The full weekend (days 20-23)

This weekend was filled with going out and partying! On friday we started off with a party at the English people's house (they're leaving soon, they stayed only for a month). It was a Chinese-history themed party, so people were supposed to get dressed up for it. And, to my surprise, they actually were! Most people anyway. I myself was wearing a Mao shirt, there were others who had done the same, some wore panda hats and shirts and some took it a bit further back, wearing typical Chinese dynasty clothes. I got my shirt at the Silk market, where I went on friday (I also got some 'allstars', which are nice). Anyway, the party started out great, and we were just really getting started when we heard a knock on the door- the old neighbour, asking if we could keep our party down. I guess we didn't do much of a job, because ten minutes later the police came (well ONE policeman) and told us party was over, everyone had to go. 

Chinese characters on the floor!

Someone who wanted
 a picture with me...(??)

Luckily we had someone in our midst that actually spoke Chinese. Then again, I guess the point the policeman was trying to make was pretty clear. We slowly evacuated the building, waking up the entire neighborhood as we went (oops.) after that we *tried* to go out, which wasn't that much of a success since getting a taxi is not very easy in China- if you are an obvious foreigner, that is. Some cabs just don’t stop, others won’t take you, and sometimes when they do, they’ll stop randomly and decide that they don’t feel like taking you any further- in one case a taxi driver even took us to the wrong place and shouted at us to get off because it was the right place. Anyway, in this particular night, no one wanted to take us. A few taxi drivers pretended not to know the Sanlitun area (by comparison: A Dutch person not knowing Amsterdam). 

One guy even had the nerve to tell us he wasn’t going to Sanlitun, only to suddenly change his mind when we stepped away and a Chinese girl asked to go to the same exact place (yes he took her). I really cannot seem to understand what’s wrong with taxi drivers here. I’ve heard theories on how they might not like driving Western people around because they get mad when not understood (which might actually be plausible), but honestly mostly I’m too annoyed to feel that way. Anyway, in the end we took a riksja which was a lot more fun, if slightly more dangerous. Although, since these days I use my bicycle I guess I shouldn’t complain about danger.

=)

In the end we got to the place where we wanted to go (me and the roomies) and joined some people at some kind of a latin bar with great music (really my type), great dancing, and VERY annoying creepy guys. Oh well you can’t have everything I guess. It’s actually Western guys who get annoying- Chinese guys are waaaay to shy to do more than stare, in general that is.

Well we stayed there for quite a while, so the next day I was exhausted, but my roomies wanted to go to a park. Due to a misunderstanding with a taxi driver, we ended up at the New Summer Palace. We got in with a student’s fee of one and a half euro’s- it was the non-touristic area of the Summer Palace complex. 

One of the cuter mini-
buildings of the Summer Palace.

It’s a huuuuge place with a few connected lakes- we walked around the biggest of them, which took a long time but was worth it- it was very soothing, after such a busy night, to be able to relax in a nice open space. That night we were supposed to go to another party (a good-bye party for someone) but we had decided not to go, on account of being absolutely exhausted. In the end though, my roommate decided that she really wanted to go, and not alone, so I tagged along, and actually had fun (and then got asked for a date the next day by someone from the party, which was flattering if nothing else). On Sunday I slept for most of the day, and I kind of… sulked for the rest. Well, in my defense, it isn’t easy to be here. It feels like a dream- a dream in which food is completely different and always gives you a slight stomach ache, crossing a road is narrowly escaping death every time (and biking is, if possible, even worse), taxi drivers are evil and people stare at you endlessly. Where if you walk into a room you’re the movie star (and girls stare at you jealously and angrily even if you do nothing at all) and you can never be one of the crowd. 

Characters that take
my teacher a dictionary
and 5 minutes to write.

Awwww!

Even the language difference means there’s no rest- everything and everywhere is in Chinese, and in Chinese if you don’t try to speak EXACTLY how you’re supposed to you have no chance of anybody understanding anything (chances are slight even if you DO manage to speak perfect Chinese…).  Some days are bad, and you don’t manage to get a word across- some days, like today (Monday) are better, and suddenly the entire take-away (food) goes fine, without you or the waitress having to say ‘what’ or ‘shénme?’. Life here isn’t perfect- there’s a lot to get used to really, not only Chinese and China but ALSO living on my own for the very first time and being far away from everyone over there… Oh well, I get by. This was my choice and for now I’m sticking with it! Love, Sophie

Writing Characters with.. water? At the Summer Palace

More dancing Chinese people! =D