OMG

Not having a VPN is the absolute worst thing over a break from school and no one is around. I swear, I didn't realize how much time I waste on facebook and youtube and here. I haven't gotten my original VPN due to Astrill being... uncooperative. I finally caved and got another one since my mom informed me I didn't read the email completely and I won't have it back for another week. I have friends getting married this weekend in the states (my boyfriend is the best man) and there is no way I am missing photos of their wedding. It says I have a 30 day return policy so let's see how this goes. All I really care about is that I can now see the pictures whenever they're posted.

So what have I been doing? Well, since Wednesday (in China, which means Tuesday in the States) I've been trying not to lose my mind because of course that's just when I started to feel better. I did go out have lunch, try some new dishes, but nothing too far out of my comfort zone. I've basically been trying to find this dish I first had at EastWheat in Datong (大同) that was a pork sliced noodle dish (刀削面 - sliced noodles). Apparently, EastWheat is only in Datong which sucks because Beijing is really no where near Datong and I really want their food. The place I went to near me has something similar but it's not as good and more expensive. The dining hall doesn't have it either, at least not like how I'd like it. They also had something similar but the restaurant still has the closest.

Anyway, I haven't been into work but I did finish my report on the interview I did. I haven't heard back on what the producers think of it and don't expect to. This is the holiday week now so I may hear something when I go in on Tuesday but I don't know if they'll be there. We'll see.

Yeah, nothing is really going on- the others aren't back yet but return tomorrow night. Theo posted one picture when they first arrived but I don't think he's posted anything since and neither has anyone else. Not that I would really know, not having Facebook for a week and all. It'll be nice to hear how it went and see pictures.

And now that I have my VPN settled and ready for the wedding, I'm going to bed!

Qing Hai

You know how I said feeling the way I am I didn't want to go? Yeah, I just watched the van leave without me and I feel so left out :(
Erin just texted me: "Hope you feel better, we'll miss you this week!!"
Man.... This was the week everyone was going to become really close- you know that's what is going to happen. And I'm already fairly isolated in my own room- this is going to make everything so much worse :(
Oh, well. What can you do? I keep telling myself that I came here to learn Chinese whenever I feel lonely. Well, I'll just have to take this time to really learn it. The thing is, I'm fairly certain they're going somewhere very few people speak English which means they're Chinese skills will be tested and they'll improve.
Ok, I can't think like that- onward, Courtney, onward!

Laundry

A few days ago I did laundry for the first time!
So it wasn't as big of an adventure as I thought it might be. I had to buy these coins from the convenience store in our building which was four kuai per coin(!!) and some laundry detergent. Marketus had said we should buy liquid detergent but all they had at the convenience store was powder and it was too late to walk to the supermarket. Anyway, so I bought two coins and went back to my floor.
So I can read next to no Chinese and this is what I'm confronted by:

 Thankfully, Devin walked out of her dorm and I knew she was familiar with the washer. She told me to just turn it on, put a coin in, and press the "start" button. So that's exactly what I did- I manged to press the correct button to turn it on, out a coin in, and found the start button. Just as I was walking back to my dorm I realized I had forgotten to put in the detergent I was still carrying in my hand. Luckily I was able to put some in. I don't think I put in enough however because my pants still smelled like smoke after the wash.
There's supposed to be a dryer around her somewhere but I just decided to lay out my clothes to dry in the window since it was sunny out and there is the ledge and, of course, it's free. I'll have to check to see if my pants still wreak of cigarette smoke once they're dry.

Once Dry:
So I now understand the importance of fabric softener... my clothes are really stiff and certainly don't feel soft... question is.... where am I going to find it in China and how do I use it?!

I feel like crap

I'm sick. I'm pretty sure it's just a cold but I don't have Campbell's chicken noodle soup nor my mommy so it sucks pretty bad.
The sore throat started Tuesday night so I got some herbal tea to drink while I did my homework. Then Wednesday I felt pretty bad and my voice was pretty soft so I called in sick to work and class. By the end of the night I was feeling worse but I had been drinking water all day, staying inside, and even resting my voice.
This morning I sleep through my alarm and through my Chinese class (receiving a text from my teacher about it). I then tried talking and my voice was not only soft but going in and out. So I text Marketus looking for advice on what to do.
Normally I would have just said "hey I don't feel well but I think it's just a cold;" however, tomorrow my group is supposed to go to Qing Hai. I don't know exactly where it is but it's at a higher altitude which means breathing is going to be difficult which means a girl with asthma and a cold has something to worry about. He made a doctor appointment in the city for me and asked Xiao Zhang (I think I have her name right) to escort me.
I just got back and basically he said it was a cold and just to rest. That's when I brought up Qing Hai and how they want to know if I can go and what not. He goes "Do you have to?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Then you shouldn't. If something happens it will be very difficult for you to receive medical treatment."
He was Chinese but his English was good. He wrote a note explaining my situation and even told Xiao Zhang.
Honestly? Right now I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay in my dorm and rest. Last week though I was definitely looking forward to the trip! I mean, it seemed like we were going to be really roughing it (he gave us sleeping bags!) and experience "real China." The only thing that worried me was the high altitude (mostly because Marketus was making such a big deal about it). But on top of experiencing "real China" this might be the only vacation I get to take! We have a week of independent travel but I'm pretty sure I can't afford to go anywhere which means this would have been my one chance to get out of Beijing.
Marketus said to tell him how I'm feeling before class tomorrow and we'll go from there.

