Tuesday, July 6, 2010

I'm Not a Foreigner Anymore?

“上有天堂,下有苏杭。” -Above are the Heavens, on Earth there is Suzhou and Hangzhou.

The beautiful Xi Hu (West Lake)

It's been about 1.5 weeks since I've arrived in Hangzhou (Internet is often flaky so this post is a little late, sorry Light Fellowship!), and life here is settling down to a steady routine. Classes are going well, co-curriculars are fun, food is delicious, people are awesome, Hangzhou is beautiful, China is exciting, and I've somehow miraculously gotten used to the relentless mosquitoes, constant mobs of people, summer showers, crooked sidewalks, and extreme heat (or so I would like to believe).

I don't want to bore you with the mundane details of my daily life so here's a general idea of my typical day: Lecture and drill class from 8-10, Media Chinese from 10-11, Business Chinese from 11-12, and a 30 minute one-on-one in the afternoon. I have gongfu class twice a week at 6 AM (It's ridiculous how many Chinese people are awake, functional and exercising at such an early hour.) and calligraphy class once a week in the afternoon. Other than that, I've been busy exploring the city, hanging out with other students and the Chinese roommates, and of course, doing homework.

It's strange being and studying in China. I'm a foreigner, but simultaneously feel a sense of belonging. When I walk down the street, order from a restaurant, haggle with shopkeepers, or make small talk with strangers, no one ever asks me where I'm from or what I'm doing in China. I'm just here, just like everyone else. When a group of us CET students grab dinner, go running, or wander around together, people always gawk at us. But it's not really us since there's nothing special about me. For the first time in my life, I'm in the majority.

Like many other Light Fellows, for me, this summer is not only about mastering a language: it's about understanding a culture: a culture that pervades my life back home, whose flavor as I know it has been infused with American bits and distorted, but I want to taste the original thing. I don't know if I'll like it better, but I at least have to know. At the moment, I'm still in the infatuation stage and love it here, but we'll have to wait and see how I feel in a few weeks.

And now I'm off to explore the world, until next time!

2 comments:

  1. 我想你!I'm so glad you are finally getting to relax a bit this summer! Hangzhou sounds like a blast!

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  2. Joanna is too much of a busy bee to ever actually relax :) I very much enjoyed this entry. Although, as one third of your readership, I would like to express my interest in the "mundane details." And I like the quote at the top. I miss you both!

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