I sure did visit and experience the Forbidden City today. I love old, historical places such as this, and you know how I get all intellectual about the rhetoric of power and philosophy and the movement of entire populations over time. This place was absolutely no exception. Obviously any National Geographic guide book will tell you the details, so I'll tell you the obvious. Today at the Purple Forbidden City (as it translates exactly from Chinese), I witnessed several things that NG doesn't share.
We walked in expecting God knows what. Sixty RMB hardly broke my bank for admission. The first thing I saw was... a group of Chinese students. They were maybe 6 or 7 years old, and were all wearing a matching white t-shirt with orange visor. As a highly qualified tour guide shuffled them through the historical masterpiece, the kids whined and dozed off and found every excuse in the book to not participate. It reminded me, though, of my 1st grade field trips to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis or the old-time city of Connor Prairie. They twiddled their plastic Chinese flags, sang songs that had been stuck in their heads all day, and found a simple and seamless way to make the ancient and majestic Forbidden City seem like another boring mathematics lecture. With the eyes of an ambitious world traveler, I was infuriated and disgusted. But with the eyes of an observationist, a student, I was awed. This was old hat to them. It was nonchalant. It was, "When can I go home and play?" For me it was an experience, a witnessing, of a lifetime. For them it was another day at school.
After wandering the walls on the city for more than a couple of hours, the question in my head was this: How could anyone rule an empire like China from within a city of just over 720,000 square meters in size? The truth is, they can't. Forget the 3,000+ concubines harbored in the city. Forget the "Gates of Heavenly Peace," or, "Pleasure," or, "Mental Cultivation." It can't happen. There is absolutely no way anyone could have the means, the knowledge, the resources to maintain power for any length of time. That's what brought me to the realization that what actually might be forbidden about the Forbidden City is power. What the kids in the tour were exemplifying was the fact that, at any given time, a palace is the absolute worst idea a ruler can have. When you rule a people, you must live and die amongst them. There is no other way. There is no other path. No one is invincible, or indivisible. The body will concede. The body will die. What will live on, if you're lucky, is the City. The City, which marks your separation from the body for which you governed. For me, while the city was beautiful, it was incredibly inefficient.
Enough mind-bending rambling... I'm off to bed. Goodnight you all! Or should I say, good morning?!
XOXO
Thursday, July 10, 2008
A Culture within a Culture
I just want thank you all for your comments, emails, and notes! I absolutely do read each and every one over and over and get a good chuckle out of your responses. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to keep up, it truly means the world to me. Please keep it up!
Yesterday we embarked on the Silk Street adventure. It was, as everyone else is claiming in their blogs, out of control. Vendors were selling their souls to get us to buy their knocked off Puma shoes, Ralph Lauren polos, Prada wallets, or fancy jewelry. They grab you from the aisle and holler at you from down the way. One approached me about some men's shoes.
Last night we spent the evening at the Oriental Mall near Tian'anmen Square. Lauren and Andrea were on the search for cheap cell phones, and Megan, Traci and I were along for the ride. Oriental Mall is an upscale shopping center, so Burberry, Gucci and Coach stores lined the path. We enjoyed seeing a classier side of the city, however, after spending the afternoon at the dungeonous Silk Street and Foreign Market.
The only success from the venture was the acquisition of another fun fact to know and tell. Electronics in China are EXPENSIVE. People come here to buy goods like shoes, clothes, and bags, but the Chinese venture to places like the USA to buy electronic goods. Cell phones, cameras and everything in between were outrageously priced. We ended the evening with some ice cream as we discussed the various cultural differences.
Here's a little clip of the view from my room! Enjoy!
XOXO
Yesterday we embarked on the Silk Street adventure. It was, as everyone else is claiming in their blogs, out of control. Vendors were selling their souls to get us to buy their knocked off Puma shoes, Ralph Lauren polos, Prada wallets, or fancy jewelry. They grab you from the aisle and holler at you from down the way. One approached me about some men's shoes.
