It's only about 3 weeks until I return home, and only 2 weeks until school is over! Time to get in all my ya-yas and exciting moments is running out fast. So that's why this weekend was spent very quietly, in preparation for the last stretch.
My Thanksgiving was quite pleasant, thanks to the lovely dinner put on by CIEE at the Mayfair Hotel. The buffet held quite a feast: Chinese food, American food, and sushi. There was all my favorites, including mashed potatoes, mac'n'cheese (Thanksgiving?), gravy, yams, and a pumpkin pie-esque dessert. I ate my fill, as I had fasted that day, as did all my tongxuemen (classmates). Unfortunately, due to the rich Western food, many people were quite overwhelmed and felt ill that night. But not me! I felt great!
Anna and I checked out Nanjing Lu on Saturday evening. It was quite crowded but I liked the shiny lights and happy atmosphere. I prefer to buy cheap products very cheaply on the street, instead of being ripped-off in stores.
Other interesting things this weekend:
1) Attempted to book a hotel for my dad and I. Fail. Matilda helped me though. She's a peach.
2) Mailed some postcards. Success. I know where to put them now.
3) McDonald's lunch special. SUCCESS! It's only 15 kuai!
4) IR paper. Fail. Will get done this week.
I've also been having some interesting conversations with both Chinese and non-Chinese about China. Chinese politics, policies, eating habits, you name it. As an international studies major, it tends to be macro things that I am most passionate about. I've been finding it very difficult to empathize with the Chinese point of view but still respectfully agree. Aw...Ellen's growing up! I hope I can acquire the skills to be a great diplomat between nations, because right now I just feel somewhat ignorant and righteous. It'll get better, I promise!
My tutor is taking me to a water town on Saturday. I am stoked!
Anyways, have a wonderful week.
ellen
P.S. Word of the day "luoben" = loo-oh-bun = streaking, like naked running 'streaking'
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Nanjing
This weekend I went to Nanjing, the old capital of China. It is about 2.5 hours away from Shanghai if you ride the D-train. We went 206 km/hr tops!
I went with two girls, Mai and Anna, along with a bunch of guys who were staying at a different hostel. We split up at the train station and went our respective ways. Our hostel, the Sunflower, was off the metro a bit but in a very interesting locale. They messed up our booking and the place was a little seedy, but it worked because it was $6 per night. The sheets were clean anyway.
We wandered around looking for lunch but, as I've noticed, it's pretty much impossible to find something to eat if it's not the back gate. So we at at McDonald's. It's fine, don't worry, they had a $2 lunch meal special. I don't mind. Then we took a cab to the Nanjing Massacre Museum or Memorial for compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Forces of Aggression, as the Chinese call it.
This was an incredible museum on so many levels. I don't mean incredible in a good way, just in an awed, thought-provoking, shocked way. You may have heard that the displays are incredibly graphic, including many photos of dead, mutilated corpses as well as an open display of skeletal remains. I'm not so much shocked by that aspect as much as the rhetoric and propaganda in the translations of the exhibit explanations. After leaving, the three of us were speechless. There was nothing to say that could describe the confusion we all felt after seeing the museum. It summed up China quite well, with all the contradictions it comes with.
The sculpture and design of the place were unique and interesting. This was my favorite part. They made me check my backpack for 3 kuai. This was my least favorite part, especially since the museum was free.
The generally accepted number of victims, but still unknown.
That night we met up with our fellow CIEE classmates and ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant, of all places. It was recommended by Lonely Planet. We spent the meal pointing at tables guessing that the guests had been reading Lonely Planet. It was, however, a fantastic meal.
We returned to the boys' hostel, which was far nicer, but a little out-of-the-way. We hung out in their common area and returned to our sketch 8-bed room where all the other guests were asleep.
The next morning we took off to Purple Mountain. We failed miserably at acquiring breakfast so we pretended we were fasting for religious reasons. We arrived at Sun Yatsen's mausoleum and attempted to make contact with several other groups in Nanjing. Epic failure. So we drank expensive Lipton tea and planned our day. We decided to go into the Ming Tomb Scenic Area on the mountain, but not after having a strange altercation with a woman trying to cheat us and Chinese people taking our side and helping us. It was a good China day.
