On the brink of a journey

So I promised to maintain a blog during my time in China this year. Hopefully, I will be able to write one every two weeks, or if I'm lazy, perhaps once a month. Blogs are helpful not only for others, but also for yourself, as a manner of preserving memories.

Anyways, I just got back home yesterday, after having struggled mightily through two and a half weeks of intensive cramming and test-taking. Finals period was extremely difficult for me this spring semester. First of all, I took five courses, with finals in each class and various final essays. That sucked.... Secondly, it seems that I committed myself much more so to extracurricular activities (especially the Yale Business Society and Sigma Chi) and preparing for a future career in finance (my January/February was dominated by various applications, interviews, and follow up interviews)than academics. With regards to finals period, I feel that I am not much different from other people. Apparently, most people learn the material during reading week and right before finals anyways, causing inordinate levels of cramming and destroying sleep cycles. After a semester, and even a year, or such habits, I'd like to try something new.

In fact, I feel that this is part of the reason that I want to study abroad in Beijing, as part of the Yale-PKU exchange. I love Yale, I've grown tremendously since my time as a freshman, and I understand that the predominant sort of lifestyle at Yale can help to shape individuals and allow them to grow and improve themselves in certain respects. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have at Yale to pursue my dreams and to do as much as I can as Yalies should. Nevertheless, I feel that I am at the stage where I have grown accustomed to what Yale has to offer, that I am tired of working my butt of everyday and then partying hard every weekend. I'd like to try something different... I want to improve myself, to seek self-edification through a variety channels. This entails reading for pleasure, taking courses that interest me and have no connection to my Economics major, and self improvement through structure and discipline. Trust me, I will take full advantage of my opportunity in Beijing to broaden my horizons and acquire new perspectives on life. I am a strong believer that people can only grow, and grow effectively, by placing themselves in new situations, engaging in new pursuits, and altering themselves in the process. Towards that end, I am extremely excited!

Currently, I'm still in Boston, chilling for a week with my high school buds and spending some time with my family. Since Tuesday, I've done nothing but sleep, eat, watch movies, play basketball, lift, and hang out with the crew. The best thing about it??? It's that I can, because guess what, NO MORE FINALS!!! Whooo probably one of the best feelings in the world... seems to prove the point that people cannot experience pleasure until they have undergone hardship, as it allows for a comparison that serves as validation. I'm leaving for Shanghai on the 20th of May, and I will be in China until December 23rd. Can you imagine that? Seven whole months in the homeland, I cannot wait, I'm sure that it will be the experience of a lifetime! The cool part is that when I'm working in Shanghai, relatives will be able to visit me, something that I have been lacking for the past 14 years in Boston. I look forward to accommodating my cousins, uncles, aunts, and even my grandfather, who might be sleeping over for a night at the Somerset luxury apartment. I'm sooo ready to bro out with my ooold man.

Some thoughts before I start on my trip. Obviously, I am extremely excited, but I understand that the process will be difficult as well. I'm not sure how I will be able to survive seven months of smog... I'll probably have to invest in a face mask. I'm worried about the food quality in China and about the likelihood of dirty utensils. I mean, it was only last summer that I experienced constant bouts of explosive diarrhea and even the mumps, which led to a week long quarantine in a Chinese military hospital. Seriously, FML! As long as I don't get terribly sick, I should be just fine, more than fine!

Anyways sooooo excited. I can't wait to arrive in Shanghai, but I want to make the most out of my time home as well. I want to spend more time with my parents, since they rarely see me at all and I can tell that they're happy when I am around. I want to hang out with my brother, who I am extremely fond of and will sorely miss in China. I want to bro out with my best friends back at home. My best friend Hao-hua is moving to Texas next year, so I won't see him as much in the future. We'll do it up big for sure.

I hope to post at least once every two weeks, please call me out if I renege on my word. Anyways, I'm out, talk to you in Shanghai!

I'm Backkkkkkkkk

Hey guys, it's been nine months since my last post... now I truly understand the meaning behind "time flies." As we mature, time seems to pass by faster and faster, probably because as we grow, learn, and assimilate information through our new experiences, there is less to be surprised by, less fundamental lessons to learn. That is not to say that life has become meaningless, or that there is nothing amazing or exciting about life. I only mean that-- because we have already experienced so much, much of what we encounter in our everyday lives becomes redundant, and our brains filter them through as unimportant information that would needlessly clutter our minds. As a result, we do not remember those times, but instead remember the moments that truly touch us, shape us, and change us.

