Week 2 is coming to a close now, and I must say it’s been almost as eventful as the first one! Between haggling for a watch and talking about concerts I’ve been to in Chinese, it’s really been a busy week. I finally feel more at home, though. I now feel comfortable walking to and from school, and I know how to get where I need to go via subway. In general I think I have adapted very quickly, and now I really can’t wait to see what the rest of the city has to offer.

Class has been good. I enjoy having the small, 4-person class that I do because it means we each get more individualized attention. Everyday I look forward to my one-on-one conversations with my teacher that include (but are not limited to) pirates, iPhones, and whether we can judge people on their appearance. I also, however, look forward to breaks, during which time I can talk to my classmates. You’d think that you would want to get away from them after spending so much time with them, but I really don’t. In general, I’m having a lot of fun in school.

I’m also enjoying myself very much outside of school. This week’s outings were a lot of fun. Besides tutoring 11-15 year olds, we went to the beautiful Confucius temple, toured Beijing University, and listened to a man named Michael Yu speak about his experiences building an educational corporation. Outside of school, I went to get a massage with a few friends during the week. I had never gotten a massage before, so it was both a fun and memorable experience… and for only 8 RMB for 40 minutes!

This weekend was very busy, but also very fun. We went to karaoke on Friday, Saturday we saw the Confucius Temple, and today I went to a market with a lot of my friends. The market was a lot of fun because I got to practice my Chinese, and I managed to get some pretty good deals. I still have some homework to do, but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. In general, I’m very excited for the rest of this trip.

i walk out of the airplane and the first thing i see is chinese. a lot of chinese. and i still remember thinking gosh! what in the world do those words say? and then i said to myself thank god i joined china institute because by the end of this program, i will definetely know what those words say. we all took a bus to beijing yucai school, and at first, i was super nervous to meet my host family, thinking that none of the family members would be able to understand something i say in mandarin. i meet my host sibling, whose name is qingxin,and her family, and they began speaking mandarin in lightning speed. i stood there trying my very hardest to get the jist of what they said, but couldnt decipher any of it. my host sibling then began to talk to me in mandarin, i guess to figure out my mandarin level, and soon knew that my host sibling spoke english. i was literally screaming inside my head, thinking that if i didnt know how to say something, i would always have someone to turn to. i met my host siblings friend and her host sibling, and the both of our families had dinner together. im guessing that my host father wasn very satisfied with the dinner served, because my host family left the restaurant early, and i GOT TO EAT PEKING DUCK ON MY FIRST DAY IN BEIJING! my host family and i ate dinner (again), then went home. their home is just extremely beautiful, nice and clean, beautoful furniture, and they have a nintendo wii as well!

in beijing, i went to walmart for the very first time in my life (mostly because the closest walmart is about an hour drive from my home) and was extremely surprised by the size of it. if youve ever gone to pathmark down by cherry street, its about 1 and a half times as big as pathmark, divided into two floors. the subway system is extremely clean, with a tv in the actual train, attendants saying the stops in english, and is actually quite big. the beijing bookstore, which is really close to my house, is probably the biggest bookstore i have ever seen. its i think 3 or 4 floors with a basement which houses many american classics like harry potter, catcher in the rye, twilight, etc. and has books ranging from learning another language, baby books, short novels, long novels, and chinese classics to musical books, biographies, and basically every book you can imagine thats in chinese. the beijing yucai school is nothing like i would have imagined. everywhere you look are trees, a lot of kids playing sports, and a lot of big beautiful school buildings. i really enjoyed meeting my classmates, as well as the others from the program in different classes, and really spending a lot of time with them every day during practicums and excursions. the classes are small, so each student gets individual help when needed, and the teachers make sure that you understand what you learned during class during language enrichment.

overall, beijing is a really wonderful place. the people of beijing are really nice too; during practicums or excursions, we’re sometimes expected to go to a place in beijing on our own, and it feels great because you personally have a chance to practice chinese, learn to take a cab and talk to the cab driver, learn how to bargain (which really comes in handy in bejing), and meet new people. my classmates often travel in groups, and when we get lost, we often ask for directions, and the people of beijing dont ignore you; they point you to a certain direction, which i find extremely helpful. there are also many many clothing stores in beijing, which sell clothing for very decent prices, and if you bargain, you can actually save money because you are very persuasive. before i get way off topic, i justreally want to say that spending time in bejing with my host family and a chinese surrounding has really made my chinese improve significantly, and i really look forward to what china institute has planned for this program and also where my host family will take me to in beijing.

