Hey everyone!
Here are some new pictures from the past month or so.
(If that link doesn't work, copy and paste http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2008558&id=1121670006&l=e0625cb9f3 into your browser.)
I'm really enjoying the pretty springtime weather! :)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
41 days down, 100 more to go!
It's hard to believe how quickly my semester here is going by. I'm about a third the way done! (29%, to be exact!) ;) I'm starting to realize that I won't be here for long, and that my time here will be over before I know it. So I'll have to make the most of the next 100 days! I haven't had a chance to travel outside of Wuhan yet, and I'm starting to get a little restless. I really want to travel around China some while I'm here! I have plans to go to Beijing over our break in May, but other than that, I have nothing planned. I've heard Shanghai is really interesting, and that's right after Beijing on my "List of Places to Visit while in China". Also on the list are:
The weather has gotten much warmer recently (except for today-it was cold and rainy again!), and as a result, a lot of the trees on campus have started blooming. It's so beautiful! :)
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Guilin
- Chinese countryside (don't care where, I just want to see what China is like outside of the big cities!)
The weather has gotten much warmer recently (except for today-it was cold and rainy again!), and as a result, a lot of the trees on campus have started blooming. It's so beautiful! :)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
a long-overdue update...
I haven't been very good about updating regularly, but here's a link to some pictures I took recently:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007415&id=1121670006&l=8a245d6597
I went to a pagoda that had been built in the 1200s. It was really interesting from a cultural perspective, but from a spiritual perspective, it was a little unsettling... it was beautiful, but it was a blatant reminder that a lot of people are really sincere about something that isn't true. It really makes you think...
Hope you enjoy the pictures, I promise I'll write a real update as soon as I find the time!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007415&id=1121670006&l=8a245d6597
I went to a pagoda that had been built in the 1200s. It was really interesting from a cultural perspective, but from a spiritual perspective, it was a little unsettling... it was beautiful, but it was a blatant reminder that a lot of people are really sincere about something that isn't true. It really makes you think...
Hope you enjoy the pictures, I promise I'll write a real update as soon as I find the time!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
time flies!
Well, I've officially been here for a month now... time is flying by! At first, I was hoping that the time would fly by really fast, but now I'm kinda bummed that I'm already done with one of my 4 and a half months! I only have 113 more days!
I had a really busy weekend, and I haven't had time to write about it all... I have some great new pictures to post too! I'll get those up here as soon as I find a free moment.
But to summarize my weekend: Friday afternoon, I went to a buddhist pagoda near campus with 2 other guys from Ga Southern and a Chinese girl. It was really interesting. Saturday, I spent most of the day on a bus to/from Hankou or in Hankou (part of Wuhan) at a language center, talking to a possible employer (if it works out with my schedule, I'll be teaching English to little Chinese kids!) :) Sunday was Womens' Day in China, and there were lots of great sales, so I had some fun shopping after the Sunday morning service (Oh, I still need to tell you guys about that... great story!).
I'll give you all a more worthwile update as soon as I can!
Oh, quick story:
Yesterday, as I was crossing te street, a boy pushing a pineapple cart next to me almost collided with a car. The car slammed on the brakes and came to a stop literally inches from the cart. The boy then turned to me and asked me if I would like to buy a pineapple. We were still in the middle of the street. (I guess he mistook my look of shock at his almost-accident for a look of hunger.)
Whenever I start to feel like China isnt' all THAT strange, something like that happens, and I remember that I'm in China. And China is weird. But it's a good weird, for the most part. :)
I had a really busy weekend, and I haven't had time to write about it all... I have some great new pictures to post too! I'll get those up here as soon as I find a free moment.
But to summarize my weekend: Friday afternoon, I went to a buddhist pagoda near campus with 2 other guys from Ga Southern and a Chinese girl. It was really interesting. Saturday, I spent most of the day on a bus to/from Hankou or in Hankou (part of Wuhan) at a language center, talking to a possible employer (if it works out with my schedule, I'll be teaching English to little Chinese kids!) :) Sunday was Womens' Day in China, and there were lots of great sales, so I had some fun shopping after the Sunday morning service (Oh, I still need to tell you guys about that... great story!).
I'll give you all a more worthwile update as soon as I can!
Oh, quick story:
Yesterday, as I was crossing te street, a boy pushing a pineapple cart next to me almost collided with a car. The car slammed on the brakes and came to a stop literally inches from the cart. The boy then turned to me and asked me if I would like to buy a pineapple. We were still in the middle of the street. (I guess he mistook my look of shock at his almost-accident for a look of hunger.)
