My 19th First Day of School

Today was my 19^th first day of school. Since I just graduated in May I feel kind of weird going back to school. I thought I was done! Alas, I’m a glutton for punishment as well as a big nerd that loves learning.

We signed a “Language Commitment Pledge” today stating that Monday through Friday from 8am to 8pm we will only speak Chinese. I am going to try to use Chinese for 23 hours a day Sunday through Friday and have a cheat day on Saturdays. I will see how this goes. I have only used English (right now) and to send some emails. Today, I had to say "对不起, 我不知道怎么说．．．＂(Sorry, I don't know how to say...) many times. Bless whoever is trying to converse with me. I am trying my best.

There are thirteen people in my program of varying levels of proficiency. I thought we would all talk to each other less because we cannot speak in our native tongue. But I was pleasantly surprised that people were still chatting and telling jokes. Jokes in convoluted broken Chinese are hilarious. More on this next time.

My favorite vocabulary term we learned today is “快活.”  It means “happy.” However, there are many phrases you can mean that directly translate to “happy” that each are slightly different. This particular phrase means you are happy because of something really simple.  The example she used in class is: You are really dirty and then you take a shower. Afterwards you 觉得很快活 (feel happy). How cool is that? The second line in my textbook is “生命对于人只有一次.” Translation: #YOLO.  I giggled and 觉得很快活.

Three things I am grateful for:

1.       The first day of school is always exciting. I am full of enthusiasm and am not fatigued yet.

2.       I had a great first day of speaking only Chinese. It was hard at times but I know the practice will improve my speaking ability.

3.       I showed my host family some of my pictures and spent time with them. I wish I could spend more time with them but I need to study. We have 4 hours of classes everyday and they tell us we should be studying/doing homework for 8 hours. Um… what?

Orphan Annie

I got into Nanjing, China a few days ago and I am about to start an intensive Chinese language and culture program. During orientation I have been living in the Nanjing University International Students Dormitory but today I moved out.

I decided to live with a host family instead of in the dorms in hopes of gaining a more true perspective of life in Nanjing. The past couple of days we have been talking about what the families would be like. Where do they live? How many people are living there? Will they like me? Will they understand my broken Chinese?

I didn't know anything about the process of how they match host families with students. When I asked one of my classmates, they said they bring all the families in and one-by-one, they interview you. Then, a family will hopefully pick you. This sounded like trying to get adopted (or at least what they portray in movies). I didn't think (and hoped) this wasn't true. Why would a Chinese family want me when they could have a "real foreigner?" I know I don't quite look the part. Nobody likes being picked last at kickball.

Thankfully, the program matched up students with host families based on surveys we filled out. I didn't have to try to convince a family they should pick me. The family that got me is stuck with me, ha!

Today was the day I met my family. I think I have had a stupid grin on my face all day. (I am blogging now because I am too excited to sleep.) I was and am so excited to live in a house with a family. It was the greatest feeling to unpack my bags for the first time. I haven't stayed in any place longer than two weeks (Hong Kong) but I will be here for four months. That's a good chunk of time.

I have a home and a family! Sounds like a good day to me. What more could you ask for?

Three things I am grateful for:
1. Today we took a brutal Chinese proficiency test. I am glad I don't have to take another test like that until the end of the program.
2. I cannot tell you how great it feels to unpack all of my stuff. I have been shuffling stuff around in my backpack for over a month but now it is all placed nicely in the armoire. I got giddy hanging my clothes up.
3. I met my family! The parents are both engineers and their daughter is 11 years old. They told me to call her 妹妹 and she will call me 姐姐. Isn't that sweet? They also have an "auntie" that lives with them and helps around the house. I haven't spent much time with them yet but they seem like good people. I am the 11th foreign exchange student they have hosted. It is kind of funny that the auntie kept referring to me as 老外.

One Month Update

Before I left the states, I was excited but also scared. A month into my travels I am happy to say I have thoroughly enjoyed each moment. I feel silly that I was so nervous about leaving home. Friends, family, and strangers have been welcoming and kind (for the most part). I am so grateful for each couch I crash on and for every interaction I have with the people I encounter along my journey. 