Before i came to Beijing i tried not to create any expectations to prevent some kind of disappointment, but now i realize that even if a prospect was made it would undeniably be exceeded. From the landscape, to my amazing host family, i feel so welcome in this City. Already it has been over a week since i got off that 14 hour flight which was very interesting in itself. All of my classmates bring a great energy to my experience. You really get to know someone that you sit next to for that long. Whats even more amazing is how i am seeing the result of all of the hard work put into making this happen from not only myself, but my family and friends. It was all worth it in the end!

My host family is really amazing. I have a host Mother and Father who live in a beautiful apartment. Like traditional China, my host father’s parents live with us. They also own a dog named Ruyi and have two turtles. The most interesting family member is definitely my host “didi” (younger brother) Caro. Today is actually his 16th Birthday and we are going to a nice dinner and then karaoke with about 15 friends! What i love most about Caro is how he doesn’t care what people think about him. He will blast music and dance through the streets of Beijing.. and ill join him! He also really loves to eat, which is probably our biggest similarity. He is exceedingly talented in chemistry and English; being the translator between me and his parents. My host mother also holds special qualities. I was the first to become sick on the trip and i felt like i was truly at “home” because she even missed work to stay home with me. My host father is equally special in how he makes everyone laugh!

I have so much to write!!
I cant wait to post things about my..
Karaoke, Mall , Street Walking, Taxi Cab, Great Wall , Caro’s Birthday and Class mate experiences. So much has already happened. But ultimately i have to say that i truly enjoy Beijing and am so blessed to be here!

Nihao everyone! I’m one of the interns, but I thought I’d also share a post with you guys. I love all of the students so much. They are so energetic and friendly, and I’m so happy to be apart of their experience here. It’s been really fun to hear their stories and remember some of my own previous adventures in Beijing.

I love everything about Beijing. The people here are unbelievably warm and welcoming to foreigners. One of my favorite stories is when we all went to Taoranting Park, an old Chinese woman approached Zachary and was talking with him for a while when he came over and asked me, “What does ‘Dao wo jia’ mean?” “She’s inviting you over to her house?!” I said. And sure enough, as we were talking, she started to draw a map. He asked if he could bring his host brother, and she said sure. You just don’t see that in America.

There are other things you just don’t see in America, too. Whether it’s corn ice cream, ostrich meat on a stick, a huddle of Chinese crowding a game of chess on the sidewalk, or just a ridiculous number of bikes everywhere, it doesn’t seem strange anymore to think that even daylight here is different from back (at our other) home. It’s the most wonderful feeling, despite being on the other half of the world, to feel so at home.

After seeing Michael Yu, the president of the New Oriental Education & Technology Group, four of us went to Malatong. Malatong is a neighborhood within walking distance from school. Jack led us there and took us to a small restaurant (if you can call it that). When you walk in there are shelves to your left filled with uncooked meat and vegetables on skewers. You choose the skewers you want and throw them in a basket. They charge you per skewer then take your basket and cook it sichuan style. They bring the food out to you. The food was very good but extremely spicy. The total meal cost around $1.50.

I hope you are all well. I am undeniably at the edge of heaven right now. We are immersed in a language as complex as the traffic patterns of downtown Manhattan during rush hour, as culturally profound as the Mona Lisa or Bethoveen’s 5th. So far, the sky above the city has yet to show us any clear blue, while pollution has reared its ugly head time and time again. On Tuesday I asked my host brother whether one ever sees the sun in Beijing. The firm and defined reply I receive was, “We basically don’t see the sun in Beijing, just a lot of smog。” Oh, well, I suppose this is all part of the experience.

