Wo shi Jianadaren! (I am Canadian)

I started classes this week and I'm the only Canadian in my class. I've met three other Canadians; two only briefly. The teacher was using the phrase meaning "only second to" and was discussing the size of countries. She told the class that Russia was the largest country and the second was perhaps USA or Canada. There I was, reclined in my chair, with my MEC pants and Canadian $10 bill in my wallet, wanting to blend in so I wouldn't be called on. Once I heard what she said, I almost side-thrust kicked the American sitting quietly next to me. "Bu shi! (no, it isn't)" I retorted, I explained to her that is was quite obvious that Canada was the bigger country in my poor Mandarin. She flashed me a patient smile and told me, since I was so passionate, that I should then use the new phrase and answer her question.

Zixingche (bike)

Two days ago, I bought a bike! It was very exciting. But its new cuz everywhere I looked, nobody was selling old second-hand ones. I think people will steal it. My LA friend bought hers on the same day and it was stolen the next day! (even though she purposely dented it and painted it unaesthetic colours.) Both our bikes are new but in a shade of an unattractive camoflauge dark blue. I haven't really used it though. I just want to have a bike. It was 140RMB with no gears. Its so flat here, I'm beginning to find it hard to believe that the earth is round.

Watashi-wa Canada-jin desu. (I am Canadian)
Nanun Canada saram imida. (I am Canadian)

Yes, I'm beginning to pick up Japanese and Korean a little. People want to learn Cantonese from me. It's very amusing. I started to talk to a few Americans and found that I couldn't speak English properly as I was using 4-year-old Mandarin with my roommate and non-English speaking friends so much. I had no vocabularly anymore and it was hard speaking English again! Another thing I noticed is that I truly am an "undercover sista". People don't pay any attention to me when I'm out on the street, but when I'm with my Vancouver friend and we start speaking in English, everybody turns abruptly and stares at us! When that happens, I start to count aloud to ten in Mandarin. (I don't think that works though. . .)

Yiheyuan/Chang Cheng

Went to the Great Wall (a part of it called Mutianyu) and it was so hot that day. Quite steep, lots of stairs. But it was impressive. As most parts of the wall are closed to visitors, there are only a few sites people can actually go see. I heard there is a section that is a bit hardcore, for all those hardcore peeps out there, crumbling and difficult terrain that I aspire to visit during this stay in China.

Also went to Yi HeYuan (Summer Palace) which is huge and beautiful. Nothing like Stanley Park. All the lakes and water areas are man-made but you need to ride on slow boats to get across some areas, vast magnificent buildings, carvings. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera that day, I heard it's bikeable so I will attempt that soon with my camera next time.

Beijing Yin Yue (music)

I went to a live music show last weekend. It was a local rock/Chinese fusion all-male band: dummer, vocalist/acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, Chinese instrumentalist. The Chinese instrumentalist was playing Tibetan trumpets, pipes and other wind instruments which contrasted greatly with the rock feel. The lead singer had make-up on and wore a qipao (Chinese formal dress). His long straight hair was combed neatly and flowed past his shoulders. They sang in Chinese about political and social issues. I don't understand exactly what they were singing about though. I was told that they were singing about Bush and bin laden. I was highly impressed. The name of the group is Secondhand Rose.

This weekend is Mid-Autumn Festival. Have a great one and don't eat too many Yuebing (mooncakes)!

P.S. There are no Internet cafes (legal ones anyway) here in Beijing. There was a terrible fire back in June so I've been waiting in line at the campus computer room. Around an hour's wait but cheap 2RMB/hr.

I have arrived!

The air is not as polluted as I imagined. I'm reminded of Hong Kong and Taiwan because those are the only Asian urban centres that I've been in. The air reminds me of Hong Kong but then again, I haven't been outside the university grounds yet (other than the airport which is another story in itself).

Met 2 people my age before I took off from Vancouver. One is an SFU communications grad I recognized and another from Beijing, new graduate from Yale. SFUer is interning at this UN office and LA girl is taking Chinese language program at a nearby university. I ended up sharing a cab with her. The airport was crazy! Once we got in, these hagglers came to woo us to their taxis. One bought me a phone card which I refused, another tried pushing my cart and I also refused. I was so skeptical, but ended up going with this woman who took at to this parking lot. It was so weird. V. agressive. Cab drivers are very scary but they never seem to end up in accidents. (I had forgotten these idiosyncracies from HK and Taiwan.)

