I'm moving to wordpress! Find me at yazzercise.wordpress.com. My musings, haikus and rants will continue on (what I found to be) a more innovative and user friendly system.
So long, blog spot! it's been a great 2 years.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Begin again
Being back, seeing the freshmen's brand new faces, seeing the green quad and new Val and beautiful New England night skies is absolutely amazing. Everything feels familiar now (despite the drastic changes to our dining hall). I no longer wear my lanyard on my neck, I don't need to write down my mail combination, and I know where my classes will be this semester. With a year of college under my belt (1 year! 1/4 of my time here is over! What!) I feel much more prepared to take on this year.
My new dorm will take getting used to, it's the Spanish and French house and there are some TAs from both countries. I have to get over my language fear of messing up and just talk, but after being in frikkin' China for 2 months my French skills have diminished drastically (although everytime I couldn't think of a Chinese word, the French word would pop in my head. Language works in funny ways).
I got a letter from myself today from last year's FOOT (First-year Outdoor Orientation Trip) and I was kinda disappointed by it's boring qualities. It was written on my leg in a campsite in bad handwriting, and it just said "I hope you become friends with the other FOOties...I hope you enjoyed all your classes...Be nerdy and don't spend all your money...I hope you aren't making stupid decisions."
I thought that was funny, because I did make stupid decisions. I made lots of them. Note, nothing ridiculously unintelligent, just the regular freshman awkward decision making. If I hadn't made these awkward, bad, stupid decisions, I would have learned nothing from this past year. Sometimes you have to mess up to learn more about yourself and who you are...who you want to be.
So basically this is my sappy, nostalgic (already, what?) take on the beginning of sophomore year. What what what
My new dorm will take getting used to, it's the Spanish and French house and there are some TAs from both countries. I have to get over my language fear of messing up and just talk, but after being in frikkin' China for 2 months my French skills have diminished drastically (although everytime I couldn't think of a Chinese word, the French word would pop in my head. Language works in funny ways).
I got a letter from myself today from last year's FOOT (First-year Outdoor Orientation Trip) and I was kinda disappointed by it's boring qualities. It was written on my leg in a campsite in bad handwriting, and it just said "I hope you become friends with the other FOOties...I hope you enjoyed all your classes...Be nerdy and don't spend all your money...I hope you aren't making stupid decisions."
I thought that was funny, because I did make stupid decisions. I made lots of them. Note, nothing ridiculously unintelligent, just the regular freshman awkward decision making. If I hadn't made these awkward, bad, stupid decisions, I would have learned nothing from this past year. Sometimes you have to mess up to learn more about yourself and who you are...who you want to be.
So basically this is my sappy, nostalgic (already, what?) take on the beginning of sophomore year. What what what
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Missing Zhongguo...
"After two sessions with Mr. Xi, Mr. Biden went with his granddaughter Naomi and the new United States ambassador, Gary Locke, to a small restaurant north of Tiananmen Square that specializes in bowls of intestine for breakfast. The restaurant, tucked away behind the ancient building known as the Drum Tower, was crowded with Chinese patrons at lunchtime, many eating small pork buns and stir-fried vegetables. One yelled out “Beijing welcomes you!” in Mandarin Chinese and others shook hands with the vice president. A woman spoke to him about her relatives living in Minnesota."
I was reading this article, "Cooperation Is Emphasized as Biden Opens Talks in China" on the NYTimes website (link below). It describes Biden's talks with China's vice president and probably soon to be president, Xi Jinping. The two discussed various matters concerning America and China...economy, exports, Taiwan, and Tibet.
This little description about the food made me laugh to myself. Those "small pork buns" are bao zi and those fried vegetables are chao shucai. I love the bit about intestines for breakfast...gotta shock that American audience right? And even better, "Beijing Welcomes You." I only recently learned that the Olympic Game characters of 2008 are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. Together, Beijing huanying ni or "Beijing welcomes you."
