Just a foreword, I apologize for the shortness of this blog. I only have a week left here, and I find my days smothered by my desire to take-in every bit of China and my heapload of summer work left. Hopefully the pictures can make-up for the lack of words.
Tuesday, July 31 – What’s Your English Name?
Okay. So, sorry to ruin the daily summary, but I have to be honest here: today was an average day. Not bad, every day here is amazing, but just like in American, we all have "average" days. There were no spectacular, exciting, or reminiscent events today. But, I’ll explain the title of today here.
Chinese names are hard to pronounce. And they don’t give you one word… they give you three. Their family name (always first), their first name, and their middle name. So, we have adopted a practice of giving Chinese people English names so we can remember them. They like the names, too. It makes them feel ‘cool’ and included. There’s a guy who’s been visiting our class. He speaks little English and sits in the back of the room. We spoke to him today and decided he needs a name. So, we named him Jacob. That name was determined after a twenty minute discussion of a fitting name for him. Yes, giving Chinese people English names takes time and a lot of debate.
After, we went to the gym and played another game of volleyball. I don’t know how to describe our volleyball games that we’ve been playing basically every day after lunch. Uhm, we have a lot of spirit. Like, a lot a lot. Because the other team is actually good at volleyball, so we have to do something. Therefore, we scream, yell, cheer, chant, and highfive eachother after every point. It may seem ridiculous, but it’s our way of having fun. Oh, and today we asked the Chinese volleyball team to play against us. We could only play for around 10 minutes, and then we had to go to class, but let’s just say we lost. Big time.
Oh, and one last thing. Chinese people keep
Wednesday, August 1 – I Still Have a Lot of American Homework
Yeah. My title fits today (and the rest of my trip) perfectly. I have so much summer work left to do. Tip to students who are going abroad: DO YOUR WORK BEFORE YOU LEAVE. And when I say do your work before you leave, I mean do all of it. Don’t be like me and do 1/4, because then you still have 3/4 of the work left to do abroad. And if you think it’s hard to stay motivated in America, it’s even worse in China. Seriously.
So, today in class we wrote a speech. Yes, a speech. It was about the closing ceremony and it was almost 70 characters or so. Which may not sound like a lot, but that’s a huge step considering I came here knowing no Chinese. And yes, I wrote it in my notebook. Oh, and guess what. I’m the host of our closing ceremonies next week, so I get to recite the speech in front of like 100 people… in Chinese. But, my host mom and I are going to practice it every single night next week. She wants me to have it perfectly – and so do I.
The shirt story, commence. We were playing volleyball, as usual. And Lauren ran over and slapped my stomach. Now she ment it totally as a joke, but darn is she strong. I fell to the ground… I mean, I’m okay… not hurt… but she knows how to pack a punch. She apologized a million times and I told her it was totally fine. My friends were in a joking mood and I was joking, so I asked them to drag me back to my side of the volleyball court. Bad move. You aren’t even supposed to sit on the floor in China. They’re too dirty. Too dirty, too dirty, too dirty. My shirt was covered in dust, dirt, and it was gross. So, I took it off and washed it in the sink. Another bad move. I was shirtless and my only shirt was soaken wet. I borrowed Caroline’s jacket and went to my teacher to ask her if she had a shirt I could borrow. She stared at me blankly, trying to decipher why I was without a shirt. But, she smiled and took me to her office. She said she didn’t have any, but I could use one of her colleagues. Now, as much as I appreciate the gesture… she just took it. Like, she went into his locker and took his fancy polo shirt and gave it to me. But, I was shirtless and our bus was set on course to the museum. So, I didn’t question it. I took it, wore it (even though it was way to big and looked quite hideous on me), washed it, forget it at my house, and eventually returned it two days later.
