Post Office
Related posts: The same post office in March, 2008.
Mandarin Again
So far, Beijing still feels like Wonkaland, but I kind of love being in Wonkaland. I’m having huge issues with the language, though.
Since this summer, I’ve been doing ChinesePod lessons, which I would totally recommend to anyone trying to learn Mandarin. They’re much shorter than typical language tapes like Pimsleur, so I don’t feel like I’m devoting an hour of my life to fighting the unforgiving tones. Also it’s easy to find a lesson by topic, so if you just want to work in ordering food, you don’t have to sit through a whole “Hello, I am an American. What’s your name?” dialogue.
I’m also doing a basic radicals writing book. I like it because the author gives some background on each character so they don’t seem like random squiggles (I know, I know, foreigners like me should just go home), and there’s a little story to help remember the character. It’s difficult though because the simplest characters to draw are not necessarily the most common or the most useful.
So I can speak survival-level Chinese and recognize simple characters, but I can’t usually say and write the same character.
Posted in Beijing
Tagged chinese, Chinese life, chinesepod, Eric, lessons, mandarin, random
Leave a comment
Hot Water
Our shower doesn’t have a hot tap. I’m including a photo from the shower so you don’t think I’m exaggarating. See that green dial? That’s for water. Not hot or cold water, not more or less water. Just a choice between Taking a Shower or Not Taking a Shower. If you want to change the temperature, you can go out of the bathroom, across the living room and out on the clothes-drying balcony to adjust how much gas goes into the water heater.
You can also turn on two heat lamps on the ceiling over the shower. (Again — here’s a picture for the unconvinced!) The switches for the heat lamps are located outside the bathroom. The way to activate them is to shout over to your girlfriend that you’re cold. The heat lamps get warm fast, and warm the whole bathroom. It makes me feel like one of Kristine’s reptiles and amphibians in their heated tanks. A turtle in particular, because the bathroom also has that Beijing plumbing smell that my sister called “turtle tank.”
The Real Reason I Came Back To China
Posted in New York City
Tagged back to China, China, Chinese life, e3, New York City
Leave a comment
You’d Have Thought The Same Thing
They took Stick’s toothpaste away before they’d let us on the plane, but we got more toothpaste easily at a shop near our new place.
But last night before bed I was simultaneously wondering why the toothpaste tasted funny and noticing that the character on the tube looked awfully like the character for “tea.” Turns out those cute little green leaves weren’t mint after all.
At least it really was toothpaste and not, say, suntan lotion.
En Route
So, when we got on the plane in Newark, the baggage guy took our suitcases and said “Mexico City, Ms. Diaz?” and I laughed because he was holding our boarding passes, so I thought he was kidding — also because airport security is known for their senses of humor and cordial dispositions — but Stick stopped him before he actually stickered our bags for Mexico.
Six Pomegranate Seeds
It’s odd to see ads for new movies, and know that we’ll be buying them as cheap DVDs in China. It’s even weirder to think of all the other things I’ll miss. I’m sad that I’ll be emailing congratulations for all the engagements, weddings and new babies in the next year. (Fortunately Tryon and Katie had an extra-long engagement so I could go to the wedding!) Disappearing for long periods of time has changed my hang-out-all-the-time college crowd into email friends.
I felt like this right before I went to China last time, but I was trying not to. I felt like I had to defend my decision to go to Yantai for a year, and it was too hard to admit that I had some mixed feelings. I’m excited going back to China — and bringing Stick! — but I’m still heartbroken about everything I’m missing at home.
I knew I shouldn’t have eaten those pomegranate seeds.
Posted in Yantai
Tagged back to China, China, Chinese life, Katie, mail, movies, Stick, Yantai
Leave a comment
Toothless Mountain Men
New piece on the Toothless Mountain Men up at Azeroth World news. My first in-game interview and it includes virtual cow-tipping!
