Arrival

 

            After some internet difficulties I am now able to get online.  I got really excited on this one.

The 12 hour plane ride was pretty uneventful, caught up with Acadia, Leah and Thomas, played some cards, read and tried to sleep.  On the plane, we not only had to fill out customs information, but also a quarantine health check form.  We were a little scared by it, but upon arriving at the airport all we had to do was walk past body heat detectors and give someone our health slip. In that area, every employee of the airport was wearing a mask, but they didn’t seem concerned.  The Beijing airport in huge!!! Not only that but it is pretty cool to look at from the inside with its high ceilings and interesting architectural styles. 

            After getting out bags (they all made it, which was a good sign), we walked through customs and immediately saw a man holding a Pitzer College sign.  He introduced himself Zhang Hao.  Quick Chinese lesson: in China the family name always comes first, so Hao is his given name.  He is going to be our residential advisor.  He took us into a parking garage where the roof was covered in plants and where they also washed the floor where the cars were.  Immediately, once we stepped out of the air-conditioned airport,  a wave of humidity and heat came over us.  We got into a van and headed into the city, though we couldn’t really see much of the city at first; Beijing is very flat and also pretty smoggy. Imagine a pretty heavy fog, but it's 85 degrees; that is how it first felt when we arrived.  Before you get all worried that I will not see the sun until I return, I must tell you that I am currently writing this paper looking out of my room with blue skies and the sun coming through my window.

            The ride to our dorm really showed us that the car is boss when it comes to the road, everything else is last.  For bikes or pedestrians to cross the street, they basically have to have strength in numbers and finally when they reach a critical mass they can cross, or there better be a big gap between the oncoming  traffic.  We drove to the North Western part of the city where the university is located.  We passed the biggest IKEA I have ever seen, with it yellow lettering and big blue walls.  It's pretty industrial in some parts, with lots of high rises and big buildings.  We passed by the Bird's Nest and Water Cube and Hao told us we would have a trip to them this weekend.

            We were driving through heavily congested streets then suddenly we made a right turn through a guarded gate and it was the complete opposite -  there was nature!  A lake to one side and an old shrine on the other and Hao said “Welcome to Beijing University”.

            We are living in basically an international students dorm/hotel on campus. Each room has a bathroom with a tub and shower as well as a sit-down toilet (I got a little scared with I saw the standing ones in the airport, but I know I will encounter them again) and two bedrooms, one with two single beds a tv and some desks, and another considerably smaller with one bed and a desk.  Leah and Acadia are living together; Thomas and Hao share a room and Chris (the 5^th Pitzer student) and I are sharing.  Friday we will be joined by our Chinese roommates, who will help us around and with Chinese.

            I got to the dorm and Chris was asleep, he had arrived an hour earlier, he flew from DC over the north pole to Beijing and it only took him 1 hour longer than our flight from San Francisco.  

            Later, we met some of our teachers, took some desperately needed showers and then with the guidance of Hao went out to get some dinner. The school provides us a meal card which we can use on campus and some of the eateries.  Hao took us to a noodle place.  We all tried different things, but it was pretty funny watching us try and order.  On the wall-size menu, they had English translations of the food, but the problem was most of the workers didn’t speak English. We had some awkward yet funny experiences trying to order beef and rice noodle; this most certainly will not be the last time.

            We are going to the Great Wall tomorrow and we toured part of the city today.  This is a picture from the Temple of Heaven where we went today.  More updates soon!