"For your brother?" she asked.I also pretended not to speak English once or twice. All in all, I had a fantastic time watching the underground culture that is Silk Street. It's like a culture within a culture. Nowhere in Beijing have we found people that could speak more fluent, spot-on English than these folks on Silk Street. They knew slang terminology and how to work people like us. The crazy thing, though, is that they spend their lives down in a cave selling ratty, fake Pumas to tourists for "very cheap price!" Riddle me that, Batman.
"No, I don't know his size."
"You make me very sad," she said as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"I don't even know you, so that doesn't really bother me."
Last night we spent the evening at the Oriental Mall near Tian'anmen Square. Lauren and Andrea were on the search for cheap cell phones, and Megan, Traci and I were along for the ride. Oriental Mall is an upscale shopping center, so Burberry, Gucci and Coach stores lined the path. We enjoyed seeing a classier side of the city, however, after spending the afternoon at the dungeonous Silk Street and Foreign Market.
The only success from the venture was the acquisition of another fun fact to know and tell. Electronics in China are EXPENSIVE. People come here to buy goods like shoes, clothes, and bags, but the Chinese venture to places like the USA to buy electronic goods. Cell phones, cameras and everything in between were outrageously priced. We ended the evening with some ice cream as we discussed the various cultural differences.
Here's a little clip of the view from my room! Enjoy!
XOXO
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
"Andrea's gagging worse on a prune than I did on pig's blood." -Lauren Harrington
Lauren has become the guinea pig for all things weird. She volunteered and insists that she will try anything. Yesterday at breakfast, gelatin pig's blood was the morning conquest. We didn't know what it was, but we saw plenty of Chinese folks getting it. Lauren sat down and popped the whole 1" x 1" square in her mouth. She immediately started gagging and tearing up, but gritted to swallow it like a champ, earning herself a BA Badge. "Salty and rotten, it was the worst thing I've ever tasted," she claims.
There's so much going on, it's impossible to know where to start! Yesterday the Aussies finally showed up, and we had a good time getting to know them. I will have pictures, soon. They go to Queensland Tech (QUT) and seem really, really fun. We enjoyed spending the morning together on a campus tour. CUC has several English-speaking Chinese students that volunteered to show us around. They were exceptionally friendly and helpful and were very interested in talking to us about our experiences in the American school system. We learned where there is a couple more dining halls, supermarkets, and a convenience store (with beer & ice cream!) on campus.
After the tour, we needed a Wal-Mart run. Megan, Val, Lauren, Traci, and I headed straight for WallyWorld while everyone else & the Aussie's hit up the Silk Market. (No worries, we'll hit that soon enough.) By subway the Wal-Mart is just a couple of stops away. One of the CUC guides wrote the Chinese word for Wal-Mart down on a piece of paper so we could easily ask for directions on the street. When we finally found the place, we were SO excited!
It was an underground Wal-Mart beneath a giant skyscraper building. You entered at the street level but immediately took a flight of stairs down to the store. The actual shopping experience was everything you would imagine. A few album photos will tell the tale. We picked up some essentials, including some imported snacks and Chinese beer.
For dinner, we trekked it over to Pizza Hut. I know, I know... we only made it 2 days. I realize, but it was absolutely amazing to eat something that was the least bit familiar. We're not making a habit of it, though. Only when we can't handle the mystery meat and rice will we venture over to the Hut.
I have noticed several interesting things about the Chinese people, and I'm sure there are plenty more to come! First and the weirdest for me is the fact that there really is no such thing as "personal space." I guess with 1.3 billion people, that shouldn't be such a surprise. The subway gets crowded, obviously, like any major city. However, the difference is that when people get off and space opens up, remaining passengers do not spread out and create breathing room! They just stay right up in your grill!
Subway habits are very interesting to me. We noticed that getting a seat on a subway train is a high priority for these folks. Instead of hopping in a full car and standing (except in the super busy times), people will wait outside for the next car so they can sit down. It's not a crowding issue, it's a seat issue. When people get up from a seat, the next person has already moved in before the first has taken a step!
Gotta get rocking, miss you all!
