Last week in China!

This past weekend was one of the most amazing. We climbed a mountain, saw Confucius temple, mansion and tomb and much more. It was quite the experience.
Yes, it did take us 8 hours on a bus ride first through puring rain and flooded streets. So, not the prettiest day for a drive. Once we finally got there, we went through some parks and saw one of the city healing springs, pretty neat. After that we drove to a city to stay called TaiShan. This was when it got exciting.
Saturday was close in the running with the Great Wall. We climbed Mount Tai. The mountain was huge!!! I think it was around 1545 meters...maybe.. it is hard to translate Chinese measurements. But yeah so basically a little over a mile high, but we had to walk through other mountains to get to this one. There were many options. You could take a bus half way up and then climb the rest, take the bus then take the cable car, or climb half way and then take the cable car...or CLIMB THE WHOLE 7,000 stairs. What do you think I did??

Ahhh, yes...I climbed all 7,000 stairs. The first half was beautiful. Springs, rocks, roosters, dogs, frogs...any sounds you could think of we heard. The stairs at the beginning were few and then walk, a few and then walk..then you hit the walls of stairs where they went straight up. CRAZY...and much burning of the legs! We got half way and Kristin's knee hurt, so I had to climb a little ways by myself until I met up with Sylvia and Amanda. It was so peaceful and had time to think about how fortunate I was to be here and how I wish some many people could experience it with me.

Finally, I caught up with Sylvia and Amanda...at the best part of the whole climb.. There was a beautiful waterfall with Chinese characters carved in the mountain. It was great. We made a little detour to actually play in the waterfall...so amazing. After our little break we made our way up even with the fog pouring in for a storm. Stopped many times to rest, take to people, give hugs to older Chinese men would probably don't see many foreign women like ourselves. Great times. We did great until the last staircase, which there were probably over 500 stairs straight up. Our legs were killing, but we made it up!! It took around 4 hours, with the stops for pictures, off coursing, and rests.

Once we hit the top, amazing view!! Ahh I loved it. It was such an accomplishment to hit the top! After that we had to climb MORE stairs to get to our restaurant...what tour guide plans a meal another hundred stairs up. BOO!! Needless to say Amanda, Sylvia and I were getting frustrated, but we made it with only a few bad words. HAHA. Lunch was fine...afterwards, we hit the summit. BEAUTIFUL views!! Sylvia, Amanda and I did some more off path travelling and sat out on some rock to relax and enjoy the views! The second best part of the climb. We then had to take the cable car down and make our way home to fall fast asleep! Oh wait after my great massage for $15!!!

The next day we saw Confucius temple, mansion and tomb. It was neat to be there, but since things were so old things weren't that amusing from still being wore out. The cemetery was the neatest thing we saw. It many descendents from Confucius and all of their tombs were in this huge park...over 120!! It was crazy..I would never go there at night. After that, we left for the long track home. Highlight from that Kristin...plucked Noah's eyebrows...and nose....WOW what a difference.

This past monday, we said bye to our Chinese tutors/friends. It was sad!! Needless to say I cried...as I always do!! It is hard not to when they tell you they will never forget you! We know we will keep in touch and hopefully they will all get the chance to come to America someday. Other than that we have been doing our lasts of everything...AliBabas, noodle shop, shopping, and saying bye to our friends...including being woken up this morning by Josh and Nick at 5:30am on their way to the beach! Our bags are packed and we are ready to go! If we can make it to the airport first...with our bags then we can make it home!! See you soon!

CHINESE MINOR

HEY FRIENDS!! SO Thursday was our last test..aka FINAL..and I got an A!!! Not to boast...but I am totally exciting because that means I have a Chinese minor...hard to believe..I know..BUT IT IS TRUE!!!
Ok..that is all I got...a week left...sad face

BeiDaiHe

So..last weekend we went to BeiDaiHe!! Basically you can call it a beach with lots of Chinese people..some pretty fun rocks to climb on and LOTS LOTS LOTS of sun!!! We had a great time..getting there on our own.. no leader, no professor..on our own in China!!

My First Train Ride Ever! It was interesting trying to plow through the Chinese who don't believe in lines ever!! So..needless to say it took a while to even get a ticket. We finally got settled in our soft seats...which ended up being not that soft..but we got two to a person so good sleeping space. We met some Koreans who gave us SUSHI!!! Oh so good!! I had been waiting for that!! They were totally nice...and I realize how it is such a small world...because since we met them on the train they found us in BeiDaiHe...even though they didnt get off there and I saw them here in Tianjin at the random Carreforre (a French WalMart)...anywho..It was a great train ride...it took four hours to get us there but it was worth the views of the countryside and realizing that it is exactly how it looks in TV with everyone working in the fields with their pointy hats and plows. I also finally got to see some rice patties...which is very interesting..I still really dont understand how that works.

