The Middle Kingdom

At last I have arrived! After months of hairpulling preparations and fiascos, I am a student of Tsinghua University Language Program. Getting off my plane and getting my luggage was routine. Queuing for the taxi was simple. The “black taxi” drivers were there as well, trying to lure me in. But one thing I’ve discovered to differentiate between legitimate taxi drivers and the black taxis is the fact that no real taxi driver speaks English.

After a fairly long ride I was on the campus. A few more fiascos later with the foreign office I had my keys to my room. By this time it was well into the evening, and I’d not eaten. I chose KFC in Wudaokao (a shopping mini district inside the Haidian district). After eating my first KFC meal ever (and probably my last) I returned to my dorm and moped around, waiting for sleep to overtake me.

The morning dawned and with it came my 20^th birthday. Most people say that 20 is a very dull celebration, for it lacks any sort of milestone, but to spend it alone in a strange land was even worse than a dull night out with my close friends.  

At this point I again have to say I am abbreviating. For the next few hours is indescribable. In the dull roar that was the student coffee shop, over a dozen different accents could be heard. I shook hands with people from around the world; all brought together by the desire to further study Chinese. The Canadians with their funny o’s were easy to hear. The Dutch kids, speaking rapidly to their newfound friends from the same country. Australians and their “English”. There were Finnish, Swiss, French, Columbians, Malaysians, Chinese, Russians, Koreans, and a smattering of Brits and Americans. It was an amazing experience just to feel and see and hear all these cultures interact and form friendships in a matter of minutes, and now, over a week.  Not only was everyone amiable and  sociable, but once word got around that some American sap was entering his third decade of life that very day, a cry for celebration was called for. Everyone seconded and third this notion, and all of a sudden, I had a birthday party in front of me.

This hospitality has continued on to this day, a week after I arrived. As would be expected, it is less of one big group and many more small groups have formed.  It is not clickish though (save for the group from Georgia that came together) and everyone is always happen to have a few more people join them in whatever endeavor they happen to be on at that moment.  I myself have made good friends with a Brit, a Canadian and one person from Indiana.

Having brought my blog up to speed with the current events, I would like to do a small “thinking” section, and not just talk about happenings. China is a very odd country. Besides having no traffic laws other than “every man for himself” and a discouraging lack of manners, I mean. I can see the oppression at work, but then not really. For the most part, it is easy to see the fact that it is hidden, behind this facade of capitalism. It is very difficult to understand, but even harder to explain. Cameras are at every corner, a soldier wearing a color I have deemed “party green” is present every so often, guarding nothing more than a patch of grass it seems. Facebook, YouTube, as well as googling the word “liberty” are all blocked, yet nearly every city person has access to all of these, without consequences. Books denouncing the evils of the west can be found at nearly every book vendor, who is probably sitting next to a McDonalds, Nikon, and Vera Bradley stores, whilst a massive screen above him advertises Coca-Cola and American movies.

                I will continue to watch and understand China, or at least Beijing. I am extremely anticipating going outside the city and to see mountainous areas. Until then, I have 30 degree weather with a fantastic wind-chill and less than 0% humidity.