Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was literally where the imperial family went during the summers to relax. It is huge, very calming, beautiful, and spacious (I even had space and that is rare in Chinese tourist sites) location far from the city center. When you walk in, the first thing you see is the stone of longevity. I got my picture taken with that stone fore sure! Long life indeed. After that, we went on Kunming lake – we rented two pedal boats for an hour and floated. It was so soothing. We later walked around the Palace admiring the sites and climbed the Tower of Fragrant Buddha. I was a little disappointed because you could not see very far thanks to the wonderful pollution. Nevertheless, the Summer Palace was very beautiful. After spending about three hours walking around we had lunch in THE restaurant were Empress Dowager Cixi would listen to musical and theatrical performances. The theatre is still there, but they converted the adjacent rooms into dining halls. It was a nice Chinese lunch and then we were all tired and went back to the dorms. Luckily, the Summer Palace is an only about15 minutes away from my university so I can go back whenever I want and spend the whole day when the weather is not as hot and hopefully when there is not as much pollution.

Marco Polo Bridge and Peking Man

On Monday, September 13, the fourteen PKU and Yale Students (7 from each school – 10 girls, 4 boys) along with some teachers went on our first group excursion. In the morning we went to the town of Wanping to see the Marco Polo Bridge. Before the bridge opened, we went to the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. My roommate walked around with me and read and translated for me. We worked together – I learned a lot of new vocabulary. The museum was very interesting. It had pictures, explanations, artifacts, etc. It was the first war museum I had been to in China. Outside the museum the soldiers were singing. Before coming to China, I had never realized the significance and importance of the Japanese invasion of China. I know this is very ignorant of me, but this is interesting for me as I’m learning what type of relations China has with other nations in the world and this war is still very fresh in many Chinese people’s minds. After the museum, we went on the bridge. Marco Polo did not cross this bridge, he simply described it in his diary. Whether or not you believe that Marco Polo came to China is up to you, but you can’t deny that the bridge is a piece of art. There are over five hundred lion sculptures on the bridge. Each lion has a different position and its unique characteristics. Although there is no water under the bridge because of a dam that was constructed, you can try to picture what it would have been like many, many years ago. After the museum and the bridge, we headed off to lunch. Yes, you guessed it – Chinese food. It was fine – rice, vegetables, meat, and the pancake-like things they eat in the north of China that I love. After lunch, we headed to Peking Man Site at Zhoukou dian. This is where in the beginning of the 20th century the Peking Man-was discovered – Homo erectus pekinensis. Once you see the skeleton and sketches, you can still see the traces of ape/animal in him. Through the process of evolution, you can see the human race. I had never heard of Peking, which dates back to 250,000-400,000 years ago. You can see some skeletons of both “humans” and the animal fossils they found at that time in the museum. You can also walk around the caves and hike a little along the mountains. Overall, that Monday was very adventure-filled; I visited three new places.

