So, what's the biggest change around here lately? Ask any DSICP or CNU student, and he/she will probably tell you that it's the increased security on campus. Starting about a week ago, the guards started checking for ID at any and every entrance of CNU. This means that if I want to get to my dorm, I have to go through the guard at the main gate in addition to the guards at either of the entrances I use to enter my building. They even check when my friends and I return from playing basketball, even though they clearly see us leaving an hour earlier. This is the very definition of mafan--I can only hope they don't get even stricter.
Other (probably more significant) changes I've seen including the following: longer streaks of what I refer to in my head as "mountain days" (that is, days when I can see the mountains from my room), increased prevalence of catchy Olympics slogans around the city ("同一个世界，同一个梦想" and "迎奥运，讲文明，树新风" being the two most common), more and more foreigners everywhere, less traffic because of the government's new even/odd policy, and the disappearance of the small vendors that before were ubiquitous to Beijing's sidewalks and bridges. I guess you could say that Beijing is starting to take on the characteristics of any other Olympics city--more hospitable to the incoming surge of tourists, at the expense of some of its own local flavor. It's unfortunate that I never got to experience pre-Olympics Beijing, but the city's current liveliness and atmosphere are exciting in their own right.
One last thing about the Olympics here... I have to say that Beijing's mascot campaign is brilliant. Dubbed 福娃 (fuwa, good-luck dolls), each of the five mascots represents a different sport, a different element, and a different aspect of Chinese culture. Furthermore, not only are their names (Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini) plausible nicknames for small children, but when strung together, they spell out "Beijing huanying ni," which means "Beijing welcomes you." Clever? Yes. Cheesy? Awesomely so. Of course, my favorite fuwa is Jingjing, who, on top of being a panda (my favorite animal), represents shooting (my favorite sport). I proudly admit that as of last Tuesday, I became the owner of my very own Jingjing, albeit a cheap version whose "Beijing" is spelled "Bejing." It's the thought that counts, anyway.
If that's not the coolest image I've ever seen, I don't know what is.
So on to my weekend. Friday was nice; after Chinese table at the most delicious Chinese restaurant I've been to yet, and a long afternoon nap, I went to dinner with Zhou Laoshi (of Chinese 115 fame) and Dean Marichal Gentry (the new Yale Dean of Student Affairs). We ate roast duck, Beijing's signature dish, for free, so I was happy of course. I also got to meet up with some CET people, though I was a little disappointed because I thought all the Light Fellows in Beijing would be there. Alas. That night, my language partner, her friend, my friends, and I went to the KTV place near campus and sang our hearts out. It was pretty awesome, as evinced by the fact that we got back at 3:30 am.
On Saturday, I finally visited Beijing Zoo, surprisingly not with other DSICPers but rather with my Yale friend Keira Lu, who is currently living and taking classes in Beijing. The weather was unbearably hot, which made the animals (and me) a little sluggish. I did get to see the pandas in a marginally conscious state though, and was thus ecstatic. Afterwards, we rode a boat along the river that runs through the zoo, checked out a few more animals and a nearby Buddhist temple, returned to CNU and ate at the Korean/Japanese restaurant downstairs, and watched a Korean movie before Keira had to go.
That night was the big Yale Club of Beijing barbecue, which I decided to check out despite the steep entrance fee of 120 RMB. In retrospect, the little bit of meat that I did get to eat was definitely not worth so much money--fortunately, the opportunity to meet up with both old friends and new freshmen made up for it. After the BBQ ended, several of us from DSICP and CET went to a nearby Partyworld for KTV action. It was my second night of karaoke in a row, but I enjoyed it immensely anyway. Too bad karaoke is expensive and requires a group of people; otherwise, I think I'd be going nearly every night.
Today, I checked out a different location of the international church I've been attending. This one was pretty far away--about 45 RMB by taxi--but it was also much bigger and had more people I know (like Alice!). After service, I bought a new pendant for my necklace at the bookstore (恩典, endian, grace) and then went to a nearby restaurant called Peter's TexMex. Wow, so good. I guess the Los Angeles side of me has been missing Mexican food, because I ate two burritos and was still hungry. Fortunately, I was able to restrain myself (besides ordering a flurry for desert). Sigh, I already want more.
And that brings us to today evening, when we Yalies went to see the kung fu/ballet/acrobatics show that all the other DSICPers had watched on Friday. Despite my lack of enthusiasm (largely fatigue from doing so much this weekend), I thoroughly enjoyed the show, though not the storyline so much as the actual performances within each act. Some of the things that the monks pulled off were pretty superhuman--one of them lied down across several swords, placed a sheet of needles on his chest, and had someone else lie on top of that, among other things. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of dedication and training necessary for such feats. Studying Chinese is hard enough for me.
I'm a little behind on editing my recent photos, but I promise that the next entry will have at least a few. I also promise to have decided whether I'm participating in the upcoming speech competition by then. Farewell, farewell!
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