OR.... maybe I'm just bullshitting and the real reason is that we have so much to do during our bright college years, that we really do not have time to sit back and reflect. Especially at Yale, people seemingly rush through their days trying to accomplish as much as possible (myself included), and as a result we enter a time-killing routine that seems very much removed from the real world. I won't dwell too long no the topic of time, and it seems that my analysis is more depressing than encouraging... just something to think about.

I'll post again in a few hours... need to stop by my high school's track practice to give a few pointers on the triple jump. There is an All-American freshman phenom named Carla Forbes who is jumping further than all the boys on the team, which is utterly embarrassing. Gotta whip them into form, later!

Farewell DSIC, Farewell Beijing!

As I sit in my train cabin, Shanghai-bound, I can’t help but reminisce and remember all the incredible moments from this program. I feel miserable, forlorn, and very much alone. Just two hours ago, I said my last goodbyes to a group of DSICers who came to Beijing Train Station to send me off. I already miss them, along with the rest of my friends from the Duke program, the friendly fuwuyuan working at the International Cultural Plaza, and especially Soowoo.

I miss Soo so much that it’s downright painful to bear. I can vividly recall the morning that she left. We were returning from Vic’s at Sanlitur, and it was already 3:46 am because the taxi driver tried to cheat us by driving aimlessly for an extra 20 minutes. Fortunately, he accepted 50 RMB instead of the 120 RMB that he demanded; otherwise I would have had to kick his worthless ass.

When we got back to the dorm, Soo needed to pack the rest of her belongings and take a quick shower, so by the time she was done it was 4:30 am or so and we only had 30 minutes to say our goodbyes. While I wasn’t downright bawling, I’ll admit that I shed a few tears. As for Soo, she couldn’t even bear to look at me. We cuddled for what felt like the last time ever, and soon it was time for her to go. When Soo left that morning, she took a part of me with her, a part of me that I gladly give to this gentle spirit, this sweet and wonderful girl who visited me every day in the hospital and who was always there for me when I needed her most. I will cherish her and our experiences together forever.

Ok sorry for the outpouring of emotions, but I needed to indulge in some cyber therapy. In all, the Duke Study in China program was the experience of a lifetime, and I will never forget my time in Beijing. Below are some of my most memorable experiences with the coolest Dukies/Yalies/Brownies that you will ever meet.

