Monday March 1st 2011

Welcome to the month of March! It is hard to believe that I’ve almost been here two months already. I’ve been walking around with this surreal feeling for the last few days, and I daresay that I am almost used to my life here. That is strange but I know. I must apologize, dear readers, for any similarity between these journals in writing style and order. I admit that I did not write them on the day that the corresponding events occurred, nor even in that week. If you are following the progress of this week, the reason is clear: this week is crazy busy for me. Please bear with me, and in the meantime, enjoy my journals! Class is class is class. Today, we did have a surprise though! The teachers did not send us an email with the schedule fort this week, and we have just been feeling our way through the class schedule day by day. And when it came time for us to go to our third class of the day, we found out that we had an ancient Chinese lesson that we were to have prepared the night before. Imagine that! It was my fault that didn’t know we had the lesson. The teachers sent out a beacon through telekinesis last night, and I was not tuned in. Also, the program director came in and told us a rather interesting story: Some of the older students said that we didn’t have to observe the language pledge while at ACC, and that the teachers didn’t enforce it with us. That made Director Zhang very angry, and among the other threats and complaints that she so vigorously mentioned, she wanted us to re-sign the language pledge and re-devote our lives to the way of the ACC. I thought the while ordeal was rather interesting, and there had to be something more that was going on behind the scenes. We revised my essay in one-on-one class, and the essay was, to say the least, lacking in some respects. It was quite obvious that I had written the essay at 12:00 the night before after having read articles on Chinese investment in Africa. My guilt was written all over my face. Then, I met Chris to break up the monotony of the day. We had planned a bro date of sorts, and we were going to ride our bikes across the old city to San Li Chuar. Chris wanted to get some tobacco for making homemade cigarettes, and I, having a pipe that Gabe left for me, and after being inspired by reading Sherlock Holmes, decided that I would be doing both Gabe and myself an injustice if I was to not use the pipe. So I went with him and got some tobacco of my own. The ride was great! The city is not nearly as big when you are riding on a bike, and I think the reason is that you are confined to rather out-of-the-way roads when traveling by bus or taxi. When you ride a bike however, you see Beijing in all its splendor, and you can take a pretty direct route anywhere without taxing your speed. We passed some familiar sights of Beijing, and found some interesting new places to visit. The route there took us around 1 hour and 15 minutes, as we rode with the giddiness of being free for an afternoon and a tailwind at our backs. The act of riding a bike here is also very liberating. The road back to the dorm was a little longer, however. I rode Vinod’s bike today, as mine is a little small for such a long ride. Vinod’s was a little larger and more comfortable, but infinitely crapper in make. Not 15 minutes on the way back, my pedal broke off while I was standing on it, and I veered wildly into traffic, bruised myself after falling on the main support bar, and scuffing my boot as it drug along the ground. We then set about the business of finding someone to fix my bike. We found someone relatively close by, but the act of fixing the bike was not so simple. The expert had to find a new crank – as the old one was stripped, a new pedal, and a new stem for my seat – while I was there why not? Then he had to set about scamming me. We finally departed from the makeshift bike shop, and rode back to the school. I was almost ready to do some homework when I got there, and I got through a good bit of studying before going to get some food with Luke, Cliff, and Tim. It was there that I learned about yet another language pledge incident. Luke, Cliff, and Tim were talking in English in Luke’s room and a teacher passed by the room. On hearing the offensive utterances emitting from said room, she immediately bid the inhabitants open the door and explain themselves. Were you speaking English? Oh no, Teacher Smith, no way! I just heard you speaking English! I don’t think so…. The teachers were by no means satisfied with this exchange, but the unlucky inhabitants thought they’d mollified the dimwitted teachers. They thought wrong. A few minutes later the teacher returned with Director Zhang, who was – in the words of Kermit the Frog – hopping mad. The students escaped any physical harm at the hopping hands of the director, but seriously verbally abused. They tucked their tails and retired to their room. Tomorrow, they had an appointment with the director. I also learned that some of the students have entered a romantic relationship with the people who work in the dorm. I find that hilarious, and I’ll have to keep you updated on the ridiculous situation as it progresses. More homework, writing, and studying tonight. Bed. I’ll write soon! Love, Jamey