination today for my conversation class. It went decently well. The reading part was not terrible. I knew some of the words, and I could pronounce all of the pinyin. I answered the questions with not too much problem. And the actual conversation example thing (which I totally ad-libbed) was ok. I pulled the prompt: "Give your classmate a phone call and ask him/her to tell your teacher you need the day off from school." Easy. I "called" (and I mean I made a phone with each hand and alternated back and forth) Chanelle. I told her I have caught a cold, my head hurts, I have a fever, and my nose is running! Could she please ask off for me? Also, I told her not to worry with taking me to the hospital. My roommate is accompanying me today, so if she'll just ask off, I'd be happy, thanks. No problem.
Yes, dear readers. I said all of that, no interruption, in Chinese. And was understood by an honest-to-goodness Chinese person. I'll probably get no better than a C on my overall final grades in these classes, but I'm fairly content with that. I know I could study harder. I know this. But I also know that there is not too terribly much I could do more. I only absorb so much at a time, and I really am learning very much, and fairly quickly. Next semester is going to be a contiunation, but I don't think it will kill me. I am planning to ask my professor at the beginning of next semester to set me up with a tutor, so that I can ask all kinds of questions about character structure and formation and whatnot. And so I can practice speaking Chinese.
Today I called my conversation partner because I'm having a problem getting a particular task completed in Chinese. She texted me later with the phone number of the Cowboy's roommate. I got a hearty kick out of that, really. Why I didn't ask him first I guess I'll never know. Actually, I do. I wanted to do it myself or get her to help. But his English is really good, and so is his Chinese. He's from Singapore, and there they speak both. Lucky... Even so, the task is not finished. This week it ought to be. No excuses.
Tomorrow we're going to the hutong (胡同) to have lunch and walk around and feel like we're in Old China. I do like the hutong. That's where I stayed when I first got to this city so long ago. Go here for stuff about the hutong and some nifty pictures. I've seen all these places and whatnot in the pictures.
http://www.thebeijingguide.com/hutong_tour1/hutong-tour1.html
Then, I think, there is to be a birthday party for Butterbean's brother. I bought him a toy train set. Don't tell! I told the Professor that I almost got us one, too, but that we didn't need it. He threw a fit like a baby, but that is nothing truly new.
Some of my friends are leaving after this Tuesday, and I very well may not ever see them again. They are going back to Australia and going into graduate programs and very responsible things like that. I wish they could blow it off and hang out in China with me another semester. Change is in the air, I guess.
T
Yes, dear readers. I said all of that, no interruption, in Chinese. And was understood by an honest-to-goodness Chinese person. I'll probably get no better than a C on my overall final grades in these classes, but I'm fairly content with that. I know I could study harder. I know this. But I also know that there is not too terribly much I could do more. I only absorb so much at a time, and I really am learning very much, and fairly quickly. Next semester is going to be a contiunation, but I don't think it will kill me. I am planning to ask my professor at the beginning of next semester to set me up with a tutor, so that I can ask all kinds of questions about character structure and formation and whatnot. And so I can practice speaking Chinese.
Today I called my conversation partner because I'm having a problem getting a particular task completed in Chinese. She texted me later with the phone number of the Cowboy's roommate. I got a hearty kick out of that, really. Why I didn't ask him first I guess I'll never know. Actually, I do. I wanted to do it myself or get her to help. But his English is really good, and so is his Chinese. He's from Singapore, and there they speak both. Lucky... Even so, the task is not finished. This week it ought to be. No excuses.
Tomorrow we're going to the hutong (胡同) to have lunch and walk around and feel like we're in Old China. I do like the hutong. That's where I stayed when I first got to this city so long ago. Go here for stuff about the hutong and some nifty pictures. I've seen all these places and whatnot in the pictures.
http://www.thebeijingguide.com/hutong_tour1/hutong-tour1.html
Then, I think, there is to be a birthday party for Butterbean's brother. I bought him a toy train set. Don't tell! I told the Professor that I almost got us one, too, but that we didn't need it. He threw a fit like a baby, but that is nothing truly new.
Some of my friends are leaving after this Tuesday, and I very well may not ever see them again. They are going back to Australia and going into graduate programs and very responsible things like that. I wish they could blow it off and hang out in China with me another semester. Change is in the air, I guess.
T
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Last night I learned something new about Dad. It turns out He and I are on the same page as far as throw pillows are concerned. When the remnant was being exiled to Babylon, they are told to plant crops and vinyards. He says get comfortable, you're going to be there a while. And He says work for peace in Babylon because that will be your peace.
Hello! If this were today, it would read something like this:
Buy a wireless internet router and throw pillows. Stock the pantry, you're not going anywhere anytime soon. And don't be inciting any riots, because they will just stay on your doorstep. In fact, check into helping foreign policy and doing humanitarian work. These new neighbors are all you've got.
______________
I had a very minor bike wreck yesteday on my way to school. I turned and someone ran into my side. Fortunately my leg was high on the pedal on that side, or else it could have been a very bad thing. He hit my back tire and I skidded a little, but nothing major. I was a bit shaken by it, but I made it to class and went about the rest of my day.
