First few days...

Beijing is kind of awesome. It is super cold, though, and that will definitely take some getting used to. Anyways, the flight was pretty long, but I made it. I took some sleeping pills and it was glorious sailing from there. I had a semi-coherent conversation with the Chinese woman next to me on the plane! We talked about her home town of Hong Kong, the weather, and my anxiety about being in Beijing. First time in the Orient, it's pretty scary. There were a few people from my program on the plane so we all took a taxi together. The taxi ride was awesome. We were going so fast and somehow we managed not to crash. The drivers here have no concept of lanes or straight lines. Once we arrived to the campus, we were so incredibly lost. However, with our Chinese skills combined we managed to find the Foreign Students Dormitory.

We checked in and moved in to our rooms. Well, the dorms are...spartan. The beds are like rocks. Apparently, the concept of comfort doesn't exist either (insert "serious Asian" joke here). We were all starving and decided to try out a local restaurant. We asked the guard for some places cheap, yet delicious. He directed us down the street to a nice looking restaurant. We walked in and it was so hot and the waiters and waitresses were spiritedly yelling at one another. It's difficult to describe to you because Chinese people just yell at one another and it sounds like garble. They gave us a menu and we decided to do this traditional Chinese style. This involves us getting like 3 or 4 dishes and then putting them in the middle of the table and eating it communal style. The menu was a massive book and we couldn't really read the descriptions of the meals. We just pointed at the pictures and ordered. The first dish looked like chicken and we each took a piece and proceeded to eat it. However, it was a different part of the chicken and none of us could really figure out what exactly it was. It was just fried gristle and what, we assume, were chicken kunckles. It was an interesting first dining experience. We had some other dishes like beef with mushrooms, kong pao chicken, and traditional Chinese broccoli.

The combination of jet-lag and a full stomach made us all extremely tired and we all came back and immediately passed out. Then we woke up early for some breakfast and our campus and local area tour. It was a brisk 28 degrees and a good 2 mile walk. Needless to say, I was dying. Everyone else was having a gay old time. Northerners...

After our tour we had our placement exams. A 2 and half hour written Chinese exam wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it certainly reminded me that I am here to study and not just hang out. We also had an oral component. There were 3 teachers in front of me and I was being recorded and it was incredibly nerve-wracking. I made them laugh...a lot. I don't know if it was because of what I had to say or if it was because of my terrible Chinese.

We then went out to dinner and then to the another district where we sampled local watering holes. Chinese bars are pretty interesting. It's definitely a different atmosphere than American bars. Many of the Chinese people were playing local drinking games. Note to self: Learn Chinese drinking games.

Today we have a free day to do what we like. I think a bunch of us are going to go to the grocery store and buy some snacks, etc... Also, I really want to go to Wal-Mart. Oh, globalization. Today is our last full day of speaking English. Tomorrow we have a Beijing city tour and then new student orientation. Then our language pledge starts and it's all Chinese from there. I should have some fun translation stories.

Adjustment hasn't been too bad. There are some things that are definitely different, but once classes start on Monday things will be better. I will have a set schedule and a lot of homework to start doing. It has been interesting trying to get in the mindset of school. I am here to study and not on a vacation. This will be the longest time I've spent in a foreign country and that's exciting to me. Especially a country like China. If I had time to get literary I would, forgive me. This place really is a world away. China is everything that I'd imgained and yet somehow completely different at the same time. It's fascinating, really. I wish I could bring all of you here with me.

Off to breakfast. Sorry I don't have pictures yet. I'll start taking some and will figure out how to post them here. Hopefully this wasn't too boring. I feel like this should be an audio blog as there are some things I say and you just need to hear me. So, imagine my inflection and large hand gesticulations.

-Aaron

PS.
Did you know there are no time zones in China?!? So, its 8:37am now. In the western parts of China, its 8:37am, too! That's weird.