It is truly incredulous to note even the slightest differences between our two cultures. There is no doubt that I have already experienced countless examples of this in the four days I have been here. If one thing is for certain, it is that there is a dangerous amount of room for confusion in language gap between English and Mandarin. Furthermore, the barrier itself, which already presents a metaphorical Berlin Wall-esque obstruction to so many attempts at communication, often creates misunderstandings that border on the hilarious. Given the tonal intricacies of the Chinese language, there have been quite a few “lost in translation” incidents thus far. For instance, I believe that the word for “kidnap” is “bangjia” while the word for “help” is “bangzhu”. At one point, I attempted to say to one of my host brother’s friends “I would like to help your brother at your home” and I ended up saying “I would like to kidnap you’re your brother at your home”. Another mix-up occurred when I asked my host sibling about the Chinese peoples’ opinion of the North Korean political leadership. He responded by simply stating that, “North Korea is a spicy vegetable”. I am still not quite sure what was meant by said comment. Luckily, I have been assured that this is not an uncommon occurrence with second language learners.

On the subject of hospitality, I have found a level of kindness with my host family that can actually be best described as too polite. For instance, this evening, my host brother asked if his eating would disturb my studying of vocabulary on the other side of the apartment. Needless to say, situations such as this simply do not take place at home. In some ways, I find this to be a welcome change and in some ways it is way too much of a good thing.

Furthermore, the prevailing gender roles in China (at least in Beijing and probably more so in agricultural areas) are far more traditional than anything I’ve witnessed in the US. It seems similar to the 1950s in America in this way. Despite the fact that both parents work (the father is a doctor and the mother is a store clerk) the mother literally does all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other house workGiven that I am their guest, I feel I should at the very least take care of my own space. However, the mother will not even allow me to clean my own plate off or do my own laundry. I am not sure whether these are the normal positions in the household or if they are adapting them while I am here. I believe that it is the former of the two.

-Zachary Reshovsky

Week 1 in Beijing is coming to a close, and what a week it’s been! I feel as though I have been out of New York for far longer than I actually have, but not because it has been difficult or boring. This has been the longest week of my life only because it’s been the most eventful week of my life. I was very nervous when I first came off of the airplane, but after a few days I feel as though I’ve adjusted quite well. I am now comfortable in my new home, and I already feel as though my Chinese has improved.

I am very fortunate to be in the area that I am in. I am in the center of Beijing. My apartment is only a 20 minute bike ride from Tiananmen Square, so I am right at the heart of the city. At the same time, however, I live in a more traditional area, so I get to experience the best of both the new and old Beijing. I’m also lucky to be very close to the school where I’m studying.

I am living with a 15 year old Chinese boy named Liuqi. He lives with both his mother and his father, and they have two apartments: the one we are living in and another one further from the center of Beijing. The mother lives at home, and the father is a real estate manager. They are both extremely nice, and the father cooks very well! He has been cooking most of the food. They own two apartments because their hope is that once Liuqi grows up, he can live in one of them and they can live in the other. Liuqi and his mother are living in the smaller one with me because it is closer to the school, while the father is living in the other one and looking after it.　He joins us for both breakfast and dinner, and he is as friendly as the rest of the family.

Though it has only been a week, I have already seen much of Beijing. I went to karaoke on my first full day because it was my host sibling’s birthday. We also went to a popular book store. With 7 floors, I think it’s the biggest bookstore I’ve ever seen. So far what has amazed me the most is the size of some of the structures here, both new and old. During the week we went on several outings as well. I was able to sail a boat in Taoranting Park, practice my Chinese while bargaining at Liulichang (a street of mostly antique shops). The weekend was equally eventful. We went to the Great Wall yesterday, where I not only took some awesome pictures that I can’t wait to show to everyone, but also managed to bargain even more. I bought a shirt that I was told costs 65 kuai for 13 yuan… not bad, right? Today I saw some of China’s larger buildings when I went to meet my father’s boss for lunch. The CCTV building is really unbelievable. Later we went to a mall in the Xidan District. It was pretty fun, but I think I’ve enjoyed the genuinely Chinese locations more.

