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| This is my last entry ever on this blog. Tomorrow I am leaving China. I am sad and happy at the same time. My suitcases are bulging, but I think I can fit what I need in them. I've said goodbye to many of my Chinese friends, wondering if I will ever see them again.
I've also said goodbye to many of my American friends, but I will see most of them again at training. I've eaten my last meals at all my favorite restaurants.
But even though it is a time of lasts, it is also a time of firsts. I am making a new beginning, starting out a new life in a new apartment in a new city in a "new" country. I am looking forward to the future: a little scared, but also excited. I've always liked adventure, and coming to China sure has been one. Now, going home is the adventure, and I am ready to meet it head on.
I hope you are still interested in my life, even though it may be a bit less exotic. I will continue blogging on my livejournal. You can also say hey on my other xanga site. (Ask me if you want to know my name on those websites.)
Zaijian! | | |
| Things are really winding up here. I leave a week from today!!!!
We had a party for all the Senior 3 students on Monday. It was quite fun :)
I had my last two classes today, also parties. I've had those students twice a week all year. It is sad to say goodbye.
Things are also getting crazily busy. I went to Tianjin yesterday with Chris to pick up my dress (he went to buy pointy things), but I had to get a few alterations done so I have to go back tomorrow. It's ok I guess because this way I get to see a Chinese friend Sara again.
On Saturday I'm meeting one of my new classmates! It turns out about half my class of entering chemistry grad students are Chinese. I'm super excited to meet them all. It makes going to grad school easier for me because it's even more clear what my place is there.
Also on my list of things to do and places to go are Temple of Heaven, Pearl Market, Bank of China (to exchange my big fat wad o' cash), and eating Dai food. | | |
| Today was a good day. I ate lunch in the cafeteria with Amy and Mary and then got some ice cream at the snack shop and ate it with the Dixons and gang. I got a couple loads of dishes done and started a new painting. I got to see/hang out with Amanda Elliot who is visiting for about a week. I ate at my favorite type of Chinese restaurant, jiaozi, with a bunch of people.
I got some gingerbread and coffee with Amber at Starbucks. I played cranium with most of the RDFZ team plus Megan. AND today was the most beautiful day ever (minus the brief downpour at lunchtime).
*Contented Sigh* | | |
| Well, guess I haven't updated in awhile. Our Senior 2 classes are finished, and so are electives, so now I just have 4 classes a week. We just have next week and possibly the next of those classes and then we'll be finished. It's so weird to think that the end is so near.
On Wednesday I finally went to the Forbidden City with Amber, Chris, Ethan F., and Bekah. We had lots of fun, saw a bunch of cultural stuff, and took a few wacky pictures.
On Saturday I went to Tianjin to visit Sara Firebaugh.
We had lunch and then one of her Chinese friends (also named Sara) came shopping with us. I got a dress, a shirt, and a purse made at a tailor's shop and then we shopped a little more around Ancient Culture Street. Then we found the Bojangles and took a picture in front of it. Sadly, the one and only Bojangles in China is closed for good.
We had dinner, listened to a rock concert outside on campus, and went to sleep. Sunday morning I went to IF with her and then took the train back to Beijing. Unfortunately they only had standing tickets left. I got back to Beijing around 4:30 and took the subway to the stop west of Wukesong and then walked to the restaurant where our team was meeting. I was about a half hour late, but at least I didn't really miss anything.
Pretty much the only things left on my agenda are to visit the Temple of Heaven and go back to Tianjin to pick up my dress. Just 23 days till I leave... | | |
| Well, my second round of classes went well. I had two junior classes and one senior class in the morning, and then in the afternoon I had a senior chemistry class and another senior class that was going to be American culture, but the students ended up asking questions the whole time. A bunch of girls stayed afterwards to ask more questions, take pictures with me, get autographs, and look at some of my pictures. It was fun. The headmaster sat in on my chemistry class and really liked my body language demonstrating a balloon and solid, liquid, and gas.
On Thursday I went sightseeing. In the morning we went to Song Yang Academy where there are some really famous old trees: one 3700 years old and one 4500 years old!
It also had an old classroom and library. In the afternoon we went to Shaolin Temple. We got an English speaking tour guide, so I learned a lot about the start of Zen Buddhism and Kung Fu. We saw a "pagoda forest" where important masters of the temple were buried.
We also saw a cool Kung Fu show and something like 1000 boys learning all sorts of Kung Fu outside.
I came back to Beijing by train Thursday night to Friday morning. I slept nearly the whole train ride, which was about 12 hours. | | |
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