So once off the train...we got mobbed by Chinese trying to get us to take their taxi to the actually beach area...a common occurance in these parts. We found a van and we were on our way! Luckily they knew of a hotel and we got three three person rooms for 120 kuai which was like 40 kuai a person which is about 5 dollars to stay for one night...SWEET DEAL! We got in our room put the swimsuit on and hit the beach!!

The beach was great, not as beautiful as say the Bahamas, it was more like the beaches on the Atlantic side of Florida..shelly and orangish sand...not white...but we were definitely fine with it!! We laid out some towels..got our drinks and we were ready to go!! The water was freezing but we swam! Once you were in it it was soo fun so we couldnt resist! We did a little rock climbing and watched all the Chinese WATCH us. They were very amusing. Our Chinese was definitely tested on this trip. Once one Chinese person figured out we could speak a little Chinese...about twelve others surrounded around us. I think at one time I had at least ten around just me. I tried to play possum...didnt work...finally we would just go get in the water. Not that it wasn't fun to talk, but it got old fast when all you want to do is relax on the beach.
So yeah we laid on the beach all day and then once the sun was gone..we headed up for dinner outside and a walk through the longest night market I have seen here..at least a mile long. Crazy...but not a success since every seller there had almost the same thing.

The next day we all laid out for a while. Some people went hiking around taking pictures and finding interesting things. Most of us continued with the sunbathing and relaxing before our last week of class. Sylvia and I met the cutest boy! He spoke relatively good English, but we made him practice Chinese with us. He asked if we had any American money..so I found him a quarter since we had exchanged the rest..and I have never seen someones face light up like that before. We knew he was going to keep it forever. He went to show his dad and came back with Chinese money for us..even though we already had some. It was soo CUTE!!! One of the many highlights of the day! Another highlight was Amanda playing whale...or maybe stealing Noah's boxers...or maybe even all the Chinese men in their tight tight TIGHT shorts/speedoes! Haha

Some ladies left early and Sylvia, Amanda, Noah, Nick and I stayed to get that last minute sun. We decided to head up around 3:30pm to eat and catch a taxi back to the train station. The ladies weren't hungry so we ate some bingqiling (ice cream) and the boys picked out there meal from some tanks infront of the restuarant...yes they have any seafood you want ready to go right there infront of you...point to what you want and they scoop it up and cook it! CRAZY! After they ate...man we walked to find a taxi forever...and finally once we had two...we were in a rush to get to the train station.

After about thirty minutes in the taxi, we realized we werent going the right way or were even in the city where we were dropped off. we kinda freaked out..but we were cool. Once we did stop...it was the most GHETTO train station ever. It had the this greenish coloring that made it seem like we were in a horror flick and it was just all around weird. So we realized we couldnt make the 5:30pm train..so we asked about the next and last train and she told us it was full....aka...NO MORE SEATS!! WHAT?!?!?!

Ok so we finally figured it out and got tickets..but no seats..how does that work?? you may ask.. but we really didn't know..we thought maybe we sat in the box car attached to the back or something..but it didnt work out that way.

We got on the train and somehow Nick got a seat so he was lucky...but it was also good because that left us with four people and so the next car we found we hopped on and fond four seats together and just sat quietly...trying to be sneaky!! So..everything was great it started moving...and then the little man in charge came and asked Sylvia for her ticket...and she acted like she couldn't find it and then the guy next to us told him we studied Chinese and we could stay...that was basically so once again they could observe us for hours on end. We decided since we had four hours to go..we would start the trip off with some Baizhou...the worst tasting alcohol on this earth!! (well at least what I have tasted) It tasted like rubbing alcohol with a black licorice taste...which neither was very tasty. So we played cards finished that and still had time to spare. We started talking with those around us and making friends, you know that usual thing you do on a train. Some exciting moments: Sylvia getting Chicken stuffed in her mouth by a Chinese man "Cheersing" us, getting gifts of cigarettes and almond nuts that we had to smash open with the beer bottles. CRAZY!! Once again...we were surrounded with at least 20 Chinese for the last hour of the trip...it wouldnt be exciting without them there!! Needless to say it was a great trip on our own ...and if I had to do it all over again the same way..I WOULD!!!

If you can't stand the heat...

GET OUT OF CHINA!! Man.. you would not believe how hot it is here!!!
Kristin had a good comparison.. it is kinda of like when you open the oven and the heat hits you in the face, while that is how hot it here, but you can't get away from it. You walk like ten feet and you are covered in sweat! I must admit it is a bit gross. We always try to do fun things everyday.. but with the heat it is hard to walk even across the street!!