Highlights

• Playing basketball on the outdoor courts with DSICers and random Chinese ballers. The Chinese are downright awful at basketball. Usually they’re rather short, skinny, and lack jumping ability. Furthermore, they don’t understand the game at all and prefer to stand around in the paint in a manner that we dubbed “cluster fuck.” Special shout outs to the regulars: John Chang with the nasty left-hander, Rob “Robocop/Myoplex man” Morse, Sean Lee an ultra-competitive floor general, Will Benesh the Paul Pierce in our program, Michael Wardy the Jewish Jordan, Li “airball” Zhong :D, and Cody “butterfingers/I suck at basketball” Lin. <3
• Chinese Performance Night
• John Chang, Li Zhong, Wardy, Sean Lee, and I formed a boy band in order to perform dance routines to three songs: NSYNC’s “Tearin’ up my Heart,” Wondergirls’ “Nobody,” and Jay Chou’s “Fearless.” It was hilarious check out my facebook page for the video hahaha.
• Si Ma Tai Great Wall
• What’s better than watching a beautiful sunrise? Well catching sunrise at 4 am on the great wall of course! I’ve already written about the wonder of Chang Cheng in an earlier post, but to future DSICers I highly recommend going on this two-day weekend venture!
• Forbidden Palace/Summer Palace/Tian Tan/Tiananmen Square/Shi Du/Weekend excursions in general
• To be honest, these tourist hot spots are rather similar with the same sort of archaic feel and architecture. However, no matter how much you want to sleep in after partying hard on Friday night, you should force yourself up to visit these famous sites. Not only will you have bragging rights, but you will also end up with hundreds of pictures with some of your closest friends and teachers.
• Eating Out with Friends
• There are a dozen of small restaurants around the International Cultural Plaza, and you should try as many as possible before getting lazy and settling in. I learned this the hard way, because I frequented Sichuan Restaurant (which was in reality extremely dirty with flies in dishes but close, convenient, and rather cheap) with mixed results. I’ll attribute at least two of my “la duzi” (explosive diarrhea) episodes to it.
• Eating out with other people in the program is a great opportunity to learn more about them and their respective institutions. Furthermore, these are the makings of strong friendships.
• Fridays in General
• I ******* loved Fridays! After taking the weekly exam, all the students have Chinese table lunch with the teachers. We go to some high quality joints and the food is usually pretty good. After lunch, most DSICers take an afternoon nap, after which the boys and I head out for basketball or Hokay gym. Friday nights are reserved for drinking and partying after an arduous week of studying. After the usual drinking games, we’d head over to Sanlitun road and visit Mix or Vic’s for some hardcore clubbing.
• MIX
• Words can’t describe how awesome this place is, at least in my opinion. All the hottest girls in Beijing are at this night club which includes 3 dance floors, bars, and lounges galore; it alone quelled my fears that Beijing girls are unattractive. It was here that my man Sean found a 22 year old English-speaking, potentially Stanford bound, sizzling hot local whom he promptly fell in love with. Best of luck Sean! As for me, I managed to dance with some very attractive women after some difficulty, as Chinese girls seem opposed to dancing with anyone but their girls. I don’t blame them, seeing that most of the guys there seem to be shady, unattractive locals who often pounce on unsuspecting girls. Not looking forward to Toad’s at all haha.
• Shuai Ge
• I’ll admit that I got a boost of confidence in Beijing. The teachers and language partners all found me attractive to the point that it was extremely embarrassing. I guess my Asian haircut and dye job did wonders. Or perhaps it was the rice-based diet that caused me to lose 5 pounds and some of the baby fat on my jawline. Oh, I need to thank Chinese summer heat and the constant sweating, as it seems to have cured the terrible acne that affected my self-confidence back at Yale. Beijing <3

Lastly, special shout outs to my boys Sean Lee and John Chang. John was my roommate during the program, and we grew very close. It was so much fun talking to him, whether it was about girls or basketball or morality. Furthermore, John’s love for sleep became legendary. Every morning we memorized Hanzi together, and while his alarm clock was set at 6:30 am, John would unfailingly sleep through several alarms before sitting up slouched over and resting for another 5 minutes. On average, it’d take him around 20-30 minutes to finally get up and start studying. What a G. Furthermore, John perception and compassion is at a completely different level, much of which is attributed to the losses that he experienced earlier in life. I know that his future girlfriends will be extremely fortunate to have him, and I wish him only the best.

As for Sean, where do I start? I remember first meeting him on the basketball court, and it was there that we first earned each others’ respect. I was comfortable in his presence. It was a chill time. Sean and I would often go about acting like idiots, practicing our Chinese sayings on unsuspecting locals and getting a good laugh out of it. Sean’s favorite saying was “我进不起你的诱惑,” meaning “I cannot resist your temptation,” or perhaps anything “四处泛滥.” The latter saying means “found everywhere,” and he would say that in conjunction with other vocabulary that we learned such as “automatic condom selling machines found everywhere” randomly on the street. If you’re a sucker for lewd humor, than you would have loved Sean… effing hilarious!!! Besides the randomness, Sean was actually a deep guy who had moral principles, who was true to himself as well as others, and who stayed loyal to his friends. Furthermore, he is extremely astute and much smarter than he purports to be. What a character!

Cody my man you know how much I love you and your Taiwanese ways. Your looks will take you far haha. PS I hope you learn more about Canada in case you run into Wang laoshi again. I will miss your enthusiastic self… you brightened my days in overcast, heavily polluted Beijing.

And Bowon, Wardy, Li Zhong, Will, Dennis, Pablo, Jason, Misrab, Tammy don’t think that I’ve forgotten about you. I wish I had more time to get to know y’all better, but the time we shared together was pretty special. We will meet up again sometime soon when you guys visit Yale or I visit Duke.

