Adventures in China
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Airports
Remember how in my first post I ranted about airports? I won’t dedicate a whole entry to that again, but being here right now has reaffirmed the fact that I REALLY HATE AIRPORTS. Anyway, I am at Pudong right now waiting to board my flight back home in an hour and I have nothing to do, so I will write my last entry here.
Flew into Shanghai last night and didn’t do anything except watch TV all night long to manipulate my sleep schedule. Sad that no one else is here, and I feel like I didn’t really do anything this time around. I should probably change the name of my blog but whatevs, maybe I’ll save it for next year when I can hopefully come back.
Anyway, I feel like I didn’t do anything. I planned on having this huge adventure in a foreign country, but sadly I didn’t plan well. And old people aren’t down for adventures. Not to say that I didn’t have fun during my stay (thumbthumbthumb), but I guess since the last two weeks were overly mellow, and I haven’t seen young people in a REALLY long time (not counting facebook), I feel like this trip wasn’t really as adventurous as I would’ve liked. Or maybe it was to short. Maybe I should’ve planned better and gone with EAP. But then I wouldn’t have met all the awesome people from ISA—all of whom I am so grateful to have met. I am also super grateful for my family and family friends who came to visit me.
Okay. Enough of that. Time to start a new adventure once I get back to San Diego. Y’all know what I mean ;) Last year niggas. 21 style.
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Last day in 咸阳
It’s 10:40pm in China right now, so I technically do have an extra day here, but it’s my last night sleeping on this rock-hard bed, and the only time I can actually sit down and reflect on my stay here in Xianyang.
I’m leaving my grandparents at 5pm tomorrow (China time) and arriving at Shanghai at 7 just to stay the night and leave for the States the next morning. Obviously, I’m experiencing some bittersweet feelings. As much as I love and miss the States, I’ve had an amazing time here hanging out with my grandparents (minus the first few days where I had to go on that terrible tour to Yanan).
During this stay, I’ve gotten to know and love my grandparents more than ever. Despite the fact that I was barely out after Yanan, I had a lot of time to witness my grandparents’ daily lives, and had my dad’s cousins drive hours visit us—which was a lovely surprise. I kind of learned how to paint flowers using Chinese painting technique, and my grandma let me take 10 of her amazing paintings/calligraphy home so I can display them proudly in my room :) and ate pretty awesome food here. I got to listen to their stories (at least told from my grandma, because my grandpa is practically deaf) of their childhood and my dad’s childhood. And I have to say—these few days of utterly no spoken English has allowed me to slightly improve my conversational Mandarin. 我这一次的收获非常大.
Most of all, I will miss my grandparents muchos. Hopefully, my grandfather’s family’s old manor from before the revolution will be completely reconstructed by next summer so I can go visit my ancestral home and see my extended family. It’s funny because this is my first time traveling abroad without my family, but it’s this time that I realized how much family means and how much love everyone is capable of.
再见, China. I hope to come back next year.
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Holy shiznits I miss Shanghai
I’ve been tracking the Shanghai tag on tumblr for a while, but never really bothered to check up on it. I decided to do so today, and major nostalgia hit me pretty hard—even though I’ve barely been there for a month, a week ago. I can’t imagine how it most feel for all of you guys who stayed there longer.
On a lighter note, I’m kind of excited for the cooler weather here in 咸阳. My grandparents have decided to accompany me to the city and eat some delicious Shaanxi food.
蘸水面
羊肉泡馍
biang biang noodles
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Hairy legs
So I remember the last time the group went to Muse (wahhhh I seriously miss Shanghai) and I was talking to this Australian/German guy (with a British accent? idk) and he was trying to hit on me or whatever (bad case of yellow fever, anyone?), but gave up after I said it was our last night in Shanghai (so what if I lied). Anyway, I remember him saying that he likes Asian girls who don’t shave (grossssssss) because it’s more natural (unlike western girls?).
I went to Yan’an yesterday—which was fairly rural, and moping about how uncomfortable I was and how annoyed at how little I got to sleep and how I was forced to sit next to the most annoying 5-year old I have ever met, and I noticed this really pretty tour guide lady with the hairiest legs I’ve ever seen on a woman. Damn I wish Australian guy was there to see that.
btw my razor broke on the plane ride to Xi’an. So I’m gonna have to bear with it until next week or something. It’s not like it isn’t slim pickins here, and even if there was a selection, it’s not like they would care. So I guess I’m good for now.
