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June 19, 2008
Kui's Blog 6: Coming Home to Reality
Blog 6: Coming Home to Reality
Leaving China was probably one of the saddest days I have had to deal with. I wasn’t ready to leave yet, but at the same time, I had to go back to my responsibilities of being a student, employee, teammate, daughter, and friend to those I had left behind. The final days of my stay in China were more bitter than sweet, and more tears than smiles. You could tell on the look of my classmates faces that we were all going to miss each other very much. Then again, that’s just how the cookie had to crumble.
So the final days were spent all together. Our final dinner was at the first place we had our formal dinner in Qinhuangdao. Everyone was included in the toast, along with the many events that have taken place and the many sites that we saw that were really funny, awkward, or amazing. This toast took about a good half hour. With our glasses raised, we all agreed that this was in fact an unforgettable trip.
The morning after our final dinner, was our last class together. We reviewed how to buy tickets to travel either on a bus or train, how we would reserve our hotel rooms if we were staying for a few more days, and how to travel to the airport. Zhan Laoshi’s older nephew, along with two other friends, came to teach us the art of calligraphy and the art of painting pictures Chinese style. It was really cool, and all of us had the opportunity to try out the different calligraphy styles with their guidance. We all took home our names in calligraphy, and some of us took home poems. Calligraphy is a serious art in Chinese culture, and all students learn how to write in calligraphy when they are young students.
Most of our class decided to go and eat at the street venders one last time together, where we ate almost 200 dumplings between 10 of us. As we sat down to eat, the Backstreet Boys’ song ‘I Want It That Way’ came on (and yes, it was in Chinese). We all started to sing to each other, and the Chinese people walking by us either started to chuckle or stare at us.
A few of us left the following day by train back to Beijing. We all did some last minute shopping at the Olympic Store, and some last minute photos with Chinese tourists who thought we looked pretty cool. We decided to eat at our favorite duck place for dinner downtown, and enjoy the best cooked duck in the world before we left China. We saw a few Google workers eating behind us…which we thought was pretty cool. How did we know? Well, for starters some had Google polo shirts or bags, and they looked like a bunch of nerds (hey! Sounds pretty familiar…eh?).
Well, I finally left Beijing the next day. It was a sad taxi ride to the airport with my roommate. Both of us did not want to leave China. We raced through security, since we were late. We bought some food to eat on the plane, and found out we had a 2.5hour delay due to weather. So my flight back to America was about 14 hours. I ended up in Prescott late Friday evening, and was not able to sleep until 6am that morning because I was still on China Time. My clock was all mixed up for the next few days.
After the first night of sleep, I thought I was still in China when I woke up. I wasn’t, and that was disappointing to me. There is definitely one thing that I learned from this whole China Study Abroad experience: keeping an open mind at all times and trying out new things makes the trip so much more enjoyable and exciting!
Kui's Blog 5: Our Last Stop- Qinhuangdao
Blog 5: Our Last Stop- Qinhuangdao
Right when I started to settle down in Xi’an, I had to pack right back up again and take a 20 hour train ride to the sea-side city of Qinhuangdao. This time, we took 1st class on the train. There were 4 beds to a room, and storage spaces on the top. I had all Riddle students in my room, and we had a bunch of fun on the train ride from movies to having class on the train. I love train rides, and was very comfortable throughout the whole ride. I did not once feel the train jerk to stop, but the sunlight did wake me up pretty early. As we were riding out to our next city, I looked out the window and saw that the towns were starting to look a little ‘ghetto’. Well, our teacher did warn us that we were going into a more rural city compared to the others that we have stayed at.
Well, the last two weeks were definitely a huge blur. Our study abroad class was asked to do a presentation about our school in America, our degree programs, the diversity we have at our schools, and relationships. I had learned up until this point that many students may go through arranged marriages, which is traditional here in China. Some of the students, however, are starting to date with parental permission. There were a few female students who are extreme romantics, believing at love at first sight and marrying the boy that they are with at that moment. There are other students who believe that all American students act like what they have seen on American Pie. The questions we got after our presentations were interesting, nevertheless we all did learn a lot.