I just wanted to share two things I have learned thus far.

1. Live simply.

 

As some of y’all know, I have been trying to figure out how to go live in an Amish community because I think it would be fascinating to live without extraneous junk. If anyone has a hookup to an Amish community, let me know. They won’t respond to my e-mails. Ha. I haven’t found an Amish family to take me in yet, but I have had to lead a simpler life to adapt to my surroundings.

When I was traveling with the rowing team this past year, I realized that I have a ridiculous  amount of toiletries. I have lotions and pastes and gels and creams. Holy crap. When did I become so high maintenance? How much stuff does one person need?

 

I have always been a “what if” packer. What if I need it and I don’t have it? I always pack too much and end up schlepping around stuff I don’t use. It happens every time. I am sure it will happen this time too. When I was packing, I asked friends for advice. Pat told me to “pack like a boy.” To me that meant pack less stuff-just take the bare necessities. 

Kevin told me that the best advice he was given is to gather up everything you want to bring and then get rid of half of it. Then, do it again. Sure, part of me wishes that I had two huge suitcases with me filled with everything I wanted to bring. But, it has been nice to only lug around one backpack. I don’t care what I wear and it doesn’t take me long to pick an outfit considered my limited options. I am now a firm believer of the Paradox of Choice and decision fatigue. I can talk about it to no end but I’ll spare you.

I have been finding great joy in the small things like a good crust on a 菠蘿包 and having clean clothes. I love hanging my laundry on a clothesline. The simplicity of clothes drying in the sun always brings me a sense of tranquility. Yeah, it’s not as convenient as having a dryer but what’s the big rush? Just be careful not to drop anything if you are several stories up.

I appreciate when my family takes me out to nice restaurants but I will (almost) always pick a good ol’ home cooked meal over a fancy restaurant. (Morimoto’s food was pretty good. Not going to lie I might pick his food over home cookin'.) 

Ramble ramble ramble. On to the next one!

2. Spend time with family.

My stay in Hong Kong has been much different than playing tourist in any of the other cities I’ve visited. Usually when I visit a city, my goal is to immerse myself in the city and try to live like a local. Of course, I also try to hit up some of the popular touristy sites.

However, I came to Hong Kong with the sole intention of spending time with my grandmas. Everything else is gravy.

I had fun at the beautiful Kau Sai Chau driving range and going on a 30 kilometer bike ride through Hong Kong, but those won’t be my favorite memories. Yesterday, my grandma cooked us lunch and then told me stories about her childhood. The previous day when I visited my other grandma, she tightly clenched my hand while I showed her pictures of my graduation. Those are the memories I will cherish. 

Family time isn’t always fun (I had many awkwardly silent family lunches in Hong Kong), but I figure since you are stuck with these people for life, make the best of it. I wish I got to know my grandmas earlier but I am so grateful for my two weeks in Hong Kong. I am going to listen to as many stories as I can.

First Month Travel by the Numbers

Flights: 8

Hours Spent in Airports: 17

Hours Spent Flying: 25

Familiar Faces Seen: 13 (I would love this number to go up.)

      Museums Visited: 20

Three things I am grateful for: 

1.    Showers after sweaty days
My grandma doesn’t use hot water and I didn’t want her to turn it on for me so I’ve been taking cold showers. I like that you don’t have to waste time or water waiting for the water to get warm. I used to care about my shower having adequate water pressure but now I’m just glad to get a shower. A simple life is a happy life.

2.       Time with my grandmas-I love that I could eat lunch in just my skivvies. It's pretty warm here.
Grandma: Your cousin is picking us up soon. We have to get dressed. What’s wrong?

Me: I don’t want to put on my pants.
Grandma: Me either.

3.       Internet access-It’s sad that you appreciate things more once they are hard to come by. I will have consistent internet access when I get to Nanjing and will upload photos then.

