Many Days Later ...
I've had limited access to the Internet before right now, so this post is going to have to cover many days' notes ....
24 August
4:30 GMT-04:00
Wow. After less than four hours of sleep, I pulled my sorry butt out of bed in order to ensure that everything is packed and ready to go to Beijing. For those you just tuning-in, I'm about to take a non-stop flight to Beijing in order to study Mandarin throughout a year at Beijing Language And Culture University. I'm waiting for Lin Yi and Chen Yu to arrive for that Chen Yu may drive Lin Yi and me to Pearson International Airport.
10:30 GMT-04:00
Well, I have to say that any of my trips is not an adventure if everything goes smoothly. When I went through security, I was 'randomly' chosen, as a passenger on an international flight, to be
searched. That slowed us a bit, but we had little problem arriving on-time at our gate for departure. Lin Yi is planning to sleep throughout much of the flight; I hope to sleep a bit, but I'm not yet sure for how long.
25 August
17:30 GMT+08:00
I have arrived in Beijing and I am exhausted. One of my 'mothers' in Waterloo, Doris, has arranged for me to stay with her sister, Jennie, and Jennie's husband, George, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. Jennie sent a driver, Xiao Yu, to fetch me at noon from the airport. Lin Yi and her friend, Cheng Lei, helped me to locate Xiao Yu at the airport.
Jennie helped me to establish myself my helping me to create a bank account and to obtain a SIM card for my BlackBerry device. She and Goerge have so far been a godsend; I'd have much trouble if I were to try to do any opf this on my own. At approximately 19:00, we'll have dinner, at which point I shall be quite ready for bed.
I have to say that Xiao Yu is a masterful driver; I can't imagine myself driving in Beijing. One thing I noted is that drivers here don't use their horns exculsively to express anger at other drivers or to avoid major mishaps: horns are used efficiently as one might use a bicycle's horn or bell. The horn is used mostly as a friendly gesture, not an unfriendly one. The concept is not easy to explain, but I'm reminded of that.
Jennie also has in her employ a young lady named Tingting, who has trained to become a cook. She comes from the countryside of Shaanxi province, if I'm not mistaken. Her cooking is absolutely wonderful! One good thing for me is that Jennie is a vegetarian and, as such, her meals are quite suitable for me, too.
26 August
11:30 GMT+08:00
Wow! The nap I had after going with Jennie to create my various accounts, combined with my restful sleep last night, has given me approximately 16 hours of sleep. Despite all of that sleep, however, I still don't feel too well rested. I guess that that has something to do with the sleep deprivation through which I suffered earlier this week. I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon shopping and touring with Jennie. I'm afraid that, so far, Beijing resembles Toronto's Chinatown combined with L.A.'s driving.
21:30 GMT+08:00
Jennie is a hard bargainer. She was able to secure for me a 'fanny-pack' for a price slightly more than half of the asking-price. I've been warned many times that one should aim to bargain with vendors for half of the listed price. I hope that this bag is useful as I've been led to believe it shall be.
All of this took place at the 'Alien's Market' (sic), where I saw more than a little Cyrillic writing. The Market was intended to cater to those persons in China who came from former Soviet republics; I certainly saw many Eastern Eurpoean faces there.
Before that little adventure, however, Jennie and I went to a flower market, at which I was able to see beautiful flowers and other plants juxtaposed with the legendary Chinese public washrooms. I was told to expect the public washrooms to be dirty, but I didn't expect an almost nerve-gas level of ammonia to assault my senses. I'm glad that I felt the need only to urinate at that time.
On a lighter note, this evening we were joined by Jennie's and Goerge's eldest son, Cedric, his wife, Miranda, and their son, Eugene. Cedric and Eugene have been educated in the U.S., whereas Miranda went to University of Toronto for a Computer Science / Economics degree. They're quite intelligent, well educated, and good-natured. I hope to meet them again while I stay in Beijing.
27 August
21:30 GMT+08:00
Wow, again! This has been a hectic day. I didn't sleep well last night because of an errant mosquito, and now I am competely exhausted. Lin Yi and Cheng Lei came to BLCU's campus this morning to help me register at both the university and at the residence. After I registered as a student, I went to my residence room for that I may temporarily deposit my belongings (for that I may eat lunch and then buy some essentials).
We had the misfortune of rudely awakening a young Swiss man, named Caspar, who shall be my roommate until the end of the week. He has been at BLCU thoughout a month, studying Mandarin and Chinese literature, and he shall write a final examination tomorrow. Caspar has offered his assistance during the rest of his stay at the university, and I think that I'll graciously accept his generous offer.
I broke my vegetarianism today to have one of Beijing's types of roasted duck. I felt ill after eating only a small portion, and I think that was due to a combination of the grease, my sleep-deprived state, and the hot and humid temperature. I took the vegetables back to my room. Lin Yi and Cheng Lei helped me to shop for a number of essentials, including toilet paper, mineral water, and a power bar for my computer. I'm looking forward to having access to the Internet and posting this information on-line. I'm afraid that I've not yet taken any photos, so I have none yet to accompany my (mis-)adventures. I've seen some wonderful Engrish, though, and I look forward to sharing some of it with you, my readers.