Highlight of the Day

In Chinese class today we talked about the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Day Festival in China. I compared the Mid-Autumn Day festival to Thanksgiving and so my teacher (我的老师) told us the Chinese word for turkey.
It's "huo ji" 火鸡
That translates to "fire chicken."

First Interview

Today was my first interview ever and I think it went really well! The person I interviewed is named Robert and he a Brit. He went to Cambridge and studied abroad in Beijing at 北大 for a year and is now back getting his master's. We met at my subway station and had a drink at the Bridge cafe nearby (Marketus said that's where the great breakfast is so I'm glad I finally know where it is). We talked for a little bit and then I started the interview.
I was super nervous and fumbled around with my questions but he did really well despite that! I feel like there's enough there for my Ning Qing (my boss) to be able to do something with it but it's really up to her. I still don't know what she's doing with it- all she told me was that she needed a British student and she wanted to know about any hardships encountered, why he/she was in China, and overall experiences and thoughts on China. I told him I'd email him once I knew what it was being used for and when it would air.
He gave me his business card which I'm beginning to realize is a very big deal here. Everyone has business cards- even students! Jules, a lady at my internship, actually has a case that reminds me of my old CD cases that just for business cards.
I also learned that college is cheaper in the U.K. than it is in the U.S. I had heard that somewhere but Robert kind of confirmed it when I told him how much college in Georgia cost and he said that was pretty costly. College in Georgia! Anytime I tell someone in Chicago how much college costs in Georgia they're like "Oh my god- college is so cheap there!" I think I'm going to get my master's in the U.K. Just saying.
He also said that Wudaokou or 五道口 (which is where I live) used to have even more people! Plus, by the train station there's a mall and a small stores all along the street. According to Robert, two years ago when he lived around here the whole street was a market with tons of people! I can't imagine there being even more people here! As it is at 11pm it's like 6 there's so many people out!

Clubbing

I would title this "clubbing in China" but I have no idea what clubbing in America is like since this was my first time clubbing ever.
Yes, ever and I'm twenty-four years old. I lead a boring life, I know.
So the club was interesting- got stamped, just like an American bar and the first floor had some tables and a bar but the basement was all people and it was packed. I mean, it was a perfect visual of the ridiculous amount of people there are in China. Anyway, I ended up leading the roundabout way to the dance floor and ended up kind of on my own. Not so great. Random creepy dude is giving me this "you wanna?" smile and not seeming to take the hint I wasn't interested. I told him no and he asked why. I said I had a boyfriend (which I almost said in Chinese but he was black so thankfully I caught myself). He said where and I said America. Like that would matter, if the girl tells you she has a boyfriend then obviously to her it doesn't matter where he is. Anyway I found the group and while I danced with them I wasn't bothered again.
I've decided bars are more for drinking and socializing. You get a beer and sit there and chat it up with friends. Clubs are more about shots and dancing. I actually had a tequila shot and found it absolutely disgusting. I've never understood the fondness of alcohol- the stuff tastes gross and enough of it makes me feel like I have a head cold. But I loved the dancing- I could definitely do that every weekend. Seriously I think I would dance off all the oreos I'm eating. I seriously need to stop eating oreos- I'm never going to lose weight eating the way I am, no matter how often I walk or dance.
After a couple hours of dancing my feet felt like they would explode. So I decided to leave and as I was walking out suddenly the smell pee surrounded me. Someone had decided to pee in the club. I then saw an employee trying to, I think, brush up the pee? I have no idea. At any rate it was nice to see someone cleaning it up. This is China where it's totally acceptable for people to pee in the street in public.