XOXO
There's so much going on, it's impossible to know where to start! Yesterday the Aussies finally showed up, and we had a good time getting to know them. I will have pictures, soon. They go to Queensland Tech (QUT) and seem really, really fun. We enjoyed spending the morning together on a campus tour. CUC has several English-speaking Chinese students that volunteered to show us around. They were exceptionally friendly and helpful and were very interested in talking to us about our experiences in the American school system. We learned where there is a couple more dining halls, supermarkets, and a convenience store (with beer & ice cream!) on campus.
After the tour, we needed a Wal-Mart run. Megan, Val, Lauren, Traci, and I headed straight for WallyWorld while everyone else & the Aussie's hit up the Silk Market. (No worries, we'll hit that soon enough.) By subway the Wal-Mart is just a couple of stops away. One of the CUC guides wrote the Chinese word for Wal-Mart down on a piece of paper so we could easily ask for directions on the street. When we finally found the place, we were SO excited!
It was an underground Wal-Mart beneath a giant skyscraper building. You entered at the street level but immediately took a flight of stairs down to the store. The actual shopping experience was everything you would imagine. A few album photos will tell the tale. We picked up some essentials, including some imported snacks and Chinese beer.
Laoshan beer (like Laoshan Velodrome), SNOW beer, Tsingtao beer, Olympics beer, Laoshan again, and Cowboy beer
For dinner, we trekked it over to Pizza Hut. I know, I know... we only made it 2 days. I realize, but it was absolutely amazing to eat something that was the least bit familiar. We're not making a habit of it, though. Only when we can't handle the mystery meat and rice will we venture over to the Hut.
I have noticed several interesting things about the Chinese people, and I'm sure there are plenty more to come! First and the weirdest for me is the fact that there really is no such thing as "personal space." I guess with 1.3 billion people, that shouldn't be such a surprise. The subway gets crowded, obviously, like any major city. However, the difference is that when people get off and space opens up, remaining passengers do not spread out and create breathing room! They just stay right up in your grill!
Subway habits are very interesting to me. We noticed that getting a seat on a subway train is a high priority for these folks. Instead of hopping in a full car and standing (except in the super busy times), people will wait outside for the next car so they can sit down. It's not a crowding issue, it's a seat issue. When people get up from a seat, the next person has already moved in before the first has taken a step!
Gotta get rocking, miss you all!
XOXO
Monday, July 7, 2008
Photo Album & Day One
I'm working on getting a photo album up and running to update frequently. The first few pictures are up, and more will be up soon! Check it out on the link to the right called, "BEIJING TRIP PHOTO ALBUM!"
The residence hall we're living in compares in many ways to the ones at Purdue. Two beds, a dresser, two desks, and a TV fit in just perfectly with little room to spare. Each room has its own bathroom... but don't get too jealous. The toilet and the shower are one operation. It's hard to explain, so make sure to check out the photos in the album. It's completely impossible to shower without drenching the entire seat, back and bowl of the toilet. I can literally sit on the toilet seat and have my head in the downfall of the water.
Day one brought some good adventures here in the capital city of Beijing. We had no responsibilities today, just some time to explore. Six of us ventured outside the university's walls for lunch but quickly returned after struggling to find anything that looked edible. We had a nice meal at the little restaurant attached to our building. On the menu? Spicy beef and green onions, chicken and hot peppers, and a tub of rice. When I ordered bottled water ("Shooa") for each of us, the waitress brought out a two-liter of Coke. My communication skills are amazing! Lunch cost 90RMB, divided by 6 people is 15RMB apiece, or $2.18 American. Not too bad!
After configuring my computer and talking with Mom & Dad online for a bit, the 11 of us that were here headed off to find the train station. I was completely and totally impressed with the Beijing subway system. It was cleaner, easier to use (even in Chinese!), more efficient, and better organized than the comparable Chicago CTA rail that goes to Wrigley Field. I couldn't believe how awesome the train was!
Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City were right on the rail line. We came out of the subway station right in front of the huge gates to the FC with Mao Zedong's (here forth known simply as "Mao") portrait. I was SHOCKED at the pure giganticism of the structure. We've all seen photos of this structure, but you would never imagine the mass of it. The portrait itself had to have been two stories tall.