I love climbing!
The park was beautiful and interesting. We ended up alone on a crazy hike through the woods by the city wall. We saw stone sculptures and ancient ruins. I could wander for hours. Later in the day, when the haze makes it seem much later than it really is, we headed to the train station. With one hour to kill, we decided to take a paddle boat out onto the lake. It was seriously the most difficult paddle I've ever undertaken, but luckily we made it back.
Nanjing is a beautiful, beautiful city without too many foreigners. We were stared at quite often and I spoke a fair amount of Chinese. I will hopefully stop by there again!
This week is Thanksgiving. We're supposedly getting Western food on Thursday night. Wish me luck!
loves and kisses,
ellen
I went with two girls, Mai and Anna, along with a bunch of guys who were staying at a different hostel. We split up at the train station and went our respective ways. Our hostel, the Sunflower, was off the metro a bit but in a very interesting locale. They messed up our booking and the place was a little seedy, but it worked because it was $6 per night. The sheets were clean anyway.
We wandered around looking for lunch but, as I've noticed, it's pretty much impossible to find something to eat if it's not the back gate. So we at at McDonald's. It's fine, don't worry, they had a $2 lunch meal special. I don't mind. Then we took a cab to the Nanjing Massacre Museum or Memorial for compatriots killed in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Forces of Aggression, as the Chinese call it.
This was an incredible museum on so many levels. I don't mean incredible in a good way, just in an awed, thought-provoking, shocked way. You may have heard that the displays are incredibly graphic, including many photos of dead, mutilated corpses as well as an open display of skeletal remains. I'm not so much shocked by that aspect as much as the rhetoric and propaganda in the translations of the exhibit explanations. After leaving, the three of us were speechless. There was nothing to say that could describe the confusion we all felt after seeing the museum. It summed up China quite well, with all the contradictions it comes with.
The sculpture and design of the place were unique and interesting. This was my favorite part. They made me check my backpack for 3 kuai. This was my least favorite part, especially since the museum was free.
The generally accepted number of victims, but still unknown.
That night we met up with our fellow CIEE classmates and ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant, of all places. It was recommended by Lonely Planet. We spent the meal pointing at tables guessing that the guests had been reading Lonely Planet. It was, however, a fantastic meal.
We returned to the boys' hostel, which was far nicer, but a little out-of-the-way. We hung out in their common area and returned to our sketch 8-bed room where all the other guests were asleep.
The next morning we took off to Purple Mountain. We failed miserably at acquiring breakfast so we pretended we were fasting for religious reasons. We arrived at Sun Yatsen's mausoleum and attempted to make contact with several other groups in Nanjing. Epic failure. So we drank expensive Lipton tea and planned our day. We decided to go into the Ming Tomb Scenic Area on the mountain, but not after having a strange altercation with a woman trying to cheat us and Chinese people taking our side and helping us. It was a good China day.
I love climbing!
The park was beautiful and interesting. We ended up alone on a crazy hike through the woods by the city wall. We saw stone sculptures and ancient ruins. I could wander for hours. Later in the day, when the haze makes it seem much later than it really is, we headed to the train station. With one hour to kill, we decided to take a paddle boat out onto the lake. It was seriously the most difficult paddle I've ever undertaken, but luckily we made it back.
Nanjing is a beautiful, beautiful city without too many foreigners. We were stared at quite often and I spoke a fair amount of Chinese. I will hopefully stop by there again!
This week is Thanksgiving. We're supposedly getting Western food on Thursday night. Wish me luck!
loves and kisses,
ellen
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Internet Fail, Beijing Triumph
Currently I am experienced dramatic technical issues with my VPN program. This will not keep me away from my precious blog, however.
I just returned from a week-long trip in Beijing with my study-abroad program, China in a Global Context. There were about 30 students and 4 teachers in our group. The trip was fun and we overcame the various glitches in scheduling, weather, and other issues.