The Mall

If you think this entry is going to be about anything other than the mall you are sadly mistaken.
Today after going to the Lama Temple I decided I had waited long enough and really needed to buy clothes. For my language practicum I had to stop people on the street and interview them about their shopping and found out most people buy their clothes at the mall. So! I went to the mall which thankfully has elevators that go both up and down because there's, I think, five floors. I walked in and immediately see a store that looks promising. A Chinese girl gives me the run-down, very similar to how it is in the U.S. At least, I think so. I couldn't understand her so I just said "Nihao!" (你好). Anyway, she follows me around the entire store way too closely. She was so close it made me wonder if she thought I was going to steal something. It became so uncomfortable that I left quickly. I went right next door to once again be followed like a shadow. This continued in every store I entered- I don't believe they did it for every customer either. I think I got special treatment. Anyway, I finally found a dress that wasn't expensive and asked "我试试吗？" (or 'wo shi shi ma' which means 'can I try on?') She said yes and so I entered the fitting room.
There's no mirror.
Why on earth would someone want to try something on and not see themselves in the outfit. I had to step outside to check myself out and didn't like how I looked so I put it back and left. Granted that was a small store that really wasn't a store at all but a section dedicated to a particular brand so I thought when I tried something on in an actual store the experience may be different.
Nope.
At this time I remembered someone saying that China was trying to make it's economy based on services. It's almost like they purposely don't put mirrors in the rooms so you have to come out and  show the person helping you. I started to think these people were paid by commission the way this one girl clung to me and followed me around.
This isn't the only thing I noticed. I also noticed that Chinese clothes are weird.
Like, the style is just weird. Or rather, very different from the U.S. I honestly can't out my finger on exactly how though. Sometimes it was the shape, other times the color choice, another had feathers pinned to the shoulder. And they seriously have a thing about shoulders. You might remember that video of Miley Cyrus singing I don't remember but everyone said she was trying to be like Lady Gaga with these shoulder pad things? They aren't shoulder pads but they poof them out. It's like they think they don't have shoulders and need to exaggerate them. At the end of the day I just gave up and went to Espirit but their clothes were just too expensive. I went to all of the stores on four floors and I didn't find anything that was what I liked or if it was too expensive.
I finally just gave up and went back to the dorm.

Work Day

Let me begin by saying I've noticed China has more escalators going up than down. Or actually no, that's not right- basically if there's an escalator going up or down there isn't a guarantee that there's an escalator going the opposite way. For some reason they like make one group of people walk stairs.... I can't even figure out the reasoning behind choosing up or down for a particular escalator. It's not like Union Station where the escalators change because there's a greater influx at a particular time going up rather than down. I don't get it.
I noticed this during my commute this afternoon to the radio station. Today I was shown how to use the recorder and the audio editing software they use because they want me to edit my own stuff. Afterward He Fei showed me to my desk and showed me how to look up all the old brain quizzes so I would know what's already been done as well as know the types of questions they like. He Fei, who I found out is sometimes a producer of the show, wants the questions to be related to China which I agreed with so it looks like in the future I'll be coming up with the brain quiz questions! I also noticed today that because everyone is listening and editing that it's a very quiet environment and there isn't a lot of interaction which is funny because when you think of talk show radio it's all about the interaction between the anchors and the listeners.
Anyway, I basically just read all the previous "brain drain" quizzes as well as emailed some people to ask if they would be interested in being interviewed. I already have an assignment and although she said there was no rush I'm thinking "what else am I going to do?" So I told her I would try to get them to her by Tuesday- that gives me over four days to ask a bunch of people a bunch of random questions. Actually this time it's only two random questions but with the brain quizzes there will be more.
Afterward there was the meeting and everyone agreed today's show went well and then Ning Jing asked me what I thought of the show. To be honest I really like the show except that it feels pieced together or without any flow. I didn't realize it at the time but I think that's because I'm comparing it to our morning radio shows where it's almost all conversation. The anchors will have some topics to discuss and have listeners call in but mostly the conversation can go wherever it wants for about half an hour and with this show they have a lot jammed in three hours. I think the show seems almost rushed trying to fit everything in there. I mentioned my concern reluctantly and even apologized afterward because, I mean, it's my second day. I talked to Jules afterward and she said it was fine ("She asked you!") and Josh said it was "good feedback" and that it "always helps to have a new set of ears." After that it was time to leave and I rode the subway with a Chinese girl who goes by Sabrina. Her English is really good and she actually went to the U.S. this summer to get married and travel for a month. We talked a little bit- mostly stating our observations about the other's homeland.
When I got back I needed cash so I went to the ATM and this Chinese girl was waiting in line and started talking to me. She's just gotten back from England after studying there for a year so she didn't think my four months was very long.
Now see, I knew this would happen. The only Chinese friends I'm going to make will speak English because that's all I can speak! Add to that everyone at my job speaks English and I'm never going to learn Chinese.
I passed this as I was walking back to the dorm and decided I should end with it. I've been hearing about this for a little while but it seems to be really picking up steam in China and getting a lot of attention. I feel sorry for the Japanese citizens here because they could be in trouble if they're found out depending on the person. Anyway, I don't see this one going away anytime soon.

