Jet Lag Wearing Off

The jet lag is finally starting to wear off and we were able to stay up later. We started off our day with our newly found routine and went to breakfast. It was easier today with breakfast because both of our teachers were there and we didn't have to play mime and break our backs trying to communicate with body language. After breakfast we had our first full classes. they were surprisingly short and very interesting. We are learning a lot in every class and we can already tell that we are more confident in Chinese. Then after lunch, we went to the Beijing museum which was HUGE! In order to get there we had our first experience with the Beijing subway. The subway was surprisingly clean & very smooth when you rode them. We were thoroughly impressed (much better than DC & Rochester subways).

 

In the museum we saw wonderful exhibits and met very interesting people who were very interested in us. We were also able to make zodiac signs with these Chinese brushes. We also went to one of the most popular shopping mall in Beijing (It had 80 floors)! The first floor was filled with gorgeous shoes, makeup and the rest were clothing stores. On the 8th floor there was all of the food restaurants. People were able to bargain and find some cheaper stores. After a long day of fun we arrived back at the dormitories at 9:30 and decided to have a fashion show of all the things we bought. ALL of the clothes that we bought fit us all very well and we all walked down the "run way" (our hallway) for our camera. Tomorrow were going to the embassy, so it'll be another promising day.

 

Zaijian!

Commercialism and Bargaining

Today was so amazing! 

Today we went to the Commercial Office in the American Embassy. We talked with Ted & Mark A. Lewis, who is a standards officer in the commercial department. We discussed China's growth, piracy, importing, and exporting. We talked about so many things. Once we finished talking we took a tour of the office and viewed the CCTV Towers from the board room. A brief discussion with Mr. Kaiser Kuo took place within the same building. We discussed Tibet, piracy, music and China's expansion over the past few years. Mr. Kuo also told us about his life as a 'rockstar'. We went to the Silk Market where we each had our own adventures both individually and as a group and bargained prices, some were more successful than others. We had dinner at a restaurant with many of the people who made this trip possible and it was just another great experience to add onto our list of great experiences.

Breakfast Barriers

Due to the "big" time difference, everyone's body clock was off, with time varying from 2 am to 5 am. Breakfast time was definitely a wake-up call that we were no longer in the US. We and the cook were unable to communicate because of the language barrier and it was both comical and frustrating. Everyone sat at the table puzzled, not knowing what to eat because of our dietary needs. The cook on the other hand was puzzled as well because she couldn't figure out why we weren't eating. After the semi-catastrophe we met our new exciting teachers, Pan laoshi and Wang laoshi. Class was only an hour but it was really fun and intriguing, and everyone now knows how to say "I'm an American." It's really helpful to use when citizens try to hold conversations with us in the streets.

 

We also visited a park nearby, which was filled with amazing things. It seems like wherever we go, no matter where we go something is always happening here. There was so much going on in the park. There was shadow boxing, tai chi, and jianzi (a type of bean bag toss). Most of the groups that were doing activities and exercising were older groups of people who had retired and just wanted to keep limber and flexible. They would just gather together in the morning and perform different types of exercises that were quite beautiful to watch. All in all, today was just another amazing day in China. One of many.

 

Liann :)

1st Day: From a Student's Perspective

Today was an experience that we will never forget. Although we were suffering from severe jet-lag we still managed to find a surge of energy due to the sights and excitement. Immediately, when we got here we were welcomed with open arms by the Chinese people. They were extremely polite and smiled even though we had unfamiliar faces and only knew a few of the basics. We also met Chen laoshi, who took us to the No.2 High School and gave us a tour of some of the neighboring department schools.

 

After the tour, we had dinner, which was our first taste of authentic Chinese food, which we all ended up enjoying. We found that the food here is much healthier and very fulfilling. When dinner was over we all immediately became one with our beds and for those who stayed awake, we discovered the many shops that Beijing has to offer including a clothing boutique, bakery, and a McDonald's that serves duck sandwich as one of the meals. This was definitely a long and joyous experience. And it's only the FIRST DAY!

Putting Language to Work

Good Morning and Evening to all!

So far everything is going smoothly.

1.) Yesterday we had our regular Chinese classes from 9 to 12 am. We have two good Chinese teachers here who are getting along with the students very well. The students think the teachers are awesome! We have suggested that after the morning classes, the teachers eat lunch with the students to develop the social Chinese language as well as the academic language.

2.) In the afternoon we went to the Capital Museum which contains exhibits regarding Beijing's history and Chinese culture. We had a great time there to see the treasures.  The students also took an arts and craft class.  The class allowed them to do some traditional ink rubbings and Chinese paintings.

3.) In the evening we went to the most commercial place which is XI DAN located in downtown Bejing. Our kids are amazing!  They went to the huge shopping center and also to the vendors on the street to bargain and purchase all kinds of stuff. All of them got really good deals.  For instance, Lila bought a cute shirt for 19 yuan which is 2 or 3 dollars. They all put their negotiation skills to work.

4.) The most fun activity of the day was when we got back, we had a fabulous, top of the line fashion show in the hallway of our dormitory.  No need to feel left out - we got it all down on tape.

5.) Yesterday Jay and I discussed the many talents of our students. They all have outstanding personalities and also each of them has their own strength.  We are planning to have a talent show which is not only connected to their Chinese language studies, but also highlights their talents.  For example Joseph Boone plays the drums so we want to introduce him to traditional Chinese drums and request that he performs for us.

6.) Internet access is still limited.  Alan Chen continues to look into installing a modem into Jay's dorm room so that the students can continue to send emails back home and continue the blog project.  We only have the one laptop for twelve people to use.  It would be helpful to have more.

So far we are having a blast!  Everything is running according to plan.
Maggie & Jay

We Arrived in China!

Dear Colleagues:

All is good. I am able to access the Internet from the office near the students' classrooms. In fact I can hear the students talk as I am writing to you. Their classes are progressing nicely. The students have about an hour between the time they finish breakfast and attend classes. Today the students used this time to prepare for class. 

Yesterday Maggie and I accompanied the students to change money at the bank on the first floor of our dormitory. 

We took a field trip to Jing Shan Park. This is the highest point in the city. From the Buddhist Temple located on the hill in the park you can view the Forbidden City. The smog made visibility challenging; still, the students were mesmerized. 

I hope all is well back home. More to follow.



Jay

US-China Relations DC Briefing

Hey it's Lyla! 

Today was our second day in D.C. and it was absolutely GREAT but I am totally exhausted as our schedule was non-stop. We visited several think-tanks this morning, went to a delicious Chinese lunch, and met with one of Senator Obama's advisors who told us even more about China. It was really hot all day but early evening it started pouring. We fortunately had gotten back inside before the rain started and had just returned to the hotel from the Chinese Embassy!!!! We got free shirts too and took tons of pictures! It has been a fun experience and we're not even in China yet...... can't wait; we're all really excited!   -- Lyla

Hey it's Daniel!

So far we have met our other members who will be going with us to China. Today we had the chance to meet, listen, and talk to government advisors and officials. I had plenty of my questions answered. I was slightly surprised as I was expecting the classic political diluted truth to my questions. There were plenty of questions answered truthfully or with a good poker face. I had one advisor talk briefly about the outsourcing to China and he kinda slightly offended me when talking about Rochester. I mean come on we're on the rust belt, we're the ones being affected by it...his sentiments were less then reasonable..in any manner first two days on the trip have gone well. Below are some pictures of our group during these hot, but amazing days in DC. -- Daniel