Summary of the day

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We had the day off to roam around Tianjin. And roam we did.

While attempting to set up my internet connection last night, I realized that my ethernet port was broken on my laptop. Have you ever tried to explain broken computer parts to a shopkeeper in a foreign language? I snapped back into Mandarin mode real quick after that.

I think I've become the unofficial translator of our group. My qualifications include two years of sleeping through Chinese class in college. My poor classmates...

On the other hand, the locals are enamored by my attempts at communication. Everyone from the computer guy to the owner of the dumpling shop has been incredibly nice to me so far. That was the most surprising part. I expected to the stereotypical huffy "couldn't give you the time of day" Chinese person. I was ready to be on the defensive in a foreign country. It's been a very pleasant surprise.

One stereotype that has come through are the stares, which range from stolen glances to unabashed gawking. A taxi driver stopped in the middle of a busy road and stared at us for a good few minutes while cars behind him honked. A car full of teenage boys waved and giggled. Cooks in a restaurant sneak into the dining area to catch a glimpse. People on the street simply stop in their tracks. It went on and on and it's only the first day we've been here. We've got two Muslims, a girl from Kenya, a girl from Jaimaca, two Latinos and quite a few Caucasians in our group. I suppose we are quite a sight.

Real classes and lectures start tomorrow. Until then, I'm going to catch some shut eye.

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