A Quick Update

I know, it's been a very long while since I last posted - in fact, I believe I was still in the U.S. then. Well, it's been over a month here now and I've settled in rather nicely. In actuality, I felt at home by the second day in Beijing, but anyway, I'm a pretty flexible person. I suppose the fact that I've waited for the moment I leave the United States for most of my short life helps a bit. :)

Anyway, a lot of things have actually happened, but I'll do a quick summary over everything that has happened.

1. The first week was orientation where we got to know the area better and prepared for classes
2. We also took the must-do trip to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Then, we went to the neighboring Jing Shan Park for a full overlook of the city and our home for the next couple of months.
3. Classes started for a week and a half where Chinese class dominated with a whopping four hours of class every day of the week except for Wednesdays from 8 AM to 12:10 PM.
4. Our 2-week long vacation then started and I picked the the hardest one. We went to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces in Southern China and stayed with the Tibetans. Oh yes, and I can't forget to mention the fact that we ended up hiking at least 88 kilometers the entire time and we stayed in tents. It was rough at times, but well-worth it. :) Also, the scenery was absolutely breath-taking!
5. We came back and class came at us full-blast. I mean, seriously. A paper written entirely in Chinese?? We have another one due later as well.
6. We finally moved in with Chinese roommates. My roommate's name is Peng Peng and she's pretty neat. I only watch Asian dramas and she only watches American dramas. :D See how neat it is?
7. We took an overnight trip to the Great Wall and left for a hike up/climb a nearby mountain at 4:30 AM in order to see the sunrise. My entire body was sore for three days afterward. :)

I also took a good amount of pictures... a lot of them. They're posted on Facebook but just in case... here they are:

Beijing

Random and general pictures of my time in Beijing.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City

Pictures taken on the trip to the aforementioned locations within the heart of Beijing. :) And Jing Shan Park... except my camera's battery died.

Part 1

Cultural Tibet

The pictures when A trip went to Yunnan and Sichuan provinces for two weeks and spent time getting to know more about China's minority peoples and living their life, we specialized in the Tibetans and we stayed with them for a good while. Even though it really isn't Tibet, it might as well be because when you're there, it's like you're not even really in China. And learning the meaning of "tired."

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Sushi Night

Friends, some of our Chinese roommates, and I all went out for some sushi. :) Here's an album full of pictures of it all.

Part 1

The Great Wall

We went to the Great Wall and we took an unnecessary amount of pictures - but it's not like we go to the Great Wall everyday, right? AND it's one of the seven wonders of the world. :) This amount of pictures is mandatory.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5