But hot damn. That lady. (also I saw my first lady with a full-on mustache near the Yellow River)
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BORED OUT OF MY MIND
just came back from the worst tour of my life and i am never going with a super-asian tour group ever again (also never going to yan’an ever again either. lived in a cave-like thingy with no electricity and sat next to the most spoiled asian kids ever for 6 hours straight. never again man). i love my grandparents and stuff, but jesus i need some interaction with young people and not eat old people food and not take old people naps and sleeping and waking at old people hours (9pm-6am). i don’t even have clothes appropriate for wearing around old people. bad decision on my part as it didn’t occur to me while i was packing that i would be living in a retirement complex. fuuuuuuuuuuuuu
christopher shen please visit me!!! i don’t think i can take 9 more days of this :(
also for some reason, gmail is blocked all of a sudden? noooooooo!!!
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Off to grandmother’s house we go
I arrived yesterday at Xianyang. Kind of overwhelmed by the lack of young people here, and it just hit me that I will be spending the next 12 days with my grandparents, sleeping on a piece of wood, and showering in the tiniest bathroom ever. There were a couple of awkward moments where I really don’t know how to react to them and they are pretty set in their ways.
At least I will have plenty of time to read, I guess. Ａｌｓｏ ｔｏｍｏｒｒｏｗ Ｉ ｗｉｌｌ ｂｅ ｇｏｉｎｇ ｔｏ Ｙａｎ＇ａｎ， ｗｈｉｃｈ ｉｓ ｆａｍｏｕｓ ｆｏｒ Ｍａｏ＇ｓ Ｙａｎａｎ Ｒｅｃｔｉｆｉｃａｔｉｏｎ． Ｔｈａｔ＇ｓ ｃｏｏｌ．
I REALLY ｍｉｓｓ Ｓｈａｎｇｈａｉ ｒｉｇｈｔ ｎｏｗ， ａｎｄ I ｗｏｕｌｄ ｋｉｌｌ ｆｏｒ ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ ｃｏｌｄ ｔｏ ｄｒｉｎｋ ａｎｄ ａｎ ａｉｒｃｏｎｄｉｔｉｏｎｅｒ． ｗｈｙ ｉｓ ｍｙ ｆｏｎｔ ａｌｌ ｆｕｎｋｙ？ Ａｎｙｗａｙ， ｐｅａｃｅ． Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ ｗｉｌｌ ｂｅ ｅｘｔｒｅｍｅｌｙ ｌｉｍｉｔｅｄ， ｓｏ ｉｆ ｙｏｕ ｎｅｅｄ ｔｏ ｃｏｎｔａｃｔ ｍｅ， ｊｕｓｔ ｅｍａｉｌ ｍｅ ａｔ ｅｌａｎｆｅｎｇ＠ｇｍａｉｌ．ｃｏｍ
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Last day of the program
And everyone is out partying while I struggle to finish my research paper that was due this morning (it is now 8:43pm). Why does this always happen to me?
I actually am glad this is over. A month is a long enough time to get sick of stuff, man. The awkward bubble has been popped and there is no way to undo the damage. It is now time to disperse. Mostly everyone is leaving tomorrow.
At least I still have a few more days in this city with my awesome roommate, before we part ways forever… T^T but I am finishing this goddamn paper and party til the sun rises.
Then Tuesday I will head over to grandparents’ place near 西安.
Peace.
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Numbers numbers numbers
LOLOLOL so I just realized all the numbers I’ve gotten here are saved in my phone as “canada guy,” “taiwanese guy,” “hairstylist guy,” etc. I guess names don’t really matter that much if you’re never gonna see them again right?
I just hope my dad doesn’t end up receiving all the texts when he takes the SIM card on his next business trip. Oops.
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So what if I have freckles, bitch
Everyone in China wants to be the same. All the girls here want porcelain skin, brown hair, and skinny bodies like every other girl here. Even the boys have porcelain skin and walk around with murses thinkin’ they’re all that.
Well I’m not like that. I like the sun. I like my skin. I have freckles and I am tan. Whatever. And although I could use some exercise, I fucking love my body. Who cares if I have a toothy smile and laugh too much and too loudly? I am much more fun than those pretty bitches who put on their frowny faces all the time sitting at the bar, waiting for an old sugar daddy to buy them a cosmo.
So I guess it’s official. China and I will never have babies. I don’t like their porcelain skinny boys with man purses, and they don’t like my freckles. (Although all the boys here do have nice hair.)
I love this city, but I swear, people here are ridiculous. I should put that in my final paper.
Got a perm today. Hair smells good. Fuck I have so much homework due on Friday.
