Arriving in Chengdu

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China-logue (notes from before, during and after my flight and arrival in Chengdu, China)

8/23

My last day in America today. How scary. I should be more scared than I am, or excited, or something. Or less tired, maybe. I wish I could’ve slept more this week.
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My last American swim for the year. That was an enjoyable swim. I enjoyed myself.

8/24/09
10:15 a.m., LAX

Looking everywhere, I see/nothing but people
Looking everywhere, but/I see, nothing but people
-Blonde Redhead, "Dr. Strangeluv"

I was unable to sleep at first last night, just up imagining scenarios of what my life might be like this fall—What will it be like to walk to class on that campus? Who will I met, and who will I talk to, and in what language? What does autumn feel like in Chengdu? Am I scared or excited to blast my life and habits away, then re-arrange the pieces into a novel, yet essentially similar form? How beautiful will the city parks I walk in be? Will I go to see the Chinese opera and watch performers change their masks at lightning speed, and will I buy a snack while I watch? …Can I do this thing? … Will there be anything left of me after—What will it feel like to lay awake in bed in a student dorm in Sichuan Province, trying to sleep. In how many ways will it, could it, be the same as doing so here.
So, after hours of being up doing this, in-between reading chapters of a book on cosmological science, in-between inflationary universe, astrophysics and string theory, I (somehow) came to the conclusion necessary for rest. I was more excited than scared about this trip, and I was able to sleep. Foremost, I’m thrilled about living 4 months in China. I then slept 4 hours, a deep cosmic sleep that seemed years. I woke up, and now, 5 or so hours later, I’m in Los Angeles, boarding passes in my pocket to secure my passage the rest of the way.
Walking outside from the domestic to international terminal, I could taste the weather, the crisp atmosphere taste of California summer. Winter melon soaking in white tea.
Ooh, boy. I’m gonna get perpetually rocked this whole semester. I’m thrilled.

1:45 p.m.

“As thinking about one’s health is constantly becoming more important in people’s minds, getting a gym membership seems more important for the sake of (your personal) health. However, while the fee may be in order to ‘buy’ health, you’re still just ‘buying’ a membership.”
^^This is a (very rough, and possibly poor) translation of the first paragraph in a China Eastern Airlines in-flight magazine article, aptly titled, “Think Twice Before Purchasing Gym Membership.” Weak as it may be, I’m heartened. I can translate magazine article leads.
Oh, and also, my plane to Shanghai leaves the ground now
...and I’m looking down at American beach. I’ll not be on this side of the Pacific again this year.
Looking around at the mix of Han and other ethnicities on the plane with me, I realize I won’t be eloquent any longer. At first, I’ll be spoken to like a child.
I’m eloquent in America. I’m comfortable in my abilities of writing and speech. But in China, the sphere of what abilities I’ll need in order to live must expand, and I’ll have to grow in turn. I’ll have to grow into this extended version of myself. This is both nerve-wracking and heartening,
I’m flying over the Pacific. This decision is made. And I ain’t talkin’ about my gym membership purchase.

3:50 p.m.

There are Rolls Royce insignias on every turbine of this aircraft. Is that possible? Does Rolls even make turbines? But I’m definitely seeing that cursive “RR” logo out my airplane window, 30,000 feet in the air. Yes, it must be so. We’re pimped with Rolls Royce engines up in here.
In the ticket line, and later while waiting at the flight gate, I met a person roughly my age, traveling on his own to China, with a story worth relating, more nuanced and crazy than my own. I don’t have time here to type up everything I wrote, but it unfurled over the course of a day in a non-chronological, give-details-only-as-necessary pattern, into a believably bizarre, “Throw-up-your-hands-and-just-say-‘that’s life’ “ story.
For now, suffice it to say I was glad I decided to start that initial, idle conversation with him in line for our tickets this morning. The moral of the story —always start idle conversations with strangers while standing in lines, even (especially) if you’re preoccupied with your own life at the time.

10 p.m. PST (2 p.m. Tuesday in China)

We flew over the imaginary, International Date Line a couple hours ago. Now, the clouds seen below through my window pane are indescribable. Thought about trying to, because I just feel like I should be writing whenever I’m on a plane. But, no, not this time.
Turbulence sign just came on, again. I’m surprised I don’t have a headache from shaky planes and lack of sleep.
In-flight movie selection thusfar: Chinese pop music variety show; early 90’s American romantic comedy set in Manhattan; Star Wars: Clone Wars (the animated one); and now playing, Spiderman 2. I’m glad viewership and volume are voluntary. Six more hours on this plane.
half hour from Shanghai
Oh Yes. This is how our flight is ending.
“Dear passengers … we wish you would be happy and relaxed, with our ‘Sunshine Calisthenics’.”
This was the final message on the video the plane passengers were just shown—a step by step group tutorial on stretches and exercises for us to do from our seats, stretches with such benefits (we’re told via subtitle) as “improves circulation to spine,” “reduces tiredness,” and, of course, “elongates and strengthens breast.”
We touched our palms, hands still pointed upward, behind our backs. Clapped and patted ourselves in unison. Everything from wrist to neck to leg exercises, all while seated, led (halfheartedly) by our stewardesses. A holistic flight safety demonstration. Grinning, I enthusiastically and fully participated. My breast doesn’t necessarily feel more elongated or strengthened, but I am quite happy and relaxed how.
Welcome to China, Tye.