We also explored Tienanmen Square and the Mao Mausoleum. Yes, Mao's remains are on public display at Tienanmen Square. He is fully visible during the day in a crystal coffin, and at night, they stick him in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Unfortunately, all attractions are closed on Mondays, so we will have to venture back again soon. I HAVE to see that body!
We perused a few shops, but I was reluctant to purchase anything. I'm just still trying to get my feet on the ground, so I want to scope out the whole situation before making a commitment to souvenirs. We made it back to CUC late in the afternoon and made dinner plans for 5:30pm at the dining hall on campus.
Tonight we had a quick meeting with Jane, our study abroad professor from Purdue. She outlined our insurance information and talked about trip logistics. Tomorrow we have a campus tour and more exploration time!
Talk to you soon, and in the meantime, check out my photos!
XOXO
The residence hall we're living in compares in many ways to the ones at Purdue. Two beds, a dresser, two desks, and a TV fit in just perfectly with little room to spare. Each room has its own bathroom... but don't get too jealous. The toilet and the shower are one operation. It's hard to explain, so make sure to check out the photos in the album. It's completely impossible to shower without drenching the entire seat, back and bowl of the toilet. I can literally sit on the toilet seat and have my head in the downfall of the water.
Day one brought some good adventures here in the capital city of Beijing. We had no responsibilities today, just some time to explore. Six of us ventured outside the university's walls for lunch but quickly returned after struggling to find anything that looked edible. We had a nice meal at the little restaurant attached to our building. On the menu? Spicy beef and green onions, chicken and hot peppers, and a tub of rice. When I ordered bottled water ("Shooa") for each of us, the waitress brought out a two-liter of Coke. My communication skills are amazing! Lunch cost 90RMB, divided by 6 people is 15RMB apiece, or $2.18 American. Not too bad!
After configuring my computer and talking with Mom & Dad online for a bit, the 11 of us that were here headed off to find the train station. I was completely and totally impressed with the Beijing subway system. It was cleaner, easier to use (even in Chinese!), more efficient, and better organized than the comparable Chicago CTA rail that goes to Wrigley Field. I couldn't believe how awesome the train was!
Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden City were right on the rail line. We came out of the subway station right in front of the huge gates to the FC with Mao Zedong's (here forth known simply as "Mao") portrait. I was SHOCKED at the pure giganticism of the structure. We've all seen photos of this structure, but you would never imagine the mass of it. The portrait itself had to have been two stories tall.
We also explored Tienanmen Square and the Mao Mausoleum. Yes, Mao's remains are on public display at Tienanmen Square. He is fully visible during the day in a crystal coffin, and at night, they stick him in the refrigerator to keep fresh. Unfortunately, all attractions are closed on Mondays, so we will have to venture back again soon. I HAVE to see that body!
We perused a few shops, but I was reluctant to purchase anything. I'm just still trying to get my feet on the ground, so I want to scope out the whole situation before making a commitment to souvenirs. We made it back to CUC late in the afternoon and made dinner plans for 5:30pm at the dining hall on campus.
Tonight we had a quick meeting with Jane, our study abroad professor from Purdue. She outlined our insurance information and talked about trip logistics. Tomorrow we have a campus tour and more exploration time!
Talk to you soon, and in the meantime, check out my photos!
XOXO
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Live from the Shanghai Pudong Airport
Some 14 hours later, we touched down in Shanghai, China. Wow. That was a loooooong flight. I made friends with the flight attendants along the way. One asked me if we lived in China, so we must have looked pretty seasoned. When I told her we were just going over to study, she of course wanted to know more. After hearing about our adventure, our internship, and our journey so far, she was in awe. It dawned on me halfway across the world- this woman flies to and from China for a living. She meets every walk of life. She hears every story... and she thinks mine is top-notch. "Wow," she said, "That's really cool. Enjoy this opportunity of a lifetime!"
Functioning in the Shanghai Pudong Airport has been a little less poetic. I bet Traci that I could go the whole plane ride without using the bathroom. Needless to say, I really needed to find the can when we landed. Traci and I walked to the westernized bathrooms and stood patiently, waiting our turn. Wrong answer. The idea of the queue line is foreign here in the East. As we stood there being "courteous," people in and around us to cut in to the open stalls! So be it, lesson learned. On to the next adventure.