Whenever I start to feel like China isnt' all THAT strange, something like that happens, and I remember that I'm in China. And China is weird. But it's a good weird, for the most part. :)
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hey, white girl!
Today as I was walking down a busy street, a street vendor called out to me (in English), "Hello! How are you? I like you! You are my friend!"
The Chinese are still getting used to seeing non-Asians walking around here... and it's not considered rude to stare here, so people stare at anyone who isn't Asian. And some of these people will shout "Hello!" at foreigners (usually after he/she has already passed by, because it takes a few seconds for them to muster the courage). And in many cases, that is all of the English they know.
A few days ago, I was walking down the street, and I walked past a group of teenagers who were all huddled around something. One of the guys on the outside of the group noticed me, and he proceeded to excitedly point me out to his friends... so the whole group (about 8 of them) turned around to watch me walk by. I just kinda smiled and waved at them... it's not like everyone can say they've been waved at by a white person! ;)
There's a sense of understanding among all of us "lao wai" (foreigners) here. Many lao wai (including me) will smile and say hello whenever they encounter a fellow foreigner, regardless of whether or not we actually know each other. It's kinda comforting. :)
The Chinese are still getting used to seeing non-Asians walking around here... and it's not considered rude to stare here, so people stare at anyone who isn't Asian. And some of these people will shout "Hello!" at foreigners (usually after he/she has already passed by, because it takes a few seconds for them to muster the courage). And in many cases, that is all of the English they know.
A few days ago, I was walking down the street, and I walked past a group of teenagers who were all huddled around something. One of the guys on the outside of the group noticed me, and he proceeded to excitedly point me out to his friends... so the whole group (about 8 of them) turned around to watch me walk by. I just kinda smiled and waved at them... it's not like everyone can say they've been waved at by a white person! ;)
There's a sense of understanding among all of us "lao wai" (foreigners) here. Many lao wai (including me) will smile and say hello whenever they encounter a fellow foreigner, regardless of whether or not we actually know each other. It's kinda comforting. :)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Well, it's still raining...
Supposedly, it snowed this morning.
But I was asleep. Go figure.
But the sun came out for a few minutes today! I even saw the sky! It made my day. :)
Yesterday, I decided I needed a little springtime in my life, so I bought a few flowers at a little flower shop I found... and when I got back to the dorm, I realized that I didn't have a vase, so I had to get creative...
That's a Chinese Gatorade bottle!
Supposedly, it snowed this morning.
But I was asleep. Go figure.
But the sun came out for a few minutes today! I even saw the sky! It made my day. :)
Yesterday, I decided I needed a little springtime in my life, so I bought a few flowers at a little flower shop I found... and when I got back to the dorm, I realized that I didn't have a vase, so I had to get creative...
That's a Chinese Gatorade bottle!Friday, February 27, 2009
sunshine? what's that?
I've been meaning to write an update for the past week or so, but I never feel like I have enough time to write about EVERYTHING that has been happening since I got here... so instead of long, detailed reports, I'll just write a few short blurbs here and there when I have time.
It was sunny on my first two days here, but then it turned cold and rainy, and it has stayed that way ever since. But other than the weather, I'm really liking Wuhan. The food here isn't as scary as I expected it to be... and you can usually get a good meal for under 15 RMB! (Which is about $2.00!) My chopstick skills are still lacking somewhat, but they are rapidly improving! I can even eat rice with chopsticks now! (Well, kinda...) Here's one of my favorite dishes:
饺子 ("jiao zi"- Chinese dumplings!)
Lunch for less than 50 cents!
Wuhan is a huge and very busy city. Crossing the street is exciting, to say the least. I'm amazed that I haven't seen any accidents yet. I saw a guy come about 3 inches from getting hit by a bus today...
The big, busy road is right outside of one or the entrances to the campus... but compared to the rest of the city, the campus is really peaceful and clean. There's a little traffic at times, but it's nothing like the traffic outside of campus. I haven't seen the sky since about a week ago, but at least we have trees! lots and lots of them. :)
It was sunny on my first two days here, but then it turned cold and rainy, and it has stayed that way ever since. But other than the weather, I'm really liking Wuhan. The food here isn't as scary as I expected it to be... and you can usually get a good meal for under 15 RMB! (Which is about $2.00!) My chopstick skills are still lacking somewhat, but they are rapidly improving! I can even eat rice with chopsticks now! (Well, kinda...) Here's one of my favorite dishes:
饺子 ("jiao zi"- Chinese dumplings!)
Lunch for less than 50 cents!
Wuhan is a huge and very busy city. Crossing the street is exciting, to say the least. I'm amazed that I haven't seen any accidents yet. I saw a guy come about 3 inches from getting hit by a bus today...