Peking University

Peking University (PKU) - not only one of the top universities in China, but also my new home for the next year. For my sophomore year, I've decided to study in this special Yale-PKU Undergraduate Joint-Degree program. I will be taking classes in both English and Chinese, maybe even French. We will have Yale professors teaching us, and we will also have the opportunity to take classes at PKU with the local students. Classes start tomorrow and I still haven't finished picking my classes... everything will be fine (well at least that is what I keep telling myself).
I've been at PKU for about a week now. Last week I moved into Building 42. My building is the residence for all male Master Degree students. However, Yale made special arrangements so on part of the first and the second floors Yale and PKU students can live together. It is two to a room: one Yale student and one PKU student. My roommate is from Shanghai, yay! She is very nice. I've been a little sick with a cough and she sort of acts like a mom. Before she clung to me like glue, but now she is giving me my space and realizing that I can manage Beijing and PKU on my own. I appreciate that because I really like my own space, especially in China where you can barely breathe. My room is much better now after I decorated it with plants, rugs, a chair from Ikea, even a cactus, my things... before it was plain and the bed was just a wooden plank - prison style. I bought a mattress and added my Memory Foam and now I can sleep just fine. My room does not have AC so we have a fan. On my desk you can see a blue lamp - this is not just any lamp - this is THE lamp. The electricity, starting tonight, will be shut off from midnight to six am Sunday through Thursday. I'm so used to doing my homework late at night and working past midnight, I don't know what I will do. I have a rechargeable lamp that will help me survive but this will be an experience. Besides the electricity and the prison-like beds, the rest is just fine. Our bathrooms are modern and western. We have a common room that does have electricity 24 hours a day so I might be going there a lot at night. The common room also has a TV, computers, printers, and a fridge.
Overall impressions of PKU - it is a really beautiful campus. It has a mixture of both modern and traditional architecture. There are few cars on campus, so you mainly see bikes. Ha - you can see me on a bike now as well. I bought a used, dirty-looking bike yesterday with two super locks so hopefully it will not get stolen. Yes, I'm becoming more Chinese by the second. So far okay. I'm feeling a bit homesick because I miss my food, my friends, my family. The time difference is doable, but the food is getting annoying. I have a meal card for the cafeterias on campus (there are a lot of places to eat here - dumplings, noodles, western food, regular Chinese food). The food is fine; I'm just getting tired of it. There is a Carrefour that I can bike and walk to - I buy cereal and western things sometimes, but because we don't have a kitchen it is hard to prepare my own meals. Some days are better than others. Besides the food, which gets me down, the campus is really lively. There are street vendors on campus all the time selling fruit, books, flowers, and things you need in your dorm like lamps, rugs, buckets, etc. The Yale-PKU program is quite special because we live separate from the other international students. I'm trying to get to know them so I have more friends. This week there was an organized trip to IKEA, bless IKEA, I love that place. I met a few new international students, but not enough or well enough to say I made new friends. On the topic of IKEA - those Swedish meatballs tasted better than anything I've had in a long time - yes, Western food makes me very excited these days. Ikea was lots of fun; I think I might make it a weekly field trip just to eat there. I don’t think I made this clear before, PKU is in the suburbs in Beijing. It takes me about 1.5 hours to get into the city (it is so freakingly far - trust me, I tried it yesterday). The metro system is amazing, but I am still far away from the city. It just takes time to get used to it.

So a recap of the main things I wanted to tell you all about: the bike, my dorm, PKU, how far away I'm from the city, I'm homesick and foodsick, and that I will survive. ooo and I met my cousin yesterday so at least I have family here. Everything will work out. Rosh Hashanah is this week so I'll be going to the Jewish Community Center a lot this month (ie, I will be with foreigners, I will eat Western food, and I will be in the city). PKU is new to me, and it will take me some time to figure it out, but I will get there. Plus, it’s quite something living with Chinese students.

Before and After

Official Opening Ceremony Dinner

PKU buildings, library, our common room, a noodles cafeteria, a bunch of Yale and PKU students eating together

Shanghai

Shanghai – the Paris of the East; my home; the city I love. After my summer program ended, I flew out to Shanghai. The flight was less than two hours and I arrived before noon on Saturday. Immediately I went to visit some family friends for a surprise lunch, yes the Oved’s were quite shocked that I showed up on their doorstep but it was fun seeing them. After that, I went to Liat’s house. Liat is a childhood friend whose house I stayed in for the two weeks I was in town. I already miss her so much. She’s the best. We had way too much fun together! After two months of intense Chinese learning I finally had a break in a place I call home. Needless to say, I rested, slept a lot, and had an amazing time. I caught up on a lot of films including Harry Potter (thank you Liatie for tagging along even if you didn’t want to see it). I went shopping in the markets. I went to see an exhibition on Gaudi (like I mentioned this year is the year of Spain in China, so throughout China there are many exhibitions taking place – I also saw one exhibition in Beijing). I went to the Urban Planning museum where they had a special exhibition on the World Expo which was very red. For the first time ever, I rode the metro in Shanghai, which was nicer and less crowded than the one in Beijing. I visited the Yuyuan Garden, which had a facelift since I moved from Shanghai in 2001. There is even a Haagan Dazs and KFC inside the Garden shopping district. I also went to the Bund – what can I say. This place never ceases to amaze me. I walked along the Bund around 5pm all the way until the end because I was waiting for it to get dark. Finally at around 7pm they started turning on the lights and as I was walking along the bridge where on one side I saw all the European buildings from the 20s and 30s and on the other side of the river I could see modern, developing Pudong, it was just too perfect. If you ever go to Shanghai, you have to go to the Bund or as they call it in Chinese “Waitan.” In addition to just refreshing my memory, I also met with many people. I met my two ayis, which translates to “aunties,” -the two ladies who played a very important role in my life while I was growing up in China. One is Nina, who cooked for my family. Nina has a little girl called Paulina. I visited Nina twice at the house where she is currently working where I ate fantastic food; I also went one Monday afternoon to her house to have lunch with her and her daughter. Paulina and I later played Chinese sticks for a while. My other ayi, Xiao Zhen, took care of Annika and I. Xiao Zhen and I met on Nanjing Xilu where I used live in Shanghai Center and went to have lunch together at a good restaurant called the Spot. It was really nice to see both of my ayis again because they influenced me in many ways: they taught me how to play Chinese poker, they helped me with my Chinese, they helped me with my schoolwork, and they took excellent care of me while my parents were away. I am so grateful that they were a part of my life and I was able to spend some time with them in Shanghai. Every time I go back to Shanghai I always call them, and now that I’ll be in Beijing who knows I might see them sooner than I expected. I also met with Elan Oved and his family, very close family friends. I saw the Ohana’s who are also close family friends. I visited the Jewish community, I didn’t recognize any faces. Expats – always coming and going. I also saw the Johnson’s – well half of them. I spent some time with Isabella, Samuel, Sra. Lucy and Bill Johnson. I also grew up playing with his girls and our families have stayed in touch for years. It was a very heart warming experience to go back to Shanghai, feel at home, and spend some time with the people who made my life in Shanghai so wonderful. Plus I got to meet some new people. I met a lot of Liat’s friends and became close to my two new favorite buddies: Nick and Magnus. Nick will be coming to Beijing in October so I’ll see him soon, and I hope Magnus comes to visit me as well. Nina’s new employers are also extremely kind and had me over twice for dinner. How nice! My two weeks in Shanghai were amazing; it was very difficult to come back to Beijing.

