Andrew

9 April: The start of a journey

This day started off like a normal one, I got up, got dressed, and went to school, for the first two blocks. After that things got busy quick. Last minute packing lasted up until around 1:30 which was when we needed to leave for the flight.

Driving there, and even meeting the group was surreal, like I was walking in a dream. It was only after we had gotten through security and were waiting boarding to start, that my situation sunk in somewhat. The plane ride was something special. From the time they started boarding to the time we pushed off from the gate was like 15 minutes, something I am still amazed at. The food was also excellent (see pictures), the only downside being that the in-flight entertainment system was broken. Luckily, I had enough books to enjoy during the flight. Walking out the door after customs, was like walking into a new land. Everything was different, except for 8 faces that I recognized, the Chinese exchange students.

The reunion was something special and precious, and I couldn’t stop grinning. After an hour car ride, consisting of mostly silence and pointing out stuff, we arrived at what I consider my second home. A quick introduction to the rooms and a nice dinner wrapped up the day. I can see myself being comfortable in my second home.​

-posted on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 7:00 PM

17 april: family bonding

It was the first weekend after our first week of school. I had big plans, you know, reading, sleeping, a little homework. Around 11:00 Dick (my sibling) walked into my room asking me if I wanted to make 饺子 (dumplings). Of course I said “yes”, I’d always wanted to make dumplings. Our entire of family of 4 crowded into the kitchen, my father was already rolling out the dough, making the skin of the dumplings. My mother was putting the finishing touches on the filling, lots of green vegetables and some pre-cooked meat all mixed together. Soon after I entered, my father showed me how to make the dumplings. First you take one of the newly rolled circles, then you add some of the filling, (using chopsticks, of course) finally without letting the filling near the edges, you pinch the sides closed. The step after that involved compressing the dumplings, however I wasn’t able to manage that part. We worked in tandem, rolling, filling, and wrapping, until we ran out of room to put the created dumplings. So, we started to boil them. Once the first batch was cooked, my parents told Dick and me to sit down and start eating. Now I won’t try to describe the taste, because my description would be severely lacking. Suffice to say they were wonderful. Our parents soon joined us, and we ate until stuffed.​

-posted on Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 6:00 PM

24 april: The bizarre bazzar

Today was our last day in Xi’an, so of course we went shopping! After checking out of the hotel and eating breakfast we went to the Great Mosque. The Great Mosque is located in the center of the bazaar; it is the biggest mosque in China. After a quick tour of the tranquil mosque, Charlie, our guide, led us to our meeting spot.

We had about 2 hours to shop! It was 10:30. We were paired up with our Administrator buddies, as we entered the depths of the bazaar. It was crazy, there were people everywhere. Ms. Rossi told me it was even crazier at night. I was surrounded by stores, and I couldn’t look everywhere at once, so I just constantly spun in circles taking it in. At the start I was with Mr. Jones (my buddy) Mr. Longnecker, Ms. Fletcher, and Edmond. For around the first 20 shops, we just looked and tentatively questioned the prices. But once we got further in, we started to see things we wanted and we started to bargain. Now, none of us were given an official lesson on how to bargain, but most of us had an idea of how it worked. I must say some of the original asking prices were outrageous.

We walked past 40 shops when we met Ms. Coughlin. She was a demon when it came to bargaining. If she wasn’t able to at least half the asking price, she walked away, which usually had the shop keepers calling her back, agreeing to her demands. It was her attitude and ruthlessness that inspired me, and most of us, to really work at getting a fair price.

If you ever need to teach someone how to bargain, take them to this bazaar. After just one hour of watching and trying, they will learn, I know I did. Getting out was much harder than getting in. Every shop you pass, you just have to peek in and see all the shiny, smooth, or intricate things. When everyone finally escaped, we went to lunch. I almost fell asleep on my feet I was so tired.

