Ok, well, this is me now writing. How’s everyone? I myself am a little tired, having not slept last night. Quick update on things contemporary:First semester of my new program ended (I guess more on school later), and I’m on my very long winter break. I went to Yunnan Province to poke around, but had to come back to Beijing before I got a chance to see anything beyond Kunming — discovered my leg was infected right when I arrived. I had an interesting few days in and out of the hospital staying with my friend’s aunt and uncle, though, and did manage to see a few Kunming sights. I’ve been in Beijing a few days, living at my friend Steph’s apartment and skulking about. Leg’s better. Family’ll be here Sunday. I’ll be laying low from the intertron for a while. I hope I gave you something to read for a bit. Have a happy holidays everyone! Be well, be happy, and peace! Soyez sage, 保证！
A political post
This is a post about politics and the environment. A while ago I gathered some quotes together, interspersed with my own thoughts, and stuck it in a folder for a rainy day. I just reworked it a bit. Kickin’ rad. (more…)
Time passes…
This was written weeks later, after things had changed up and then settled down. It has not been edited, to preserve my original thoughts.
如今还没有空，但这此关我什么事儿呀？*
So! Been a long time! Finally bothered to find a new proxy server. I really hate those damn censors.
What’s new? I’ve since traveled to Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Hangzhou, southern Anhui, and Xi’an. I’ve moved across the city to a different university (首都经济贸易大学), started a new program, learned some slang, and next week I turn 21! Everything’s just neat-o. I begin to get tired of being in the tiny minority of foreigners, but in Beijing it’s not so bad. Even in this part of Beijing, the Central Business District, it wears on you — but it could be worse. I know some folk at the Yale-in-Peking program at Beijing University, my friend moved here from the states for the year, and my Chinese is much better.
I’ll try and find time to add more stuff this week, now that I sort of have a semi-not-really-convenient way of doing so. Interestingly (not really) I have wa-a-ay more work this semester than I thought I would. On a given weekday I have almost no free time, and I already manage to waste too much of my not-free time doing things like sleeping or eating. Bah, I say.
*(I will always continue to try and stretch the limits of the things I know how to write in Chinese. Obviously I’m likely to screw it up. Just so you know I know.)
Take yourselves back…
It’s hazy green summer in Beijing, and I’m still living at Beishida, going to summer school, listening to cicadas in the trees, and my roommate talk about his girl. This is August 9, looking back over the whole program so far:
Not posting, lame, sorry
Let me try and get this all strait:
After dinner, played Go with Sam in the “Cafe” by the wangba.
Longqingxia, Great Wall Beach Party
Day of Nothing (reading and internet)
–(week 4)
Break!
Midterm, Wangfujing, in theory early to bed but not as early as planned
Gugong, Sanlitun Nanlu, first time there (China Doll, Bar Blu, Kai, that place in the street), made the mistake of staying with the two girls who only wanted to flirt with the Dutch guys instead of going with Jenny and her hot friend
Got up *really* late in the day, read, did nothing, ended up pulling an all-nighter to finish zuowen
–(week 5)
Acrobatics, Max/Steph to Dong’an Kafei
Sunshine Village, dinner with Sam and Scott, Max/Steph to Sanlitun Nanlu, The Tree
Day of Nothing (reading and internet)
–(week 6)
Reading and Go.
Tuesday, singing class
Wednesday called ACC had Chinese phone conversation for reals, really wanted to write
Thursday
Friday saw Jason Chase for dinner at Silk Street fujin, then went to meet Max, Steph and Kendrick at East Shore Jazz Café. Saw Golden Buddha Jazz Unit (talked to Izumi after the show — Japanese drummer with hand).
Saturday slept through Yingshan Pagoda trip, went to dinner with Max, Steph, Kendrick at Dadong Kaoya dian in Chaoyang(?), really really yummy, then went to Bookworm on Sanlitun South street. Sunday woke up to talk to Justin but no go. Puttered around instead of sleeping again, did no work, finally hung out with Max, Steph, Kendrick around Beishida. Bought Harry Potter for 35 kuai, went to upstairs kafeiguan, played Go while talking, went to “dinner” at Issin, then left to go meet Sam and Scott to go to Wudaokou to dinner (again) at this awesome kafeiguan/fanguan/tushuguan, then went to D22 to see Red Hand Jazz Band. Talked with sax player after first set, he said we should jam, and no reeds in Beijing. Came back to Beishida, got almost no sleep while doing no work and instead talking to George, Justin, then Miguel, and finishing Max’s first novel.
–(week 7)
Worst week ever. Thursday night, still haven’t done lots of homework, including essay. Koutoubaogao is tomorrow along with test. Hopes not high. Wednesday was the Big Chinese Table, singing, playing that word game, watching Sam get into a pseudo fight with B during Tong Hua over _ Laoshi(!) Been practicing every day except Wed. with Sam for the Beijing Zhiye on Sat. Latin piece that we named [forgot].
And here I thought I had no way of getting back…
Proxy servers stopped working, and a lot of other things were going on. Just now, I finally realized VPN gets me back on this blog. Also, I’m on break, so I have time to post — although my family’s coming to see me for the holidays and I’ll be a little busy while they’re here. Anyway, everybody (that’s still around): I’m going to start posting again. At the very least it’ll be once-in-a-while. And so first up, we have a few things I’ve written in the interim.
