Nov. 9, 2014Jesse, Corey and I got up early and headed to the city wall, built in the Ming Dynasty. Sundays are always very busy so went as soon as the wall opened, and rented bikes. On a bike you can ride all the way around the inner city of Xian. The experience was epic. You are given a little rickety bike with no gears or air in the tires and you just go. It was a cool morning and the pollution was strong, still it was an epic time. We took about 40 minutes to ride around the wall. Then Jesse and I wandered off to get some souvenirs from Xian from the calligraphy street we had found earlier. I ended up with a gorgeous wall scroll painting of mountains. Then it was back to the hotel for a final pack. We got onto the train at 1pm and we were on it until 5am the next day. This time it was a little bit different. It was way dirtier and the people were less friendly, though that may have to do with the length of time they had spent on the train already. It was ok as far as trips go, I managed to sleep quite a bit more. Getting back to the university the first thing in order was a shower and then back into my bed. It was amazing to have room to spread out. Overall I think it was a very fun and interesting trip.
Nov. 10, 2014
I drifted somewhere between sleep and awaking for a few hours after arriving home from the train station. I eventually made the decision to get up and have a cup of coffee instead of throwing off my entire sleeping schedule. I milled about my room getting homework and various housekeeping chores done. I had to run down to the store for some essentials (read: toilet paper). I went out to the Trust Mart for the other things I needed. Interestingly enough deodorant isn’t really a thing here. Which make it a rather expensive purchase, of course expensive in my mind is really only a few dollars in American currency. I also got my first package from home!! It arrived probably while I was away in Xian. Thanks Mom, everything inside will be put to good use. I went back to the dorms and finished the rest of my homework. I also spent a good while chatting with my friend Meiling in Chinese. I am getting excited that I am able to hold coherent conversations in Chinese. Today was slow because, holy crap travel takes a lot of out of person. Something about being in a confined space in particular wears me down. So a day of recovery and tomorrow there is class. There will be one another person in my class, the rest of the people will be becoming back from their extended vacation.
Nov. 11, 2014
Class today only had three students. It made for a very slow class, but we all managed to struggle through it together. A good portion of the class was talking about the Xian trip in Chinese. Which was exciting because I was able to do it in a way that was more meaningful than the food was tasty. After class it was laundry and house keeping chores. Around three everyone who went to Huashan arrived home. Then I spent an hour or so talking with Cassidy and looking at pictures. I thin I am going to attempt to go in the off season so that there is less people. We shall see, what happens. work today was interesting. One of my kids got so excited he bit me on the arm. I had picked him up and spun him around and I guess he couldn’t contain all that excitement in his little 6 year old body. I was so surprised that it didn’t hurt, the bite has already faded. My TA Lily, of course, marched him out to his mother and explained what happened. The mom apologized to me and then smacked the little boy. All the parents around us nodded their approval of this reaction and I was mildly horrified. People are certainly more physical with their kids here, and my cultural upbringing has taught me that is wrong. It was an interesting experience, but I think I can say I am a true teacher now. The bus was more crowded than usual, I don’t really know why. I am home now and tomorrow is a free day, so homework and hopefully a little exploration. Good night!
Nov. 12, 2014
Free day today, which involved panicking about homework, lunch, and then discovering my Chinese isn’t terrible. Overall a pretty standard day, but I had an interesting moment while walking down the Tibetan street on my way to dinner. Walking down that street there is a police car or military personal patrolling, guns poised and ready to be used. The people who own the shops and who walk around there are clearly not Chinese in heritage. They have their own culture, language, and even mannerisms are distinct, differences even a foreigner can notice within a few moments after stepping onto the street. I wonder what it’s like to be that way, an island in a country that is distinctly different than your own, and yet the China is their country. Many Tibetans in the Chengdu have learned Chinese (Sichuan dialect or Mandarin) out of necessity. Tibetan identity gets twisted up in Chinese and Western rhetoric, but I wonder what they have to say about themselves. I have my opinions, but I am beginning to think that a person from Tibet might not agree with everything I have to say. They exist in a complex system and have managed to take their culture and export it in a way that allows for it’s preservation. Just a passing thought I’ve had the last few times I’ve been down Tibetan street.
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