Jennie is to have an operation on Tuesday; I hope that that works-out well for her. I plan to call her and George on that evening to see how things went.
28 August
12:20 GMT+08:00
This morning, I had my first encounter with an Eastern-style toilet. I'm glad that I've regained in my right ankle much of the flexibility I had before I shattered it in December 2004. The experience wasn't quite bad as I'd been led to believe, but I think that that's a function of being in a university dormitory, and not at a restaurant.
Caspar is a really great guy. I'm sorry that he'll be leaving at the end of the week. He helped me to connect my computer to the Internet, although I am typing this entry without yet having access to the Internet. I was told that it would be ready by 14:20, so I guess I'll just have to wait.
I met someone ths morning, named Dean, who recently graduated from Concordia's Industrial Engineering programme. He came to BLCU on his own coin, and is looking to get some sort of certification within China. He attended an intensive programme at McGill for 2.5 months, or so. I'm sorry that UW currently does not have the resources for such a programme, although with the coming of the Confucius Institute, UW and Renison may be able to do so in the future.
I secured a time for me to write (what I think is) a reduced form of the HSK (汉语水平考试 - Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the Mandarin proficiency test offered by BLCU on behalf of the People's Republic Of China). I'll write that at 8:20 on Wednesday morning. I'd better study for that I am not placed in too low a level. Before that, though, I had better ensure that I have my papers in order for another slew of medical tests. Despite having to pay for more than $175 in medical tests in Canada, I need to shell-out another 400 RMB ($65, or so) for more tests. Enh.
12:32 GMT+08:00
I still have no Internet access ....
13:52 GMT+08:00
I had lunch with Caspar at a Japanese restaurant on campus. He claims that it's the best place on campus for eating, and I think that he may be correct. I still have no Internet access ....
16:24 GMT+08:00
Success! I now have access to the Internet. :)
I now have to finish replying to the slew of messages I've received since I last had regular access, and I must now start to prepare for the HSK.
24 August
4:30 GMT-04:00
Wow. After less than four hours of sleep, I pulled my sorry butt out of bed in order to ensure that everything is packed and ready to go to Beijing. For those you just tuning-in, I'm about to take a non-stop flight to Beijing in order to study Mandarin throughout a year at Beijing Language And Culture University. I'm waiting for Lin Yi and Chen Yu to arrive for that Chen Yu may drive Lin Yi and me to Pearson International Airport.
10:30 GMT-04:00
Well, I have to say that any of my trips is not an adventure if everything goes smoothly. When I went through security, I was 'randomly' chosen, as a passenger on an international flight, to be
searched. That slowed us a bit, but we had little problem arriving on-time at our gate for departure. Lin Yi is planning to sleep throughout much of the flight; I hope to sleep a bit, but I'm not yet sure for how long.
25 August
17:30 GMT+08:00
I have arrived in Beijing and I am exhausted. One of my 'mothers' in Waterloo, Doris, has arranged for me to stay with her sister, Jennie, and Jennie's husband, George, in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. Jennie sent a driver, Xiao Yu, to fetch me at noon from the airport. Lin Yi and her friend, Cheng Lei, helped me to locate Xiao Yu at the airport.
Jennie helped me to establish myself my helping me to create a bank account and to obtain a SIM card for my BlackBerry device. She and Goerge have so far been a godsend; I'd have much trouble if I were to try to do any opf this on my own. At approximately 19:00, we'll have dinner, at which point I shall be quite ready for bed.
I have to say that Xiao Yu is a masterful driver; I can't imagine myself driving in Beijing. One thing I noted is that drivers here don't use their horns exculsively to express anger at other drivers or to avoid major mishaps: horns are used efficiently as one might use a bicycle's horn or bell. The horn is used mostly as a friendly gesture, not an unfriendly one. The concept is not easy to explain, but I'm reminded of that.
Jennie also has in her employ a young lady named Tingting, who has trained to become a cook. She comes from the countryside of Shaanxi province, if I'm not mistaken. Her cooking is absolutely wonderful! One good thing for me is that Jennie is a vegetarian and, as such, her meals are quite suitable for me, too.
26 August
11:30 GMT+08:00
Wow! The nap I had after going with Jennie to create my various accounts, combined with my restful sleep last night, has given me approximately 16 hours of sleep. Despite all of that sleep, however, I still don't feel too well rested. I guess that that has something to do with the sleep deprivation through which I suffered earlier this week. I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon shopping and touring with Jennie. I'm afraid that, so far, Beijing resembles Toronto's Chinatown combined with L.A.'s driving.
21:30 GMT+08:00
Jennie is a hard bargainer. She was able to secure for me a 'fanny-pack' for a price slightly more than half of the asking-price. I've been warned many times that one should aim to bargain with vendors for half of the listed price. I hope that this bag is useful as I've been led to believe it shall be.
