A week and a half later...

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. It's not because there's nothing to say, but because there's too much to say and picking a starting point is proving to be more difficult than I thought. Hah, ever since I came to China the word "difficult" has probably made it's way into the top 20 most frequently used words.
Classes are getting better. I'm starting to realize the content is probably a little easy for me but my listening skills are still lacking. Luckily, that is getting better too. It seems like now I don't need to make much of an effort to understand what's going on in class. It's nice to hear phrases, words, and numbers naturally without having to translate it back into English in my mind. I won't lie, classes are very exhausting. I hate how scheduling works here. I miss the 50 minute class periods back in America. I hate having an hour and 40 minute class periods, one after the other.
This past weekend I had my first opportunity since I arrived here to play tourist. A group of us went to see the famous Yellow Crane Tower. Although the tower is not that old, compared to China's extensive history, it was still fun to be shown around and have an opportunity to take too many pictures. Two Chinese girls went with us and they were really friendly and helpful even though they had never seen the tower before. Here are some pictures I took:









Later back on campus, I ran into another good Chinese friend at the cafeteria. We ate dinner together and she told me she had a class that night (a Saturday night class) about the Communist party. I guess it's required to take the class once you've become a Communist Party member. She was telling me how to qualify to be a party member and it was really complicated and interesting. She didn't have enough time to really explain it to me but I'm sure she will later - I'm kind of curious. She was saying that it's easier for college students to become members than it is for professors and business men. I guess I can understand the business men but why not professors? When I get these questions answered I'll write a blog post about it.
The next day my friend Gao Qing and her friend took some of us to see a really famous college in this province called Huazhong Science and Technology College. It was probably the biggest university I have ever seen, really beautiful too. For dinner we went to a dirty little restaurant outside of the gates and it was the best meal so far.
What I really enjoyed about these outings was that I was able to get familiar with the bus system. I've heard some bad stories about riding the bus, but I've found the experience to be the opposite. Perhaps these stories occurred on the buses that run through Hanyang (the poorer part of the city). I was surprised to find them extremely cheap, convenient, and air conditioned. Just yesterday I rode all the way out to Hankou (the business district of Wuhan) to go to a bank to exchange traveler's checks all by myself. The whole process took three hours but it went without a problem. It helps that almost everyone is patient and nice to foreigners.

Things I love here:

• Chinese bands posing to be Western bands at the night clubs for foreigners

• The fact that you can't judge a place by it's appearance because I've found the sketchier it looks, the better it is
  
• Families of three riding mopeds together (this is a very frequent mode of transportation for families) especially when the baby is sitting up front
• My new electronic Chinese-English dictionary that I got cheaper than my friend because I am kind of good at bargaining
• The fact that Chinese people are pretty upfront and tell you exactly what they think of you when they meet you
• If a Chinese threatens to kill you it means you just became good friends
• Regardless of our residence permits, Chinese friends still treat us like guests
• National Day vacation - it is a holiday that occurs next week for the whole week. I will be traveling to a tropical island province called Hainan with my friend. http://www.sanya-adv.com/abouthainan/jingdian.htm
  
• Studying at 8:30 am with my Chinese friends on the weekend and then being called "very Chinese" because of it
• Coffee that comes in a juice box and peach juice
  
• Engrish dating ads posted by hopeful Chinese boys looking for blonde ladies
• My plywood bed. I won't lie, I'm getting used to sleeping without a mattress and my back never hurts.

Things I don't love here:

• Being told what I want by Chinese whether it's about meals, clothes, colors, styles etc.
• Being stared at everyday
• When people laugh at my friends and I when we are struggling to communicate with waitresses
  
• Being harassed and chased for money by the lady at the North Gate
• Humidity
• The difficulties of trying to tell how I'm feeling
• Going out to dinner with the people from Poland
  
• Shopping for clothes and shoes. It is probably one of the most humiliating things one can do in China - or at least in this city. Every shop is a tiny room with three people working and they surround you while you're browsing. Then if you like something and take it off a rack to look at it the fuwuyuan will take it away from you and put it back if THEY think it'd be ugly on you or if they just don't want you to have it. Sometimes this can attract the attention of everyone in the store.
• The fact I have class on Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend since they're giving us the whole next week off from class. This will be the first time I've ever had class on the weekend.

Things I am undecided on:

• Chinese green tea toothpaste
• Green bean beverages
  
• Taxi drivers
• Inexpensive travel agencies that wake you up from your nap and yell at you in Chinese because they are driving their motorcycle through the city to deliver your plane tickets to you
• Crotchless baby trousers
• Conversations that go like this:
  Person1: "So, what do you guys feel like for dinner?"
  Person 2: "Hm, I don't know."
  Person 3: "Anyone up for Chinese food?"
  Person 1: "Like we ever had a choice..."
  
• Chinese Discovery Channel
• The people who sell baby animals on the streets - who knows what happens to those critters; sometimes they leave in cages, sometimes they're just gone
  

On that note.... next post will display how amazing my vacation was with pretty pictures of the beach and Monkey Island. Stay tuned?