Lastly, I want to thank all the teachers, administration, and folks at the Light Fellowship that made this possible. I can honestly say that the summer of ’09 in Beijing was the best experience of my entire life, and that I have never ever met such an interesting and friendly group. In the course of this program, I not only raised my Chinese ability but also learned much more about myself as well. Furthermore, I have made friends for life. Thank you!

With all of my heart,

Adam

Observations

China’s emergence as an economic superpower has garnered much attention for the country of 1.3 billion. From the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, such highly anticipated events highlight China’s swift progress and lead many to view China as a fully developed country similar to the U.S. or France. However, those who hold his image are gravely mistaken. Out of 1.3 billion, perhaps only a billion of them possess living standards comparable to those living in the west. Besides cosmopolitan metropolises such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, much of China consists of rural areas where farmers continue to live in horrible conditions and lead backwards lifestyles. Furthermore, cities such as Shanghai have annual influxes of rural laborers looking for high-paying jobs in the city. It is this side, a much darker side, that many fail to understand.

Although I grew up in Shanghai, my years spent in the U.S. seem to have thoroughly “Americanized” me. I grew complacent and took my comfortable lifestyle for granted. I forgot much of the hardships that accompany the average Chinese lifestyle, and I veered off the path of working hard for every penny and saving for the future when there is no need to. All this I realized during my short time here. Beyond the modern work facilities and aid conditioned dorm rooms, the ventures to Sanlitun road and Wudaokou, the average Chinese lifestyle is not so extravagant. Just take a walk outside the International Cultural Plaza’s walls and you will be confronted by signs of poverty, industry, and dogged determination to make a few RMB wherever possible.

There is a street vendor right outside the gates that sells fried chicken sandwiches. I see him there every day, rain or shine, from 10 am or so until 10 pm at night. Once I spoke with him, asking him why he worked so hard and how he could tolerate such a difficult lifestyle. His answer was simple. If he stopped, he would have no other way of providing for his family. His only other options included working as a manual laborer, which he was too old for, catering to people as a waiter, or recycling bottles found on the street. Our short conversation held great meaning to me; I can only feel fortunate about having such advantages and hope to make the best out of my situation

Alterations in my Chinese verbal ability

Two more weeks left in the Duke program and I’m starting to miss this place already ;) In fact, last night’s dream quickly became a nightmare when I found myself crammed into an Air Canada heading to Boston. I’m not ready to go back yet!!!

I have made some great friends here at the Duke program. Dukies are really some of the coolest, brightest, and most fun loving people that you will ever meet. In fact, I usually find myself with the Duke crowd, not because I don’t like the Yale kids in the program, but because my room itself is deep in Duke territory and my Chinese class only has one other Yalie, Alex Liu. My roommate, John Chang, is extremely perceptive and a deep thinker; I’ve lost count of how many interesting conversations that we’ve had before sleeping. I blame him completely for my sleep deprivation!

Anyways, with time winding down, I’ve taking some time to assess my currently Chinese ability. Obviously, my grammar and vocabulary have increased dramatically. I have probably learned near 1000 hanzi so that I am able to read the characters on most street signs and buildings. On the other hand, while I recognize the characters, I do not always understand the meaning of those characters combinations. This represents a huge difference between me and local Chinese, who have gradually mastered the thousands of hanzi combinations.

My verbal ability has also noticeably increased, but I feel that recently I have taken a step back in that respect. At the hospital, I was forced to speak only Chinese, since the nurses and my military roommate had only a basic grasp of the English language. However, after I returned, my verbal capability reached a plateau and has stayed at that level ever since. In part, the third year heritage speakers in my class are jokers, and we often engage in ridiculous Chinese conversations using exaggerated tones and fabricated sayings. For example, one person starts off with“ting shuo,” which translates to “I’ve heard that…” and sets off a barrage of ridiculousness such as “ting shuo chang cheng hen chang.” I.e. “I’ve heard that the great long wall is great and long.” Haha!!!

Another reason that my verbal improvement has leveled off is related to the fact that I am friends with several of the second year students and third year non-heritage students. Because their Chinese understanding is still limited, they often employ incorrect tones and speak painfully slowly. In an attempt to understand and express myself, I often find myself imitating them, and as a result I temporarily adopt incorrect tones and a foreign accent.

In all, I am pleased with my progress even though there are certain areas that I wish I could improve on more. Actually, one of my teachers called me out for slacking this past week, so I plan on working harder next week to compensate. Wish me well and I’ll keep you updated on my progress!

