a day in the life.

I know I make my time here in China seem really glamorous, but the truth is, a typical day here really isn't all that different from something you would experience in the States.

I get up everyday around 7:30 AM, shower (if the hot water is cooperating), and usually set up for a skype date with my parents around 8:00 AM. I probably talk to them more here than I do while at Northwestern despite being so close to home. The fact that I can't pick up a phone and call them whenever I want only makes me want to call them more.

While skyping, I simultaneously get ready, eat breakfast, and finish my homework. I'm out the door at 8:45 and then it's a 3 minute bike ride between me and the 8:55 school bell. In the mornings we have three consecutive periods of Chinese class. That's my teacher, Shui Laoshi, on the left. She's always smiling and laughing and is a fantastic teacher--I'm going to miss her when we leave.

In between classes, we have two short breaks. Typically on the first break everyone migrates down to the market in the basement of c-lou (literally "C Building" in Chinese). As you could have guessed this building is shaped like a giant "C" and houses anything you could possibly need. We take classes on the 2nd floor, and on the first and basement levels there is a bank, a post office, a phone store, an apple store, a bookstore, and our favorite, the convenient store. You can get everything from snacks and fruit to laundry detergent to a bathrobe there. Usually we just stock up on fruit or our favorite Chinese snacks and then head back upstairs and hang out in the hallway until the bell rings. It really brings me back to high school, minus all the insecurity and stress.

After class is done, our teachers join us for lunch at one of the many restaurants on campus. Gu Laoshi makes the reservations, pre-orders for us, and we all share the many dishes family-style. Lunchtime is another way for us to practice our Chinese outside of the classroom. We ask them about the dishes we're being served-- Zhe shi shenme?--as well as ask their advice on sites to visit, where to eat, and places with the best shopping.

In the afternoons, for the first four weeks I had my class on Traditional Chinese Medicine; we'd commute to Capital Medical University to hear lectures from professors or travel to TCM pharmacies and hospitals. Weeks 5 and 6 of the second session we had a very abbreviated class on Public Health in China. We had five trips to nearby hospitals and paid a visit to the Beijing CDC--and then we were done. Easiest credit earned at Northwestern. Now, in the last two weeks of the trip, I only have my morning class. So I spend my afternoons reading, blogging, napping or watching movies.

We've gotten into a routine of eating in the dining halls during the week. The government subsidizes the cost of the food, and thus it is much cheaper than eating in restaurants in Wudaokou. Typically my dinner consists of rice or noodles and watermelon, which ends up being about 5 kuai--less than $1 US.

After dinner, if we have a ton of work to do we'll either set up camp at a cafe and work or do work in the dorms. Typically on weeknights if we go out it's someplace nearby like Lush, Pyro, La Bamba, Propaganda, etc. Every Wednesday you'll find us at Lush, getting slaughtered at the Pub Quiz. It's basically a trivia contest with five rounds each with a different theme, but nearly every other team has a good 5-10 years on us. We pride ourselves on the fact that we've never finished dead last.

And that's what a typical weekday is like here. Saturdays we have excursions during the day and are have an opportunity to experience the night life in places farther from campus. Sunday is our "rest day," so we get to sleep in and plan our own outings.

I like the routine I've fallen into for the past six weeks. It makes Beijing feel a little more like home. And the best part is we're so busy that this summer is absolutely flying by!

Save the Pandas!

"Is it dead?"
"No, no, I think it's just sleeping"

It's never a good sign if, at a zoo, you're are constantly left to wonder if the animals are, in fact, alive. Our day at the Beijing Zoo was overall pretty depressing. We were shocked at how lackluster the animals' habitats were. The spaces for the the Lions and Tigers in the Cat house were fours walls of cement enclosed by metal bars--something more akin to a jail cell than a space suited for an animal.

The majority of cages and habitats were neglected and unkempt; there was rotting food and litter scattered the cement and dirt. The cages were poorly ventilated, and on the 100+ degree day the animals looked so hot they couldn't bear to move.

The overwhelming lack of respect for the well-being of the animals became clear to us soon after arriving. Where glass separated animals from the onlookers, parents would join their kids in banging on the windows to get the animals' attention (likely the cause of the many broken and cracked windows we encountered throughout the day). While looking from above at the hippos cooling off in the murky water, we watched in utter shock as people thrw their trash in the pool without a second thought.