We took an overnight hard sleeper from Shanghai to Beijing. I love the train. It is so comfortable to fall asleep to the rocking motion and there is hot water available all the time! I slept fantastically! We arrived in Beijing, groggy but shocked into awareness by the biting cold. Our Chinese guide (no English) led our bus to a famous Peking Duck restaurant where we stuffed ourselves with duck meat. Duck meat is alright, but too fatty for my taste. In addition, at the end of the trip they informed us that the duck is force-fed which really grosses me out. No more duck for me!
We were put up in a ridiculously nice hotel where we spent the rest of the day relaxing. When it came time to feed ourselves, I missed my old back-gate, where everything I want or need is a 5-minute walk within my dorm.
The next few days we spent visiting a hutong, or old alleyway, in the bar district of Beijing. We had a bizarre social experiment of a lunch, where 9 of us were shut in a separate small room and fed nibbles of cold, tasteless food while the rest of the group laughed and dined on a feast of endless dishes. We could see them through our window and it was horribly depressing. I'm not sure what happened, but I think I'm okay now. We also saw Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Olympics stadium. Unfortunately, it was very cold and windy. It made us all quite ill and being outside was needlessly unpleasant. When I was bundled up, I could barely handle the weather. I ended up with a nasty cough and fever, just in time for our trip to the Great Wall!
We drove a bus to Chengde, the site of a Qing Dynasty Summer Palace. That place was enormous! We took small electric cars from pond to pond to look at pagodas, reindeer, and bridges. We then took our large bus to see the mini replica of the Potala Palace (the real one which I saw in Tibet) but it was closed for the day. I can't say I was too bummed. I like to maintain my well-traveled superiority over others.
Our hotel in Chengde was also very nice, but I just slept super-early to stave off my sickness because we were headed to the Wall the next day.
Instead of hiking from one point to another, we just drove to our end destination to dink around on the Simatai portion of the Great Wall. We were too sick and weak to do anything hard-core. I was one of the advocates for all-out hiking, but it's a good thing we didn't because I was one of the first ones to bail out from a fainting spell. Good one, Ellen. It's fine though because I made it the 2 miles or so to our lunch destination in a village off the beaten path. When I arrived, exhausted and near tears, I found a large heated bed awaiting me. Our small party snuggled in blankets and played with kittens while the rest of CGC frolicked out on the Wall. We ate lunch with our host village family and celebrated my friend Travis's birthday with cake and fireworks. It turned out very positively from a rather tragic beginning. I say tragic because the Great Wall is definitely one of my favorite places. I'll be back.
Our bus ride back to Beijing was a symphony of coughing and snorting. Charming! We made it back okay and I slept well. I went to the new Summer Palace the next day and also visited a very Westernized hutong lined with small boutiques. We had to hurry back for the Chinese opera show that evening, otherwise I think I would have bought way too much stuff!
Ah, Chinese opera. It is shrieking and spectacle. We had a libretto translated on the side, but along with many other Chinese-to-English translations, was lacking in depth and accuracy. This made for a very amusing time. About halfway through, the opera turned into an acrobatics show. No more shrieking noises. Except for one last "Wooooooooosh" at the end. I enjoyed the show, but appreciated its short length (1 hr).
Beijing is an enormous city with thousands of things to see. I know I will return some time and it will hopefully not be in the cold. If you want to join, give me a call.
Fun fact: Chinese dogs say "Wang wang!" instead of "Woof woof!"
looooove,
ellen
P.S. To Kate: You did not tell me that I would be returning to Eugene to hear several Beethoven Piano Concertos that the Eugene Symphony is performing. I am peeved. Yet I am very happy I get to hear my favorites. We will go together. That's all.
I just returned from a week-long trip in Beijing with my study-abroad program, China in a Global Context. There were about 30 students and 4 teachers in our group. The trip was fun and we overcame the various glitches in scheduling, weather, and other issues.
