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Published: June 14th 2008
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China's knock-off Minnie Mouse
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. Minnie was there to greet us. I've recently been tempted to snatch the title of "Windy City" from Chicago, my prospective future home, and relinquish it to Beijing. The period of late spring through early summer in Beijing is notorious for being immensely windy and tends to experience sudden sandstorms. However, on special days, the winds of Beijing are so strong that I have to walk at a 75 degree angle just to keep moving forward.
Today started out normally enough: overcast sky, cool morning temperature, everyone going about their business. I went to my 8:30 A.M. class and then stepped onto the subway for the glorious two-hour journey into downtown Beijing to meet a friend. By eavesdropping on the subway, I learned that a violent thunderstorm was forecast for that evening; I just hoped I would make it home before it hit.
After meeting my friend for our second fittings at a tailor where we'd each had some clothes made, I browsed the neighborhood bootleg DVD store. When I first arrived in China in 2004, I was ecstatic to discover that I could buy a copy of the new Harry Potter film on the street before it had even opened in U.S. theaters.
Visiting the Kremlin
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. Now, I find myself waiting for movies that were released in February. My hunch is that with all the hoopla surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games in August, local authorities are cracking down on white-collar crime, whereas before they might have turned a blind eye. Bad news for me, the average American movie connoisseur, but good news for the American government, which has been railing on China to crackdown on copyright infringement.
As I stepped back onto the street to walk the couple blocks to the bus stop, I was astonished to see how dark the sky had become in the short time I was browsing for guilty pleasures. The clouds had turned eerie shades of green and yellow and the wind had picked up. As I was debating whether or not I should bite the bullet and pay for a taxi ride home (not a small expense), an enormous bolt of lightening flashed across the sky, making me squint. The hair on my arms prickled as a resounding crack of thunder boomed shortly afterwards. A cab sounded good.
Unfortunately for me, the fast pace of the oncoming storm had obviously influenced the decisions of others as well; luckily
Leaning Tower of Pisa
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. for me, my girlish charm and clever wit allowed me to flag down one of the very few available cabs. I was safe. The driver asked me which route I'd prefer to take back to my apartment, but my answer was drowned out by the enormous crash of thunder that startled us both. The storm was coming.
With the combination of rush hour traffic, the start of the weekend and the impending storm, the ride home was of legendary length. The weather reports on the radio were numerous and increasingly urgent. I told the driver that if the sky back home in the American Midwest looked anything like the sky we were facing then, it would signify a rapidly approaching tornado. He laughed and said that there were no tornadoes in China. But then he stopped laughing and looked worried as we heard reports of golf ball sized hail and strong winds coming our way. Soon, it began to rain. The windshield wipers were no match for the huge drops of rain that came flying down from the heavens, nor was the small taxi a match for the wind that caused the rain to fall horizontally. The water began
Visiting the White House
With friends Hiroki (Japan) and Lingmu Qianxia (Japan)
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. rising and splashing up over the curbs, flooding the sidewalks. We saw more than a few cars floating helplessly along the side roads as drivers blared their horns in frustration. I even learned the specific slang to describe water flooding an engine. It was not terribly comforting.
What really struck me throughout the entire drama-filled ride back to my apartment was the perseverance of the Chinese people. There we were in the middle of a torrential downpour, lightning flashing and thunder booming, strong winds and flooded streets impeding traffic. Yet everywhere I looked, life went on. Bicyclists donning enormous ponchos heroically pedaled through water that rose to the middle of the wheel spokes. Passengers waiting for buses to arrive shared umbrellas. Pedestrians carrying their shoes helped each other navigate down the flooded sidewalks barefoot. I couldn't help smiling as I watched the scene unfold outside the taxi window. The resilience of the Chinese spirit is truly remarkable.
Only two weeks remain in my semester at Beijing Language and Culture University. Finals take place the first week of June and I'm also preparing to take the H.S.K., a standardized test designed to decipher Chinese language skill levels of foreigners.
I don't know. Apparently it's famous.
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. It's strange to think that I will likely never see my classmates again. One of the best things about my experience studying in Beijing through the university's language program is that in addition to learning about Chinese language and culture, I've been able to learn about other cultures as well, some from countries that I never knew existed. I've also been ashamed to learn how much my classmates know about the United States and how little I know about their countries. I've always been very interested in current events and I feel it's important to be informed about what's happening around the world; now I see that I still have so much to learn. But I'm young, and there's time. I was especially interested to hear how closely many of my classmates are following the upcoming U.S. presidential election. It seems you're never too young to become interested in international foreign policy.
Next month I'll be jetting off to Korea for a few days to visit a friend from high school, and only a couple of weeks later I'll be on a plane home to the U.S. I have mixed emotions about leaving China. I am so thrilled
Visiting Stonehenge
One fine day, some friends and I ventured to "International Park". This park was comprised of world famous landmarks-- in minature. to be returning to the United States- the land of freedom and opportunity, and Mom's blueberry pancakes. Yet I feel an indescribable sadness about leaving China, my home of two years, not knowing when or if I will be back for an extended period. All I can do is look ahead to the future and go from there. And, of course, continue to blog along the way.
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Dad Wilson
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Rain & Storms Everywhere
That sounded like quite the storm, like what has happened in the U.S. Midwest recently. Ten inches of rain has fallen in Merritt's home town in the U.S. in last 10 days! There is major flooding in several states in the Midwest. Changes due to global warming? One has to wonder...