First Day at Internship

I was so nervous even though I knew I would just be learning how to use a recorder.
When I arrived He Fei came down to let me in (I navigated the subways all on my own). I asked her how her weekend was and she said she had an accident! She fell down hard and was out Monday resting. I showed her my shoulder which is pretty much all better by the way-

and told her I tripped over a traffic barrier and then she goes "Me too!"
I think we're going to get along.
Anyway, so we go in and I actually meet another American on the elevator who doesn't work for China Now (which is the program I'm interning for). He was a big guy and his name was Johnny. The studio is actually visible the second you get off the elevator. I recognized the man as the person who was in there when I visited on Friday but there was a different woman in there. They had already started so I had to wait until they played a song to meet them. Hefei had been called into the workroom so another person introduced me to Alex (the guy who was broadcasting) and Man Ling (the woman broadcasting). They're the usual anchors. I was really lucky- He Fei told me I was just going to listen to the broadcast today and then Wednesday (tomorrow) I would learn how to use the recorder. So Alex handed me some headphones and I sat down to listen.
Alex is from the UK and definitely has the accent. If you watch Robin Hood, Disney's animated version, and watch the scenes where Robin Hood is pretending to be a stork then you'll hear his exact accent. He used to act but fell for radio. He even did television for a while but decided radio was his thing. Man Ling, I found out, used to be an English teacher- the first generation of teachers to teach English instead of Russian- and made a point to teach in English, not Chinese. She said she wrote an article against the "Silent English" teaching which basically means teaching children how to read but not speak. I had already decided I was going to write about the study of English in China and how few can speak it so it's amazing that I get to work with her (sort of.. she'll be broadcasting while I work).
Of the two I instantly fell for Man Ling. She has the soothing nature of a patient teacher to counteract Alex's brash, animated personality. There's another guy, the only other man working with the program, Josh, and both of them seem to be very experienced when it comes to broadcasting and so the developing staff they're working with seems to irritate them a bit. Jules and Mila are the other foreigners (外国人 or wai guo ren) in group and the rest are Chinese women. This is of course my first meeting with them so I'm sure my opinion of everyone and the program will change over time but I really think I'm going to enjoy working here.

Make Friends

So at 4pm I met with my language partner or 语伴 (yu ban or to Beijing locals pronounced yu bar) which isn't normal. Normally we meet at 7pm but there's a performance celebrating the 50 year anniversary and she wanted to go. We spent our usual hour previewing the lesson I'm learning tomorrow and then afterward I went to the 4th floor to write the characters or 汉字 (han zi) and do homework (作业 or zuo ye). I get up there and get out my little booklet and start writing the characters for Chocolate Chip Frappe. I figured I'd go back to my dorm and check them on my computer and be able to say it later but today I would show it to the cashier so he knew what I wanted (I found out last week this cashier can't understand English). As I was writing a guy who worked there approached me and asked me what I was doing. I forgot the people there were really protective of their menu and so I explained quickly (because he spoke English) that I was writing it down so I could learn it. He offered to write the characters and even wrote the pinyin for me!
巧克力豆冰乐 - qiao ke li dou bing le. If I translate literally it means chocolate (巧克力) bean (豆) ice (冰) happy (乐)
and it did make me happy

It actually tasted almost exactly like the Starbucks double chocolatey chip frappecino but not as many chocolate chips.
Anyway, so I was there about 2 hours and finally finished my work. I actually talked to Theo who reminded me I still had an essay to do (Doh!) and I left planning on getting some bao zi (包子）to take with me back to my dorm at the cafeteria below. At the elevator however I met a guy. I was trying to decide whether or not I wanted to wait or just walk down the stairs and he seemed to think I was confused or something. Anyway, I managed to understand he was asking me if I was studying Chinese which I confirmed. He then kept talking to me in Chinese and I could just barely understand (I think) that he wanted to practice English with me and then help me with my Chinese. I told him I had a 语伴 but he just kept asking "可以吗?" (literally "may/can?") so I finally just said "可以." When we got outside he kept talking and trying to ask me things and finally  I got him to understand that I needed him to speak slower. He tried but he was still using words I didn't understand. He started typing on his phone and I thought I'd figured out he wanted to discuss a time when Rebecca, Kate, Erin, and Devin showed up! I immediately asked for their help because I had no real clue what he wanted. They did the best they could but for a second it sounded like he wanted to "rest with me" and Erin was like "nope! bu hui! (不会 or can't)" and I just said what is practically my tagline now
对不起，我的中文不好。(sorry, my Chinese isn't good)
and left with them. Then they started asking me "Who was that? So he was just some random guy? Why were you talking to him?"
And I said "Well, they said we need to make friends!"
And they all were like "Not with random guys!"
Yeah, it probably wouldn't have been a good idea. If he could have spoken any English he would have done it much sooner and I don't understand enough Chinese to understand what English he wanted and he clearly didn't know how to talk to someone who barely understands the language.
Still, they said make friends.
Can't say I'm not trying, man.