We haven't been doing to much around here in Tianjin. We have two free weekends in a row from traveling, so last weekend we hung around Tianjin and went to our restaurant... Ali Babas yi bian he pijiu yi bian da puka... drank and played cards!! So fun... Kristin, Josh, Nick and I could not stop laughing the next afternoon about the things we talked about, said or how we tried to steal a boat without oars so we could somehow get to the middle of the pond?!?! I don't know it was great. Looking at that and our Saturday night of once again just playing cards and watching a movie, it might seem like we don't have fun, but laughing every two seconds is the best for me!

OH yeah!! During the day Saturday, Kristin and I decided to find our way to SUBWAY.. yes they do have subway here.. and well it was great.. riding the bus and walking a few blocks to be rewarded with an American Subway sandwich... BUT then.. we were like oh there is a McDs nextdoor, so lets get a sundae..nothing better then that.. UNTIL Kristin got attacked by a homeless man.. ok well she is fine.. But this guy decided to grab our arms.. I pulled away and he continued to corner Kristin by the McDs and she pushed him away.. AND he pushed her BACK!!! WHAT!?!? Does that happen?? Well, in China it does. Luckily we were both by different entrances of the McDs and we looked at each other and jumped in the doors! We were safe... that is what we thought! Ahh so we got our sundaes (exactly the same) and sat down... soon after the man decided to come bang on the window next to us and yell and flick us off... hmm interesting.. We just stared at each other.. WOW! Well he eventually walked down the street and bothered some other man by trying to wash his car window. A nice other homeless lady knocked on the window and basically told us he was gone! We gathered all our change, gave it to her and beelined for the bus! Man was that intense!!

We also went to a few temples this past weekend in Tianjin, because we felt like we didn't know much about the culture here compared to the many other places we have gone. It was interesting.. 600 years old.. needless to say run down but interesting to learn about.. and shop around the antiques outside!

This weekend we are heading to the BEACH!! I am super excited! I bet the coastline is beautiful! I will let you know what happens!
Oh wait I forgot to tell you we found a Dairy Queen..
DON'T BELIEVE ME... I took a picture! HA

Tianjin

So, I realized I really haven't talked to much about what I actually do everyday or for that matter what that main city I am staying in is like. Tianjin is my home over...and I can say that when we go places such as XiAn, we got back and realized it did kinda feel like home. I can't imagine how it will feel when we really get back home, but anyways...Tianjin, despite the dirt everywhere, the millions of bikes and people, and the squatter toilets...I must say I am pretty happy. I am not to homesick although I mean I miss everyone, but I feel like I am not wishing my trip away at all...

So, my dorm...well it is called a hotel..but it is a dorm.. At first..not even cleaned before we came.. I kinda freaked out.. but since then it has become my place for rest...most definitely!! You would never believe how hard my bed was....but now some how it has become comfortable and very useful for those naps! Our view is awesome, we look out over one of the main roads of Tianjin, so we see tons of people and the canal next to it... across the street is a middle school and of all things a TGIFridays.. weird.. We can also see a huge ferris wheel and bungy jumping thing..as well as a huge TV needle...reminds me of Seattle..We are lucky to have a balcony to relax on consider many of the others in our group face construct workers that work throughout the night! I have gotten used to the honking of horns all day, all night.

Almost everyday, I have class in the morning from 8 to 11:40am, but with a total of 40 minute break ineptness all of our four parts of class. Class was challenging at first..considering one of our two professor speaks only Chinese in our class. But NOW.. I actually understand and am not frustrated. I feel like my Chinese has improved.. I hope it has considering we have class and then we have been paired with a different tutor every week. The tutors are really fun because not only are they teaching us, but they take us to very neat places around the city. For example, they have taken us to all the markets to bargain down sellers as well as the zoo and their huge ten story bookstore.. what else.. authentic restaurants, museums, and much more. So, we have learned lots and done lots around here. I am truly happy that we have met these students because it will be a great way to stay involved in speaking and using Chinese when we keep in contact with them.
Homework is actually not bad.. I don't think I spend more than an hour studying... if that even for tests. The practice everyday helps I think...

Other then school related things.. we do a lot of shopping, walking and just exploring of the city when we are not traveling around China. The people stare, try to sell anything, sell chocolate popcorn, eat tons of ice cream (odd), ride bikes everywhere, crowded buses, dirty streets...I probably have to wash my feet at least twice a day..smokers everywhere.. just a few things that stick out a lot to me. Buying things here is amazing.. I don't know how I am going to come home and spend money on food or anything because everything here is soo cheap. I will do a comparison sometime soon in a blog.
All I can say is it is soo easy to bargain them down and once you do.. you definitely pay the minimum you could ever think of.

