March in China- just don't say Tibet!

Hey y’all!

My sincerest apologies.  As usual, internet is a problem, except at my internship- where I can’t use my VPN, and therefore can’t get on to blog, upload pictures, etc.  So this does make life more difficult.

Today, when walking to the subway, I felt like such a grown-up.  Commuting to work in the morning, all dressed up and in a hurry, rushing back to go to the gym, picking up dinner on the way back, etc.  Why do we have to grow up?  When I dress up for work I still feel like a little girl playing princess- although I don’t wear a crown to work.  I still get to have a tea party- just with my computer.  Not so fun.

My Chinese is improving a lot in my internship, and some with my Chinese class- and I’m starting to become more comfortable speaking outside of class.  I had a lovely conversation with someone on Tuesday (International Women’s Day!) about how long it took us both to get take-out.  Baby steps, baby steps.

This week being the beginning of Lent has made me a little homesick- no pancakes on Tuesday, no Ash Wednesday service, and no one else to talk about what we’re giving up for Lent.  However, today I realized I’ve got less than 2 months until I’m actually home- so I might as well make the best of it!!!  Right?

Life here continues to be perplexing.  I miss all of y’all (family, friends, but this week especially my Morocco friends) terribly!  It can be very lonely here- this program can be alienating sometimes.  While I love my friends here, I sometimes feel like I just don’t belong on this program.  I wonder a lot if this means I don’t belong in China- it seems that Americans in China just aren’t like me.  What does that mean for my future?  Should Chinese be a part of it? And can I return to China?  I felt like I found such a great community in Morocco, not just of students but others, and I’m not sure this community exists here.

This sounds so morose, and I promise life in China isn’t all bad!  The weather is finally improving, so I’m hoping to do some outside things this weekend- possibly even running!  And classes are relatively interesting- my Chinese Women’s Studies class is going very well, and well, my political reforms class was cancelled this week.   I also went to the grocery store and managed to find some peppers!  I’m super excited to eat them and finally get some veggies in my diet.  I also bought some carrot juice- not the most appetizing, but I really need veggies.

Well, that’s it for now!  Lots of love!  Skype/email/facebook me about your life!

Love always,

Lauren

Dear Chinese Government, Please STOP Making it snow!!!

Unfortunately I can’t make this up.  So as I look out at the disgusting, slushy mess of Beijing, I get a little homesick.  The past two weeks have been lovely- highlights include a package from home (I can see again!) a trip to a beautiful park, and, as always, delicious Chinese food.

I also am having a great time at my internship here.  Although I’m not always impressed with my program, their placement for me is spot on.  I spent my last day emailing the US Ambassador, translating budget reports, and actually doing work that I found useful.  For awhile they’ve kept me busy just searching for news online, which feels very meaningless. But now they’re letting me translate documents from Chinese to English.  It’s time consuming and difficult, but then no one else has to do anything, so I feel useful.  And I really like getting the free lunch…which is actually pretty healthy.

Speaking of which, I need to give up something for Lent.  Any suggestions?  I’m not sure I can handle life without chocolate here.  I wish I could not eat fried foods- but I’d starve.  So let me know!

 I also continue to suffer from roommate drama…I hope it will improve, but at this point I’m quite sure I  But I now have an eye mask, that is helping me sleep at night- my roomie runs on a rather strange schedule.  I’m just glad I can do the best I can!  Although I also need to clean- but hey, it’s on my to do list!

In other news, I’m starting to think there might be something wrong with me for not wanting to go out and get schwasted all the time- is it really so bad that I don’t feel the need to do this every night?  I feel like as the strength I’ve taken from my work these past two years slowly leaves me (but don’t worry, I’ll be back next year!)  I feel like such an abnormal college student.  I mean, I like to have fun, but enough is enough!  Any comments?  Am I really that crazy? Or secretly already 30?

So as much as I also love you dearly, I am going out tonight with the promise of greek salad- with real feta cheese!!!  I’ll be sure to let you know if this is successful- so far Beiing is not super healthy.  But with greek salad tonight and yoga tomorrow, it only gets better from here!  I miss y’all dearly!

Love always,

Lauren

P.S. if you think I love you enough to send you mail, check your mailbox…soonish?

Happy New Year

The group in Tiananmen Square…I hear it’s famous but when you google it here nothing comes up… (Oh, China)

Greetings from Beijing, and my sincerest apologies!  The great firewall of China tried to thwart my blogging, but I am now back, with some (already on facebook) pictures and more to come this weekend!  Here’s what I’ve been up to:

It was Chinese New Year last week, a truly terrifying spectacle of fireworks.  I spent a lot of time indoors stress eating chocolate, and consequently going to my fabulously awesome gym.  There I can watch Japanese game shows and pretend I too am trying to outrun giant puzzle pieces. 

For the actual New Year, my program took us to Pingyao, a lovely city that used to be the financial center of China- a few hundred years ago.  Now, while it has lovely preserved architecture, it has become one of the most polluted cities in all of China- the weather report literally said smoke for the time we were there.  As a result, more wonderful time was spent indoors, playing card games, chatting, and talking about how dirty we felt from even going outside.  But there were also some very cool sights such as this temple:

Not my picture, but I was there!!!

Anyway, I have now spent a few relaxing days in Beijing, and unfortunately classes start again tomorrow.  This was our only break until the end of the semester- good thing I have the last week of March off because I have to go to Houston!!  So no real spring break for us, but we finish April 15^th.

Look forward to more pictures and stories soon!  Until then eat some yummy American food for me (I am craving apple pie today) and remember I like letters- so email/fb me if you want my address!

Love always,

Lauren

Oh the smog outside is frightful…

Welcome to China!!!!

Hey y'all!
Thanks so much for sticking with me if you're still reading this.  I have arrived safely in China, and my VPN (which lets me get on here) is up and working!  So expect blog posts this semester- with pictures!  And I currently even have internet in my room- how cool is that?

So the last time I blogged I was in Morocco.  Which means I've been to Spain, France, the US, and now to China between this time!  Yikes!  I could tell you stories about eating at Cien Monteditos in Madrid, stopping in a plaza to switch shoes in Sevilla, or sneaking into museums in Paris...which were all awesome.  But instead I'd rather write about something more important...like home.


Home is a strange word.  It can be a place, a feeling, or even a person.  And I realized, as I was boarding my plane to Raleigh, that I'm not sure it exists.  And I'm trying to figure out where that is.  So I'll keep you updated when I do figure it out, and as I try to decide that this semester.  So far I don't think it's China, but I'll keep you updated.

But China is awesome.  I live in the Shaoyuan foreign students building, in a two room triple.  I share a room with Angela, who goes to Boston College.  Annie, who goes to GWU, is the other part of our triple, although as she arrived first and is sick she arrived early.  We have a lovely bathroom with a western toilet, which I greatly appreciate, as most toilets in China are "turkish."  Also, I seem to be living the college student dream...we have daily maid service in which they make our beds, give us hot water for tea, and clean our bathroom.  It sounds like a dream, but in reality it just seems silly, wasteful, and intrusive.  I hope I'll get used to it eventually.

Thanks for listening for now y'all!  I promise to have more pictures and exciting stories soon!  For now I just appreciate all the support!