祝 順心,

Kat

Barcelona and Singapore

In my haste to get a post up about Spain, I realized that I left out about half of my Barcelona trip. I also accidentally left behind a memory card in Allison's computer so I don't have those pictures yet.

Anyway, for my last few days in Barcelona Allison suggested that get a bus pass for a open top double decker tourist bus which stops at landmarks and various points of interest. I prefer walking everywhere and try to avoid super touristy things but I'm glad I bought a ticket. There were three routes around the city and you get unlimited rides for the day. You can hop on any bus and hop off if something piques your interest. I was able to see a wide range of things that I wouldn't have otherwise visited (such as the site of the 1992 Olympics).

I passed by some of Gaudí's buildings but the line to get into Sagrada Familia was over two hours long. If you visit and want to go inside, do yourself a favor and buy your ticket online to avoid the queue. But, I heard the inside isn't as impressive as the outside. I'll go visit when it is finally done around 2028.

A local told me to go to book a ticket to experience La Pedrera (Casa Milà) at night. I was told you get a unique tour of the building and get a beautiful nighttime view of the city. I will definitely go on this tour when I visit Barcelona again when it is less hot and there are less tourists. 
 

 My favorite Gaudí masterpiece I saw was Park Güell. I would have spent the entire day there if the weather was cooler. I stumbled on the "runway" where CariDee English did her final strut to win America's Next Top Model Season 7.

Back to the topic from last post about having ample travel time, getting to the Barcelona airport two hours early proved to be well worth it. When I first booked my ticket from Barcelona to Hong Kong over a month ago, I saw that I had a short layover in Singapore. I have wanted to visit so my mom suggested that I try to extend my layover. Fast forward one month to me at the Barcelona airport. I asked if I could extend my layover from 40 minutes to 40 hours.

Did you know that as a U.S. citizen you can stay in Hong Kong for up to 3 months without a visa as long as you have an outbound ticket? Because I did not have an outbound ticket from Hong Kong, Singapore Airlines told me that I would have to sign a waiver saying I was flying at my own risk. They warned me that customs may deny my entry into Hong Kong and arrest me. Uh, what? After 1 hour 45 minutes at the check-in counter, they told me I could get a later flight for the Singapore to Hong Kong leg for 23 euros. Sold! I got a 32 hour layover in Singapore and avoided arrest. (FYI, when I finally got to Hong Kong customs, they didn't ask me about my outbound ticket at all. Oh well, better safe than sorry).

When I got to Singapore at 8 am, I had no housing, no plans, and no local currency. There was free internet at the arrivals terminal so I quickly booked one of the first hostels I found. Then I spent 30 minutes chatting with a helpful girl at the tourist information desk. I happened to pass through town in time for the National Day Parade celebrating Singapore's 47th birthday. I love how sometimes things like this just work out.

I checked in my clunky 60 litre backpack and just carried my passport and camera. I withdrew the lowest amount possible from the ATM, 50 Singapore dollars (about 40 USD) from the ATM. I figured that would be my budget for my short time in Singapore.

It was interesting to be in a place with four official languages-English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese. The girl at the tourism desk told me that the multicultural city was made up of three main areas-Little India, Chinatown, and the Malay area. I spent the day wandering around the city trying to hit popular tourist spots like the Raffles Hotel where the drink Singapore Sling originated. More importantly I passed by many beautiful mosques, churches, and temples. I somehow found my way to the world's largest prayer wheel in the Buddha Tooth Relic and Museum. If you go to Singapore, I recommend visiting it. It is the most beautiful temple I have ever been in and the informative museum is filled with amazing relics.

To watch the fireworks at night, I went to the Gardens by the Bay which is next the famous hotel Marina Bay Sands. Click here if you want to see more pictures of the gardens. (I will upload the rest of my photos on my Facebook.) The gardens were recently completed and the park spans over 100 hectares. After the fireworks, I caught a bit of the National Day Parade and got to see the Singapore skyline on my walk home. 