Beijing vs. Shanghai
-If I had to pick, definitely Shanghai!!!
-In Shanghai, you can actually see the sky. Most of the time the sky is blue. Unlike in Beijing, where it is usually gray.
-Shanghainese are well-packaged. They don’t spit on the streets as much, they dress better, and they just seem to be more civilized. Beijing is like Shanghai ten years ago when I first lived in China. Shanghai at that time lacked the “culture” it has now. Shanghai is just a lot more Westernized and as a result the locals have it together better than the chaotic, disgusting, unhygienic Beijing scenes I encounter on a daily basis.
-Shanghainese are nice – I know, I know, many people say the opposite, but to me at least they are. I feel that in Beijing people are actually more arrogant because they know they live in the capital and as a result believe they have a higher status. I feel that in Beijing even if just one tone is off the Beijingers do not want to listen to you or help you. On the other hand, all the Shanghainese are really willing to help and are very impressed that any foreigner can speak Chinese. I guess I’m bias anyway, but I definitely vote for the Shanghainese!
-Shanghai is so rich in culture – don’t get me wrong, Beijing is the cultural center of China BUT if you want to see the interaction and mélange of East and West Shanghai is the place to go. You can visit the Old City, stroll around the Bund, and visit the French concession. While I was wandering I came across these houses/buildings that actually looked French. So being the explorer that I am when it comes to old architecture, I went inside. I wanted to cry. The floor still had the French tiles from the 20’s and 30’s when the houses were built. The staircase still had the same design from when it was originally constructed. I got the same feeling I get when I watch the Titanic – I’m so sad to see the glory, richness of the past gone. The Chinese have no idea of the significance of where they live. Where one family used to live, now live eight Chinese families. They spit on the tiled floor as if where nothing. This one house I went in had four stories of just beautiful wooden carvings and wooden floors. Now on the hallway of each floor there is a mini-kitchen. I was shocked, China, come on, really? Show some respect for history, for culture, for society. It is really hard for me to visit these places because I love architecture and to just see the lack of respect and appreciation the Chinese have for the places they live in, especially an ancient French mansion. I guess you can’t blame them because they don’t know any better, but still how can they do that? I’m glad that these buildings still exist because that’s how I know about Shanghai’s foreign past, but at the same time I also get very upset when I visit.

The End of ACC (my summer program)