Something Wrong

So I took a nap. I know I shouldn't have but I did. The point is I woke up and couldn't see. It was similar to when I leave my contacts in and they're hard- I have to blink a number of times to get them right again but today I'm not wearing contacts.
I woke up hearing my phone vibrating. I took off the sleeping mask (which I've been wearing lately so that I can sleep in) and I couldn't see which at first I expected but then as I rummaged through my purse and picked up the phone I realized I couldn't read the name of the person- even when I held it super close and held it back- I couldn't see anything. I thought maybe there was a film over my eyes so I rubbed them but that didn't help so then I used lubricating eye drops but that didn't seem to help- not at first anyway. I went into the bathroom to look at them and I had to be centimeters from the mirror just to see my eyes semi-clearly. I was pretty certain one pupil was bigger than the other.
This is not the first time this has happened. I even mentioned it to my eye doctor and he said there wasn't enough of a difference to worry about.
I got my camera and started taking pictures but unfortunately I can't see anything abnormal but that could be because they didn't turn out very well.

It's gotten better but I still can't see as well as I think I normally do.
I suppose I should mention that a week before I left I saw my eye doctor because my eyes were bothering me. He looked at them and said I was wearing my contacts too often and had infected my lids. So I was told not to wear contacts for a month and put in these drops everyday.
Well after my fall I started wearing my contacts again because they were scratched up. I'm also not always putting in the medication anymore but could that seriously be it?
That isn't the time I mentioned it to my eye doctor either- I mentioned it about four months earlier when I was getting my glasses and that's when he checked and said he couldn't see anything.
I have no idea what to do- I mean, maybe this won't happen again? Because I really don't want to go to a Chinese doctor.
Man, this would happen while I'm in China.

Loooooong Day

Oh my god, my feet are killing me.
So today I had my first Chinese quiz. The highlight was that our teacher spelled four "fore." Other than that it was a lengthy, god-awful test. We had two hours and I finished with 3 minutes to spare. It wasn't hard really (although my grade may say otherwise once I get my test back) it was just really long and had a lot of writing. I definitely need to freshen up on my Chinese and study more.
Especially since today I got my internship! My interview was at 3pm and it took us an hour by subway to get there. I was wearing heels and a jacket to look professional but (thankfully) was overdressed. We talked a little bit about what I'm going to do but we decided to discuss this more in  detail on Tuesday. It looks like I'm going to interview people in English and perhaps record my experiences travelling to tourist places? I'm not entirely sure. Again, we're going to discuss it on Tuesday. Marketus said I did well so that's good! When I got back I was so hungry I went straight to the cafeteria which sucked only because it meant more walking.
I have my abstract due for my 20 page paper due Monday and I'm pretty sure I'm going to write something about the study of English here in China. It just amazes me how these people can be forced to study English at a young age and yet they can't speak it at all! I'm a little worried however because the paper is due in a month which means writing 5 pages a week.
Also my shoulder is finally healing so I don't need to go back to the hospital. I think I'd want to just to talk to the doctor and converse with Chinese people but it's 12 kuai and I need every penny I can get- especially if I want to go somewhere during my independent travel week!

Study Session

Let's see, so much happened today (I know! That never happens!) So today we reviewed in class for our first test tomorrow. It doesn't sound too bad but at the same time I'm still worried. Afterward I went to the dining hall for lunch and got bao zi again. I would eat something else but this I know will be warm whereas everything else is cold by the time I get it. And cold broccoli just isn't good. Afterward I watched Snow White and the Huntsman which was pretty good. They definitely didn't explain well enough why Snow White was the key. I get that she was the fairest but like... it seemed like her mom performed the same spell as the Queen's mother did without realizing it. And then the huntsman is her true love? I read a review that said after the fairyland thing happened the movie just didn't make as much sense anymore and I totally agree.
Anyway, afterward I had to meet with my language partner at the dining hall so I went there to eat beforehand. It was just starting to rain when I left and, of course, I didn't pack my umbrella. One more thing I have to buy here. We ended up going over the words mostly because I knew I struggled with that far more than the grammar. I didn't find it incredibly helpful- especially since she speaks English most of the time. I really need to perfect my Chinese so she won't feel the need to do that.
An hour later I was walking back to the dorms when I walked past Adam, Theo, and Theo's girlfriend Vicky. They invited me to join them and study and I figured I might as well study more. Besides, both Theo and Adam are in my class so basically our entire class would be studying together. We went to the 4th floor of the dining hall which has this awesome cafe that has expensive but awesome food. I ended up getting a caramel frappe.