One of the main reasons we came to Qinhuangdao was to see the Great Wall meet the Pacific Ocean. I was born and raised in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and has seen the Pacific Ocean from America, but this was the first and only time that I will be able to see the Pacific Ocean from Asia and get to put my feet in it. The water is very cold, and it felt like an ice bath. I could care less because it felt like I was back at home. I couldn’t help but take a lot of pictures at the beach! (Coach, this is for you) I was also able to go running on the beach to get to a sandbar that was very far way, and I was only given 15 minutes to run there and back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get onto the sandbar because of rock and water restrictions, so I just enjoyed the walk back with the sand between my toes.
We also went to the Great Wall, once again, on a mountain in Qinhuangdao. The view of the city below us was amazing. We took a cable car up to the half-way point on the mountain, and found our way onto the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter how many times you have been on the Great Wall, you will always have the exact same expression and appreciation for the beauty of nature around you. We were able to walk the Great Wall all the way down back to the parking lot. On our way down, we saw a gorgeous bride taking pictures with her husband on the Great Wall. Serious, how cool is that?
Our last fieldtrip for our China Study Abroad semester was an ecological fieldtrip, where they grow all the food there organically. In some parts, it was like walking through a jungle of palm trees, banana trees, mango trees, papaya trees, coconut tree (I think you get the point). I got drink coconut juice from a fresh coconut while we were walking around. There was also an amusement park within the ecological plantation, which included bungee jumping. Yes, I am a chicken for not doing it, but it was well worth watching my classmates do it. We were also able to eat lunch there, where all the food was organically grown. The baozi (which is kind of like a small bun with meat and onions in it) and the pancakes (which is like a fried tortilla with sprouts, meat, and other vegetables mixed in) were so good. We also learned about the history of Chinese farmers, and were able to play around on their equipment and learn how they were able to create fishing nets and tools to use for farming.
Kui's Blog 4: Welcome to Xi’an
Blog 4: Welcome to Xi’an
So my 12 hour train ride was pretty entertaining. I have never been on a train before, so I decided to go exploring. The carriage that we were in was for 2nd class seating. There were 6 beds to a room (3 on one side, 3 on the other) and storage for luggage was above the tiny hall way at the foot of the top beds. The bathrooms were all squat pots…I have honestly avoided a squat pot for as long as I could while living in Beijing, but I could no longer avoid them. They are not that bad, but I would still prefer a good ‘ol American throne, if you know what I mean. There is always a food cart that goes around every few hours for those who are out of food and are completely starving. There are tiny little seats in the hallways for looking out the window and eating.
After a few hours, I tried to get some sleep. The downside of living on the 2nd and 3rd level beds is living above people who SNORE!!! I could not sleep for the longest time due to some stranger sleeping on the 1st level who snores really loud. I put on my iPod, turned the volume on loud, and went to sleep. I woke up a few hours later because I felt crammed in my tiny bed, and walked around for a bit socializing with the rest of the study abroad students who were awake. After a long 12 hours train ride, we finally made it to Xi’an.
We dropped our bags off at the hotel, and started to explore our surroundings. We found an amazing dumpling place right across the road from our hotel, and an ice cream shop about 5 minutes away from where we lived. We noticed right away that this wasn’t a bustling city like Beijing, and everything was in walking distance to where we were living. We found a beautiful park, with a huge tower and a very huge water display. Apparently, every evening at 9pm, Xi’an holds one of the biggest water display shows in the world for 10 minutes. The water spouts play according to the music, and it is just amazing to watch at night. It is always crowed, so if one wants to get a good seat, go about an hour before the show.
While in Xi’an, I was very excited to see the Terracotta Statues. We did have to learn a bit of history first, and so we went to a pottery shop where we were shown how the statues were made in the past. I learned that they were hollow, they were all originally painted, and all the soldier statues were different from each other. I would have never thought that. We definitely needed a lunch break, and went to another part of the city to have a buffet. We finally got to the Terracotta Statues, and they were amazing. The story goes that a farmer was digging a hole for a well in 1974 and discovered pottery fragments at the bottom of the hole he dug…from there, its history. Hundreds of the soldiers have been uncovered, and many are still being uncovered today. Some of the statues are in amazing condition, and some of them are headless. It was honestly breathtaking and amazing to see Chinese history up close and personal.