We walked around for a bit, but couldn't stand the heat or the condition of the zoo any longer.

The only fond memory of the day was when I got to sit next to a very well-behaved chimpanzee to pose for a souvenir photo. The way the trainer (pictured left) interacted with the chimp made me hopeful that there was at least one animal at the Beijing Zoo getting the attention it deserved.

Jingshan and Beihai Parks

Our excursions last weekend were to two parks just outside of Tiananmen Square: Jingshan and Beihai Parks.

First was Jingshan Park, which boasts the highest point in Beijing, providing great views of the Forbidden City. This hill is actually artificial and was made from the leftover dirt dug out during the construction of the moat that surrounds the Forbidden City.

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Gu Laoshi and his favorite students. At the highest point in Beijing--a pavillion in Jingshan Park. That would be the Forbidden City behind us. Fun fact about Jingshan: The giant hill on which we are standing was made from the leftover dirt dug out during the construction of the moat that surrounds the Forbidden City.

That's us and Gu Laoshi standing at a Pavillion at the highest point that overlooks the Forbidden city.

Jingshan is a popular gathering place for elderly people; right as we entered the park grounds we saw a group of elderly women doing traditional Chinese fan dancing.

Beijing is in the midst of a heat wave (and we thought it couldn't get any hotter), so much of the day was spent taking refuge in shady pavilions that overlooked old Beijing.
When the older parts of the city were being built, the major buildings of Beijing were built along a central axis, with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City at the center; Jingshan lies just north of the Forbidden City along this axis. Another point of interest: Within Jingshan Park is the tree on which Emperor Chongzhen hung himself after a peasant uprising.

Next it was on to nearby Beihai Park, which is an imperial garden. Beihai, meaning literally "Northern Sea," is located northwest of the Forbidden City with a lake that covers more than half of the entire park. We walked around the perimeter of the lake, taking occasional breaks to appreciate the enormous lotus flowers that densely populate the water. We grabbed a quick lunch, and then decided to stay in the area around Tiananmen and explore.

Our first stop was the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, which we'd read about in one of our guidebooks. This museum of sorts was designed to showcase the long history of the city of Beijing, displaying both ancient and modern achievements of design and development. It seems more suited for a cocktail hour with dignitaries than a place you'd want to spend the day exploring. The hall was sort of empty and the exhibits somewhat sparse, but we nonetheless spent hours there reveling in the air-conditioning, cushy seating, and pristine bathrooms.

My favorite part by far was the scale model of Beijing. At the center of this exhibit (pictured) is a 3D model of Beijing's downtown, built to scale; around the perimeter are sky-view photos of the rest of the city. We were even able to locate Tsinghua's campus amongst the 1,000 square-meters of photos.

We had originally planned to eat at a renowned dumpling restaurant, but after a fruitless search in the sticky heat, we settled for the closest restaurant we could find. After dinner, we explored the nearby hutong and did some shopping. Having stumbled upon a small tea shop, we spent a lot of time sampling different teas ("Mythic Fungus" was not one of them). I left with Jasmine, Rose Hips, and Lychee Black Tea.

Overall, a successful day. Though I didn't drink much tea before I came here, I am now a loyal convert. Once I'm back in the States, I can't wait to savor my tea in a newly-purchased tea mug as a fond memory of my time here.

Xi'an: Day 3

Our last day in Xi'an was filled with some light, local sight-seeing. We had three pagodas on the agenda: The Drum, Bell, and Giant Wild Goose Pagodas. It was a hot day, and we weren't all that thrilled at the prospect of being shuttled from pagoda to pagoda, so we checked out the first two from the outside. Pictured on the right, is the Drum Pagoda.

After the pagodas, we had about an hour to explore Muslim Street. Fun Fact: There is a small population of about 80,000 Muslim Hui People (who are Chinese but practice Islam) living in Xi'an. Most are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers. It was really quite interesting; most of the signs had, of course, English, but there were translations in Arabic as well. I got a kick out of it. File that under "things I never expected to see in China."

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Muslim Street in Xi'an. Fun Fact: there is a small population of about 80,000 Muslim Hui People (who are Chinese but practice Islam) living in Xi'an. Most are direct descendents of Silk Road travelers.

Muslim street could be called a smaller version of Silk Street: lots of shops with plenty of souvenirs, t-shirts, and designer knockoffs. And, just like at the Silk Market, you can bargain!