Three things I am grateful for:
1. I was able to stay within my budget. I spent less than S$50 during my 32 hours in Singapore. I didn't realize it until I checked into the hostel at 11pm that I had to pay for the room with cash. I am glad I didn't stop by any museums which have ridiculously expensive entrance fees. When I got back to the airport for my flight the next day, I had 80 cents left. Whew.
2. I felt like a new person after taking a shower after a sweaty day wandering around Singapore. One of the guys in my hostel room was kind enough to let me use his shower shoes.
3. I was sneaky and got to stay in a 4 person co-ed dorm room for the price of an 8 person room. Also, I couldn't have asked for better dorm mates. They were so kind and great to talk to.

Espana

London
Days: 4
Nights: 4
Meals consumed that were prepared by Chef Morimoto: 4
Number of times I made Sam laugh so hard that she had to use her inhaler: 1

Madrid
Days: 3
Nights: 3
Number of times strangers approached me to ask if I'm from China: 4 

Barcelona
Days: 5
Nights: 5
Number of times I went topless on the beach: 1 (Everyone does it!)

I haven’t blogged since three cities ago. I have been slacking and I don’t have Internet often now. I am in Hong Kong staying with my grandma. 

After London, I took a short flight to Madrid. I don’t know anyone there but figured I could get by with my rudimentary Spanish. However, I haven’t taken a Spanish class since eighth grade and as soon as the flight attendants started talking, I wish I remembered more than “tengo hambre.”

My first day there, I took it easy and went for a walk in the park near my hotel. Throughout my three day stay, I passed through Parque del Buen Retiro several times. I love that the name of the park means "Park of the Pleasant Retreat." The park is home to a rose garden, peacocks, rollerskaters (apparently it's a big thing there), runners, badminton, and people working out on the park equipment. There was a section of it that looked like Madrid’s equivalent of Muscle Beach but with people that aren’t grossly muscular. Sorry, I didn’t take any creeper pictures. 

A lesson that I have learned while travelling is that funny stuff happens. I hope that I am becoming more patient and understanding. For example, you may travel for an hour to visit a museum you really want to see that should have completed renovations two months ago only to discover they are closed for another five months (Sam later told me that construction/renovations are never completed on time in Berlin). You may walk several kilometers to a famous nightclub only to be turned away by the bouncer when he overhears someone in your group making a remark that “this club looks lame” (We ended up going to Watergate which had an amazing view). A couple hours before your flight, you may realize you and your travel companion have flights on different days (Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to change flights). Also, the first night you are alone in a foreign country where you don’t know anyone and you don’t speak the language, you may be in bed with no pants on at 11pm when an uninvited stranger walks into your room. It’s pretty funny now, but at the time it was kind of scary.

I was in bed catching up on e-mails when I heard the door click open. The person quickly left after they heard me yelling. I got up to deadbolt the door, which I should have done in the first place, and then I crawled back into bed. Three minutes later, a man tries to swipe in and starts talking to me in muffled Spanish. I couldn’t really hear him or understand him so I refused to open the door. I have been brainwashed and I thought I was about to get mugged or murdered. The front desk later told me he was a staff worker that got sent up because the first person who came to my room told the hotel that my room was “busy.” What does that even mean? Anyway, always remember to deadbolt your door. Duh. 

The next day, I walked to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. I love when museums are free especially when it’s mostly filled with stuff I think is weird. I took AP Art History in high school in hopes of gaining a deeper appreciation and understanding of art but I don’t remember anything. It’s my fault I didn’t pay attention. But, if anyone could explain contemporary art to me, I would be forever grateful. I just don’t get it. It’s all over my head.

Next, I went next door to Jardin Botanico and Museo del Prado before ending my day at Palacio de Villahermosa (Museo Thyssen Bornemisza). This museum is now my favorite (sorry, London’s National Gallery). The baroness has an amazing private collection that she has housed in a museum to share with the public. On the wall, there was a nice quote from Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, “From the time when I began to acquire works of art in the 1980’s with a passion that I owe to my husband, I have been profoundly impressed by the remarkable capacity that works of art have to move and unite human beings, I have always felt that art is not for one person alone and should be shared.” 

