Let's Get This Party Started

This post is now confirmation that I am alive and in Beijing. Yesterday (which was really yesterdays) was long, though the traveling part of it went rather smoothly. I arrived on time to LA, hauled my baggage to a different terminal, met some people from CET, and flew with them to Tokyo. That’s where we encountered the only travel wrinkle, as when we got to the gate for our flight to Beijing, Japan Airlines politely informed everyone that due to “bad weather” we “may” be diverted to Kansai. That’s right—“may.” In fact, even after they delayed us for 40 minutes, boarded us on the plane, and got us in the air, they still insisted on alerting us to the possibility that we may or may not be diverted to Kansai, which is in Osaka, and clearly, not actually in China.

But they finally made a decision, as we arrived in Beijing to find that the bad weather that had the potential to divert us was actually rather dangerous. I don’t know how (or why) the landed the plane, because the whole city was enveloped in a fog roughly the density of yogurt.



So, after a little drive and a lot of luggage hauling (now I know why it’s called luggage), I arrived to my humble dorm room. I was and am happy to be here, though last night I admit that I went through a small crisis in faith. Having been awake for close to 40 hours in a strange place with bags to unpack at midnight, I questioned just what the hell I thought I was doing, moving to a strange country with no friends. I couldn’t even take a shower, because, oops, I don’t have a towel. (I didn’t forget it, because they told us to buy them here. I just didn’t account for the fact that maybe I would want to take a shower.)



This morning was much brighter. I took a placement test, which I feel just serves to remind me of just how much Chinese I have forgotten. In my oral exam, my teachers/testers complimented me on my speaking. That’s a nice feeling, but I can’t be sure that it’s true, because Chinese people say that to any foreigner who attempts to say nihao.

After the test, I returned to my room to decompress before lunch. I put my key in the door, gave it a turn, and whoops! it broke off in the lock. This really underscores my assertion that nothing in China, no matter what it is, is actually made to be used more than a few times.

So then I had to walk down to the shifu (literally “master,” but really just like an RD) and tell him that my key had broken off in the door, which proved interesting as I know the words for neither “key,” “lock,” nor “broke.” So I walked into his office, held up my key, and told him my room number.

After he couldn’t fix it, he called another shifu, who was supposed to come then but didn’t show for awhile. So my shifu and I had a nice long chat. He is the nicest guy. He also complemented me on my speaking skills, and I am so proud that I actually carried on a conversations. I didn’t even have to say “I don’t understand” or shake my head in confusion. And I actually said things and asked him questions and had a genuine conversation. And then, he gave me candy! He gave my two pieces of White Rabbit candy, which I love. And now I have a new key, so I can actually access my room.

Now I’m working on the whole socializing aspect. Lots of people here were here last semester, so they all know each other and know the way things work and such. But I’ve only been here a day and it’s so interesting, the way the dynamic here works. My neighbors are males, clearly notable due to my usual single-sex living conditions. I’m branching out and leaving my door open when I’m in my room so that people will talk to me, but it’s something I never did at Wellesley that maybe I should have done. Two people have already stopped by. It's quite an effective strategy.

Since people are still celebrating the New Year, the city is practiacally deserted, and there are nonstop firecrackers going off. It sounds like gunfire and it is so loud and annoying. I feel like I’m living in a ghetto or some war-torn country, but then I remember that people are celebrating, not warring. Happy year of the Pig, everyone!