It wasn't my custom Starbucks frappe with more caramel than coffee but still really good. Especially for China considering my Chinese teacher didn't even know what a frappe was. It was super expensive though- more than $5 and it's not even a big brand. Ironically the food costs about the same so I'll just get that now whenever I go there. Anyway, Theo's girlfriend is Chinese so she read off the words for us and then corrected us. That was actually super helpful and it was nice to study with others. Adam (who's in the picture) actually came up with a story about one word that has now made it possible for me to remember how to write it! Hopefully we'll make studying together a common thing because I feel like we're all going to do better now on the test.
So tomorrow is the test but I might also have an interview for that radio internship! They said I could perform English interviews instead and work my way up to interviews in Chinese so hopefully that will workout. I also have an abstract due for my internship paper which I am worried about. I basically have one month to write 20 pages. That's 5 pages a week which doesn't sound bad except that I have to find all of the research as well! Also, this Saturday a trip to the hutongs (which apparently means alleys) of Beijing is scheduled and Theo said there's a place I could buy clothes at nearby so that should be fun on multiple levels. Basically things are starting to pick up and get busy and I really need to stay on track.

School Clinic/Hospital Part 2

So today I was supposed to go to the school hospital to have my bandage changed but first I had a lunch on the Alliance with a woman who is going to recruit students back in the states. We ate on the 5th floor of the dining hall which was great! The higher you go in the dining hall, the more expensive the meal becomes and the 5th floor is the highest. It was really good! Marketus joined myself, Cheyenne, and Andrew because we were supposed to have another person but whoever it was forgot. At first we stayed on topic and talked about our experiences in China, what we thought students coming should know, and what we thought of the program. Eventually we got off topic and at the very end she asked Marketus something that was very interesting. Apparently, right after our first vacation with our group we're going to be expected to speak mostly Chinese. I suppose I should have seen this coming but since we rarely see Marketus I'm not sure how they can enforce this. We're already expected to speak on Chinese in our Chinese classes and our Contemporary Chinese class has an English instructor so I'm pretty sure we'll be speaking English in there. It will be interesting to see what happens. Not that I really mind speaking Chinese it's just it takes me a long time to come up with how to answer some questions and so sometimes, if the other person speaks English, it's just easier for them if they speak English.
This kind of leads me to my experience at the hospital. So I had to go to the ATM to get money first, just in case they had me pay, and then went straight to the cashier's, showing my receipt. I've become a little braver now and not so afraid of saying something wrong. Now I just give it my best shot. So I went over and said "医生告诉你也来这儿” [doctor told me again come here]
The lady starts talking to me in very quick Chinese (why on Earth they speak so fast to a foreigner is beyond me) to which I reply my Chinese isn't good and repeat what I said before.
She keeps asking me something and I figure I'll show her my shoulder. When I do it becomes clear to me she was asking what was wrong with me as she tells me it's going to be 3 kuai again.
I head upstairs and the same doctor is there. There's a little bit of a wait and everyone looks at me at first but when I catch their eyes they go back to the business. While waiting I notice a man go in and he takes out an x-ray that he and the doctor study. I started wondering if he had just gotten that x-ray done, I mean, it's been a while, but I'm sure it took a couple weeks for my doctor to schedule the x-ray and then me have the x-ray done and then go back to the doctor to talk about it. I ponder this a bit as I realize he's not a student. Neither is the old man who goes in after him, nor the lady who seems to have pulled a muscle in her leg. So I guess it's not much of a school clinic really. I guess it's like Emory Hospital in GA? Don't they have a hospital that regular people go to? Anyway, I go in and he prints the receipt thing for me to take back down to the cashier. I do and then go back up to wait. While up there I notice the woman with the bad leg return with a bag. She pulls something out of it and it's an x-ray! She freakin' just had her leg x-rayed! I have to say that is some quick service that I would certainly appreciate if I had a bad leg. Certainly would have liked it when I was a sophomore in high school suffering from the worst hip pain ever that was apparently caused by Mono.
I finally go in and he takes me in the dressing room again but this time the nurse isn't around. He fixes my wound and tries to talk to me in Chinese. Once again he speaks way too fast (seriously, it doesn't occur to anyone to try speaking slower) and then attempts to speak in English. Eventually I get out that his son wants to go to the states for his bachelor degree and he wants to know what college I recommend. Luckily someone comes so I have time to think of a college. I don't think foreigners realize how many colleges there are in the U.S. I eventually say Northwestern since they have the linguistics program I was interested in getting my masters in. Plus I figure that means they have a good language program and can help his son with his English.
He then asks me about "Creem." He stumbles over his words, clearly not very comfortable and I get "Creem..somewhere..."
"Cream?"
I'm thinking maybe I need something for my shoulder and he's wondering if I know a place I can get it from but then I ask "美国？” [America?]
"Yes, yes."
Now I'm thinking he means something like ice cream for his son.... Actually, I don't have a clue what he's trying to ask me so I say "吃？ [to eat?]  or-" and point to my shoulder.
"Nooo! No no. Creem." and he spells it for me and I repeat it out loud to get the image of the word in my brain.
"C-R-I-M-E."
I slap my hand over my mouth "Ohhhhhh!!!! No no! 不多！" [not much]
Of course he wants to know if there's crime near the school where he might be sending his son! Duh, Courtney.
He explained that he practices English with a lot of reading but he seldom has the opportunity to speak.
I go back next Monday :)