The big, busy road is right outside of one or the entrances to the campus... but compared to the rest of the city, the campus is really peaceful and clean. There's a little traffic at times, but it's nothing like the traffic outside of campus. I haven't seen the sky since about a week ago, but at least we have trees! lots and lots of them. :)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
settling in...
Well, it's been about a week since I got here, and what a week it has been!
Traveling to China was long and tiring, but not overly stressful. I flew out of Atlanta at about 7:50 AM Monday morning, had layovers in Newark and Beijing, and arrived in Wuhan at about 7:30 Tuesday night (which was 6:30 AM in Atlanta). I arrived in Wuhan about 2 hours earlier than expected, because my connecting flight from Beijing to Wuhan had been canceled, and I ended up taking an earlier flight. I wanted to contact the International Students' office at Huazhong Normal University (also known as Central China Normal University or CCNU) to let them know I was early, but I didn't know how to use the payphones, didn't have a phone card for the payphones (which conveniently didn't take change), and once I finally was able borrow a phone card and figured out how to use the pay phones (thanks to some friendly airport security guards who spoke very little english), there wasn't an answer at the other end, because everyone had already gone home for the night. (And I found out later that the number I had was no longer in use, because the office had gotten a new phone number a few months ago.) I ended up wandering around the airport, hoping to hear my name or to see someone holding a sign with my name on it, for about 3 - 4 hours. The security guards eventually took me to an information desk, where some friendly Chinese women (who spoke good english!) tried to help me contact someone to pick me up from the airport and take me the university. (Thankfully, I was too exhausted after all those hours of traveling to get really upset or frustrated about it...) I was considering taking a taxi to the university, but I realised that even if I could make my way to the campus, I would have no idea how to get to the international students' dorm once I got there! I decided to go back down to the baggage claim/arrival area just one more time, in hopes of finding my ride. (I had been saying pr-yers in my head over and over again ever since I got to the airport, and at this point, I was starting to worry that I would end up having to spend the night at the airport...) I looked around for a while, and was about to head back upstairs, when I finally heard someone ask, "Excuse me, can you tell me your name?" I told the man my name and asked if he was from CCNU. He was. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a total stranger before in my entire life. It was such a relief! He was relieved as well, because he and his wife had been looking for me at the airport for over an hour! They had arrived to pick me up at around 9:15 PM, and they saw that my flight from Beijing had been cancelled, so they had been worried that I was still stuck in Beijing! They had even called ahead to tell the people at the dorm not to prepare a room for me, because I wasn't going to be coming in that night.
They took me to the campus and helped me check-in to my room at the dorm. The international students' dorm is definitely the nicest dorm on campus, and the rooms are actually pretty nice, even for American standards. My only complaint is that the mattress on my bed is really hard! It feels like I'm sleeping on styrofoam! But I'm slowly getting used to it...
My first reaction to China wasn't exactly positive. It all seemed really dirty and polluted and confusing, and I was wondering WHY IN THE WORLD I had agreed to come here for such a long time. I didn't really like the food, and I had a really hard time getting around with my limited Chinese, especially since not many people speak English here, and sometimes their English is even harder to understand than their Chinese. Basically, I had a bad case of culture shock. The jet lag didn't help either. There's a 13-hour time difference between home and here, so I didn't get much sleep the first two nights, because the nighttime felt like daytime to me, even though I was way behind on sleep. But I've gotten into an almost-normal sleeping pattern, and I'm getting used to the Chinese food (and even found some dishes that I really like!), and I'm slowly getting over the culture shock, and I'm really starting to like it here! Some other students from Ga Southern are here, and they've been here since September (they came for a whole academic year instead of just a semester), and they have been a HUGE help. They showed me around the campus and the city a little bit, and even showed me where to find the American fast-food places around here, in case I just need to eat some American food. :) There's a McDonald's, a KFC, a Dairy Queen, a STARBUCKS, a Papa John's, and a Pizza Hut all within walking distance of the campus, so I definitely won't starve! :)
I've actually been eating more fast food than I'd really like to, because those are the only places I really know how to order! Most of those places either have employees that speak english or nice little picture menus, so I can just point at what I want if I'm not with someone who speaks Chinese well enough to order. So far, I've only ordered my own Chinese food twice. And both times, it was "jiǎozi" (Chinese dumplings)... because I don't know the names of any of the other dishes! The dumplings are these little bite-sized noodle-type things that are filled with a mixture of meat, vegetables, and soup. And they're really easy to eat with chopsticks. :)
Classes started this Monday, so I'm already halfway done with a week of classes! I have a feeling that my time here is going to go by really quickly... it sure has so far! Check back in a few days/weeks... I'll be updating with pictures, stories, and general observations about China... but right now, it's bedtime for Annie! I have class tomorrow at 8 AM!