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TONIGHT/LAST NIGHT/THIS MORNING
Went to 豫园 at night to go shop for souvenirs, but that place is a straight up tourist trap, so wasn’t successful. :( But we did stop by the famous soup dumplings (小笼包) place called 南翔小笼包 (Nanxiang)—SO DELICIOUS.
Left to go to Sky at 12, but the place wasn’t bumpin’ as I had hoped (although it sure wasn’t lacking in beautiful Asian men), so went next door to Muse instead. SO FUNc.
At first they were playing shitty music, and got some naked black guy who formerly won China’s Star Boulevard Show (I think his name is Mackenson) to shake that ass in front of us. Not sure how I felt about it, but Lindsay was obviously freaked out. Anyway, CUTE-ASS korean guys that were really not interested (i am sad). HOT Russian guys that were a little too obnoxious and drunk/aggressive/apparently daterape-y. Random Taiwanese guys that invited us to their table and ended up getting my number (but also, fucking smokers have terrible breath—gross gross grosssss) and wants to have dinner tomorrow. Hmmm. i don’t think it’s a good idea. Also, his face turned out to be not as pleasing as I thought it was while clubbing. Oops.
SUPER fun man. Just got back thirty minutes ago, and fuck, it’s bright outside because it’s 4:55am. And I am still buzzed and have a presentation tomorrow for my Issues in Contemporary Chinese Society Class.
I HATE MOSQUITOES. THEY DO NOT CONTRIBUTE ANYTHING TO THE WORLD.
?
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Vallarta > Mexican food in China
Granted today’s food wasn’t the worst. However, 170 RMB for tonight’s dinner was a little much, and pales in comparison to Queso burritos. Also, why am I eating Mexican in China? And those four margaritas didn’t even get the job done—just made my head hurt a lot.
Must be getting homesick. Must be missing Vortex. Also had Chester withdrawal. :(
On the brighter side, I got Joe-DouDou (my resident creeper/slave friend/neighbor) to shave his sideburns and neckbeard off for me. I feel powerful. (Joe, if you ever read this, I still love you, just not in the way that you want.)
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I guess it’s time for an update
I’ve been sick for the past week, so I haven’t been up to much, so I guess it won’t really be a long post.
Basically spent the whole last week sleeping in my hotel room. Medicine didn’t help much, but at least I don’t have a fever anymore—just a leftover cough.
This weekend was crazy though. Not in the way that I wanted it to be, but still. We went to Nanjing on Saturday, and holy mother shiznits hottest place I’ve ever been. Went to Dr. Sun Yatsen’s Mausoleum, and even though I feel like I should’ve felt more respect going to the place, all I could think of was how stupid whoever thought putting a public tomb on top of 290 steps in one of the hottest places in China in the summer was a good idea. Also, why did Amy think it would be fun for me to wear the tour guide mic to translate the tour guide lady’s speech when I could barely breathe and no one was listening. Idk.
Anyway, after that, we went to the Nanjing Massacre Museum. If you don’t know what the Nanjing Massacre/Rape of Nanking is, I suggest you go to Wikipedia and look it up/read Iris Chang’s book The Rape of Nanking, because I sure as hell am not gonna teach you what your high school history class should have but failed to do. It’s too depressing to describe on this blog. But the museum itself was a whole nother level. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the way I did walking through the exhibits and the mass grave. Definitely makes you wonder what kind of creatures human beings really are to be able to commit such atrocities out of boredom and deny their occurrence, only to continue committing them today. What kind of creatures are we to deem economic problems more worth our attention than genocide and other crimes against humanity happening right this minute?
Anyway, on a lighter note, I went to go watch the FINA Championships yesterday and cheered on the US team. I am tired, so I’ll shorten this blog. Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Jason Lezak. Pictures. Bronze medals. France beat US mens 4x100 relay? Had USA permanent markered all over my hands and arms (and eyelinered on my face; yes I was that loud obnoxious fan). Was a stupid idea. Weird looks from people on the subway, but whatevs didn’t bother me. Besides, I was nowhere near as obnoxious as all the Koreans cheering for Park Tae Hwan. Man that guy was fast.
Peace.
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I love Shanghai, but not “I ♥ Shanghai”
At least not on ladies’ night. I effing ordered rum and coke, not flat brown sugar water with ice cubes.
On the other hand, ate some pretty good Thai food at the French Concession—which was the first place where we ever paid gratuity in this country even though the service was incredibly meh. Also their Thai milk tea might be a little sketchy.
