I expect that things will get better as we get more settled. We all rented bikes today, so now I can ride around and explore and become more familiar with campus. As a group, we walked to the classroom this morning, and near the classroom is a market, dining hall, and a bank. I'm really interested in finding the other dining halls on campus, as well as the library. There's a huge four story building on campus... it's the public bath house!!! The dorms on campus do not have showers and bathrooms. All of the students must go to this public place to use the facilities!! Disgusting. Luckily, we're living in the "Foreign Student Dorms", yes that's what they're called. Oh and lunch yesterday was disgusting. I went to a stall in the dining hall that gives you rice, and then you point at some meats and vegetables that you want. It was not very tasty, I couldn't stomach it all. Next time, I will take one of my Chinese-speaking friends with me so i can order something off the menu.
I spoke to some students about the athletic facilities. They have a gorgeous indoor pool and recreation center, but it is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC until after the Olympics. I'm upset. The Chinese Olympic Team is training there, so the rec facility and pool is completely closed down to all outsiders, including the local students. I think it would be cool to practice with the olympic team, but of course that is impossible- I don't think they would like the idea of having Americans train with the Chinese Olympic team... can you say "high security risk"? So Caroline and I have no place to swim that is on campus. We have no where to lift weights. We can run outside though, in the pollution. One of the local students has my email address, and she is trying to find a place for us to swim and lift somewhere close to campus. We'll see what she finds out, but for now, no swimming :(
Later in the day, we took a tour through a prettier part of campus. We walked along a gentle river with pretty bridges going across it. There were big lily pads all over the lake.We also saw some famous landmarks at Tsinghua University. It was nice to find something beautiful on campus. It was quite peaceful too. Perhaps I will study there during the week. During our walk, a Chinese couple came up to me pointing at their camera. They were looking at me with wide admiring eyes and captivated smiles. I thought they wanted me to take a picture of them, so I reached for their camera, but they just kept pointing at themselves and then at me. It turns out, they wanted to take a picture with me! (I assume it was because I am American). I took one with the guy first, and then the girl switched places with him and excitedly latched onto my arm for her picture. It was so fun and so cute. We took a group picture outside the university gate, and Chinese people were coming up and taking pictures of us with their cameras too!
We then took a tour to Yuan Ming Yuan. Yuan Ming Yuan is also known as the Old Summer Palace or the Gardens of Perfect Clarity. It is an extensive network of palaces and gardens that was built in the late 18th century. It is where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty lived and handled government affairs (they only used the Forbidden City for formal rituals). Yuan Ming Yuan was destroyed by British and French troops in 1860 during the Second Opium War, and it is still regarded as a symbol of foreign aggression in China.
Our journey through Yuan Ming Yuan took us along a natural and winding lake, covered with lily pads and flowers. Beautifully arched walking bridges spanned narrower parts of the water, and pagodas majestically guarded the river banks. Our walk through the gardens was quite peaceful and calming, the misty fog creating a mystical feel. The ruins of the Summer Palace are about an hour's walk from the entrance. Crumbled arches, fallen pillars, dried up fountains, and cracked statues are all that is left of the once elegant palace. However, it seemed to me still beautiful, how nature had gently adopted the ruins, growing up around them.
My trip to Yuan Ming Yuan helped me to feel like I was really in China. Inside the gardens, I could no longer hear the city. I observed ancient Chinese architecture and became immersed in China's past while experiencing firsthand the serenity and simplicity of nature.
Upon arrival back to campus, we all rented or bought bikes. Then, a group of us went with Troy, one of my Chinese-speaking friends, to Waduko for dinner. Waduko is a suburb down the street from the university. I was excited to get outside of the university walls and see some of Beijing for myself. We went to a restaurant for Hot Pot. We ordered two sauces, one spicy and one not spicy, that boils on a burner in the middle of our table. We order raw meats and vegetables, and you cook them in the boiling sauces. When cooked, you dip them in more sauces, like soy sauce, chili sauce, peanut sauce, and then enjoy! It is Troy's favorite meal of all time, and he definitely made the experience so fun and very tasty. We order beef strips, pork strips, tofu, fish meat balls, dumplings, and all kinds of vegetables (lettuce, spinach, corn, mushrooms). It was delicious! I was a bit worried that we would all get sick, but we made sure that the meat was thoroughly cooked before eating. Dinner was so fun, and absolutely hilarious! I had a great time with Troy and my table of Caroline, Jen, Gabby, Kristi, and Sara. I laughed so much tonight :)
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