Traveling to China was long and tiring, but not overly stressful. I flew out of Atlanta at about 7:50 AM Monday morning, had layovers in Newark and Beijing, and arrived in Wuhan at about 7:30 Tuesday night (which was 6:30 AM in Atlanta). I arrived in Wuhan about 2 hours earlier than expected, because my connecting flight from Beijing to Wuhan had been canceled, and I ended up taking an earlier flight. I wanted to contact the International Students' office at Huazhong Normal University (also known as Central China Normal University or CCNU) to let them know I was early, but I didn't know how to use the payphones, didn't have a phone card for the payphones (which conveniently didn't take change), and once I finally was able borrow a phone card and figured out how to use the pay phones (thanks to some friendly airport security guards who spoke very little english), there wasn't an answer at the other end, because everyone had already gone home for the night. (And I found out later that the number I had was no longer in use, because the office had gotten a new phone number a few months ago.) I ended up wandering around the airport, hoping to hear my name or to see someone holding a sign with my name on it, for about 3 - 4 hours. The security guards eventually took me to an information desk, where some friendly Chinese women (who spoke good english!) tried to help me contact someone to pick me up from the airport and take me the university. (Thankfully, I was too exhausted after all those hours of traveling to get really upset or frustrated about it...) I was considering taking a taxi to the university, but I realised that even if I could make my way to the campus, I would have no idea how to get to the international students' dorm once I got there! I decided to go back down to the baggage claim/arrival area just one more time, in hopes of finding my ride. (I had been saying pr-yers in my head over and over again ever since I got to the airport, and at this point, I was starting to worry that I would end up having to spend the night at the airport...) I looked around for a while, and was about to head back upstairs, when I finally heard someone ask, "Excuse me, can you tell me your name?" I told the man my name and asked if he was from CCNU. He was. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a total stranger before in my entire life. It was such a relief! He was relieved as well, because he and his wife had been looking for me at the airport for over an hour! They had arrived to pick me up at around 9:15 PM, and they saw that my flight from Beijing had been cancelled, so they had been worried that I was still stuck in Beijing! They had even called ahead to tell the people at the dorm not to prepare a room for me, because I wasn't going to be coming in that night.
They took me to the campus and helped me check-in to my room at the dorm. The international students' dorm is definitely the nicest dorm on campus, and the rooms are actually pretty nice, even for American standards. My only complaint is that the mattress on my bed is really hard! It feels like I'm sleeping on styrofoam! But I'm slowly getting used to it...
My first reaction to China wasn't exactly positive. It all seemed really dirty and polluted and confusing, and I was wondering WHY IN THE WORLD I had agreed to come here for such a long time. I didn't really like the food, and I had a really hard time getting around with my limited Chinese, especially since not many people speak English here, and sometimes their English is even harder to understand than their Chinese. Basically, I had a bad case of culture shock. The jet lag didn't help either. There's a 13-hour time difference between home and here, so I didn't get much sleep the first two nights, because the nighttime felt like daytime to me, even though I was way behind on sleep. But I've gotten into an almost-normal sleeping pattern, and I'm getting used to the Chinese food (and even found some dishes that I really like!), and I'm slowly getting over the culture shock, and I'm really starting to like it here! Some other students from Ga Southern are here, and they've been here since September (they came for a whole academic year instead of just a semester), and they have been a HUGE help. They showed me around the campus and the city a little bit, and even showed me where to find the American fast-food places around here, in case I just need to eat some American food. :) There's a McDonald's, a KFC, a Dairy Queen, a STARBUCKS, a Papa John's, and a Pizza Hut all within walking distance of the campus, so I definitely won't starve! :)
I've actually been eating more fast food than I'd really like to, because those are the only places I really know how to order! Most of those places either have employees that speak english or nice little picture menus, so I can just point at what I want if I'm not with someone who speaks Chinese well enough to order. So far, I've only ordered my own Chinese food twice. And both times, it was "jiǎozi" (Chinese dumplings)... because I don't know the names of any of the other dishes! The dumplings are these little bite-sized noodle-type things that are filled with a mixture of meat, vegetables, and soup. And they're really easy to eat with chopsticks. :)
Classes started this Monday, so I'm already halfway done with a week of classes! I have a feeling that my time here is going to go by really quickly... it sure has so far! Check back in a few days/weeks... I'll be updating with pictures, stories, and general observations about China... but right now, it's bedtime for Annie! I have class tomorrow at 8 AM!
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