-posted on Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 7:00 PM

2 may: a spring holiday field trip

Today started off like any other, except the exchange group would be going on a school field trip along with both senior classes to the Purple Bamboo Park and the Summer Palace. I had never been to the Summer Palace before, so I was really looking forward to it. We were ready, with lunches in hand, first thing in the morning.

"The Summer Palace (颐和园; Yíhéyuán), is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing, China. It serves as a popular tourist destination and recreational park. Mainly dominated by Longevity Hill (万寿山; 萬壽山; Wànshòu Shān) and Kunming Lake (昆明湖; Kūnmíng Hú), it covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers (1.1 sq mi), three-quarters of which is water. The construction started in 1750 as a luxurious royal garden for royal families to rest and entertain. It later became the main residence of royal members in the end of the Qing Dynasty."

After waiting for a bit at the school, our siblings came to our room, and told us it was time to leave. All the kids gathered at the front of the school where we lined up with the two senior classes, dividing into two lines, boy and girl. Students in the class were assigned to keep count since we were such a large group. They counted and reported back to the teachers. Once everyone was present we ambled out of the gate and crossed the street by way of the overpass. Once there, the 2 senior classes got on coach busses, but our siblings pulled us away, unexpectedly and we approached a mini-bus, more like a giant van with many seats. 7 Chinese students and 7 American students, along with Ms. Rossi, Meng (one of the two chaperones who came to America) and the driver. The only problem: there weren’t enough seats. The solution was two groups of 3 kids would share 2 seats, and Dick (my host sibling) sat on the floor. Halfway through the trip, the driver offered up a little stool for Dick to sit on, but he preferred the floor. Although, crowded, it was a fun ride, with everyone talking and having fun being away from classes for the day.

It was probably a 45-minute drive to the Purple Bamboo Park, where we all piled out and lined up again. Again, the student helper counted and we were off. After a bathroom break we all got on a ferry/barge/boat thing and took a lovely ride down the river, complete with a narration in Chinese. Our original plan was to take this ferry to the Summer Palace, but sadly, there was construction and we could not get through. So we turned around and back we glided down the river and arrived back where we started, and after a bathroom break, and student counting, we all piled back into our respective buses, Dick still sitting on the floor.

Upon arriving at the Summer Palace, we were given some information about the area and then an hour to explore this island and Kunming Lake. I must say the view was impressive, and as we ambled across the 17 Arch Bridge, I was again thankful that I decided to come to China. The history of the country is breathtaking and so different from what I'm used to. We explored and looked around the island, with it’s traditional building style and raced back across the bridge, only 5 minutes late.

We then proceeded as a big group into the palace on the other side of the lake. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful walk. That building was even more impressive than the island. All the information was given in Chinese, but I discovered I could sort of grasp what was being said. We walked in and out of buildings, observing artwork and furniture from the days of the Emperor. We noticed the beautiful ceilings with the character that means happiness on them. The rooms were ornate and beautiful. It was an elegant palace.

After finding a spot and eating a quick packed lunch, we had 45 minutes until we had to leave. So what did Clarissa, Dick, Nathan, Lucy, Lucy’s friend, and I do? We rode on a paddle boat on Kunming Lake. I had always want to ride one of those, so it was a special treat. The 6 of us boarded the boat and peddled over to where the others were resting and finishing lunch. After much yelling and taking of pictures we floated away and out into the lake. It was a super way to digest all that had happened that day… ​

-posted on Monday, May 2, 2016 at 7:00 PM

10 may: Getting around

These past 4 weeks I’ve done it all. I’ve ridden on buses, both private and public, taken the subway across Beijing, experienced traffic in both a car driven by my father and a modern taxi (Uber), I’ve shot across China in a bullet train, and finally I arrived in China on a roaring airplane.

