June 20, 2010

I finally have the first week of class out of the way! It was definitely hard to get back in the swing of things, but I had to learn quickly – there really isn’t any other option here.

I’m living at the University of International Business and Economics (对外经贸大学) which is located in the Chaoyang District.  It really does not look like a college – I think I’ve grown too accustomed to the distinctive architecture at Yale. However, the largest dormitory in Asia is on campus. It houses about 10,000 students, although about 5-6 girls occupy one room.  There isn’t even air conditioning, something my Minnesotan blood cringes at.  However, my language partner says that it never gets too hot there because it is on the yin side, not the yang side. I don’t fully understand, but I’m glad that they get through it okay.  Speaking of yin and yang, apparently the school owns some sheep to balance out the yin with the yang because there are many more girls on campus than guys.  It partially is a joke too, as the word for sheep in Chinese is 羊 (yang).  Overall, I’m really happy with my dorm, which feels more like a motel room.  My roommate and I have our own bathroom (although it lacks a shower curtain/stall) and patio.  The bed feels like a yoga mat laid out on cement, but hopefully I’ll get used to it soon.

My classes have actually felt a lot like Chinese at Yale, only four times longer.  We start off with lecture, where there are 8 students in my class, then split into two classes to practice grammar and conversation.  School also seems like a return to high school, when I woke up at 6:30 every day and spent many hours in the same hallway every day.  I’ve also started drinking coffee again, as the 9:20 start time at Yale is a luxury not to be had here.  The difference lies mostly in the language pledge, which has been a constant source of frustration since I signed my pledge on Tuesday.  There are so many times when things I try to say get lost in translation, which means I can either speak with correct grammar or say what I actually mean to say, but rarely can I do both at the same time.  If laughter is the best medicine, we’ll all be very healthy by the end of the program because the other students and I resort to speaking in such a roundabout way when we don’t know a word for something.  In a way, I feel like I’m constantly playing a game of charades.

Last weekend, our excursion was Gugong (Forbidden City) and Tiananmen Square.  In all honesty, I was not the biggest fan of the visit.  I remembered much of it from 1998, and couldn’t concentrate on our tour guide because I thought I would collapse from heat stroke.  I really enjoyed my peach popsicle and people-watching – especially since we’re keeping a running count on how many tourist couples wear matching T-shirts.  Even so, it is humbling as ever to visit the ancient tradition of China, although Gugong isn’t even that ancient, especially after seeing the modernity in Shanghai.

Eating in China is quite the experience, especially when I eat until I’m stuffed and haven’t even made it to the bottom of the plate then pay 7 kuai.  There are a lot of restaurants just off campus – I think we’ve managed to try at least one new place every day.  The first couple of days were fun as a group of 12 would get out of class and get lunch, but the capacity of many places seems to be just over that.  We still need to learn words that show up on a menu – there have already been too many times that I either order “牛肉面” or point at a picture.  I’ve always liked Western food more, however, and thus miss cheese and salad a lot.  I also think I’m almost due for one of my steak cravings – I miss being able to eat meat that is not cooked thoroughly. 

On a side note, thank you Cisco for rendering the Great Firewall useless. The VPN is lovely. 

Pictures will be posted shortly – I finally found my camera cord, which got stuck in the leg of a pair of jeans.   A couple days ago, it was actually cool enough for jeans and a sweater.  I am praying for more days like that so I don’t have to hesitate about walking outside. 

Finally, many many thanks to both the Light Foundation and the Greenberg Yale-China Initiative for the generous support! For those of you who may not know, my summer at Duke Study in China is fully funded by them, and without them there is very little chance that I would be able to be here.  Thank you!