We took an overnight hard sleeper from Shanghai to Beijing. I love the train. It is so comfortable to fall asleep to the rocking motion and there is hot water available all the time! I slept fantastically! We arrived in Beijing, groggy but shocked into awareness by the biting cold. Our Chinese guide (no English) led our bus to a famous Peking Duck restaurant where we stuffed ourselves with duck meat. Duck meat is alright, but too fatty for my taste. In addition, at the end of the trip they informed us that the duck is force-fed which really grosses me out. No more duck for me!
We were put up in a ridiculously nice hotel where we spent the rest of the day relaxing. When it came time to feed ourselves, I missed my old back-gate, where everything I want or need is a 5-minute walk within my dorm.
The next few days we spent visiting a hutong, or old alleyway, in the bar district of Beijing. We had a bizarre social experiment of a lunch, where 9 of us were shut in a separate small room and fed nibbles of cold, tasteless food while the rest of the group laughed and dined on a feast of endless dishes. We could see them through our window and it was horribly depressing. I'm not sure what happened, but I think I'm okay now. We also saw Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Olympics stadium. Unfortunately, it was very cold and windy. It made us all quite ill and being outside was needlessly unpleasant. When I was bundled up, I could barely handle the weather. I ended up with a nasty cough and fever, just in time for our trip to the Great Wall!
We drove a bus to Chengde, the site of a Qing Dynasty Summer Palace. That place was enormous! We took small electric cars from pond to pond to look at pagodas, reindeer, and bridges. We then took our large bus to see the mini replica of the Potala Palace (the real one which I saw in Tibet) but it was closed for the day. I can't say I was too bummed. I like to maintain my well-traveled superiority over others.
Our hotel in Chengde was also very nice, but I just slept super-early to stave off my sickness because we were headed to the Wall the next day.
Instead of hiking from one point to another, we just drove to our end destination to dink around on the Simatai portion of the Great Wall. We were too sick and weak to do anything hard-core. I was one of the advocates for all-out hiking, but it's a good thing we didn't because I was one of the first ones to bail out from a fainting spell. Good one, Ellen. It's fine though because I made it the 2 miles or so to our lunch destination in a village off the beaten path. When I arrived, exhausted and near tears, I found a large heated bed awaiting me. Our small party snuggled in blankets and played with kittens while the rest of CGC frolicked out on the Wall. We ate lunch with our host village family and celebrated my friend Travis's birthday with cake and fireworks. It turned out very positively from a rather tragic beginning. I say tragic because the Great Wall is definitely one of my favorite places. I'll be back.
Our bus ride back to Beijing was a symphony of coughing and snorting. Charming! We made it back okay and I slept well. I went to the new Summer Palace the next day and also visited a very Westernized hutong lined with small boutiques. We had to hurry back for the Chinese opera show that evening, otherwise I think I would have bought way too much stuff!
Ah, Chinese opera. It is shrieking and spectacle. We had a libretto translated on the side, but along with many other Chinese-to-English translations, was lacking in depth and accuracy. This made for a very amusing time. About halfway through, the opera turned into an acrobatics show. No more shrieking noises. Except for one last "Wooooooooosh" at the end. I enjoyed the show, but appreciated its short length (1 hr).
Beijing is an enormous city with thousands of things to see. I know I will return some time and it will hopefully not be in the cold. If you want to join, give me a call.
Fun fact: Chinese dogs say "Wang wang!" instead of "Woof woof!"
looooove,
ellen
P.S. To Kate: You did not tell me that I would be returning to Eugene to hear several Beethoven Piano Concertos that the Eugene Symphony is performing. I am peeved. Yet I am very happy I get to hear my favorites. We will go together. That's all.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Yes...with the hair!
Team America!
Long time no blog. Well, not really but I know how much you rely on your dose of Ellen. Chinese Ellen at that!
On Friday I really needed to get my Halloween costume so a group of us went to Qipu Lu (Cheapo Road, haha) to shop. This is an insane market with thousands of stalls. In addition, there is a thriving black market of fake designer goods so every 8.2 seconds some hustler comes up saying "Bag, shoose, Rorex?" I wasn't in the mood though so I just purchased what I needed. It's unfortunate though because I'm always thinking "Wow, China has everything, even the most random items," but when I was specifically looking for a mirrored headdress, it just could not be found. That said, my wig was fantastic!
