Ni Hao

China is stifling. 

The air, the heat, the noise, the smells, the crowds. 

And every day, every night, I drink it in. Together, the offensive and appealing parts of Beijing work to create an experience so unique, that I'm not quite sure I can describe it here. Suffice to say that there is no real way to prepare oneself for China. 

Nightlife. A local-favorite system of connected alleys selling all different
wares, as well as local delicacies [read: scorpion, octopus, silkworm...]

Our first three and a half days were spent in what I like to refer to as the "American Sheep Herd" in Beijing. The group is about 23 students from all over America. We did tourist-y things, like visit the Forbidden City and climb the Great Wall. Our tour guide, Sun Li, was phenomenal. She gave us a comprehensive, unbiased view of daily life in China, urging us to spend our evenings and nights navigating bus routes to visit districts and alleys. She even arranged for us to visit the home of a woman in a Hutong Alley. Hutong Alleys are traditional Chinese homes, built hundreds of years ago in such a way that many connected buildings surround small square court yards. Now, these buildings are split into multiple homes, usually one or two rooms with a kitchen, housing extended families. The woman was small, aging gracefully, and spoke in such a way that commanded the attention of even the small dog in the cramped room. Not angrily or particularly loud (in China, speaking loudly is the main way to get attention or prove that what you're saying is worthwhile)...but slow, direct. The house, in fact the entire courtyard, had belonged to her grandfather. He had worked as a skilled artist for the Emperor. The home then went to his children and finally her. She has remained unmarried and without children. This allows her to be more flexible in her personal life. Just before the Beijing Olympics, the government picked several traditional homes around Beijing to act as host homes for athletes and, presumably, high-paying Westerners. Those who had the cleanest homes and cooked the best were chosen, and this woman was one of them. Assisted by her two nieces she cooks meals for people, offering a lesson in traditional Chinese living (no bathroom or shower facilities indoors, and heating/air conditioning are out of the question) and a quick "how to" in dumpling making. This was my best meal in China, to date.

Well...except maybe the dinner I had my last night in Beijing. Energized by the city lights and our growing ability to do simple things with the Chinese language, a small group of us set out to find a restaurant serving Peking Duck. We got what we were searching for, and much more.

There are two lessons to be learned here:
1. Order lightly
2. Never eat the first duck that comes to the table.

Now it is Monday for me. August 27th, to be exact. Early evening. I am in Chengdu, Sichuan province, which was a two and a half hour plane trip from Beijing, yesterday. While Beijing was every bit as amazing as it sounds, I have to say that I believe I am much more suited to life in Chengdu. The air is cleaner. The people talk, walk, and just live more slowly. The incorporation of local vegetation is gorgeous.My campus, Sichuan University, takes up a large portion of the city. I have only just begun exploring the grounds. Tomorrow there is a tour and orientation...I'm looking forward to getting a little bit of English clarification on things university-related. 

On that note, Anthony and I were talking today, while walking back to campus after buying essentials and peeking into different stores, living in a country where you can't quite speak the language isn't nearly as scary as it sounds. For every difficult moment, there is a reward. Gratification is held in ordering a meal or getting help finding a certain product. And the locals seem willing (for the most part) to assist in understanding by doing things like speaking slowly and gesturing. It makes me even more excited to become more comfortable with Mandarin. 

Tonight is for relaxation, recuperation, and preparation.

Zaijian, for now<3