First Week Exploring China

I don't really remember where I left off, but I can talk about all the exciting developments that have occurred since the last post.

Yesterday, Monday here, we decided that a group of us were going to go to Silk Market to buy some fake stuff and maybe get some food. But when it came down to it, there became to smaller groups (probably about 10 in each group). One of the groups wanted to go to Silk Market and the other wanted to go Xidan (another market that also has department stores). This was late at night after we had done the EAP bureaucratic crap with the Alumnus, answering questions and taking a DAMN HARD placement test. The placement test, which took about 1 hour in total, consisted of a written part (ALL IN SIMPLIFIED WHICH I DON'T KNOW) and an oral exam with a teacher, which was much more comfortable than the written test, where I felt like I was in kindergarten.

Anyway, back to the interesting shopping stuff. We ended up going to Xidan because Silk Market was going to take about 45 minutes during rush hour in a taxi, something that we DID NOT want to pay. So we ended up walking what felt like miles to the Beijing ditie (subway) and then finally made it and did some transfers. We got to Xidan, still a little lost but we eventually found it. The group of us consisted of A LOT of Berkeley students, it was pretty cool because at dinner we were able to talk to them about home and about the Asian Ghetto (Steve's and Thai Basil, haha). But what was nice was that everyone was pretty much able to talk about the bay area and how nice it is. Ohh the weather, how I miss it.

Anyway, Xidan was quite nice. I bought a messenger bag, like the Mao one I got last time I was in Beijing, except this time it is "Diesel". HAHA. I bargained it down from 90 to 30. I think I did ok with it, but who knows, they probably made it for 5. Haha. Tammy also got a shirt that I bargained down for her, just like the blue checkered one that I really like. I felt like a bargain hunter, it was really nice. I think its because I got the Beijing accent down when asking for price. Duoerr qian. It's really nice, my sister taught me how last time and I just listen to the natives.

Anyway, after browsing and shopping, and only getting one thing each, we met up at the McDonalds sign that we said we would. Then one of the people we were hanging out with suggested that we go to the top of this department store which had a food court. We were walking around and then eventually decided on korean food. Tammy was pissed, they freaking forgot her food. But when she finally got it, it was HELLLA good. Super oily though. I had some, it was really nice, with the crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl kind of crispy. Oh so good, for those of you who know what I'm talking about. Anyway, we were satisfied with the meal, I got the Kimchi rice, which was really good with a fried egg that was far below subpar. Which means it was not a good fried egg, at least not like how it looked in the book. The rice was also too soggy, or too saturated in the kimchi sauce. It's supposed to be rice, not porridge.

Anyway, we were going to head back when we saw a building that had FLASHING LIGHTS. We were drawn to it like bugs and eventually made it to this alleyway that revealed a KTV. It was pretty exciting and I suggested that we be spontaneous and go. Everyone was cool about it and we went in.

Man! It was the most extravagant karaoke bar that I've ever been to. The walls looked like they were plated with gold. The floors were marble. The bathrooms were clean as hell and they had sit down toilets. Can you believe it? No squatty potties. Anyway, it was really nice and they even had a food court in the KTV for people that were hungry, no doubt with a price added on to it. It ended up not even being that expensive. It was 228 for the first hour of singing, then about 120 something for the next hour. It was nice to see the american songs. You know the karaoke like: thong song, low, brittney, a whole new world (which always seems to be a pick), rap songs (hell yeah, I was the shit, not really), backstreet boys and tong hua (which is also a popular pick). It was really fun, but I sang so hard that my throat hurt and I had to buy "sports water" with an orange taste. It was fun, but we had to take a cab back because the subway line that we went on to get there was closed. It was cheap getting back anyway, even if he did rip us off (5 kuai per person), less than a dollar.

The sore throat carried on to today, but not for very long. I went to finally get a local cell phone and then to get my internet sorted out. On the way to getting the cell phone, we ran into a nice dumpling xiao chi (hole in the wall really) where Tammy's roommate told us to go. It was hell good, and we ended up only paying less than $2.5 for the entire stuffing meal. Damn it was good. A lot of students and locals went there. It was also literally a hole in the wall. After getting the internet in my room and the cell phone, we looked around Jin Wu Xing, dingy shopping center, for a little longer and then had to leave (after buying ethernet cables for 10 kuai each, better than 25 kuai each right? - again, I am soo good, jk).

When we got back, we were pretty much just in time for the next part of orientation, which was meeting our tutors, getting our books (because we were already placed into a class). I was pissed at what level I was put in, but hopefully my skills will reflect on where I am supposed to be. I really want to be able to convert my units to Chinese 10AX in Berkeley, that is my ultimate goal, but I guess if I don't, I would have learned what level I should have been at and it would be better for my ultimate learning...although it would mean I completely wasted my time in Berkeley and that I was a DUMBASS.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes and if I can pass. Afterwards, we met at the lecture hall we always meet at and met our tutors (who we are only given 12 hours with). She was pretty cool, we have to share one. I thought the person I had to share with was not very cool, but it turned out he was actually quite nice and as our tutor said "quite a character". She liked him a lot, maybe too much. She also learned from him to say "She is whore" and "Ho is like Bitch?". Ohh I hope we didn't start something bad in Bei Shi Da. Anyway, it was cool. She showed us a lot of places and then told us to call to set up the tutorials with her.

Then she left and I came back to my computer for e-mails. I think I will give Felix a call tomorrow to meet up.

That's about it for now. School starts on Thursday, Oh Boy! Not.


What was cool was that, in the end we only ended up paying a total of $10 for the entire extravagant, spontaneous night out.