That night, CIEE took us all on a cruise down the Huangpu River, which bisects Shanghai. It was a beautiful night and very shiny. I even saw some fireworks. My roommate and the host families came. Since I am the talk of the host family circuit, I had to make the rounds. I went up in Travis's mom's esteem because I "did my hair and look much prettier this time." Ah, China.
The next day, the big one, was Halloween. Our challege: to find Matilda, my roomie, a costume. We searched high and low, but settled on the basic cowgirl, for which my regular wardrobe actually has all the ingredients. She looked adorable.
As Lady Gaga, I needed to look like a space Barbie, which I think I accomplished pretty well. Our group also included a sexy PLA officer, a panda, Batgirl, and the petty bourgeoisie (see girl with lace gloves).
We leave campus via a side gate, around which many migrant workers congregate. They sell IP phone cards, snacks, and the like. They watched our mad parade pass by with great amusement. Because I looked like a raging lunatic, I counted on the wig to disguise me. Little did I know, these people have a keen eye because when I left this morning to find food, they all asked how my night was. My favorite lady who sells pork sandwiches said I looked "very pretty." I asked whether she recognized me and she promptly said, "Yes...with the hair!" To which I replied, "How embarrassing" and she said, "No you looked skinny and tall."
So, lesson learned, a wig doesn't disguise you very well.
I came home before everyone else and went to sleep so I missed my roommate returning along with all the drama that drunken foreign-exchange students bring back to dormitories. This morning was filled with stories and laughter and was one of the best I have had here.
Who would have thought that an American holiday could be so fun in not-America-land?
looovve,
ellen
Long time no blog. Well, not really but I know how much you rely on your dose of Ellen. Chinese Ellen at that!
On Friday I really needed to get my Halloween costume so a group of us went to Qipu Lu (Cheapo Road, haha) to shop. This is an insane market with thousands of stalls. In addition, there is a thriving black market of fake designer goods so every 8.2 seconds some hustler comes up saying "Bag, shoose, Rorex?" I wasn't in the mood though so I just purchased what I needed. It's unfortunate though because I'm always thinking "Wow, China has everything, even the most random items," but when I was specifically looking for a mirrored headdress, it just could not be found. That said, my wig was fantastic!
That night, CIEE took us all on a cruise down the Huangpu River, which bisects Shanghai. It was a beautiful night and very shiny. I even saw some fireworks. My roommate and the host families came. Since I am the talk of the host family circuit, I had to make the rounds. I went up in Travis's mom's esteem because I "did my hair and look much prettier this time." Ah, China.
The next day, the big one, was Halloween. Our challege: to find Matilda, my roomie, a costume. We searched high and low, but settled on the basic cowgirl, for which my regular wardrobe actually has all the ingredients. She looked adorable.
As Lady Gaga, I needed to look like a space Barbie, which I think I accomplished pretty well. Our group also included a sexy PLA officer, a panda, Batgirl, and the petty bourgeoisie (see girl with lace gloves).
We leave campus via a side gate, around which many migrant workers congregate. They sell IP phone cards, snacks, and the like. They watched our mad parade pass by with great amusement. Because I looked like a raging lunatic, I counted on the wig to disguise me. Little did I know, these people have a keen eye because when I left this morning to find food, they all asked how my night was. My favorite lady who sells pork sandwiches said I looked "very pretty." I asked whether she recognized me and she promptly said, "Yes...with the hair!" To which I replied, "How embarrassing" and she said, "No you looked skinny and tall."
So, lesson learned, a wig doesn't disguise you very well.
I came home before everyone else and went to sleep so I missed my roommate returning along with all the drama that drunken foreign-exchange students bring back to dormitories. This morning was filled with stories and laughter and was one of the best I have had here.
Who would have thought that an American holiday could be so fun in not-America-land?
looovve,
ellen
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