The museum also had a temporary exhibit of works by American artist Edward Hopper. Things like this make me feel like I am never far from home. There were many groups of girlfriends dressed up for a museum outing. Do people do this in the states? When I left at 8:30pm, there was a large crowd of people waiting to get in. The museum closes at 11pm. Crazy. 

On my last full day in Madrid, I went to walk through part of Madrid Rio.They tore down a highway and replaced it with 10 kilometers of parks along the Manzanares River. It's a neat idea and there were many people taking advantage of the bike paths, playgrounds, urban beach, cafés and restaurants, terraces, and cultural and sports facilities. 

Then, I walked to the Palace and it ended up being one of my favorite stops. I only got pictures in the first room because picture taking is forbidden. Oops. I wish I was sneaky and got more pictures because the palace was amazing. It put Cribs to shame. The walls and ceilings were ridiculously ornate and words just don’t do it justice. I’m pretty sure that my mouth was gaped open like an idiot the entire time. Two of my favorite rooms were the “Throne Room” and The “Porcelain Room,” pun intended. The “Porcelain Room” was 100% porcelain-walls, ceilings, but I was kind of disappointed there wasn’t a fantastically pimped out toilet. “The Antechamber of Queen Maria Cristina (Stradivarius Room)” had two violins, a viola, a violoncello, and an undecorated solo violoncello. Baby Jin, I tried to steal them for you but they had some intense security. Sorry, I couldn’t bring you home a Stradivarius souvenir. 

I loved Madrid, but I was even more excited about visiting Barcelona. Whenever I mention “Barcelona,” people gush about how amazing the city is and how much they love it. Also, one of my old rowing teammates, Allison, just moved there. I took a three hour train ride from Madrid to Barcelona.  Allison was super sweet and volunteered to pick me up from the train station.  I didn’t have a phone and we had difficulty finding each other in the crowded station. I felt like I was in a cheesy chick flick when I finally spotted her in a sea of strangers. I love staying with friends when I am in a new country. There is nothing better than seeing friendly faces in foreign places.

That night, Allison and I went to dinner with an English teachers association. I spoke with a man who used to work as a stand-up comedian in L.A. He visited Barcelona once and fell in love with the city. Without a job, a plan, or any knowledge of Spanish, he moved to Barcelona. When he got here he took a one month intensive Spanish course and since then has been learning the language by interacting with locals. 

In true Spanish fashion dinner started at 9:30pm and was still going strong when we left at midnight. The tapas were delicious-patatas fritas with spicy mayo, pimentos, and clams. 

The next day we went to Allison’s swanky gym, O2 and went to a spinning class. It was fun to go to a spin class in a different language. I didn’t understand everything she said but I began to dread it every time she said “¡una punta mas!” We took a well-deserved siesta before heading to her friend’s fiesta. Over the next couple days, I learned that siestas and fiestas are a winning combo. We went to her friend’s house in a small town just outside of Barcelona. He had a sick nasty (I can’t think of a more elegant way to describe it) view.

On my third day there, we went to a playa with Allison’s roomies. Allison lives in an international house with a roommate that is a vet from Brazil, a Frenchman in advertising, and a married couple from Argentina. We took a train about 30 minutes out to get away from the touristy beaches. We spent the day on the beach playing pallas (beach ping pong minus the table), drinking mojitos, and eating paella. I came to Spain with the sole intention of eating paella. Mission accomplished. It was delicious. 

Travel Tip Tuesday Topic: Travel Time-Allot more time than you think you need for the train station or airplane. I know this is a duh statement but I need to remember this. When I took a train from Madrid to Barcelona, I happened onto a strike at the train station. There was a crowd of people singing and chanting with a whole mess of policia surrounding them.  I will upload the video eventually and I would love it if someone could translate it for me.

Three things I’m grateful for: 

1. Hearing my favorite Michael Buble song on the train to Barcelona

2. Staying with locals who have cars

3. When my unplanned adventures work out