Class has been great so far, too! I am lucky to have Zhou Laoshi, who speaks to me only in Chinese (except for when she has to use a word like discrimination). Class is especially useful because I’m learning a lot of stuff I can use in everyday conversation. I’m learning a lot, and I know that I will be learning so much more in the weeks to come. I am tired by the end of every day, but I sleep very well. Everything’s great, and I’m really looking forward to the next week. I know it’s going to be awesome.

China is immensely different from what I had expected. For one, I was shocked by how much English there is; signs, menus, building names, etc. Another thing that surprised me is the variation in the architecture around the city. I find in interesting that they have such modern buildings just literally across the street from small, worn down ones. The transportation system is much better than I had anticipated. One thing that kinda of grosses me out here all of the spitting; from old men to young girls I have seen people hawking loogies left and right… Nonetheless, I find people are extremely kind here. One old woman in the park actually invited Zachary to her house. Culturally I have been having some trouble with eating here. The food is good, and my host family is totally great about my allergies, however they want me to eat SO much. I just don’t have a big enough appetite to keep up with them. I wanted to try to eat more as to not offend them, but I blatantly do not eat that much. On another note, I have been finding it less and less difficult to communicate with my host family. Something I find very funny here is how many teenagers listen to American music. SO many host sisters are Justin Beiber fan its kind of absurd. My host sister is more up to date on American music than I am right now…which I find funny because there aren’t too many American girls investing a solid chunk of their time listening to Chinese pop stars.

I knew that when I came to Beijing, the city would teach me many things I didn’t know about Chinese language and culture. However, there have been a few surprises in terms of what I have learned within the first week.
1. In Beijing, bikes and cars have no qualms about hitting you.
On the first day, my host sister Shan Shan showed me how to get to the Yucai school. The most difficult challenge I have encountered was how to cross the street. All of those mothers who encouraged their American children to just look both ways and then cross never crossed a street in Beijing. In Beijing, crossing the street is more like look both ways, dodge a car that just came from a third direction, sprint, dodge a few bicycles, and only then are you safe. And never even think about jaywalking.
2. Even if you buy that T-shirt for the equivalent of $1.50, the person you just bought it from is most likely laughing at you because she was able to rip you off.
Within a couple of days we all figured out that many things in China were worth a few American dollars, but when we started shopping in Liulichang and near the Great Wall, we noticed that things that were usually a few RMB were now at about fifty. This gave us the chance to try out our bargaining skills. At first I was incapable of bargaining because I would be too nice and back down too quickly, only after shaving off a couple of RMB (after all, 30 kuai just sounds expensive, it isn’t actually worth that much). But after some practice I was able to stand my ground, and I happily walked away with my (still probably over-priced) panda hat.
3. Try as many different foods as possible. After all, where are you going to eat authentic Chinese food in America?
Be adventurous. In my opinion, that’s all that needs to be said on the topic of food.

The first week in Beijing has been quite an experience. When we first landed at the airport about a week ago, I was pretty nervous and timid about being away from home, meeting new people, and adjusting to a completely different lifestyle. The first few days were when the jet lag was the worst, but as the week progressed I became less tired and became more adjusted to my surroundings. Already, I have become so close to my host sibling, Helen and the rest her family. The school is not very far from her house and the commute is just another way to experience the lifesytles of Beijing.
Probably the most memorable experiences of this week were being inside a local tea shop with my peers and having conversations with the store owner and climbing the Great Wall. No matter how good one’s chinese class is does not prepare you to actually put the skills to the test, talking to native speakers. Though climbing the Great Wall entailed lots of sweat and many battles with misquitos and bees, it will be an experience I will never forget. I really enjoy the fact that we have the freedom on the weekend to explore different parts of the city with both friends and siblings.I look forward to the next four weeks in beijing and the one week in Shanghai.