8:15 p.m.
Shanghai

Descending above shrimp crawlers and fishing boats, then the plane touching the ground, ground I need a visa to legally live on. Oh boy. Oh-kay. It’s finally set in. I’ll be living in China. I’m committed. I will be here f—no, wait, future-tense is incorrect now. I am in China to live here for a semester. This is no longer an exciting adventureto revel about with friends and acquaintances in casual conversation over summer break. It’s fall, and I’m here. It will be hard to adjust, and I will be better after.
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A sign in Shanghai Pudong Airport says something to the effect of, “We want your airport experience more comfortable.” This is next to an area under construction and renovation. A man is open-air welding on the roof of a shop-to-be, in the middle of the arrivals terminal. I watch the sparks spurt unprotected. This will be an interesting semester. They didn’t check my bags at customs to Chengdu. I’m vaguely dubious, but I’m going to assume that everything is fine and as they say it is. Trusting others is a positive trait, I’d hope.
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Warning message on the front of a baggage cart: “Strictly for luggage, no riding please.” I forgot how delicious every sign translation is in China. Oddly (sadly?) this is one of the things I missed the most from last summer. Now, the search for—, before I could even finish writing the sentence, “Now the search for novelty tees begins,” a girl walks by wearing a shirt with bold, glittery gold lettering on the front: “LUXERY QUEEN” … I enjoy studying in this country.

3:15 a.m. Wednesday

…but I do not enjoy traveling in this country…
In line at the Shanghai airport I met Matt, another American student studying in Chengdu, although he’s from Oklahoma State and will be at a different university. Remember what I said about the importance of making acquaintances by proximity in airport lines. We talked books and music, then took the same flight to Chengdu, which was arbitrarily delayed 90 minutes. Upon arriving almost two hours late (2 a.m. local time), we couldn’t locate our luggage or the drivers who were promised to meet us at the airport. Working together, we each found half the things we needed: my luggage and his driver. 四川大学 (my university here) either forgot to send a contact to meet me, or said contact didn’t know about the flight delay and got sick of waiting . Matt’s luggage was delayed way back in L.A., and was said to be arriving the next day, when they would give him a call. Of course, Matt has no Chinese cell phone yet, so he had to give them his program advisor’s number. This advisor and his driver were kind enough to take be back to their university for the night as well, arranging for me to split Matt’s hotel room. That’s where I am now. In the guest bed of a hotel room on the Southwest Jiatong University campus, essentially couch-surfing a guy who I met 7 hours ago, and who also just arrived in a foreign country to be immersed in a language we barely know. There is a gorgeous thunderstorm tonight.
Tomorrow, we will apparently have breakfast in the dining hall downstairs, then Matt will meet his advisor in his office. I, meanwhile, need to figure my own s--- out. Current plan: First and foremost, try to buy a prepaid China-compatible cell phone or phone card, and find a Chengdu city map. Then, I’ll call my program coordinator from this new phone with the number stored on my regular cell phone. If she answers (apologizes?), things should be good. If not, I’ll just take a taxi to campus. Tomorrow is the 26th anyway, the day the other American students arrive. I have a map of campus already. If I can just get there, I can locate the International Programs Office and see what the hell has happened/is happening.
At least I have my luggage, my confidence and my faculties. I got bailed out tonight, though. Of course, the hotel staff was pissed at being woken up at three a.m. to sign two green American boys into their room—I wish could’ve told them how terrible I felt to make them do so, and that I was just as upset with the situation as they were, for my own reasons.
At least the lightning out the window I’ll sleep under tonight illuminates rust-stained, angular homes in fascinating patterns

