Beginning and ending.
The IES program is now officially finished and I am on a train going to start my summer travel by going to Yichang with Reece. Originally I was planning on leaving on Monday to go down to Nanjing, but my plans somersaulted only a day before I left.
I took my written exam on Monday, and it was pretty easy. After the written I went to Yaxiu with Liz for a fitting, but my clothes weren't there when we arrived. We ended up getting there around 2 and leaving around 7; between our arrival and the actual fitting we wandered around Yaxiu and went to eat pizza at The Tree. On Tuesday we had our oral exams. First was an individual oral, when you basically went and talked for two minutes about anything you wanted to (I talked about the rain with Lu Laoshi). Then we had a group presentation where you and two other people discuss problems that China is currently facing.
I was in a group with Brian and Alaina. Both of them talked about real issues like pollution, resources, traffic, and population... I responded with a joke. I talked about how the big problem now is that China has forgotten Chairman Mao's ideal. The Laoshis all cracked up.
After that we were done! Home free!
So on Wednesday I did virtually nothing, I was completely prepared to relax and take my time until Monday. I did, however, start packing up all of my crap. My big red suitcase was overly stuffed (again) and I had to sit on it to get it to close. But close it did. When I had just about finished packing that I got a call from Reece, wanting to know if I'd be interested in traveling with him for two weeks.
Reece recently purchased the new Lonely Planet guide, and was planning on going to several of the lesser known locations that had been added to the LP. I was totally up for it, but he wanted to leave the next day at 2.
I said yes, but the only way I managed to pack in time was because I had already finished packing my big suitcase. Right after he called I took the bus down to the Carrefour near the zoo and went to the outlet market (where I had previously had the worst shopping experience ever). The market wasn't bad at all, because it was the middle of the day on a weekday. I purchased a discounted *real* hiking backpack, because I don't want to travel around China with my cheap little TTI duffel and I don't want a fake bag to break next week.
Next I went to tian cheng shi chang (天成市场) and purchased a fake suitcase that was not nearly as big as I thought it was. I thought it was about the size of my big red suitcase, but when I got home I realized that it was actually about the size of the little case that I sent home with my parents.
As it turns out, while I have accumulated more crap I have also used up almost all of my toiletries (my small suitcase was full of them) and I sent some stuff home with my parents when they were here in March. So even though the suitcase is small it isn't really a big deal. Plus I have a hiking bag that is stuffed.
I went home, packed more, and changed into my qipao for china night. I love my qipao! It fits perfectly, and is a beautiful blue, and isn't the traditional flower pattern. Plus I have sliver shoes that I can probably wear with it when I get home... I'm still going to be looking here, but shoes without sparkley dangle extra bits are hard to come by.
China Night was kind of fun. It is the end of the year presentation/bash thing, mostly put on for the people who are not students. So all of the host families, roommates, fudaos, laoshis, ect are invited to come to China Night. My little brother and some of his friends had a little performance where they danced around and looked cute. There was also singing, more dancing, and several china related skits.
This morning Liz and I went to Yaxiu to get our stuff; her dress looked spectacular, but my pants and one of my skirts weren't done yet so I have to go back when I get back to Beijing. We then rushed back to IES for the graduation luncheon, which we were a little late for, and I left early from. I would have liked to stay longer and say good bye to more of my friends, but I had to meet Reece and get to our train. I did get to say goodbye to Lu Laoshi, and get some tentative plans to meet up with other people while I am traveling.
Now I am sitting on a 20 hour train ride to Yichang, trying to drown out the snoring guy in our compartment with my iPod. It isn't working.
I took my written exam on Monday, and it was pretty easy. After the written I went to Yaxiu with Liz for a fitting, but my clothes weren't there when we arrived. We ended up getting there around 2 and leaving around 7; between our arrival and the actual fitting we wandered around Yaxiu and went to eat pizza at The Tree. On Tuesday we had our oral exams. First was an individual oral, when you basically went and talked for two minutes about anything you wanted to (I talked about the rain with Lu Laoshi). Then we had a group presentation where you and two other people discuss problems that China is currently facing.
I was in a group with Brian and Alaina. Both of them talked about real issues like pollution, resources, traffic, and population... I responded with a joke. I talked about how the big problem now is that China has forgotten Chairman Mao's ideal. The Laoshis all cracked up.
After that we were done! Home free!
So on Wednesday I did virtually nothing, I was completely prepared to relax and take my time until Monday. I did, however, start packing up all of my crap. My big red suitcase was overly stuffed (again) and I had to sit on it to get it to close. But close it did. When I had just about finished packing that I got a call from Reece, wanting to know if I'd be interested in traveling with him for two weeks.
Reece recently purchased the new Lonely Planet guide, and was planning on going to several of the lesser known locations that had been added to the LP. I was totally up for it, but he wanted to leave the next day at 2.
I said yes, but the only way I managed to pack in time was because I had already finished packing my big suitcase. Right after he called I took the bus down to the Carrefour near the zoo and went to the outlet market (where I had previously had the worst shopping experience ever). The market wasn't bad at all, because it was the middle of the day on a weekday. I purchased a discounted *real* hiking backpack, because I don't want to travel around China with my cheap little TTI duffel and I don't want a fake bag to break next week.
Next I went to tian cheng shi chang (天成市场) and purchased a fake suitcase that was not nearly as big as I thought it was. I thought it was about the size of my big red suitcase, but when I got home I realized that it was actually about the size of the little case that I sent home with my parents.
As it turns out, while I have accumulated more crap I have also used up almost all of my toiletries (my small suitcase was full of them) and I sent some stuff home with my parents when they were here in March. So even though the suitcase is small it isn't really a big deal. Plus I have a hiking bag that is stuffed.
I went home, packed more, and changed into my qipao for china night. I love my qipao! It fits perfectly, and is a beautiful blue, and isn't the traditional flower pattern. Plus I have sliver shoes that I can probably wear with it when I get home... I'm still going to be looking here, but shoes without sparkley dangle extra bits are hard to come by.
China Night was kind of fun. It is the end of the year presentation/bash thing, mostly put on for the people who are not students. So all of the host families, roommates, fudaos, laoshis, ect are invited to come to China Night. My little brother and some of his friends had a little performance where they danced around and looked cute. There was also singing, more dancing, and several china related skits.
This morning Liz and I went to Yaxiu to get our stuff; her dress looked spectacular, but my pants and one of my skirts weren't done yet so I have to go back when I get back to Beijing. We then rushed back to IES for the graduation luncheon, which we were a little late for, and I left early from. I would have liked to stay longer and say good bye to more of my friends, but I had to meet Reece and get to our train. I did get to say goodbye to Lu Laoshi, and get some tentative plans to meet up with other people while I am traveling.
Now I am sitting on a 20 hour train ride to Yichang, trying to drown out the snoring guy in our compartment with my iPod. It isn't working.