My roommate is from Korea. 90% of the residents in my building are from Korea so I know exactly what Jeanette feels like at work everyday. I like is cuz my roommate doesn't really speak English or Chinese and we are both trying to improve on Chinese to communicate with each other. We hang out with two other Korean girls and a Japanese girl who speak hanyu (Mandarin) v. well and that's what we communicate in. I have to say, the local food here is really bad. I had stomach aches after my first meal (dinner) after flying in and I could only eat a third of it. The portions are huge and the price is 4 kuai (Chinese dollar/RMB) for the dish and rice. The conversion is approximately $1CDN to $5.5 RMB. We ended up just eating Korean food yesterday. SOOper good. v. yummy.

Classes start tomorrow. Later today will take placement test. Will visit the city this weekend and also The Great Wall.

Beware the Great Fire Wall of China

Random Pre-departure Thoughts

There are 2 million people in Vancouver and 12 million in Beijing. I need my space and I never realised how lucky we are to have this choice to be with people or to be alone. I'm sure in Asia nobody has much of a choice once they step out of the house. And even in the house, they might be crammed in. Having the choice to be independent and individualistic is so decadent. Anthropologists and psychologists talk about other collectivistic cultures all the time and I'm starting to understand why they are like that. It's not necessarily all about culture, but more like they don't have a choice. Another point for population control. . .

Panic attacks: 2 (just thinking about no space)
Times checked email: Less than 20... (email server is up again)

It's actually happening. I went out buying stuff today for the extended trip and I'm actually going. Feeling a bit intimidated like before I got to Taiwan. It's another country and culture afterall. Although I was sure I would be fine before. I will be. People told me China was their hardest trip, harder than West Africa, harder than the Middle East because of the language. The written language in those places have English or French alongside and China apparently does not. I wonder how far my Chinese can take me. No biggie, other people going to Japan and France in September and they'll be fine with language.

Backpacking stores visited: 9 (v. tired, no more, please!)
Times checked email: 1 (YES!!! v. v. good!)

Question of the day

Would you date yourself if you could clone yourself (either same/opposite sex)? Would you recognize how similar you would be to this clone? Would others? V. thought-provoking indeed.

Caffeine units: 3 (now running low from morning coffee and h. kisses)
Hunger pangs: once every 6 minutes (have to fill hollow leg, meanwhile will do breathing method)
Times checked email: err. . .ummm. . . (I'll stop checking it!!! I promise.)

Happy Monday! Yes, in exactly 3 weeks from today I will be on board Air Canada sitting through a 15 hour flight. Fun? I don't know, I just hope there are no tantrum kids next to me sparring with me to go to the washroom every five minutes. I can just see it, their arms akimbo, gallavanting along the aisles and yelling "I want McDonald's NOW!!!" while I sit there, seat gripping.

My aunts are scared for me when I go away. I found out why.

"You have to be careful in China."

"I will."

"No, you can't just listen to people there. They are not trustworthy like people here."

"What? I think you're overgeneralising. I mean-"

"Don't believe things people say."

"Umm-okay."

"I'll tell you why. You're going to meet a guy there-"

"Huh?"

"-and he will want to be with you but don't, okay? Because he just wants to come to Canada."

"Oh."

Caffeine units: 0 (had rasberry herbal tea, however, am in need of coffee)
Callouses on fingers: 6 units (am forming another as i type and think of guitar)
Times checked email: too many to count (v. v. bad! control!)

August is half over!? I'm really not panicky. Don't know too much of what to expect come September but thus is the life of an adventurer, right?

But maybe that is the endearing procrastinating indiosyncracy of mine. I mean I've got the passport, visa, vaccination already. Just need to know about health insurance and what to do with Mao's heads (RMBs) once I get there. V. exciting. Perhaps will start writing like B. Jones.

Alcohol units: none yet
Debauchery level: 5 units (without alcohol. . .v. scary)
Times checked email: 3 times (at 9:35am. . .good, but can improve)

After my career of a techno-geek reaches a pinnacle, I plan to retire and move on to higher and better things in life: I will enroll myself as a Raging Granny. I'll be singing socially conscious songs to the melody of catchy showtunes with the likes of "The Sound of Music", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and "Grease".

And to add to the slew of sideshows I've been attending this cultural summer, I will be attending the free and exciting Tempest at an outdoor venue near you. Adios!

I have concluded that I am already on the way to techno-saavyhood by having this web log thingamajig/whatchamacallits (hey, vocab will soon follow. . . hopefully. . .).

The biggest fear I have is to get ripped off while I'm abroad because of all the horror stories that I have been hearing about. I was in my very own city yesterday and I was ripped off. Sometimes, I don't even know when somebody wants me to hear their real-life heart-wrenching story or when they are telling me lies to swindle a bus ticket. Anyway, I always tend to end up giving them something. Yesterday it was a looney. I could have bought 2 samosa's for that amount of $! The man who was standing next to me was asked for the second portion of the "bus fare" but he refused to give the guy anything. He turned to me after the guy left and said "The guy probably makes more money in a day than either of us." I have to agree but it was too late.