The last full day we had in Xi’an was dedicated to climbing Huashan Mountain. There had been an earthquake a few days before, but the mountain was safe to climb. We took a cable car up to the midpoint of the mountain, and hiked to the highest peak (South Peak). It was a long hike and probably took us a little over 2 hours to reach the South Peak, which included us getting lost. Well, we conquered and rocked that mountain. We decided to go on the West Peak next, which was the 3rd tallest peak there. I won’t lie to you, but there was a bunch of steep climbing and rock climbing to do. What also doesn’t help is the fact that the steps are half the size of my foot, so it definitely will scare someone whose foot is about over a size 6 in women’s (note: I have size 10s in women’s). This was the first day since I arrived in China that I was able to see blue skies. The air was fresh, and the view was breathtaking.
Kui's Blog #3: So what else is there in Beijing to do???
Og Blog #3: So what else is there in Beijing to do???
Well, the second half of my week was just as busy as the first week and a half of my trip. On Wednesday and Thursday, I met with students of Beihang University after my classes. My students were Mac and Betty, and they showed me all the school’s cafeterias, their 5-story library, and a bunch of shopping malls. The shopping mall we went to was about a 20-30 minute walk from the school. There were six levels, and all the shops were very expensive. I didn’t buy anything there but a Mickey Mouse shirt that was on sale. Apparently, Mickey Mouse is very popular in China among the high school and college students.
Friday was a fieldtrip to the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City. This place is huge and very crowded with a bunch of tour groups lurking all over these two places. In the middle of Tiananmen Square is where Mao Zedong’s body is located, where it is exposed for the public to look at. It is really gross because the body is decomposing inside of a glass case where it is a very ugly yellow color. To get into the Forbidden City, you had to go through a few gates and security checks. We bought our tickets, and entered under another gate/pagoda. In the few hours that you’re there, all you see are pagodas and the different halls that were built during the different dynasties. Honestly, this goes on forever and ever and ever. This palace is huge, and my feet got really tired from walking all over it. After today’s fieldtrip, I got sick of seeing pagodas every where we went because they started to all look the same.
Saturday was just as crazy again for me. Some of our study abroad group and I went back to the Beijing Zoo to look at the animals that we did not get to see. Lucky us, we also found a small ‘amusement’ park hidden on the left side of the zoo. Yes, we all played bumper cars in the Beijing Zoo in China! It was awesome, and empty…so while a few of us were trying to be ‘no-so-good’ drivers, others were taking pictures of how much fun we were having bumping the other cars. We then moved on to see the rest of the animals, and found another treat for us to try. A few of the students decided to go boating on the river in the middle of the zoo. The boat driver swerved back and forth with my friends inside, creating a series of waves and causing the boat to rock heavily back and forth. After that, everyone has to see the most famous animal in the Beijing Zoo: the Panda.
Well, our day didn’t end there. We bought tickets to see the acrobatic show that evening. We all dressed up in formal attire, and caught a taxi to downtown Beijing. These acrobats are amazing! The acrobats are between ages 7 to 15 years, and are very strong, flexible, and extremely talented. At one point, they stacked about 5 boys on top of each other; the bottom acrobat was standing up with the next person sitting on his shoulders. The 5th boy at the top was standing up. When it was time for them to come down, it was really scary. You could see the whole line lean like the Tower of Pisa. They broke off from each other as soon as they were near to the ground and they all just rolled over and got up like it was nothing.
After the acrobatic show, we all decided to head to Outback Steak House, to see if their food taste like it would in America. Since we’ve been eating everywhere with chopsticks, we asked if we could use chopsticks for dinner, and the waitress shook her head and laughed at us. Their steak was really good, along with the rest of the food. We head back to the hotel to change our clothes and to discover the night life. We went to a club about 15 minutes away, and discovered a bunch of Purdue students who were also in Beijing studying for a few weeks. I guess this was a popular place for international students.
Sunday, I slept in, finished my homework, and packed up for my first train ride on Monday. 12 hour train ride…here I come!
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