Learning to Live Life Like a Beijinger

Speaking Chinese all day, every day is no easy feat. I feel like I am
currently working with the vocabulary of a four year old and I
constantly feel illiterate. My Chinese spoken grammar is generally
horrible. I do have accidental flashes of genius when I can hold
conversation for more than two minutes without whipping out my Chinese
dictionary on my iTouch. My program here in Beijing requires that I
adhere to a language pledge, so I technically cannot speak English at
all. I've had some slips, but generally I try to use my limited Chinese.
The first few days were so frustrating, I felt like I had mental
constipation. I know this is a pretty graphic image, but it is the best
way to describe that horrible feeling of being unable to communicate. I
know a lot of Chinese words, but sometimes I just can't get them to come
out of my mouth.
My Chinese roommate has been awesome. Her name is Xiao Qing (晓清)and
she is adorable. Our initial conversations have been pretty awkward due
to my limited Chinese vocabulary and listening comprehension, but she
has been super patient with me. Often we just laugh about the way I
misuse Chinese words or the crazy charades I have to use to communicate.
Lately, I have been explaining Carolina college life to Xiao Qing. I
have been finding that a lot of our traditions don't really translate.
Try explaining the origin of a fight song or a mascot or Carolina Blue
in English. Now fly half way across the world and try explaining all
this in Chinese. It's not too easy. For those who are fans of Old Crow
Medicine Show, she loved the song Wagon Wheel. For those who don't know
the song Wagon Wheel, it is a folksy song, heavy on the banjo, about
Raleigh, North Carolina. If you are from Raleigh, it is definitely worth
a listen!
My classes here are super intense. I learn in a day what would take a
week or a week and a half of classes at UNC. We studying four lessons
per week, covering a month of college material. Every Friday, we take a
comprehensive test and then write an essay about a topic of our choice
over the weekend. Obviously, my free time is limited and some of it is
spent napping. It is crazy how physically tired I am after only sitting
in class all day. I think there is something about learning Chinese and
immersing myself in language that really takes it out of me. Still, I
try to have fun. This weekend, we went to the Summer Palace. This place
was HUGE. Chinese Royalty used to take refuge in the Summer Palace to
escape the sweltering heat of summer in the Forbidden City. Opulently
decorated bridges, pagodas, and houses lined the banks of the glittering
Kunming Lake. It was a little bit overcast and hazy on the day we
visited the Summer Palace, but despite the less than ideal weather it
was still beautiful (see pictures above). While walking through the
grounds, I was asked more than one time to take pictures with random
Chinese people. It is kind of interesting being a rarity here (white)
because sometimes it feels like I'm famous. I'm obviously not famous,
but I really enjoy surprising these people with my Chinese and making
funny faces in their pictures. I always take pictures with the curious
few who ask to take my picture, so the cultural exchange is a two way
street (see pictures above). Traversing the grounds was more of a
pilgrimage than a relaxing stroll, especially when we hiked up steep
stairs and rockeries to get to a few Buddhist temples adorning the
slopes of Longevity Hill. The hike was worth the view (see pictures
above), and it was my favorite part of the entire visit to the summer
palace.
Sorry it has been so long since my last post, I have been trying to get
accustomed to life here in Beijing. I feel like if I'm not studying or
attempting to make conversation in Chinese, I need to be sleeping so I'm
not an angry, culturally frustrated American. I will try to post more
often, but it seems like I will only have time on the weekend to write
blog posts. I miss all y'all in America!

Best, Kelsey