Ack, Where Are My Keys?
Hello, I’m Caitlin, I’m another one of the seniors in CAPS, a CAPS/Govt double major. I’m from California (Oakland), and I like long walks on the beach and whispering sweet Chinese chengyu in the moonlight.
The four line for the Beijing Subway opens on Monday! Monday. That is just three days away. THREE DAYS. This might not mean much to you now, but if you’re coming to Beijing and living at Beida? The four line is like 30 minutes and 3 flights of stairs. The four line is NO transfers instead of 2 transfers, and the four line stop is even both closer to campus and closer to my work. My lazy little heart rejoices.
So what have I learned in China (in counterpoint to Minerva)?
1. Don’t play chicken with busdrivers or taxidrivers. Both will kill you. No, really. The busdrivers are surprisingly sneaky here. You inch forward and all of a sudden, WHOOSH – bus from nowhere, two inches from your nose. They’re like gigantic, five-ton ninjas.
2. Smile at people. Seriously. There is nothing more gratifying then smiling at strangers here. First, they might smile back. Second, they might give you free food. I have definitely finagled fruit this way. In general Chinese people seem to be surprisingly big on the free food. For instance, at my office? Free snacks EVERYWHERE. Some of them are a little strange (see ‘Europe Bread’ which appears to be a dinner roll that was created in a mold out of playtex and sugar) but most of them are quite tasty.
3. Bring a battery powered alarm clock of somesort. Classes are super early (going along with all those Chinese people getting up super early) and my poor roomie missed two classes because of a malfunctioning alarm.
4. Taste random food. Western food in Beijing, by and large, is… slightly off. Again, see ‘Europe Bread’. Chinese food? Cheap and delicious. Baozi, as Minerva mentioned, are amazing. So is yuxiangrousi, a shredded pork-bamboo shoot-carrot dish. Yes, occasionally you’ll hit food you don’t like – for instance, Adi’s intestine didn’t really sit too well with me – but trying new things is one of the best parts about being in China. I am surprisingly fond of their thick yogurty drinks, which are everywhere. Oh, and the “strawberry milkshakes” from the shop around the corner on campus, which tastes like a strawberry smoothie with milk mixed in.
5. Don’t lose your key. Don’t lock yourself out. Just glue it to your forehead or something. Actually, nevermind, that isn’t so much a ‘Beijing’ thing as a ‘me’ thing. I’ve lost it twice. Once it was in my room, once it was…not. Curse you, keycards! Curse you, deep purse!
And on that note, I’ve actually got to go find my purse.
Catch you later,
Caitlin