I love the details about the Chinese people shaking Biden's hand and conversating with him-I half wonder if they knew who he was, or if it was just the lao wai-ness that made them curious.
The little things I've learned over two months come together to form this new, wonderful image of China (and Asia) that I could never get from just reading the NYTimes.
So I'm so grateful for this experience.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/world/asia/19china.html?_r=1&ref=world
I was reading this article, "Cooperation Is Emphasized as Biden Opens Talks in China" on the NYTimes website (link below). It describes Biden's talks with China's vice president and probably soon to be president, Xi Jinping. The two discussed various matters concerning America and China...economy, exports, Taiwan, and Tibet.
This little description about the food made me laugh to myself. Those "small pork buns" are bao zi and those fried vegetables are chao shucai. I love the bit about intestines for breakfast...gotta shock that American audience right? And even better, "Beijing Welcomes You." I only recently learned that the Olympic Game characters of 2008 are named Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying and Nini. Together, Beijing huanying ni or "Beijing welcomes you."
I love the details about the Chinese people shaking Biden's hand and conversating with him-I half wonder if they knew who he was, or if it was just the lao wai-ness that made them curious.
The little things I've learned over two months come together to form this new, wonderful image of China (and Asia) that I could never get from just reading the NYTimes.
So I'm so grateful for this experience.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/world/asia/19china.html?_r=1&ref=world
Friday, August 5, 2011
Walking through Detroit airport was one of the strangest experiences of my life. Well, first I had to retrive my camera from the plan which required going to three different desks and finally getting the nicest Delta worker ever (he was a French man!) to get my camera.
Phew!
Other than that, it was really strange to walk through there. The smells of Chili's and McD's were turning my stomach, the amount of laowai was astonishing (but I'm not in China, I would think to myself) and the cleanliness of the bathrooms was amazing.
No squat toilets? What am I going to do with myself?
I made my dad take me to Cookout and had the Oreo milkshake I've been craving all summer.
I have lots of gifts to bestow and lots of sleeping to do.
I also have HP to watch.
This can't be real, I can't be here already, what happened?
McDonald's Runs:
9
Phew!
Other than that, it was really strange to walk through there. The smells of Chili's and McD's were turning my stomach, the amount of laowai was astonishing (but I'm not in China, I would think to myself) and the cleanliness of the bathrooms was amazing.
No squat toilets? What am I going to do with myself?
I made my dad take me to Cookout and had the Oreo milkshake I've been craving all summer.
I have lots of gifts to bestow and lots of sleeping to do.
I also have HP to watch.
This can't be real, I can't be here already, what happened?
McDonald's Runs:
9
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Time Flies
I can't believe it's been two months since I left home.
I had no idea I'd be the person people would call if they got lost.
I didn't think I'd get to hike Huangshan or see oracle bones.
I didn't think I'd be able to understand bits and pieces of a Chinese conversation, let alone have one with a taxi driver.
And now everyone is calling me Chinese...I have assimilated. And I don't mind! The eggplant's still delicious.
I had no idea I'd be the person people would call if they got lost.
I didn't think I'd get to hike Huangshan or see oracle bones.
I didn't think I'd be able to understand bits and pieces of a Chinese conversation, let alone have one with a taxi driver.
And now everyone is calling me Chinese...I have assimilated. And I don't mind! The eggplant's still delicious.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Why International Dorms Rock
I really like being in an international dorm and taking classes with other international students. Not only is it interesting to hear Chinese being spoken in Spanish, Portuguese, British, Indian and Russian accents, but to be able to meet people from different places is pretty cool. I’ve meet Chris from Poland, who is the best when he’s “slightly tipsy…tipsy is a funny word…”, and Sol from Spain who is the funniest most adorable little girl I have ever met. She’s older than me though, but still, she’s adorable.
So basically, having a great time at Zheda YuQuan campus. Not to mention they have 4.5 Y eggplant. FOUR POINT FIVE YUAN.