All of this took place at the 'Alien's Market' (sic), where I saw more than a little Cyrillic writing. The Market was intended to cater to those persons in China who came from former Soviet republics; I certainly saw many Eastern Eurpoean faces there.
Before that little adventure, however, Jennie and I went to a flower market, at which I was able to see beautiful flowers and other plants juxtaposed with the legendary Chinese public washrooms. I was told to expect the public washrooms to be dirty, but I didn't expect an almost nerve-gas level of ammonia to assault my senses. I'm glad that I felt the need only to urinate at that time.
On a lighter note, this evening we were joined by Jennie's and Goerge's eldest son, Cedric, his wife, Miranda, and their son, Eugene. Cedric and Eugene have been educated in the U.S., whereas Miranda went to University of Toronto for a Computer Science / Economics degree. They're quite intelligent, well educated, and good-natured. I hope to meet them again while I stay in Beijing.
27 August
21:30 GMT+08:00
Wow, again! This has been a hectic day. I didn't sleep well last night because of an errant mosquito, and now I am competely exhausted. Lin Yi and Cheng Lei came to BLCU's campus this morning to help me register at both the university and at the residence. After I registered as a student, I went to my residence room for that I may temporarily deposit my belongings (for that I may eat lunch and then buy some essentials).
We had the misfortune of rudely awakening a young Swiss man, named Caspar, who shall be my roommate until the end of the week. He has been at BLCU thoughout a month, studying Mandarin and Chinese literature, and he shall write a final examination tomorrow. Caspar has offered his assistance during the rest of his stay at the university, and I think that I'll graciously accept his generous offer.
I broke my vegetarianism today to have one of Beijing's types of roasted duck. I felt ill after eating only a small portion, and I think that was due to a combination of the grease, my sleep-deprived state, and the hot and humid temperature. I took the vegetables back to my room. Lin Yi and Cheng Lei helped me to shop for a number of essentials, including toilet paper, mineral water, and a power bar for my computer. I'm looking forward to having access to the Internet and posting this information on-line. I'm afraid that I've not yet taken any photos, so I have none yet to accompany my (mis-)adventures. I've seen some wonderful Engrish, though, and I look forward to sharing some of it with you, my readers.
Jennie is to have an operation on Tuesday; I hope that that works-out well for her. I plan to call her and George on that evening to see how things went.
28 August
12:20 GMT+08:00
This morning, I had my first encounter with an Eastern-style toilet. I'm glad that I've regained in my right ankle much of the flexibility I had before I shattered it in December 2004. The experience wasn't quite bad as I'd been led to believe, but I think that that's a function of being in a university dormitory, and not at a restaurant.
Caspar is a really great guy. I'm sorry that he'll be leaving at the end of the week. He helped me to connect my computer to the Internet, although I am typing this entry without yet having access to the Internet. I was told that it would be ready by 14:20, so I guess I'll just have to wait.
I met someone ths morning, named Dean, who recently graduated from Concordia's Industrial Engineering programme. He came to BLCU on his own coin, and is looking to get some sort of certification within China. He attended an intensive programme at McGill for 2.5 months, or so. I'm sorry that UW currently does not have the resources for such a programme, although with the coming of the Confucius Institute, UW and Renison may be able to do so in the future.
I secured a time for me to write (what I think is) a reduced form of the HSK (汉语水平考试 - Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the Mandarin proficiency test offered by BLCU on behalf of the People's Republic Of China). I'll write that at 8:20 on Wednesday morning. I'd better study for that I am not placed in too low a level. Before that, though, I had better ensure that I have my papers in order for another slew of medical tests. Despite having to pay for more than $175 in medical tests in Canada, I need to shell-out another 400 RMB ($65, or so) for more tests. Enh.
12:32 GMT+08:00
I still have no Internet access ....
13:52 GMT+08:00
I had lunch with Caspar at a Japanese restaurant on campus. He claims that it's the best place on campus for eating, and I think that he may be correct. I still have no Internet access ....
16:24 GMT+08:00
Success! I now have access to the Internet. :)
I now have to finish replying to the slew of messages I've received since I last had regular access, and I must now start to prepare for the HSK.
posted by Jean-Guy! at 8/28/2006 01:24:00 AM
5 Comments:
Wow - what a crazy experience! You have guts, S2! Was the ammonia from cleaning agents or decomposing waste? :-)
How'd you shatter your ankle? And I'm confused about your multiple 'mothers' too.
OB ammonia: don't ask if you don't want to hear the answer ....
OB ankle: I was walking on a poorly designed sidewalk in Waterloo. It's a long story,a bout which I plan to write, some day. Today's not that day. :)
OB multiple mothers: I have somehow convinced some women of an age with my mother that I'm a good guy, and they take care of me as if I'm a son of theirs.
man, I missed Stu's birthday again. Shame on me... he always remembers mine. Happy belated birthday!!!
Thanks, ccpura!
Post a Comment
<< Home