Earthquake!

Two, maybe three weeks ago we had a small earthquake. I was in a classroom waiting for my teacher to show up. It consisted of a loud bang and a small tremor in the building. I've never experienced an earthquake and I wasn't expecting one in Beijing, so I thought it was just blasting at one of the 300 nearby construction sites. After class, all of the earthquake first-timers giggled like schoolgirls. Now I'm ready for a real earthquake. I just hope I'm outside.

International Relations

I just, for the first time, used my Chinese skills on the international stage!

I am sitting in my favorite coffee shop/restaurant studying for my midterm tomorrow (ouch). My favorite 服务员 (waitress) comes over and asks me if I can help her speak to two foreigners that have wandered in. They speak no Chinese, and nobody's sign language is doing any good. I go over and very smoothly translate their accented English into two Italian Pizzas and two Heinekens, then invite them to stop standing awkwardly at the chairless bar and sit at a table. Everybody is happy.

My study buddy and I speak briefly with one of them. Turns out they're Iranian. We tell him we're American. He smiles and nods, and returns to his table. Right now I'm flattering myself by thinking that they're here on official business and I have now done my own small part in easing the tensions between our two countries. This, by the way, is one of the reasons I'm into the foreign language business. The tone of international relations changes with administrations: some are friendly to other countries, this one isn't. Learning the language and culture of another country and making friends with its people are a hedge against the whim of powerful men (women don't start wars).

I'm considering not helping them settle the bill until they agree to disband their nuclear weapons program.

World Cup

Yeah, the World Cup ended two weeks ago. I want to talk about it now.

Towards the end of last semester I decided that I really like soccer and want to 1) play more, and 2) follow the sport internationally. A week later I found out that this summer was the World Cup. Lucky me. I watched the first half of the tournament at home and the second half here. It was easier at home, because the games started between 9am and 3pm. In Beijing, the earliest game I saw was 10pm. With all the important later games after midnight. And during the week. I have 8am class...

My first Friday night here I watched the US v. Ghana game at a very chic sports bar popular with waiguoren (foreigners). It's very exciting to watch sports with other people who care, especially when what you're caring about is playing on 10 TVs inside and two 10 ft projection screens on the patio. The US game happened simultaneously with the Italy v. Czech game, so we watched our game outside, ex-pat Italiani and Czechs watched their game inside, and we each gauged the other game's progress by the accent of the cheers and expletives. We lost, Italy won --- a microcosm of the whole tournament.

I tried to get into the same place for the Germany v. Argentina, but a series of unrelated setbacks screwed everything up. Two cabs full of us went to 三里屯 (Sanlitun). We got split up and couldn't effectively tell each other where we were over the phone. We spent probably an hour wandering around until we eventually figured it out. On the way to the bar, it started raining cats and pit bulls, so we ducked into a sleazy corner store and bought beers, waiting for the rain to let up. It didn't, so we started off to the bar, two blocks distant. I think there were six of us at this point. About a block away, two guys ran forward out of the rain. I figured what the hell, I'm soaked anyway and stayed back. Just as we were about to step through the gates, they closed them... to many people. The two the ran ahead were already inside. We waited about half an hour, but they weren't budging even as people started leaving. Sigh. Long walk back to where we started... wetter. Then the rain let up. We ended up at, I believe, "Dirty Girl Bar" and watched the game on a small TV there.

The game was awesome, but I had trouble watching. I hadn't really slept much the night before, so I was really tired. That and amid not sleeping, I wore my contacts for over 24 hours, acquiring a painful accumulation of protein on my cornea. I had switched to glasses, but it didn't make a difference. I definitely fell asleep sitting up in the bar (not the first time I've fallen asleep in a room full of people). I was awake for the uproar of Germany's 80th minute tying goal. We celebrated with a round of shots. Germany won on penalty kicks.

Then we couldn't find a cab. Next time your in a major city, do not expect to find a cab within an hour after a major televised sporting event. Cabs are easier to find in Beijing than in New York, but there was nothing we could do to snag one. We walked through the rain toward our very distant campus (having no other choice). We eventually found a cab.

However, despite the evening's several mishaps, I was in a surprisingly good mood.

Essay #1

I wrote my first Chinese essay this week. It's pretty awful. I talk about new friends and eggplant in what I believe are glowing terms. Lars, feel free to probably be the only one who can read this:

我在中国第一个星期

从下飞机到写我的第一个作文这上个星期很有意思。如果我的别的七个星期是这样，我利用了我的在北京的机会。在这儿我的时间有很多特点，可是我要告诉您两个：一是我的同学，二是北京的饭馆。
在芝加哥机场我跟从美国来的同学一边等我们的班机，一边开始交朋友。我立刻找到几个很好的人。当然我还说英文。我觉得我的中文水平还不够高所以我还不要直说中文。因为那时里语言誓约开始还有几天，我们都要把英文用到交朋友中。现在可以说我没想到语言誓约以后交朋友还容易。
我们的同学的最好的特色是他们都觉得中文有意思。这个重要，要不然好好儿遵守誓约很难。大半的他们的中文水平比我的高，所以很多人可以帮我学中文。从小的时候我听说过中文特别难学会说，所以我没想到我可以只说中文一个星期。我为这个进步需要谢我的同学。
现在我不但可以跟朋友，老师说话，而且可以在饭馆点菜。这不是很容易因为服务员说得快的要命，一点也不清楚，所以明白他们的意思一定有困难。可能他们受出租汽车司机的影响。我还看不懂菜单，所以如果我要点一盘菜， 我需要记得它的名字或者跟服务员讨论。
最近我最喜欢的菜是茄子。我不分什么样的茄子，都行。尽管茄子是我最喜欢的菜，但是我也喜欢很多不同的菜。我发现了美国饭和中国饭根本不一样。好像中国饭比较新鲜。可以说土地里盘子比较近，所以中国饭味道很好。在北京我计划吃什么都我可以找到。
我的意思是这个：北京对我已经有兴趣，可是两个月以后可能是我的新的家。

I have not corrected my grammar mistakes. It looks short because Chinese is denser than Engrish.

Coffeeee

At Williams, I tend to spend a stupid amount of time at the coffee shop. I like the atmosphere, and I truly like coffee for the taste, not the caffeine (I usually drink decaf). I was worried that I would not be able to find a place to do work here. Zao gao! I would have to sit in a staid boring library with the rest of the squares. For the first week of class (last week), that's the way it was. Naturally, I limited my time there, and so was usually underprepared for class. Just like at home! We have a "coffee shop" in our dorm, but it's small, cramped and they sell friggin' Nestlé instant coffee. Yeah right I'm going to spend my time there.

For the second week of class, things were different. Last Saturday I woke up at 1 pm and wandered solo off-campus. Just across the street from the southern gate I found my new home. It's a full restaurant and coffee bar and they're open until 1:30 am. That's where I am right now, spending money and flirting with 服务员 (waitresses), just like always. Apparently I've now become a 要人 (VIP, kinda), because I suggested they stop ruining my immersive experience with truly awful American music and put on some Chinese music, which they immediately did. Hell yeah. Step one toward becomg a fixture in my little tiny corner of one of the largest cities on the planet.

I finally found 首都紧易大学 (Capital University of Economics and Business) on Google Earth: 39°54'49.44"N, 116°28'13.62"E. I don't know how to make a direct link, but the info is there for the interested. Ciao.