My bags (2 ~50lbs checked and a ~30lbs carry-on) are all piggy-backed. It all amounts to a long and HEAVY train of luggage being carted behind my person. Times that by 4 (for Jason, Traci & Val) and you've got yourself one heck of a parade!
We ascended three levels of escalators, bags in tow. Val and Jason were in the lead, followed by Traci and then myself. Val's carry-on bag falls off her shoulder half-way up the escalator, everything spills out. I start sniffing trouble as her books and belongings slide under Traci's suitcase. As the top landing approaches, Val is desperately scooping up her things. Her luggage hits the top... and stops, running her body into her things. Traci reaches the top and tap-dances in a tiny square of footing, trying to control her bags as they continue to ride up the stairs on top of Val's spilled goods.
I start laughing... wildly. It was slow motion, and I saw the whole thing develop. The worst of it was that I couldn't stop myself or my train of baggage. That made me laugh more. I started backpedaling on the moving staircase. That's right, me, backpedaling down the stairs, with a train of piggy-backed baggage, on an escalator, laughing out loud, while Val scurries to gather her goods before they get eaten up by the moving walkway in Shanghai. Classic moment.
Now we're just bumming and waiting for our 9pm flight to Beijing!
XOXO
Functioning in the Shanghai Pudong Airport has been a little less poetic. I bet Traci that I could go the whole plane ride without using the bathroom. Needless to say, I really needed to find the can when we landed. Traci and I walked to the westernized bathrooms and stood patiently, waiting our turn. Wrong answer. The idea of the queue line is foreign here in the East. As we stood there being "courteous," people in and around us to cut in to the open stalls! So be it, lesson learned. On to the next adventure.
My bags (2 ~50lbs checked and a ~30lbs carry-on) are all piggy-backed. It all amounts to a long and HEAVY train of luggage being carted behind my person. Times that by 4 (for Jason, Traci & Val) and you've got yourself one heck of a parade!
We ascended three levels of escalators, bags in tow. Val and Jason were in the lead, followed by Traci and then myself. Val's carry-on bag falls off her shoulder half-way up the escalator, everything spills out. I start sniffing trouble as her books and belongings slide under Traci's suitcase. As the top landing approaches, Val is desperately scooping up her things. Her luggage hits the top... and stops, running her body into her things. Traci reaches the top and tap-dances in a tiny square of footing, trying to control her bags as they continue to ride up the stairs on top of Val's spilled goods.
I start laughing... wildly. It was slow motion, and I saw the whole thing develop. The worst of it was that I couldn't stop myself or my train of baggage. That made me laugh more. I started backpedaling on the moving staircase. That's right, me, backpedaling down the stairs, with a train of piggy-backed baggage, on an escalator, laughing out loud, while Val scurries to gather her goods before they get eaten up by the moving walkway in Shanghai. Classic moment.
Now we're just bumming and waiting for our 9pm flight to Beijing!
XOXO
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy 4th!
As of 12:00pm Eastern time Friday, I am outta here! Well... I'm out of Westfield, Hamilton County, and Indiana that is. Mom, Dad, Gus, and I are hitting the road tomorrow. We've got hotel arrangements in Des Plaines, IL and plan to hit up the Chicago 4th of July celebration tomorrow night. Bando Kelly will be meeting up with us (yay!) and showing this Hillbilly Circus how to function in the big city.
Saturday morning we're up early and taking our show to the O'Hare Airport. Hopefully we'll be meeting up with my travel buddies (Jason, Traci & Val- check out their blogs!) for some breakfast/get to know the family time. Our flight is at 10:35am Central time, so be thinking of me while you're doing whatever you do on Saturdays at 10:35am Chicago time :)
We land in Shanghai Sunday at 2pm local time (2am Sunday Indy time) and take off for Beijing Sunday night at 9pm local time (Sunday 9am Indy time). Finally, at approximately 11pm local time (11am Indy time), I land in the capital city and grab a cab to the Communication University of China.
