Slowly Learning...

Well it's been a little while, and I'm sure I'll forget a lot of things along the way, but here goes anyway with some new thoughts and happenings from Beijing:

1 - I burnt a major hole in one of my oldest and most worn shirts. My long sleeved green shirt has served me quite well since I got it back in 8th grade, but now it has about a 4" hole in the back of it. Surprisingly after all these years it held up (and still fit) until I sat too close to a candle at the European flat and lit it on fire. Amazingly only the top shirt was burnt and no other damage was done, but it was a much loved shirt and will be missed.

2 - I have a new home, sort of. I still technically live in the dorm/hotel, but I'm rarely if ever there. For the most part I've moved into the European flat with the three girls. I eat most of my meals there, do almost all of my studying over there, spend the majority of my free time just hanging out there, and sleep over there a good portion of the time. I even have my own toothbrush in the bathroom. However it's not a full move since I have no clothes over there, don't pay rent, and don't have my own set of keys. However the lift ladies all know me very well at this point. And no, I am not a squatter, but rather an invited guest. I've even been scolded a couple of times when I referred to going back to the dorm as "going home." I was told that the flat was my home, not the hotel.

3 - I donít really ever know where I'm eating. I mean I do recognize the places, and I could easily get back to any of them, but I know the names of none of them. The only one that I think I know the name of is this place with a big character for mian on the stairs (however I don't even know if that is the right name for the place). Most of the places are just referred to by certain dishes, or relative locations or something. Thereís the noodle place, the 6 kuai place, the muslum place, the place right down the street (which actually refers to about 5 different places, which then need to be qualified by some other trait: across the street, red place, small place, etc.). I must say that it is a weird difference from what Iím used to in the states. And I'm sure that the Chinese people around probably refer to the places by their names most of the times, and we just can't fully read the names; but then again most of the signs for the places aren't even obvious about what the place is or what it is called. So maybe I'm wrong about that too.

4 - For the most part, you need very little Chinese to get around. Pointing and gesturing work well for lots of things, and with some very simple Chinese you can get what you need/want. So for any of you planning to make a trip over soon hereís what you need to know:

Ni hao - hello
Zai jian - goodbye
Xie xie - thank you
Dui bu qi - sorry
Zhe ge - This one
Zhe shi shenme rou? - this is what meat? (important for people who donít eat pork)
Mai dan - Bill/check
Duo shao qian? - how much does it cost?
Tai gui - too expensive (very important when bargaining)
Wo bu zhi dao - I don't know (used that one a lot)

and most importantly:
Wo ting bu dong - I don't understand

Learn those phrases and you're all set for you Chinese excursion. True, for some of these it might be helpful to understand the answers too, so maybe you should brush up on a little more Chinese before coming. Or just do what I did and find someone who speaks decent Chinese and bring them along with you.

5 - Despite the fact that I'm in Beijing, and surrounded by Chinese people all the time (or surrounded by Koreans in class/at the hotel), whenever we go out I feel like I'm back in the states, or at least in Europe (and I'm not sure if that is a good thing really). Maybe it's just the places that we go, maybe it's that the Chinese don't party as much, but most of the bars and clubs we tend to frequent are filled with waiguoren (foreigners). Most of the time it's English speaking waiguo's as well (with the occasional evening of French people). In a way that's a little disappointing at times, but it does make ordering drinks easier when the bartender/waitstaff understand English. However, I have heard of/been to a couple of more Chinese places, so at least every night isn't a trip back to America. I've also found that the music I've gone to see has been all over the place. I've experienced the typical shitty hip-hop/r&b, flamenco, drum & bass, reggae, cheesy rock (cover) bands, classical accordion music, traditional Chinese, still need to get to the happy hardcore place, and I plan on trying for some banjo music later on.

Other Quick Notes:

-Depending on my housing situation Iíve considered moving my return date back to the end of February (when my visa expires)

-After over a month without shaving my beard has now been trimmed (thank you Alma), but has not been fully removed. I doubt it will either while I'm here as the women seem to enjoy it, and I have no problem not shaving.

-My hair still has not been trimmed at all and is long enough to be majorly curly and unmanageable at this point. I'll have to wait to see if I get that trimmed down or not.

-My Cornell email has been unaccessable for the last week, and doesn't look to be improving, so if you've written me there and I haven't gotten back to you it's because of that, not because I'm ignoring any of you.

-I managed to watch a tape delayed (American) football match the other week, but it was rather dull since it was Seattle vs. Arizona (wow, what a match up!). However, I hold out hopes for catching a more exciting game sometime this year.

-Two days ago I had food taped to my hotel room door from the girls next door. Apparently this was an apology for the night before, but I haven't the foggiest idea what happened the night before as I heard nothing, despite the fact that I actually spent the night in my hotel room.

-If anyone has any suggestions on how to attach a 3 meter piece of fabric to a concrete wall, let me know. I attempted this the other night in Alma's room, but it fell down in the middle of the night.

-And last but not least, congratulations to Christine on her recent engagement!