So basically, having a great time at Zheda YuQuan campus. Not to mention they have 4.5 Y eggplant. FOUR POINT FIVE YUAN.
Friday, July 8, 2011
New Adventures
So I have a bunch of characters waiting to be written but I just need to brain dump because I haven’t done that in a WHILE. Partly because Blogspot is blocked at the university, as is Facebook and all those other fun sites. It sucks.
I’m no longer staying at Ling Yin Si (Ling Yin Temple) and have moved to Zheda YuQuan Campus, a.k.a Zhejiang University’s YuQuan campus’ international dorm, and boy, things are hectic.
We got a new batch of students in for July, about 11, all girls. They’re really cool and it’s been fun showing them around. I’ve been delegated to navigator/direction person because I apparently have a good sense of direction? We’ve been going different places for dinner every night. I helped us get to night market and an Indian restaurant.
I don’t know where to start with night market. It was crazy. Getting there was half the fun (or pain). I figured out a new bus, the 900, but after I was on the bus I realized that the lack of a “K” in front of the number means it’s not air conditioned. Not to mention, most of our group of 9 had to stand because the bus was packed. Sweat was dripping all over the place. I was literally drenched, as were most of us. It was gross.
After ten stops most of us finally had seats and I could feel the grumpiness. One thing I forget is that I don’t really mind long bus rides, but other people sometimes have problems with them. The thing with big groups is that you have to find some sort of balance between everyone.
We sidled down a side street that got us to night market on Hefang Chie. Everything was the same; Chinese people trying to take pictures of us, lots of little booths with overpriced touristy goods, and fried goods. Chopsticks shops, umbrella shops, and three Indian shops (we had to go to all of them).
Next, we figured out that our “snack street” was actually a snack ALLEY and the REAL snack street was way back down the other way! We saw various things on sticks, including:
• Tarantulas
• Starfish
• Eels
• Grubs
• Sea horses
• Squids/octopi
• Crabs
Basically, it was cray cray up in thur. Two phones were lost and then found. Fried dough was eaten, and dumplings. I thought I ordered boba but received sprite. And we all got home safely.
note: it is now the next morning and boy do i regret not going to sleep earlier. argh!
I’m no longer staying at Ling Yin Si (Ling Yin Temple) and have moved to Zheda YuQuan Campus, a.k.a Zhejiang University’s YuQuan campus’ international dorm, and boy, things are hectic.
We got a new batch of students in for July, about 11, all girls. They’re really cool and it’s been fun showing them around. I’ve been delegated to navigator/direction person because I apparently have a good sense of direction? We’ve been going different places for dinner every night. I helped us get to night market and an Indian restaurant.
I don’t know where to start with night market. It was crazy. Getting there was half the fun (or pain). I figured out a new bus, the 900, but after I was on the bus I realized that the lack of a “K” in front of the number means it’s not air conditioned. Not to mention, most of our group of 9 had to stand because the bus was packed. Sweat was dripping all over the place. I was literally drenched, as were most of us. It was gross.
After ten stops most of us finally had seats and I could feel the grumpiness. One thing I forget is that I don’t really mind long bus rides, but other people sometimes have problems with them. The thing with big groups is that you have to find some sort of balance between everyone.
We sidled down a side street that got us to night market on Hefang Chie. Everything was the same; Chinese people trying to take pictures of us, lots of little booths with overpriced touristy goods, and fried goods. Chopsticks shops, umbrella shops, and three Indian shops (we had to go to all of them).
Next, we figured out that our “snack street” was actually a snack ALLEY and the REAL snack street was way back down the other way! We saw various things on sticks, including:
• Tarantulas
• Starfish
• Eels
• Grubs
• Sea horses
• Squids/octopi
• Crabs
Basically, it was cray cray up in thur. Two phones were lost and then found. Fried dough was eaten, and dumplings. I thought I ordered boba but received sprite. And we all got home safely.
note: it is now the next morning and boy do i regret not going to sleep earlier. argh!
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