Yeah, we went to the museum. Well, two actually. But, they weren’t too remarkable. They were nice, but I don’t know what to exactly say. They described Anshan’s history, the history of steel and jade in China, and opra. Cool, I guess. I don’t think I’m much of a museum person to be honest. But, they were fun and that’s where we spent the latter of our afternoon. Oh, but there was one really awkward occurrence. I spent around 10 minutes playing with some clay fruit in the corner, everybody else was still in the previous exhibit. Well, our tour guide walks in (I was looking at a different thing at the time) and explained to our class that these fruit were extremely sacred and were made to pay respect to the dead. Opps, awkward much. At least nobody saw me touch them.
Thursday, August 2 – The Common App Scare
Okay. This day basically revolves around one, single thing: the common app was released. It was actually released yesterday, but I didn’t have access to a computer, so I didn’t know. We had a regular day until the afternoon. We had class, ate a mediocre lunch, played volleyball, and returned for a unique culture class. We were taught plate carving by an 78-year old man. I designed the plate… with a creative saying: 你好。(Hello.). Everybody left after an hour an herded to the computer lab, but I stayed with our teacher, Jayne, and Wendy to finish my plate. I later finished it and gave it to my family as a gift… they hung it up in the living room… it’s really sweet.
But, after the carving, I went to the computer lab. Everybody was freaking-out, writing their applications. I freaked-out for a little while, too. I signed up for the application. It took several times, because it kept telling me I was 12 and not old enough to apply to college… which is not true. And I also signed up for several scholarship application accounts. Woot woot. But, then it hit me. I need to focus on China, and summer reading. And I need to quit worrying about college because it’s only gonna stress me during the end of my trip. So, I have officially delayed any thoughts about college until I return on August 14th.
That night was spent with Caroline. My family and Caroline’s family went out to a local restaurant. A really fancy, and delicious one, that is. I posted several pictures. Oh, and before I continue… in China, the basement (on elevators) are labeled -1. As in the negative first floor. I had never seen it before, but Caroline says its actually common in the United States. What’s your take on it? Have you ever heard of that before? After dinner, we had a short conversation with a group of Chinese people. Then we were herded by our family’s to the car. We drove the KTV. And let’s just say it was a party. I have learned at KTV that to make up for my horrid singing, I have to put on a show. So, I do. I dance, I jump, I make-up lyrics, I make it funny. I think I’m a remarkably good KTVer. But, that’s not something I can describe… guess you’ll just have to join me someday to find out!
Friday, August 3 – Rain, Rain, Go Away… It’ll Come Again Another Day (AKA Tomorrow)
So, to explain the title of this post: a monsoon hit China today. If you don’t know what a monsoon is; it’s a hurricane. But, in the Pacific, they call them monsoons. But, don’t fret. It didn’t hit my city, rather we got a huge surge of rain for several days because of it. And I’m talking big rain. Like scary, massive rain. And it’s extremely unpredictable rain… like one moment it is completely sunny outside, then the next moment its raining ford cars.
After lunch today we went to the local kindergarden. Oh my goodness, do I love Chinese children. As much as I want my own kids, I’m almost dead-set on adopting a Chinese child when I am older. After visiting the orphanage, I saw how many are in need of a home. But, on top of that, I just think Chinese children are adorable. In every possible way. We taught the kids how to play games, they sung songs to us, and we danced to some songs. I was expecting the kindergarden to be super orderly and everything (and it did have uniforms and such), but it was almost the same as an American kindergarden. Although, in some respects, they were better behaved and they did clean-up fast… kids are kids. So, they pretty much did their thing, running around and screaming and playing. And although some people don’t like it, well I love kids. So I just joined in… and I ran around, screamed, and played. I mean, I’m only gonna be at a Chinese kindergarden once, right?
Saturday, August 4 – Shopping Spree
Well I was going to go fishing with my father today, but due to the rain… we postponed our trip. Instead, he said I’m going to call in "sick" one day next week during school and we’re gonna go fishing instead. He said just to blame it on my mother’s cooking. Haha. So, I changed my plans. And all the Americans met at New Mart to go shopping at 10:00. I was a tad bit late due to taxi circumstances. Let me explain this. When I get in taxis, the driver obviously knows that I’m not from Anshan… because I’m white and I can’t speak Chinese. So, they (most of the time) tend to take major detours to raise the rate. But, after living here for six weeks, I know when they do this. I don’t know what to do, though. I can’t say anything because I don’t know how to say that in Chinese, plus, it’s only like 3 yuan extra (or 50 cents) so I just get over it.
