It has been very long (read: 5 days) since I have last blogged, and there are reasons I could give -- the planning of our entrepreneurship conference, which began in earnest last week and is scheduled for the way-too-soon date of May 24; the watching of aforementioned drama; the hours spent on Skype every day; the CS103B midterm which just ended an hour ago...but the real reason was probably just laziness. So I apologize.
Tracy and I had dinner at her language partner's house (he's a freshman Econ major at Beida) over the May 1 holiday weekend. As soon as we entered his house, his mom began berating him about how long his hair was (apparently it looked like the hair of a Taiwanese pop star instead of a Beida student, terrible). Then his parents showered me and Tracy with fruit, candy, tea, wine, massive amounts of food, Chinese paper cuttings, and Olympics phone charms. They were also amazed that we could use chopsticks. Why is everyone surprised at our ability to use chopsticks??
In completely unrelated news, Tracy, Kristine, Franci, Tayvin, Che and I got full-body massages at a spa this weekend. I think we should make massages a weekly tradition.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Fluff
One of Beijing's less pleasant surprises is its fluff. Here is a picture of a kid running happily through fluff:
Most of us are less happy when we are assailed by the fluff, which is actually flying pollen produced by poplar and willow trees in the springtime. In fact, Beijing has instituted a policy of sex changes for the poplar and willow trees to stop fluff production. Oh, Beijing.
In the meantime, I have discovered a good way to relieve my displeasure with fluff - burn it! It is highly flammable and burns quite satisfyingly when much of it has accumulated in drifts... I would write more about my adventures burning fluff but I am not sure I should document such activities.
Most of us are less happy when we are assailed by the fluff, which is actually flying pollen produced by poplar and willow trees in the springtime. In fact, Beijing has instituted a policy of sex changes for the poplar and willow trees to stop fluff production. Oh, Beijing.
In the meantime, I have discovered a good way to relieve my displeasure with fluff - burn it! It is highly flammable and burns quite satisfyingly when much of it has accumulated in drifts... I would write more about my adventures burning fluff but I am not sure I should document such activities.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
My Name is Kim Samsoon
We have begun to watch this Korean drama to improve our Chinese. It is rather effective... and so interesting!
Edit by Helen: So interesting, in fact, that we are really tempted to stay up to keep watching despite its being 2:30 am. But we will be strong-willed students and resist. Must resist.
Edit by Helen: So interesting, in fact, that we are really tempted to stay up to keep watching despite its being 2:30 am. But we will be strong-willed students and resist. Must resist.
PKU 110
So it turns out the dementors were roaming around yesterday because President Hu Jintao was on campus. Something to do with PKU's 110th anniversary.
I also have my suspicions that the Chinese government seeded the clouds yesterday to make it rain and wash out the air before the celebrations today. Today the skies were blue (bluest in the morning, gradually graying as the day went on...) and visibility was high, unobscured by the usual smog. There was the matter of poplar fluff still, but overall the campus was quite pleasant for the visit of many thousands of visitors, including foreign university presidents and chancellors being transported in black Audis.
I attended some celebrations on Friday to commemorate the 110th anniversary. They were very much like the New Year's celebrations broadcast every year on CCTV. A good amount of singing, dancing, and recitation.
One act/skit was dedicated to Deng Xiaoping. I was informed that Chinese people like him because he got Hong Kong back for China. I was also informed that the next leader who can get Taiwan back for China will be very much liked. Dot dot dot.
Another act/skit celebrated the Lifeline Express, and the PKU graduates who work with the Lifeline Express to offer eyecare to Tibetans. There was a whole elaborate dance, highlighting a Tibetan woman's everlasting gratitude to the Lifeline Express for giving her eyesight.
Pictures and video to come :)
I also have my suspicions that the Chinese government seeded the clouds yesterday to make it rain and wash out the air before the celebrations today. Today the skies were blue (bluest in the morning, gradually graying as the day went on...) and visibility was high, unobscured by the usual smog. There was the matter of poplar fluff still, but overall the campus was quite pleasant for the visit of many thousands of visitors, including foreign university presidents and chancellors being transported in black Audis.
I attended some celebrations on Friday to commemorate the 110th anniversary. They were very much like the New Year's celebrations broadcast every year on CCTV. A good amount of singing, dancing, and recitation.
One act/skit was dedicated to Deng Xiaoping. I was informed that Chinese people like him because he got Hong Kong back for China. I was also informed that the next leader who can get Taiwan back for China will be very much liked. Dot dot dot.
Another act/skit celebrated the Lifeline Express, and the PKU graduates who work with the Lifeline Express to offer eyecare to Tibetans. There was a whole elaborate dance, highlighting a Tibetan woman's everlasting gratitude to the Lifeline Express for giving her eyesight.
Pictures and video to come :)
Friday, May 2, 2008
Night's Predominance, or the Day's Shame
By th' clock 'tis day,
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
(Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 4)
At 9:30 this morning it was impressively dark outside. I actually did a double-take and checked my clock again, then checked my cell phone because I still couldn't believe the time. It was also thundering and pouring rain. It looked like it could have 3 am.
At 10:00 the sky had lightened but had also turned green. Frank suggests that it was the smog having a chemical reaction with positive ions.
Perfect conditions for zombies or other creepy supernatural things to take over the world. In fact, I did see a number of security guards dressed eerily like dementors...
And yet dark night strangles the travelling lamp.
(Macbeth, Act 2, Scene 4)
At 9:30 this morning it was impressively dark outside. I actually did a double-take and checked my clock again, then checked my cell phone because I still couldn't believe the time. It was also thundering and pouring rain. It looked like it could have 3 am.
At 10:00 the sky had lightened but had also turned green. Frank suggests that it was the smog having a chemical reaction with positive ions.
Perfect conditions for zombies or other creepy supernatural things to take over the world. In fact, I did see a number of security guards dressed eerily like dementors...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
i <3 beijing
Not necessarily the city itself, mind you, because the city is kind of smoggy and big and smoggy. But the Stanford program here and the people and the experience have been amazing so far. I'm really having fun :) just wanted to put that out there. It's 4:41 am here so I'm way too tired to write a real blog post but I just got back from watching six hours of Asian dramas and American movies, singing along to Barry's 3 am guitar serenades, and a delicious slice of chocolate cake. Life is good.
Potato Chip Experiment
A scrap of recently-acquired semi-useful knowledge:
If you leave a potato chip out on a shelf during a Beijing summer, it will become crispier. This is because the air is so dry that moisture is sucked out of the chip.
However, it is also exceedingly dusty here, so your potato chip might end up covered in a layer of dust and ickiness.
If you leave a potato chip out on a shelf during a Beijing summer, it will become crispier. This is because the air is so dry that moisture is sucked out of the chip.
However, it is also exceedingly dusty here, so your potato chip might end up covered in a layer of dust and ickiness.
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