______________
The Professor bought some cool little creatures yesterday on the bridge where we buy all our home décor. They are about a foot long in total, though they are very delicate. They are made of palm leaves cut in strips and manipulated around a metal wire. One is a butterfly, one is a bird, and one is a dragon. I'll take pictures and put them up. Also, we have some of those paper and tissue 3D stars hanging in the living room now. They're nice. One is green and one is yellow.
T
Hello! If this were today, it would read something like this:
Buy a wireless internet router and throw pillows. Stock the pantry, you're not going anywhere anytime soon. And don't be inciting any riots, because they will just stay on your doorstep. In fact, check into helping foreign policy and doing humanitarian work. These new neighbors are all you've got.
______________
I had a very minor bike wreck yesteday on my way to school. I turned and someone ran into my side. Fortunately my leg was high on the pedal on that side, or else it could have been a very bad thing. He hit my back tire and I skidded a little, but nothing major. I was a bit shaken by it, but I made it to class and went about the rest of my day.
______________
The Professor bought some cool little creatures yesterday on the bridge where we buy all our home décor. They are about a foot long in total, though they are very delicate. They are made of palm leaves cut in strips and manipulated around a metal wire. One is a butterfly, one is a bird, and one is a dragon. I'll take pictures and put them up. Also, we have some of those paper and tissue 3D stars hanging in the living room now. They're nice. One is green and one is yellow.
T
Monday, January 7, 2008
I hear that there's been some shake-up at the Company. I must admit that I've known about this for a while. We can only wait and see where the Boss sends any of us. I live in China.
This week is the last week of classes, so I'm gearing up for finals on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. My Huihua (Conversation) class has a two-parter (because one part to a final is never enough). The first part is just Zheng Laoshi and me in the classroom. I draw a topic and talk with him about it for something like 7 minutes. I'm number 7 in my class to go. That'll be interesting. Monday and Tuesday are the other finals. All written. Fun.
Today the Professor and I booked our second round of tickets. Now we have tickets from Beijing to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. It seems we'll be taking a train/bus/taxi/pick-up truck from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (that's Siagon to those of you who don't know Vietnam is one country) and then from there by train up to Hanoi and all the way up from there by train back to Beijing.
It'll take about 5 days to do the home-bound trip, and I'm excited about it. All those tickets will be arranged once we're down in that part of the world, though. We're getting the hook up with a travel agent in Cambodia. Also, we are trying to go to Angkor Wat.
That will only happen if we have the time extension that would be provided by finding out that school starts a week later than we think. This is a serious possibility, since we've heard nothing from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Angkor Wat is one of the most intriguing places in the entire world for me, so here's hoping.
The Professor points out that donations are always welcome for such excursions. And, even though we're being very careful and frugal in these plans, they could always be compensated. I would add to that that I didn't get Christmas this year. (Do you feel guilty? I'm really just messing with you, dear reader.)
T
This week is the last week of classes, so I'm gearing up for finals on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. My Huihua (Conversation) class has a two-parter (because one part to a final is never enough). The first part is just Zheng Laoshi and me in the classroom. I draw a topic and talk with him about it for something like 7 minutes. I'm number 7 in my class to go. That'll be interesting. Monday and Tuesday are the other finals. All written. Fun.
Today the Professor and I booked our second round of tickets. Now we have tickets from Beijing to Bangkok and from Bangkok to Phnom Penh. It seems we'll be taking a train/bus/taxi/pick-up truck from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City (that's Siagon to those of you who don't know Vietnam is one country) and then from there by train up to Hanoi and all the way up from there by train back to Beijing.
It'll take about 5 days to do the home-bound trip, and I'm excited about it. All those tickets will be arranged once we're down in that part of the world, though. We're getting the hook up with a travel agent in Cambodia. Also, we are trying to go to Angkor Wat.
That will only happen if we have the time extension that would be provided by finding out that school starts a week later than we think. This is a serious possibility, since we've heard nothing from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Angkor Wat is one of the most intriguing places in the entire world for me, so here's hoping.
The Professor points out that donations are always welcome for such excursions. And, even though we're being very careful and frugal in these plans, they could always be compensated. I would add to that that I didn't get Christmas this year. (Do you feel guilty? I'm really just messing with you, dear reader.)
T
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
The Grand Tour!
As promised, I made a video of my new apartment. I just made it, fresh off the webcam, for you, I present the new place.
Sorry the sound is kind of jumpy. I've never uploaded live before, I guess it does that with the wireless internet. I wrote in Spanish, by the way. It cuts and sounds like I said Italian, and no, I don't speak any Italian.
Now that that's done, I need to make sure I live here legally.
T
Sorry the sound is kind of jumpy. I've never uploaded live before, I guess it does that with the wireless internet. I wrote in Spanish, by the way. It cuts and sounds like I said Italian, and no, I don't speak any Italian.
Now that that's done, I need to make sure I live here legally.
T
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