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Lama Temple

YiHeGong is the place to be! (…for people without cameras)

Yesterday I went to the Lama Temple with a few of my classmates. At first I thought it was going to be a very quick trip, but once I stepped inside I knew that something extraordinary was coming my way. We walked around the temple looking at incense shops and the tourists pass by. Many of us were gazing at the rituals that the people were performing. The most interesting part of this small trip was experiencing a different type of religion.
After watching other people “make their wishes” we walked into many buildings to look at statues and relics. The statues that caught my eye the most were the giant god statues made of wood. As soon as we walked in the giant statue shadowed over us. I don’t know how big it was (as in actual height) but this statue pretty much touched the ceiling. I’ve been to a few temples and had great experiences, but seeing these statues was an amazing event during this trip.

hi there!

Every morning during my early journey to school, I wonder, are my friends in America all getting together and saying “Oh, that crazy Harold Sheffery! Why would he want to study all summer”? Sure, on my way to school at 6:30 am it’s already 90 degrees outside, but I’m not jealous of my friends back in America. So what if they have AC 24/7, all the good hamburgers, and don’t have to worry about daily chinese vocab quizzes. Just like my Chinese family, I have begun to look forward to the smaller pleasures that accompany life here in China. By looking forward to my mothers home cooked dumplings every wednesday night, the quick conversation with the same elder lady in the elevator every morning, and the amusing and vibrant taxi drivers, I keep finding new ways to enjoy Beijing.

As the old Confucius saying goes, “Everyone eats; yet only few appreciate the taste of food”. Right now, I’m really appreciating the taste of Beijing.

-Harold

ps. enclosed is a photo of class 4′s whiteboard in the middle of class

I Hear Beijing Singing…

There’s something truly unique about a Beijing morning. Every day, I walk out of my building and face the sun through the haze, noticing all of the people below it, hurrying in their own separate directions. It’s the sight of a city coming to life, of a population that will stop at nothing to achieve success. I walk through the crowds and see businesspeople and construction workers and teachers and police officers all standing next to each other while waiting for the bus. I see grandmothers dancing in the park and young parents delivering their children to preschool. Soon, I pass a brand new apartment complex that’s next to a run-down tenement, its tenants sticking their heads out of the windows for some cool air. Then comes the food cart, where I buy breakfast next to three teen hipsters and a baker, each commuting to their respective destination. Everyone is going somewhere, whether it’s work, school, or otherwise. It’s a well-oiled machine, a society that just keeps moving, and I’m witness to its startup.

What a Week!

This week was pretty hard. Id type in Chinese but I can’t figure it out on this computer….This is actually a re-type of what I did 10 minutes ago. I…accidentally deleted everything I typed. So now that I feel slightly discouraged I shall now make this except a bit shorter.
This week I had to struggle to keep up but it has been wirth it. Teachers have told me that I have improved greatly, which made me work harder. The heat is up now that my class has weekly assignments to do presentations. Practicums are becoming more difficult as the questions get harder. I am still able to accomplish much in the class but I feel that I should try harder.
This weekend was pretty fun. I went with my family to places in Beijing to have amazing duck, look at creepy foods (fried scorpion on a stick), and get a nice massage after walking a great distance. Today I went to the temple with my family and their friends. It was…totally against my religion but it was and interesting experience. I hope that as each week comes by I will become closer to my family and classmates.

First Week

Indubitably, this program is includes kids with a wide range of 1-5 years of experience. This is my first week in the China Institute and the transition so far has been 容易 (easy). During our first week we stayed at the Beijing Culture and Language University; this was part of China’s quarantine measures to prevent the H1N1 (they took our temperatures multiple times). We acclimated there, getting over jet lag, getting a Chinese phone and exploring the new environment. Our day includes rigorous Tai Qi, a classroom session in the morning, a strict all-chinese speaking lunch, and a practicum in the evening to polish our Chinese. This weekend we aided local Chinese farmers picking squash in the insect packed field. Saturday, we hiked up the Great Wall while practicing our haggling skills with the local peddlers. We managed to squeeze the price down of these rice farmer hats from 80rmb to 20. Anyway, you can view the pictures and the hour by hour schedule online at www.china360online.org

干杯 （cheers)

－毕可思
－Max Bildner