The campus is in the 5th ring of the city. If you're unfamiliar, Wikipedia.com is a great reference. In fact, Wikipedia is a great reference for any random thing you don't know. One of my favorite sites :)
Anywho, CUC's in the 5th ring (along with many of the Olympic venues). We're staying in the "International Exchange Building," which is a dorm for international students studying at the school. My brother's classic comment was, "As if American dorm rooms weren't small enough..." I'm on the 8th floor, but that's about all I know. Oh yeah, they have washing machines for laundry... but no dryers. I hope to have more details about that soon.
One last note before shutting it down and hitting the hay. Try for a moment to wrap your brain around this... What does one pack for a two month trip? It's hard enough to pack for a week! Here's my list: 24 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of capris, 2 pairs of shorts, several pairs of basketball shorts (thank you HS sports teams), ~20 tshirts, a handful of nicer tops, and one Purdue hoodie. That's not to mention the second checked bag that is stocked FULL of toiletries A-Z, medications, toilet paper, towels and shoes. I predicted 3 tubes of deodorant. I'll let you know how close my prediction comes :)
Again, no Internet access for me until Tuesday unless I get really lucky. You'll have to make this one last until then!
XOXO
Taxi cab instructions
One of our Chinese liaisons faxed this note to my professor last week. I am to print it and keep it with me always. It's my only ticket home if my cabbie happens to not speak any English :)
Beijing is Boilermaker Country
Check out this release from PurdueSports.com! Fellow Mortar Board member Kara Patterson kicked some butt and took some names at the Olympic Trials in the javelin throw. She was the first woman named to the USA Track & Field 2008 Olympic team!
Patterson Bound for Beijing
Patterson Bound for Beijing
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Maybe I'll take the train?
As it goes... yes, my daily ride to the Laoshan area is by mass public train transit.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it.
Today I got a Hepatitis A shot and a prescription for Ciprofloxacn, an anti-diarrheal antibiotic that you can't get OTC. Beautiful, I know. The Indiana Travel Medicine folks also sat me down and gave me the nitty-gritty on the do's and don'ts and the "if you eat this your digestive tract will never be the sames." I can't drink anything I didn't open myself, no ice, no raw or undercooked foods (meats or otherwise), nothing washed in water, no fruits or veggies I can't peel, and no salads... underlined. The bacteria on the far side of the world is different. So different, in fact, that a potential miss-eat could land me on the pot and out of commission for a good chunk of my trip. Yummy. I will shower normally, but I will brush my teeth in bottled water.
In other news, roommate assignments are out! Andrea and I have been paired up, and a link to her blog is up. It's called, "Beijing, Bicycles and a Very Big Wall." Check it out! We were on the same "debate team" for our qualification interview for this trip and have gotten to know each other a little bit. I'm looking forward to getting to know Andrea as we settle in to living in a Chinese dorm room for a couple of months!
Mom and I spent a good chunk of time (and money) waltzing about Wal-Mart, picking up toiletries and medications, and putting together a first-aid kit. Nanno will be in town tomorrow to help me pack. American Airlines allows two 70lbs checked bags and a 40lbs carry-on. Thursday holds a date with Nanny for lunch, followed by a dinner-date with some friends from home. Friday we'll be heading up to stay the night and experience Chicago's Independence Day celebrations with Bando Kelly. Saturday is the big day :)
I'm getting anxious and looking very forward to getting settled in Beijing.
XOXO
In other news, roommate assignments are out! Andrea and I have been paired up, and a link to her blog is up. It's called, "Beijing, Bicycles and a Very Big Wall." Check it out! We were on the same "debate team" for our qualification interview for this trip and have gotten to know each other a little bit. I'm looking forward to getting to know Andrea as we settle in to living in a Chinese dorm room for a couple of months!
Mom and I spent a good chunk of time (and money) waltzing about Wal-Mart, picking up toiletries and medications, and putting together a first-aid kit. Nanno will be in town tomorrow to help me pack. American Airlines allows two 70lbs checked bags and a 40lbs carry-on. Thursday holds a date with Nanny for lunch, followed by a dinner-date with some friends from home. Friday we'll be heading up to stay the night and experience Chicago's Independence Day celebrations with Bando Kelly. Saturday is the big day :)
I'm getting anxious and looking very forward to getting settled in Beijing.
XOXO
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