Two Posts Today

5/16 Chinese Planning and the Roundabout Weird dream last night…..dreamed I got really really tan…..I look weird with a tan. I think it's because there's this one spot on my arm that's either a recently acquired a birthmark (ha...a birthmark at 22) or just is mysteriously more susceptible to tanning. Dunno. I dunno if it's something I should worry about or not, but whatever. Lately, I've been having a lot of experience with Chinese planning…..or lack thereof. Chinese people don't really like to plan ahead - this isn't just a couple of people, this is a cultural thing. My teachers lately have been canceling classes like crazy because they've either been asked to do guest lectures, been sick, or been grading papers. Ask me when I found out. I found out after I was sitting in class and either one of teachers came running in to tell me we didn't have class or I got a call one hour before from 'Wilson' in the international office. I'm not gonna lie, it's been nice to have easy days and unscheduled vacations, but still….I wish I had known about it ahead of time, you know? Being blunt and direct is not part of Chinese culture. Chinese culture is all about being roundabout and dancing around the point. This is apparent in papers - the introduction has nothing to do with the subject of the paper until maybe the last sentence of the introduction, architecture - in classical architecture, the person who enters a building must go around a corner before entering the main part of the house, dating - most dating couple are not together a lot because they prefer to 'love from a distance and savor the feeling of longing and missing each other' (that's what Benjamin Xi told me), inquiries to anyone in a position of authority - it's better to ask through a friend and not ask yourself.  My best friends here seem to be exception to this roundabout-ness - they seem to be much more American in the way they act. They swear, they always are mean and make fun of each other, they're blunt, casual and informal, and would rather play any kind of musical instruments rather than study. It's really refreshing to hang out with them because most of my friends here are so polite and….I don't know….innocent, that's sometimes hard to just be myself. I feel like I have to be America's representative around them.  It's not that I don't enjoy hanging out with them - it's just that something's missing. It seems that a lot of the Chinese students here are living, but are not alive. My best friends, Freddy (Boss), Janson, and Ethan - they are alive and they make me feel more alive and energetic whenever I hang out with them. It's nice to just be stupid and be myself and not having to worry about what they think about me. I can't wait to hang out with them when they come to America to study in the fall. 6/21 School is ending soon, and I'm pretty sad about it to be honest. This life in Lanzhou has really been something special.  I was talking to Benjamin last night about life here. I asked him a question which has generated some interesting thoughts within my mind. My question was:  "When you were in America, was there ever a time where you were just living your life and forgot that you were living in America when something happened that really reminded you of the fact that you were living on the other side of the world?" It's been interesting. For a lot of my time recently, especially the past month or two, I've just been living my life and forgot that I was living in China….even for days at a time. I know it sounds very strange, but even times when I have been speaking Chinese, I forget that I'm living in China - I'm LIVING IN CHINA. I don't know if it's possible for someone who hasn't done it to understand, but the idea that you're living in a different country is such a huge one, that it's hard to wrap your mind around.  Ben told me that I forget that I'm in China is a sign that I've become extremely comfortable and adjusted to the life here and that I have almost fully assimilated mentally. I do speak English a lot, but even when I speak Chinese, a foreign language, I just consider it part of my life - I don't even hesitate to speak Chinese when I'm talking with someone or stop to think about the fact that I'm speaking another language.  It's strange to think about how far I've really come - I went from understanding 20% of what my teachers say to 80-90% (except for Mr. Shang - his Hunan accent is so freaking thick), I can hold extended conversations (with occasional difficulties), I can understand more and more of the radio and generally have improved my listening, and I'm becoming less and less shy about speaking. I have finished 2 of my school textbooks and have moved up into the book my friend John is using - and he has lived in Lanzhou for more than a year and a half. He told me one time "Dude, your Chinese level is beyond ridiculous considering how long you've been here".  Although I absolutely love every minute of being here and I wish I could stay here and become fluent, which I don't think would take more than another year or year and a half, but I am really ready to come home. I want to see my family and friends, eat Mexican food, drive, see East Texas' green trees, sleep in an air-conditioned building, not listen to people playing drinking games in the bar across the street every night, live in a city that's clean, and just have a brief holiday - you know what I mean? In the words of Charles Emerson Winchester III, China  has "taught me what the true meaning of going home is". China is a place that is beyond wonderful, but it is not home. Not yet.