So, where to start? Well, a car is arguably the fastest mode of transport, so I’ll start there. I first experienced a car after arriving in China on my first journey to my house. Of course, I was crazy tired, but I still remember most of it. It’s mostly the same as riding in a car in America. However, the people drive… energetically, there is a liberal use of the horn, no one cares about the pedestrians, and only around half of the population uses turn signals… but other than that, it’s pretty similar. I was only scared of riding in a car for the first week, although, to this day I remain apprehensive every time I cross the street. There is one thing I have noticed about my Chinese dad’s driving. Whenever we get to a light, or a seemingly long pause in traffic, my dad will put the car in neutral and pull up the park lever. I assume it’s to give his feet a rest, but I don’t drive a car myself, so I wouldn’t know. Additionally, sometimes after school when Dick and I need to go to the supermarket, we will take the Chinese version of an, Uber. An Uber is not a taxi, which I assume is more expensive. This is where someone who is connected to an app, drives up and takes you where you need to go. All transactions are through this app, including payment (which is how you tell the difference, besides the coloring of the taxis).

For the rest of the school days, Dick and I take the bus home. The stop is just outside the entrance of the school, and if you have ever taken the public buses in London, it’s almost identical. You swipe a card when you get on and off (the cards were provided to us by the school). The only thing is that sometimes the bus is deserted and occasionally it’s stuffed, with people standing on the steps that you take to get on the bus. I must say, it’s almost better to wait and hope that the next bus is more empty, then to take the packed one. I once rode on a coach bus that was converted to a public one, which consisted to adding a row of seats on one side (two seats and three seats) and reducing the isle down to one and a half feet wide because it was rush hour.

The rest of the traffic on the roads of Beijing consist of bicyclists and makeshift vehicles and powered bikes. Bicycling in Beijing is pretty safe, because there is almost always a separate lane for bikes and other things small enough to fit. The only danger one would encounter is reaching an intersection. Although, there are traffic lights, it’s essentially a free for all and one must pay attention! While I’ve never ridden a bike in Beijing, I’ve seen them every day, and they must have the courage of Lions.

Besides street traffic I’ve also ridden two types of trains. The normal underground subway and the 290 km/h bullet train. The subway is similar to the buses, in that you never know if there will be open seats, allowing for an easy ride, or if you will be packed in, like sardines in a can. All I can say is that if it looks bad, it is bad. Once you get the hang of navigating the maze of lines and stops, it’s not that hard to find your way around. Just follow the signs (most of which have English on them), and plan ahead what route to take. The subway is very clean and has high security measures, which makes people feel safe. It’s just like any other subway system in the modern world, in many ways.

The bullet train was another matter altogether. Since we had the administrators with us, we got first class seating, which was a plus. The seats were comfortable and offered a lot of leg room. We were given a care package at the start of our ride witch contained some salted almonds, crackers, and delicious fruit leather, along with a small bottle of Coca-Cola. During the 6 hour ride I took several walks along the length of the train, stretching my legs and watching the landscape flash by. It was a pretty relaxing ride both there and back, I was able to do quality homework most of the time.

The final mode of transportation I have taken in China is actually the first one I experienced. The Hainan Airlines plane. Now this flight is not like American flights. Upon take off you get a hot towel to wash your hands, and over the course of our 14-hour flight, we were served drinks several times, which included some excellent tea. Because it was such a long flight we were served two meals. One main one, and one quick one just before our descent. These meals actually consisted of real food, I had chicken and rice, along with several side things. Moving on, after we reached cruising altitude and the seatbelt sign went off, we were allowed to roam the plane, which I had to do in order to keep from sleeping. All in all, it was a much better experience that flying in America. The only sad downside to our flight is that our entertainment system was broken the entire flight, so I ended up finishing my book. One final note, in any Chinese flight you are not allowed to use cell phones. When Ms. Fong asked why we were told that is was a government thing.

In closing, if you ever consider visiting China you will have a wealth of options for transportation. Just keep in mind that things here are quite different than what you may be used to, but I’ve learned to go with the flow and so can you. ​

-posted on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 12:00 AM

16 may: my final entry: expanding my cultural horizons

I've been lucky enough to be living and going to school in Beijing for the last 6 weeks on my student exchange. During this time, I've observed many similarities and differences between Chinese and American culture. When I first arrived in China, I was nervous..... I didn’t know what to expect. I had the usual questions, like would I get along with my family? How far do I live from the school? What if there were problems? and many more. As the weeks went on, I realized that we are very different and we are very similar!