Yes, the end of my program finally arrived on Friday, August 17th. Hooray! I did it; I finished! No more language pledge, no more classes, no more waking up early. The final day was interesting... to say the least. In the morning we took our finals and then I started packing like crazy because I was leaving the next day. We went out to lunch with a friend that was leaving that evening. After lunch I continued packing like crazy - I took one suitcase to Shanghai, but prepare yourself for this: I left one suitcase, one carry on, one huge box, and one plastic container in Beijing. Jimmy, my savior, picked up my boxes and stored them for me while I was going to be in Shanghai. By 4pm, I was all packed up and ready to attend the closing ceremony for ACC. Minor detail, I was giving the closing remarks for level four. I prepared and I did it, but it was really at the last minute in between packing my things. Finally I could relax. After the closing ceremony, where I was given my certificate of completion, we all went to have Peking Duck. It was great. It was my first time in Beijing. You dip the duck in a sauce then roll it up in a "pancake." Delicious! We also had many other dishes: mushrooms, vegetables, fish (which I don't eat in China because all the rivers are polluted), fruit, pork, duck soup, and fried ice cream balls? (it was a sort of dessert dish). After the wonderful meal, people socialized in the dorm. I went to the gym. Yes, I am a hard core work out person. I used my two-month gym membership until the very last day. After that we all went to the Bar Street to dance and have fun for one last time together. The teachers even came out to party. I have to admit, it was weird to go clubbing with them and the dance room would have been less crowded for sure, but at least they enjoyed themselves. They really tried to dance, but I just don’t think Chinese bodies can dance to Shakira (it was funny to watch). I slept probably three hours because I left early for Shanghai the next day...ah Shanghai.
Some last thoughts about ACC...
-I'm glad I did it. At the beginning I was scared of level four (the weekly exams, weekly orals, weekly essays, daily tests), but I'm proud of myself for finishing it
- I feel more comfortable with my Chinese. I can read more, write more, hopefully even speak better with my tones on target
- ACC staff was really supportive and great to work with. Even until the end, they were guiding us. My teacher was correcting my tones on a piece of paper right before I gave the closing remarks
- and just like in a movie review (haha) I do recommend this intense language program for anybody who doesn’t mind being targeted/attacked/made feel really bad about their level of Chinese every five seconds. My tones were really off so I got corrected about twenty times for the same word, a pretty easy word too, but now I can correct myself and I know I improved.

Prince Gong's Garden and Hutongs

On Friday, August 10, we did not have our weekly test. Instead, we were allowed to explore Beijing. I decided I wanted to go and see the Hutongs, the traditional Beijing homes found in the alleyways. It took us about an hour to get to the Houhai Hutongs, the area where we were visiting. Hutongs are spread throughout Beijing; the ones we visited were near Beihai Park in a pleasant area. I spent about two hours strolling the Hutong area and speaking with one of the locals. This Hutong fieldtrip would be part of my final exam so I had to investigate what it was like to live in these homes. Not all the people who lived in the Hutongs were so eager to talk. After my second try, an elderly lady welcomed me into her home and answered all my questions. The living conditions in the Hutong are very poor. There is a public restroom for about 15 families and there are no showers. It is very crowded and dirty. The lady I spoke to had been living in the same Hutong for about 40 years and was just very unhappy with her life. She told me that meat is too expensive to buy so she only eats rice and vegetables; she has to lock her doors because it is getting very unsafe; there are a lot of people from the country moving into the Hutongs and Beijing people don’t like them; the government repairs the outside appearance of the Hutongs but not the inside (trying to make the city pretty for the foreigners who are coming next year for the Olympic games). One thing that I did not do while I was in the Hutongs was go on a rickshaw ride; there’s always next time. She was just not a happy camper! After spending about two hours strolling the Hutongs, I had lunch in Houhai by the lake and then went to Prince Gong’s Residence. On my way to his residence I signed up to be an Olympic volunteer. Although I already filled the online form, I filled out the paper form – who knows, maybe that will help. They took what seemed a thousand pictures, and then I got a sticker. Cute!

Prince Gong’s Residence
In the mid 19th century, Emperor Xianfeng gave his half brother, Prince Gong, this residence. It is one of the larges private homes in Beijing. Prince Gong is well-known for having negotiated with the British during the second Opium War. Prince Gong agreed to the terms of the Treaty of Tianjin, handed large amounts of silver and part of Kowloon to British Hong Kong. In exchange, the British did not interfere in Beijing and supported the Qing against the Taiping Rebellion. We are actually not allowed into the Prince’s home, but we are allowed to see the garden. The garden is full of winding paths, rockeries (taihu rock structures), water, and buildings. All these elements form part of a traditional Chinese garden. For example, a visit to a Chinese garden should be an engaging and surprising experience. You have to walk around, look through the walls, the windows, the gates, etc. You must actively participate in the “garden experience.” You can also admire the interaction between the solid structures such as the buildings, pavilions, and rocks and the water (huge pond). I was also very excited to visit Prince Gong’s home because in my Art History class I also studied Chinese gardens. It’s always rewarding to see first hand what you’ve studied for months in a text book. One of the garden’s highlights is the theatre almost in the middle of the garden. Although I did not go inside, I was able to sneak in a picture of the ceiling which is beautiful.