Dragon Boat and Bai Ta Shan

6/5 Today, me, Benjamin Xi, and another guy named Stan (one of Benjamin's roommates) climbed up Bai Ta Shan, which means White Tower Mountain. It was a pretty fun, but exhausting climb - the view was amazing. (video below) Tomorrow's the Dragon Boat Festival - I'll be interested to see what kind of stuff the city's going to be doing for the holiday. I think I'll go down to the Yellow River and see if there will be any boat races. The Dragon Boat remembers Qu Yuan, who was a high ranking official during the Warring States Period in ancient China. He was living in the state of Chu, and during that time, there were Seven Kingdoms, including the kingdom of Qin, who wanted to conquer the other kingdoms and unite China. Qu Yuan wanted the other kingdoms to unite against Qin, who was the strongest kingdom.  His king and the king's son didn't agree with Qu Yuan's idea and demoted him and he was forced to leave the city. Qu Yuan was very depressed and often worried about the future of his kingdom, so one day he threw himself into the Yangtze River (I believe that's the right river) and drowned himself as a protest against his king. Qu Yuan was a very beloved figure, so many people got in their boats and raced to save him, but it was too late.  While they were trying to find Qu Yuan's body, they threw what's called Zong Zi, or Zhong Zi, depending on where your accent is from....it's a type of food which is sort of a pyramid shaped rice ball made from rice powder, into the river so the fish wouldn't nibble on his body. Now, people hold boat races in order to remember the speed that people employed in order to save Qu Yuan, and eat Zong Zi to also remember him. The boats all have dragon heads mounted on the front (I don't know the word for it), so the festival eventually got the name Dragon Boat festival.  PS - for some reason, my proxy is no longer working, so I cannot check Facebook or put up more videos on YouTube P.P.S - Here's the video!

Music Competition, Brotherhood, and Duan Wu

6/4 Today was the last round of the music competition and we were in the top 10! Janson told me there were something like 200 contestants or more at the beginning, so I feel so great that we did so well! We got a certificate award that congratulated us on being in the top 10 and we also were noted on it as the "most attractive" or "most stylish performace" band - at least that's how my friends translated it. I think we were 'attractive' because we were the only real band - everyone else in the competition was singing by themselves along with a track.  I was pretty happy about the reward, but I was more happy about what happened afterward. Me and the other guys in the band were just hanging out and talking about the competition and they said that we were forever ES Band (Exchange Student Band - the other guys in the band are going to Chicago in the fall, so they are technically exchange students). I was pretty thirsty and I said I wanted to get some water, but Janson said, 'here, just have some of mine - we are brothers, what does it matter?' This isn't a big deal in America - we say 'hey bro, what's up?' or something like that all the time and it's just a greeting, but here in China, that carries some weight. We have already said that we are going to be friends forever - almost every weekend and sometimes during the week, I spend hours and hours with these guys talking, eating, walking, singing, practicing for this competition, and anything. You can't spend this much time with people and not end up liking them. Without a doubt, they are some of the greatest friends I have ever had. I will be very sorry when the day comes that I won't see them anymore. We are brothers.  6/5 Today, me, Benjamin Xi, and another guy named Stan (one of Benjamin's roommates) climbed up Bai Ta Shan, which means White Tower Mountain. It was a pretty fun, but exhausting climb - the view was amazing. Tomorrow's the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) - I'll be interested to see what kind of stuff the city's going to be doing for the holiday. I think I'll go down to the Yellow River and see if there will be any boat races. (turns out no, they only do that on the Yangtze Rive) The Dragon Boat remembers Qu Yuan, who was a high ranking official during the Warring States Period in ancient China. He was living in the state of Chu, and during that time, there were Seven Kingdoms, including the kingdom of Qin, who wanted to conquer the other kingdoms and unite China. Qu Yuan wanted the other kingdoms to unite against Qin, who was the strongest kingdom. His king and the king's son didn't agree with Qu Yuan's idea and demoted him and he was forced to leave the city. Qu Yuan was very depressed and often worried about the future of his kingdom, so one day he threw himself into the Yangtze River (I believe that's the right river) and drowned himself as a protest against his king. Qu Yuan was a very beloved figure, so many people got in their boats and raced to save him, but it was too late. While they were trying to find Qu Yuan's body, they threw what's called Zong Zi, a type of food which is sort of a pyramid shaped rice ball made from rice powder, into the river so the fish wouldn't nibble on his body. Now, people hold boat races in order to remember the speed that people employed in order to save Qu Yuan, and eat Zong Zi to also remember him. The boats all have dragon heads mounted on the front (I don't know the word for it), so the festival eventually got the name Dragon Boat festival.