I got up around 8:30, ate some breakfast in the room, and walked to the subway to meet Jesse and Bing-Bing at the HaiDian church. Jesse was, as she always is, a bundle of excitement the entire time. The Chinese church service was good, but I did not understand the half of what they were saying! I will have to keep at trying to learn vocabulary so that I can keep up with them.
While we were at the church, Jesse met two girls who are members of the English Learners in China (*) program in Beijing, and introduced them to Bing-Bing and I. They were nice, but I don't think I heard them say more than 20 words the entire time. One of them is from Atlanta, and the other is from a little town in Georgia. Small world, right?
The five of us walked over to the same underground cafeteria area where we ate last time. I compensated Jesse for the use of her card, and we all ordered food. I got what I can only describe as white rice and eggplant, served on a frying pan – much like fajitas. An older lady came and sat with the two girls, and I can only guess that she was affiliated with the language program as well. I believe that she thought the girls didn’t like their food, as the girl from Atlanta kept looking at her and saying, “I really like the food! I’m not lying!” I could tell that she really didn’t…
While we were eating, Bing-Bing’s brother – David, sat down at our table and ate with us. He openly asked the table at one point, “Does anyone know someone who is studying international business?” Everyone at the table pointed at me, and I was supremely embarrassed. He asked me some questions about the woven bag industry in the States, and I said that the majority of the bags that he was describing were used in industrial facilities of storage. Then he informed me about the nature of his business: they make all nature of woven bags for everything from grain to cement – and they also do their own printing on the bags. They are looking for a native English speaker who is willing to be a sales rep for the summer. I am going to try to talk to David some more about what the internship would entail, for it looks like a pretty good opportunity to me.
I took the subway back to the dorm, and studied for class tomorrow. My only conclusion from studying this afternoon is that class this week is going to be easy. After finishing my studies, I gathered my exercise clothes, and went to Bally. After running, I came back to the dorm and played some guitar.
By 7:30 I was getting hungry, and I made rounds in the dorm to see if anyone would want to get any food. Trevor and Darius both assented. They are both interesting guys; they go to school at George Washington University in the capitol. Trevor is an ACC student from last semester, and he has been in Beijing for almost 7 months straight. Trevor is a really interesting guy, living in a almost perpetual state of either real or feigned drunkenness – I cannot determine which. He has spent a year living in Africa before going to college, where he taught English. He grew up in Idaho, and we share a mutual love of snowboarding and water sports. Darius is from the east coast, and that’s about all that I know about him…
I congratulate Trevor on ordering an amazing meal foe the three of us, including roast carp, hot and sour soup, cabbage and noodles, shrimp and eggs. Today was my first day to ever eat carp, and truthfully, it wasn’t that bad.
I sauntered back to the dorm, where I read some and then got ready for bed. I got in bed, pulled up the blanket, and my roommate sprang into action. My going to sleep is his cue to roam about the room after a 3-hour immobile stint at his computer. I then toss about in my bed and go to sleep about an hour after I wanted to. I cannot understand my roommate.
Sleep (sort of).
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