8/26/09
5:15 p.m., Chengdu time

Matt and I woke up 15 minutes too late for breakfast, but the day improved from there, gradually and consistently.
After I tried to call my Sichuan U. contact from a public phone and to realize it was the wrong number, Matt and I spent an hour or so walking through and exploring the campus he’s staying at. We then met up with his program advisor, who took us back to his office and gave us English-language maps. We met the only other non-Asian at Matt’s school—he’s Nigerian. I found out there that the bus route relayed to me by the hotel’s 服务员 wasn’t the most direct route to ChuanDa: “Just take a taxi. It’s not expensive, like in America!”
I immediately bid Matt and his advisor goodbye and good luck, grabbed my luggage from the hotel room and caught a cab just outside the campus gates.
My cab driver was godlike. In stature, smaller than me. I’ve never met anyone more confident and aggressive in a vehicle. His job is to drive—and we made it through bumper-to-bumper traffic in a city the size of Phoenix in half an hour. His horn was a weapon, a tool, an implement: If someone in front of him was driving too slow, he’d press down, and honk until they switched lanes. His voice was syrup. I don’t know how many times that taxi-man almost claimed our lives, but I think it was none. He’s simply too skilled. His job is to drive, and he’s the best driver I’ve ever had the privilege to sit shotgun to.
At the university, I walked along with full luggage, walking slowly, inching, closer and closer toward the Foreign Students Office, asking directions in Chinese along the way, until I was just outside the building and almost didn’t realize it. I literally ran into one of the International Student Advisors I’d been e-mailing this summer on the sidewalk outside its entrance. Serendipity immediately following chaos. Having not heard from anyone at all yet, let alone other Americans who might want to get an apartment off-campus with someone they’ve never met, I weighed my options in light of this new coincidence and arranged my room in the foreign student dormitories. I have also received my forms to complete my visa application, and dates and times for my language placement test and first day of classes. September 7! I have almost two weeks to adapt and explore!
Although I’ll be swamped at first—starting tomorrow, with going to the bank to exchange traveler’s check, buying a local mobile phone, making the deposit on my room, etc.
But…I have a room! I’m here! I broke down into hysterical in the middle of the room. Just dropped to my knees and started laughing. Then I unpacked, picked my bed. Grapped my new keys and my camera, and went exploring the campus for an Ethernet cable.
(Side note…Chinese universities are almost like small, self-contained, parenthetical cities. Members of the service and cleaning staffs live in apartments on campus. There are banks and shops, restaurants, parks, gardens, sports and recreation courts, places to play mah-jong, places, to live, eat and sleep. In many ways, this trip will likewise be a small, self-contained, parenthetical life for me. New places to play, life, eat and sleep, new things to think about and study and new languages to speak.)
Chengdu’s roads, sometimes, smell like cheap cigarettes and fresh rain skillfully mixed. It’s perpetually cloudy, humid and often breezy, much like Seattle. I enjoy the weather here, and feel I’ll also enjoy my (life) here.
My roommate just walked in. His name is Julien. He left already to get his stuff from a hostel—I still don’t know what country is from. But I sense from intuition he’s interesting and good-natured. He was tall, with an impressive blonde ponytail.

8/26/09, afternoon

Don’t have much time to elaborate on anything that’s happened today, but that’s okay, because it hasn’t been very elaborate. I bought toilet paper and chopsticks at the corner market, then came back to my room to check my e-mail (with the Ethernet cable I found yesterday). I went to both banks on campus, trying to exchange traveler’s checks, but both told me (after deciphering my broken Chinese) that they were unequipped to do that. The 中国银行 (China Bank) branch on campus, the second back I went to, told me that their nearby branch outside the campus walls could exchange my checks, but not them. So, on the way back to my dorm (which is on the exact opposite side of campus from China Bank), I stopped by the International Students Office again to ask where that was. I was planning to stop here anyway, because the advisor told me yesterday she could set me up with an English-speaking Sichuan student to help me buy a cell phone, as part of an orientation program/effort. Once again, by serendipity, I ran into her in the hallway, and she told me to return at 2:30, when the student would be arriving. He could help me both exchange my checks and buy a China Mobile. So, I’ll be leaving in a little less than an hour to do that, and perhaps meeting my fellow American Mandarin-learners tonight.
That’s all for now. I’ll be very busy, and my entries from here on out will probably be less bullet-point, informative in nature, and more impressions of the city or relayings of extraordinary events that have happened. I’m keeping a list of all the incredibly mis-translated English t-shirts I’ve seen, and this list is already quite long. Also, I’ve met my neighbors—Diogo, a man from Portugal studying here to improve his ability to practice Chinese traditional medicine, and an 18-year-old Laotian who has come to Sichuan to study near his sister, who’s been here for almost four years and lives down the hall. The younger brother, however, knows no Chinese OR English. My room mate, Julien, is a history major from Germany but speaks fluent English. I’m the only one of the four of us past first-year Mandarin. A native of Portugal, Germany, and Laos each with be seeking my advise on Mandarin Chinese. Once again, this will be an interesting semester.

http://s294.photobucket.com/albums/mm93/sterlingsin/China%!S(MISSING)ummer%!/(MISSING)Sichuan%!U(MISSING)niversity%!/(MISSING)
Photos are up on my photobucket account!

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