Food wise...we have found a place of survival.. so yeah I love Chinese food but having it for breakfast lunch and dinner gets pretty repetitive after awhile.. so we found a definite hole-in-a well joint, that is the best thing ever!! I have never walked into a restaurant with a cloud of smoke in the air, French, Japanese, Chinese, English, Australian, Korean, African American.. all kinds of people.. and experience such diversity and comfort. It is such a neat feeling. A Liu.. our waitress.. lazy and fun at the same.. I think she is getting used to us.. It is such a laidback place.. and we can get anything we want to eat from Mediterranean food to a good ol' grilled cheese...which I had yesterday for dinner.. OH SOO GOOD!!!

I think I have covered it..

Purple lights in the barbershop

Haha...ok so more about XiAn...this is reason..we experienced it all..So Friday night after our awesome day of touring..we showered and were ready to go for a walk.. doing a little mai dongxi (shopping)...and find ice cream (which is really popular in China..which I thought was odd) anywho.. and we must walked they wrong way...although we found ice cream.. we sure did find many other things that showed us a little bit more then we needed to know about XiAn... So we walked by a ton of restaurants and everything was great.. but then we decided to walk back the other way and found some interesting barbershops...with fluorescent purple lights and girls opening the doors to every guy trying to get them to come in... needless to say the barbershop was a definite cover up. We got scared and walked a little fast back to the hotel... ahh about a minute away so we were ok (MOM)... but just wanted to make sure we got away from the scary part of town.. So yeah we saw everything...

That night too I bargained like crazy and bought huge paintings that were originally around 550 yuan and we got three for 100 yuan each... which is like a little over 10 dollars at home... I also got another really cool hard to explain souvenir for 100 yuan and saw the next day that it was worth 1540 yuan... great bargain! I don't know if I will every get back in the swing of things being so expensive at home.

Saturday was a easy touring day... we went to this huge seven stories high pagoda.. and experienced more Buddhism firsthand. Needless to say I paid my homage to the Buddhas, so hopefully I will receive my prays... Also Kristen and I climbed to the top of the pagoda and Li Lao Shi (my Chinese professor) said that it barging good luck and high promotion in your career.. SO WATCHOUT.. I am going to be a successful business woman!!!!

Well, that about it right now... I just got package from my mommy with some survival food!!! So exciting...tell y'all more later!

Women qu le XiAn!!

Just got back from XiAn.. a little, (little if you compare it to Tianjin) still having 7 million people, town out West! Although not so little, you could definitely tell the difference in the amount of people on the streets. I didn't feel as confined while actually walking down the sidewalk.. I also didn't fear getting ran over by a ton of bicycles. Things seemed a little more up-scale in XiAn. We were treated like MovieStars once again.. probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in... comfy beds..the softest bed I have slept on since I have been in China.... rotating breakfast room on the 20th floor... great meals...and a beautiful view... couldn't asked for anything more!

So I guess you could say, we experienced everything in this city. We fly over to XiAn Thursday morning. First stop was the hotel...then we began the touristy stuff. We headed to the City Wall... which just like Beijing surrounds the entire city. It was huge with a great view of the city but didn't compare to the Great Wall...obviously. Close by were two towers..a bell and drum tower in which the bells are sounded every morning and the drums every evening. We also went through a huge museum about the many dynasties that survived through China... since XiAn was the capital of China throughout the first four dynasties... don't I sound intelligent. :) After that we went to the hotel... relax in our bubble bathes and very comfy beds!!

The next day was the best day of the trip.. We first saw the Tercotta Warriors... soo crazy!! There were over 7,000 warriors that have been found.. and they are still excavating! It was so amazing. Each warrior had a different face and each were soo detailed it was CRAZY... We watched a movie before which was in one of those surrounding theatres like Disney World.. it explained everything about the warriors and how they were found and made and all the detail... We also saw to see the farmer who found the actual warriors..that was pretty neat.. It was crazy how all the Chinese people flocked to get his signature..screaming and crowding around him. There were three actual buildings that dug down underneath were the warriors, horse and carriages.. SO MUCH DETAIL...I still can't believe it...

Later on Saturday we went to visit the actual tomb of the emperor of the Qin Dynasty that all the warriors were constructed to protect. We couldn't go into it since they are really trying to preserve the tomb, but there was very cool display of old rituals played out and we were able to climb to the top of the tomb and see the view of the rural area surrounding it. We had seen many of the same type of mountain/hill/tomb looking things on the way into the city from the airport..they were all also tombs of emperors.. many were spread over the valley of XiAn...

There were beautiful mountains north of XiAn that we only got a glimpse of at the summer place we went to that day..we saw the slightly at the tomb, but since it was so foggy we missed out...SAD.. but the summer palace made up for it.. we saw hot springs, old bathing rooms for the emperors and his concubines.. and where a very famous conquer got caught...I will update the name a little later when I can think more...Overall it was beautiful... the bridges and walkways and stairs were so detailed and to think the emperor and his concubine just used to walk around and be in this beautiful place so long ago make it all so much more amusing.

More to come...