First Meeting

Today was my first meeting with my language partner. We basically just reviewed stuff. The only reason I'm mentioning this is because we met with the same couple that we ate lunch with when we first met and they sat near us. While she and I were staying with the book and we were going over what I had learned the other couple was just talking. They had a paper that they would sometimes write things on but mostly they just talked. God, I can't wait until I can do that.
In other news, my aunt is disputing a payment. Unfortunately this payment was for my VPN and so my account has been suspended and I don't have Facebook. Hopefully she fixes this soon because I don't know how long I can last without Facebook. I mean, I know I lasted a month last year but I (meaning Aunt Joy is taking an advance for work I will do eventually) paid for this!

School Clinic/Hospital

So I really needed bandages for my shoulder. I had borrowed from Cheyenne twice and I really didn't want to anymore. So yesterday I went to the grocery store to discover they don't sell first aid stuff at the grocery store. So as I was walking back I met up with them and asked them if they had any idea where I could get some. Dillon suggests the hospital, which has a pharmacy, which is also like... a two minute walk. I had actually passed it in order to get to the grocery store.
So I walk up and I can see why I passed it so many times. It looks nothing like a western hospital. There's no place for the ambulance to park, there's no ramp for a wheelchair, there's no ginormous cross to advertise that this building is, in fact, a hospital. In little tiny words on the doors it says "BLCU Hospital."
I go inside and it's closed. I mean, it is Sunday but the whole thing looks shut down. The pharmacy is on the first floor, right when you walk in, so I look through the windows trying to see if I can see if they even carry bandages. I decide to come back Monday after Chinese class (aka, today).
So I go in after class and the place is bustling so I go over to the pharmacy and (very badly) ask if they have bandages- pointing to the bandage I have and also taking it off to show them the wound. They direct me across the hall/other side of building to the cashiers. I manage to make out she wants to know where I'm a student and thank god I have my student ID booklet on me. I giver her that and show her my wound and say I want bandages which she cuts off with an "I know, I know" sorta reply. She gives me this slip of paper and keeps saying three something. I figure she's saying I'm a third year student so I'm like "Dui (correct)" even though I'm not. I'm just trying to move the process along. Luckily, there's a Chinese student waiting behind me who speaks some English and informs me I have to pay 3 kuai (dollars). So I pay it and the cashier instructs me to do something, what I don't have a clue. She's speaking too fast for me to even grab a word. I say I don't understand and she sighs in that way that says she doesn't have time for me and my lack of language skills. The student translates and says I'm being sent to surgery (?!?) which is on the second floor.
Surgery!? Are you serious?!
I go upstairs anyway and think "Well, they do have to bandage stuff up there so... maybe they're going to give me the bandages I already paid for." There are two rooms labelled "surgery" that appear to be consultation offices. I go into one where the man directs me to sit as he looks at the slip and asks for my Chinese name. I tell him and show him the wound and point to it which makes him nod a lot. He then gives me another piece of paper and directs me to the first floor.
So now I'm thinking "of course! They wanted me to get a prescription... go figure." I wait in line at the pharmacy (which by the way, "line" is a foreign concept here) and actually ram my paper in front of an old lady because I was there before her. He directs me across the hall/other side of building again to the cashiers! So I walk over there and hand them my slip of paper, totally confused and inform me I now owe 12 kuai! I pay the money and she stamps my paper which reads "Outpatient Invoice" and returns it. I go over to the pharmacy and the guy sees me and yells at me to go to the second floor again.
This is when I call Marketus.
I tell him everything I've done and he tells me to go where they first sent me. So I wait in front of the surgery room until I see the doctor again and hand him my invoice. He calls me in and I follow him to a little patient room. The nurse instructs me to sit in a chair and I wait. In my head I'm thinking "all I want are some freakin' bandages" but I was starting to wonder whether or not I was bandaging this thing properly anyway so it might be good to have it looked over. The nurse comes back after, I think, chatting with another patient/friend/whatever and starts to dress my wound. She puts on a mask and puts about four different types of stuff on it. None burn nearly as bad as the alcohol swabs Cheyenne used when we first bandaged it which surprises me. Then she puts this cloth that's been marinating (that's the best way I can describe it) in this yellow liquid and sets it on top of the part of the wound that hasn't scabbed over yet. As she's doing this the doctor comes in and asks in broken English what happened.
I say "I fell" and make the motion as best as I can while sitting down.
"bicycle? orr-"
I cut him off and say "No, just walking"
"Walk?" He's clearly stunned as seems to be the nurse as she applies stuff to my face as well. "Where?"
At first, I think he's asking where it happened and then I realize he's asking my nationality. "Mei Guo (America)."
The nurse says something and he laughs a little. He sees me watching and says "She thinks you look [totally expecting him to say French] Russian."
"Ohhh? Really??" Russia's close to Poland and Lithuania... certainly closer than France which is what I usually get.
They talk a little more and she says "Ok!"
I have a nice clean bandage on my shoulder with that bit of yellow whatever showing through. I have real gauze tape instead of the band aids I was using before. My shoulder doesn't hurt when I move it now which makes me think this time I won't pull off the new scab when I pull off the bandage. I tell them both thanks and he says "Come Wednesday." And that's when I realize they aren't going to give me bandages but bandage the wound for me again in two days. As long as I don't have to pay again this is ten times better than what I originally had in mind.
And that was my experience at the school hospital.