A New Beginning

My first week back from the hospital has been nothing less than extraordinary. I’m beginning to appreciate the simple things in life, at least for a short while. In regards to my program, that means enjoying classes more, doing homework with my friends, and sometimes taking solitary strolls after dinner merely to clear my head and observe lively Beijing street life. Oh, and going to “Hokay” gym of course. I’ve had enough of doing push ups on my hospital bed and squatting in order to use the toilet ;)

Furthermore, it seems that in the week of my absence a number of Korean students moved out while a whole flock of obnoxious American high school students moved in. I first came across them while playing pick up basketball. A bunch of Dukies and Yalies were about to start a 3v3 game when some scrawny teens showed up. They challenged us, and we reluctantly agreed to play full court against them. I won’t go into the details, but the immature, bratty high school boys began taunting some of the Duke players and nearly caused a fight. Fortunately, we had some level-headed Yalies at hand. Haha!

While the Americans were loud, arrogant, and obnoxious, they weren’t acting in such a way in order to mask their own uncertainties. They were merely being immature teens, and if I were to guess, they probably acted likewise back in the states. They’ll grow up… hopefully.

As for the students in my program, they all seem pretty comfortable with themselves and their current environment. However, the one particular behavior that I frequently observe is that Americans are much more gracious towards store and restaurant employees, so that sometimes they are even embarrassed by our goodwill. Well, I think it’s a great opportunity to represent Yale and America at the same time. “Yi Ju Liang De!!!”

Mumps

I have the mumps. Yea you heard me right. What’s worse is that I already suffered through the mumps as a four year old in Shanghai, and now its coming back to bite me in the ass. Consequently, I spent the past five days in a Chinese hospital without TV or internet access… truly the worst sort of punishment in the modern world. I was quarantined in the contagious disease ward at 空军总医院, the “Air Force Hospital.” Ok my experience seems fit for FML.com, but in all honesty I’m glad I was afflicted with this illness.
My mindset made those five days bearable. When the doctors first ordered my hospitalization, I was shocked to say the least. However, I chose an optimistic route rather than feeling sorry for myself. First, I asked my roommate and friends to bring me necessary supplies such as my laptop, iPod, toiletries, Chinese books, and food. Next, I made a plan for the week. For example, I would study Chinese characters, finish certain chapters, go over grammar, write letters to friends, and so on and so forth. I even handwrote a letter to my Korean friend Soowoo, an epic piece of work that took over two hours to complete. For the first two days, my schedule consisted of waking up at 6 am to take my temperature, providing the myriad Chinese nurses with urine and feces samples, allowing them to poke me with needles several times a day in order to extract blood and to inject intravenous fluids, studying Chinese when I felt like it, and listening to music.
Things changed drastically on the third day. On Wednesday afternoon, a young man with swollen cheeks walked into my ward, nodded curtly, and introduced himself. His name was Fang Shui, and he was a 20 year old soldier in the air force who had also been diagnosed with the mumps. According to him, hospitalization was preferable to life in the air force because it allowed him some respite. Life as a soldier is hard in any country, but it seems as if Chinese soldiers may have it worse than most. A typical day for Fang Shui begins at 5 am sharp when soldiers get up to run and go through their morning exercises. Next comes breakfast, some more training, and then a short break. Soon afterwards follows lunch, training in the midday sun, some studying, dinner, reading, and lights out at 10 pm. Furthermore, in his two years with the air force, he only saw his family twice. That sort of existence is almost inconceivable to America college students such.
I drew much strength from Fang’s experiences. His word made me realize just how easy I had it, how comfortable and pampered my lifestyle is compared to his. With this in mind, I knew I could endure another week of confinement in that damned hospital room. It was a test of character, of my strength, willpower, and ultimate ability to endure. Ultimately, I’m glad that I was confined to a dirty, primitive Chinese hospital room, and even gladder that I met Fang Shui. Had I not contracted the mumps in China, I doubt I would have undergone such a life changing experience. Despite how broad and far Yale’s curriculum spans, I wouldn’t have gained such an experience at Yale such an education at Yale. Such experiences are hard to come by in America ;)
I’ll put up pictures of the hospital whenever I learn how to do so!