This taxi driver was especially unique, though. He was smoking… not one, not two, but three cigarettes. At the same time. I mean is one cigarette not enough for you? And to make matters more awkward, he was listening to Adele. Since I wanted to practice my Chinese, I said that I knew and liked this song. So, he turned the volume up to 76. Basically blowing my ears out. But, it was only a 7 minute ride… so even though it felt long, it eventually ended. I paid the driver, and saw my fellow English-speakers. I decided to go shopping with my usual friends: Sarah and Lauren. Oh, and our Chinese friend (Hannah, English name) came with us. Here’s a culture tip: corn is an extremely common street food here. Don’t be shocked if you see cobs of corn on the ground, stores dedicated to selling corn, or people walking next to you eating a cob of corn on a stick. It was different at first, but hey, I like corn too. So I understand the craze.
We had an extreme shopping spree. I shopped more than I ever had in my entire life… and I spent a total of 500 yuan. Note, that’s under $80. And I bought several pairs of clothes (all designer), gifts, stationary items, and so much more. I don’t understand how, but I just want to say that I love this 1 to 6 conversation rate. Today, also, I did my good deed of the month. I helped an old lady cross a puddle (and by puddle, I mean monsoon puddle that’s almost three feet deep). There was one stepping stone across it and she couldn’t reach it. So, I stepped in the water, drenched my shoes, my pants, and helped her across. She took me aside, grabbed my hand and thanked me for a solid two minutes. Athough I was soaken wet, I warm inside… I did something good today. And yes, it was the cliche "help the old lady" good, but it was still a good deed.
Next topic. The Russians. There’s a lot of them in Anshan, because we’re so close to Russia. They’re rude. In the words of Lauren, "They’re not friendly… well, not like we are." When you try to talk to them, they just look at you and turn away. Oh, well. I have Chinese people to talk to anyways. Let’s move on to dinner. I had Mi Xian. And I dont know how to describe how scary that meal was. Have you ever burnt your tongue with hot or boiling water? Minus the pain, you remember the tingly and numb sensation you felt? Well, that’s what I had (but over my entire mouth) when I ate Mi Xian. I was freaking out, and I thought I was having an allergic reaction. I didn’t want to tell my family, though, because I was afraid they wouldn’t understand and would take me to the ER or something. And although it was bad, it stopped when I drank water or quit eating the food for a few minutes. Well, after the dinner, I called Sarah to tell her what had happened. She explained to me that it’s supposed to be like that… people eat Mi Xian for that specific sensation. In fact, it’s one of her favorite foods. As I questioned her sanity, because I thought it was horrendous and frightening (sorry, Sarah, I still love you!) I vowed that I would never eat Mi Xian again. But, if you ever get a chance… try it once, just to see what I’m talking about. Words can’t really describe it, but a meal can.
Sunday, August 5 – Just Another Day in the Park (day)
Okay. I’m officially being cheap in China. Like really cheap, and I don’t understand why. For example, I am walking about 20 minutes or so before I take the taxi just to save on taxi costs. But, I don’t understand why I do it because I typically only save 1 or 2 yuan. Which is less than 15 or 20 american cents. Ehhh, so what. I’m getting good exercise. Today, I went to 219 park with Marissa (and later, Cassie and her family). We met at roughly 11:30 and we spent about an hour at the Chinese amusement park. Basically, it’s the same as an American amusement park, but sketchier. For example, the few rides that passed the "Safety Inspection Certification" test displayed the sign in their window… but I seriously was concerned as to why passing a safety exam is considered an accomplishment, least a requirement.