You'd think I would have learned after the Gordon incident. This happened last year when this guy with a pamphlet with a list of organizations for street youths came up to my friend and me and asked for donations (actually, he specifically asked for 8/10 bucks each) and we ended up giving him $5 each. Turns out he was a scam! At the time, we asked him if we could keep one of the pamphlets and he refused! (obviously, he still needed his props for future scammings or wanted to avoid evidence of his schemes if we attempted to turn him in) This sad but true didactic tale tells me that I need to quickly register and attend one of those meetings for seniors who are always getting ripped off these days.

Exactly one more month till I arrive in China. . .not panicky but I feel I should be. Still have to find out about logistics to make it seem like a reality I guess.

I feel like Daniel from Microserfs by Douglas Coupland. Not the fact that he is a "thin fat person" but it's SUCH an awfully good book. V. amusing, but sadly I only have a couple more chapters to go. I think I should write the entries like he does, typing words at random and making random entries just words without vowels or consonants. The book has inspired me to persue a new career: one of a techno geek! haha. Not a techno saavyist by trade, I believe I can train hard and find all that potential computer knowledge deeply engrained within absent or else very hidden cortex muscles. So much for my previous dream of becoming a luddite living in recluse!!!

Was asked what I wanted to do before I leave Vancouver. Don't know. I'm so happy this summer already. Vancouver is definitely the best city by far! Do and do not know why I am leaving all at the same time. . .

W s sk d wh t w nt d t d b f r l v V nc v r.
a a e a I a e o o e o e I ea e a ou e .
hee hee :)

PRE-LEAVING COUNTRY CAMPING TRIP
SALTSPRING ISLAND, BC.

Camping for the past three days really opened my eyes to how much we take things for granted as urbanites. We've been spoiled rotten in the city with all its extravagent conveniences.

But being on Saltspring itself showed me something that transcends all the mundane chores I speak of. It was even beyond the feel-good swim we had on the lake and all the arbutus trees we encountered on our hike. I experienced an incredible feeling of community on this laid-back Gulf island. Maybe it has to do with the stereotype I have of this place even before I stepped foot on it: hippies abound with their locally made currency that keeps the money in the community. To be honest, I believe it has more to do with the individual people we met this long weekend.

Our tent neighbours, the Vancouver family with two little boys who adored guitar serenades were friendly and wonderful. The Saturday Ganges community market with its foods, local arts and crafts was so involving with its many food samples (Mmm. . .jams, jams, jams, cheese, flavoured dough) and sundry foods to purchase and eat (blueberry/peach pie, popcicle juicy). On our hike around the southern part, we came across a stand that sold lemonade, cookies, dried flowers and garlic with just a lone box for the money! I've never seen anything so trusting in my life. Looking at this through urban eyes, from a place where nobody would leave their doors unlocked, bikes unchained even for a mere fraction of a second, I feared for local and international punks who would try to steal the chocolate chip goodies. Similar unsupervised stalls apparently exist in Victoria as well.

Our last evening on Saltspring was a community event in itself. At the local Ganges park, a group of hand drummers from Vancouver, Victoria and other parts were jamming and chanting while we practiced martial arts on the grass against the bright orange sun that was lowering itself in the sky. A guy from Victoria knew the katas I was practicing and did some with us. One of the older drummer had made yummy stone soup (lots and lots of vegetable in a stew, sans stone I hope. . .) and gave us a free dinner with bread. In appreciation, we sang him a song we wrote (revised from Fiddler on the Roof). It was too bad that they were on the same campsite that we were staying at for that night. Would have been fun if could continue jamming with them into the night. We danced around the drummers until it was time to go and catch the ferry home.

*NOTE: I'm a bit worried after reading an email from my friend who is now working in Bangladesh. She's getting homesick for things Western, sick for Canadian things. I only hope I will meet similar characters like the ones we met on Saltspring in China and that I will never take anything for granted. We are only here at this place and this time of our lives now. Live it a full one.

So this is my first attempt at web logging. All this without the wizardry of Dreamweaver of FrontPage. I have to say journaling on the web does not come without challenges. My first one was trying to think up a web address that wasn't taken by other people. Being a "freespirit", a "dreamer" or an "idealist" has become incredibly conventional as I have learned quickly. And yes, disappointed fans, if you can believe this, the address "yellowfever" is already taken! Boo. . .

Soulshine is from one of Michael Franti's song. Enlighten up and give your soul a shine. Much love from an undercover sister.

Now what I have to do till September 9 is wait for my big adventure and I can start chronicling my life in exotic China