A Clear Day

我被混凝土的护栏绊倒了！I think that's right. I plan on being able to tell my teacher what happened because you know she's going to ask. I mean, it's on my face (unfortunately not written otherwise that would be far more hilarious)- she has to see it.
In other news, eleven people in the Alliance group ordered pizza from a place called Pyros. They actually answered the phone in English and the girl who called never had to use Chinese and the pizza arrived on time and correct and delicious. Ok, not La Gondala delicious but for China it was pretty darn delicious. I mean, I thought for sure it'd taste like a knock-off version of Pizza Hut but they managed to pull it off. One guy, Josh, has been in China for a while and was seriously enjoying his piece of pizza. Apparently, he hadn't had pizza in two months.
Oh! It rained yesterday and today so you can see some blue in the sky! I've officially decided that if China could get their air clean this would be a far more beautiful place to live and I wouldn't mind the fact the entire city is under construction and actually live here. With the sun out and the ability to see into the distance, China's really not so bad. Cheyenne discovered we have mountains today because she could finally see them!
By the way, I've noticed no one complaining of really long notes (which I've been purposely trying not to do) so where's my thank you? ;)

Scavenger Hunt

Today it was mandatory that everyone participate in a scavenger hunt. We met in the lobby of the dorms at 9am and were given our list of things to find/accomplish. Basically, we couldn't use google for anything. We had until 2:30 to get to the Summer Palace and the group with the most points got some type of reward. I was in a group with Allegra, Nich, and Cheyenne. Allegra basically did the talking because she was the best at Chinese. Cheyenne started taking pictures for the group because sometimes you had to provide proof but then her batteries died so I took over. We were doing pretty well actually. I was taking pictures of all the ATMs because each were worth some points as well as coffee shops that sold lattes and restaurants. We also had to take a picture of a sign that apparently said all the countries the study abroad students were from. We looked around for a while, even asking women working in the foreign students admissions office but they said it would take a week for them to get us that information (which basically means they didn't understand us). I did find this really cool magazine with articles in English about Chinese culture. It also had a detailed map of the northern part of Beijing, including the Summer Palace. I couldn't find our school though no matter how hard I tried. And I tried for a while! Even after Allegra said she could get us to the palace without a problem.

And that's when I fell.

I was so busy trying to find our school on this map that I tripped over this traffic concrete block as wide as my shoulders and as high as my knees. It was quite a magnificent fall I must say. And it hurt like crazy. Lets just say my scratch-resistant glasses were totally scratched. I'm sure I'll look worse tomorrow since everything still hurts- bruises are starting to form on my shoulder and knees. My face got nicely scratched up as well. Unfortunately, I had to turn in my camera for the hunt so I don't have my pictures so this webcam one will have to do.

Like I said, I'll probably look better tomorrow and it will look as bad as it felt (I sure as heck hope so 'cause it really hurt!).

In any case, we returned to the dorms to clean me up and rest and then we went out for lunch. After that it started raining and so I called Marketus to see if we were still meeting at the Summer Palace. Instead, he said we could meet in the lobby of the dorms. So Allegra and I watched the first half of Sherlock Holmes and then we all met Marketus in the lobby. As I said I had to turn in my camera and then he said (I think) that we'd know by Monday who won. We never found out what the prize was but all of us were pretty tired and gave up before the end anyway.

Next weekend is a tour of Hutong and some other place... I don't know either of them so it will certainly be an interesting experience! Hopefully less painful. :p