We saw the giant ferris wheel. And we wanted to go. But, it was 30 yuan per person. So, being China, I offered 40 yuan for both of us. They said that there is no bargaining allowed her. Well, being the Americans we are, we walked away. Two minutes later, I turned around to a tap on the shoulder of the attendant saying she would give us a ride for my price. Booya! Bargaining skills! I posted a few pictures from the ferris wheel. It was mighty sketchy, and I am proud to say I survived the ride, woot!
Oh, one other thing. Lately, I’ve been speaking BRIEF Chinese to people. Like telling them goodmorning, or I don’t want this item. Then saying something else and walking away. They stand there, flabbergasted. And I walk away quickly before they can talk to me in Chinese, because I most likely won’t know what they’re saying. It’s funny because they assume that I speak fluent Chinese… which is like basically one in a million among foreigners. So, I laugh at my trickery as I walk away. Let’s talk about pictures with Chinese people… because no matter where I am that always seems to pop-up. When you let one Chinese person take a picture with you, and others see, you better be ready for a solid 20 minutes of picture taking. Because they flock to you. They see the first picture as the icebreaker… then families hand you their children, their teenage daughter, their dog, their grandfather… tell you to smile… and click-click-flash. I held a baby, took a picture, then realized the baby wasn’t wearing underwear or anything for that matter (take note, though, that this is a common practice in China and is not abnormal). But, as they were walking away… and I came to that realization after I saw well, baby parts… I lathered my arms with hand sanitizer. Ewh. Ewh. Ewh. There’s some things in China that I just won’t get used to.
I saw an English speaker. And not a Russian. Yes! He was Australian and he worked here in Anshan… he was also married to a Chinese woman who spoke fluent English… with an Australian accent! So cool. That’s about it for that occasion, though. I was much more excited than Cassie and Marrisa, and I probably spoke to him for a solid 10 minutes. It was just good to speak English to somebody other than my classmates for once. Oh, how I’m going to appreciate America. Last park story… Chinese Eharmony. Basically there’s a place in the park where you hang a bio of yourself, a description of your looks, and your phone number looking for love. It’s so cute. You just write it out on paper or on the computer and hang it up with bobbypins on a tree or clothesline. There’s probably hundreds of them. I attached pictures of them, but I just think it’s adorable and I wish we had that in America. In the "love area" (I guess we can call it that.) I was once again surrounded by a herd of Chinese ladies. But this time… I UNDERSTOOD THEM. I talked to them. I had a conversation. Of course there were times when I didn’t understand, but I managed to speak… and I was so proud of myself. I have made such an improvement in Chinese and this experience definitely showed it.
To the title of this post (real quickly): in China, everybody is VIP… of something, at least. Every store, restaurant, or chain of any kind has a VIP card. It basically give you half-off the price and makes you feel "special." But, you’re not. Everybody else has a card, too. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But, conclusion of this statement… if you have VIP card, you’re cool in China.
Lastly… today was my brother’s birthday. So we went to the theatre and watched Ice Age 4. It was funny because I explained to him that in America it was only for children… yet when we walked in the theatre, there was nobody under the age of 10. It was all teenagers and adults. I guess Chinese people really like American cartoons? I don’t know. It was also all in Chinese, so I didn’t understand it… but I think I got the jist of the movie… and I could understand bits and pieces of it. Plus, it was funny how everything was translated except: the opening part, the songs in the movie (just had subtitles), and the end credits. But, I guess they didn’t wanna rerecord the whole song in Chinese… but it was just an unprecedented, awkward transition from Chinese to English. But, I was probably the only person who could understand the song in the theatre. Because although some people speak English, music is typically too fast for even my brother, who is good at English, to catch on to. After, I took him out to dinner… my treat. And bought him a cupcake. Happy birthday didi!
Well, it’s 1AM right now and I am incredibly tired. I have many more stories, but I am just out of time. I only have a week left (I can’t believe it). But, I will see you all soon! Until then, 你们有很好夏天。见你们在一个周。晚安。
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Adventures in China 