My family in China is ,of course, different than my other in America, but not too different. My family here still looks out for me, helps me, and cares for me, and that the important part. The only difference is in culture. My family here in China only has one child (in America my family has 4 children). So when I arrived I think my family had to adapt as well. Buying more food, planning for two people instead of one, more laundry, etc...From the first day I arrived up to now, meals with my family have been filled with new foods, and the style is different. We use our own chopsticks to just take what we want off the many plates filled with different food on the table. We also almost all the time have an individual bowl of rice that acts as our plate. If not rice, noodles in a soup. The style of filling your plate is different, but I got used to it quickly.

Everywhere in Beijing, people live in apartments. You can just look around in any area and see building after building after building. For the first few weeks of my stay, I lived on the 3rd floor of a 5 story building. After awhile, I moved and now I live on the 14th floor of a 14 story building. The bathrooms were also something I had to get used to. The shower doesn't have a separate door, so when I take a shower, the water goes everywhere. There's a little mop, in the corner, to push the water to the drain after showering.. Thankfully, there were no squat toilets in my house. Although, they are in the school and were kind of easy to get used to.

Even with our language barrier, my family and I are still able to have fun, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. We spend time at dinner talking about things and asking each other questions. My host parents ask about my day and are interested in the things I have to say. They help me with my Chinese and they are very patient. Family time is family time, no matter what country you live in. Because of this trip, I now have a second family half-way around the world that I feel very close to.

There are many cultural things that are different too. Like how people don’t say “bless you” when you sneeze, and how it’s sort of every man for himself when boarding/exiting the train, despite the clearly marked lines on the track and the unique driving methods employed in China. There are many other tiny differences, most of them I’ve already become so accustomed to that I’ve forgotten them.

School is also quite different. In China the school we go to, The Jingshan School, Yuanyang Branch. This school contains all grades, K-12, which is over 2200 students. The school is 5 floors, with no elevators, so the students walk up and down the stairs all day. So whenever the Wayland kids go to a different classroom/floor. We almost always see kids half our height in the halls, and most of them say a cute “hi” in English as we walk by. Some even high five us. I like having all the different ages in one school.

A normal day in this school has 8 blocks total, with 10 minute breaks in between, along with one and a half hours for lunch. Five 45 minute classes in the morning, then lunch, then three 45 minute classes in the afternoon. The students stay together in the same classroom and the teachers go in and out of the rooms, according to the subject they teach. Additionally, senior kids (our siblings) stay an additional one and a half hours or more, on extra classes. School in China is really important to families. I think that for most kids, school is the center of their world. Everything revolves around doing well in school and preparing for the GaoKao. In America school is important, just not on the same level as it is in China. I originally thought I would have a hard time wearing a uniform each day, but in reality it was no problem because I never have to worry about what to wear and I don’t go through clothes as fast. It’s quite nice.

This past Tuesday we went to the Lama Temple and it was a great experience. After we toured the shops surrounding the temple, and I was shocked when I saw a swastika symbol on some of the statues. Nathan quickly explained that before the Nazi’s stole the symbol, it was a symbol used by Buddhism for longevity and prosperity. Now, while that case may be a bit extreme, it sort-of applies to all differences I've encountered. There is a moment of shock, or something like shock, then after it’s explained to me, I understand the reason and Chinese culture a little more. Over time, while encountering these differences, I began to feel at home in China,

Now that the end of my stay has come, and as I reflect back, I realize that any problem, major or minor, resolved itself in the end. And I know, now that whenever I travel in the future, I will travel with the belief that any problem can be solved. This will allow me to enjoy my experience more. My time here in China has been very precious to me. My horizons are forever expanded because of it.

-posted on Monday, May 16, 2016 at 8:00 PM