Though at first I was intimidated by whole concept of bargaining, I've become quite a tough negotiator. Dad-you would be so proud. I think I've also benefited from being in China for so long. We've done A LOT of shopping, so I know what is a fair price and what isn't. I've started to build up my arsenal of bargaining techniques. The old "I paid 10 quai less for the same thing at such and such market" is always an effective tactic. Or even something as simple as walking away. When the vendors come chasing after me, I know I've gained the upper-hand.

When we had finished shopping, it was on to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Though, like its name implies, this Buddhist pagoda is giant, it is neither wild nor shaped like a goose. Needless to say, I was disappointed. We walked around for a bit, but since it was a sweltering day and we'd already visited a few Buddhist temples, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was kind of old news.

We took a long break in a beautiful, shady pavilion, and recharged for the long day of traveling we had ahead of us. After some persuasion, we convinced our guide (who was a little high-strung) that we had time to stop at the Dairy Queen in the nearby "Happy Mall."As you might imagine, DQ on a hot summer day was the perfect pick-me-up.

Our guide was worried about making it to the train station on time, so we ended up waiting for nearly two hours to board our train. Since I had neglected to pack anything to entertain myself, Sara was kind enough to loan me her extra book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. It made for quite an interesting read. If you're a frat boy, you'd probably really enjoy it.

Once we'd boarded our train, we spent the few hours we had before lights out reading, snacking, chatting, and hanging out. We were all in the same compartment this time around, so it had that fun, junior-high-sleepover feel. Around 10:00 PM I took a Nyquil and called it a day.

Our train arrived in Beijing around 6:30 AM, we piled into cabs, and arrived back on campus around 7:30 AM. I barely had time to shower and eat breakfast before I had to be at Chinese class at 9:00. With a few strong cups of coffee, I made it through an entire day of class, but only barely.

And so ended our midterm trip to Xi'an. Back to the reality of class and homework and dining halls.

Xi'an: Day 2

En route to our only destination for the day, Huashan Mountain, we came to a standstill about an hour into our ride. Our driver, affectionately known as Tony (in the striped shirts and man-pris), waits impatiently for traffic to start moving.

Unfortunately, we were stopped on the highway for nearly two hours, with no idea as to what keeping us from moving. We finally got moving, but for reasons still unknown, the entire highway was closed off. We were forced to take rural roads through poor neighborhoods and farmland. In all, it took us almost five hours to get to the mountains.

After a quick lunch, we began our journey up to the mountain. A shuttle bus took us to the base, and once we were there, we had to choose between climbing the stairs up to a much lower part of the mountains or take the cable car all the way to the top. It was a tough choice.

Huashan Mountain is staggering at more than 7,000 ft. The ride on the cable car up through the mountains was enough cause our tour guide to start shouting "I hate my job! I hate my job!" Which was not comforting in the slightest to me as I was having my own meltdown. I eventually got over my fears, our guide, however, was shaken enough to get on the next cable car back down the mountain.

The views from the top were spectacular. There were stairs and paths built into the mountains--there were even restaurants and hotels! We slowly journeyed up to the very top of the south peak.

Along the chain-link guard rails we hundreds of locks and red ribbons. It is popular among couples to buy locks inscribed with their names, attach the lock to the chain, and throw the key down the side of the mountain as a symbol of commitment. The red ribbons stood for good luck.

It was a sunny day, and by the time we reached the top of the mountain, we were soaked with sweat. We took a long break at the top, enjoying a cool breeze and even cooler drinks.

Having thoroughly taken in the magnificent views, we began our journey down the mountain a la a second ride down on the cable car. We ate a late dinner at a nearby restaurant and started our long ride home.

It was a quiet ride, but thankfully the highway had reopened, and much of the ride was spent sleeping. It had been an exhausting day and we need a good night's rest before our day in Xi'an and a long day of traveling ahead of us.

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Huashan Mountain is staggering at more than 7,000 ft. The ride on the cable car up through the mountains was enough cause our tour guide to start shouting "I hate my job! I hate my job!" Which was not comforting in the slightest to me as I was having my own meltdown.

Gu-ism #3

"If the water is too clean, no fish will want to come."

Xi'an: Day 1

When we got to the hotel, our rooms weren't available yet, so they brought us to a charming room to rest in before a jam-packed day of sight seeing. The room was literally wall-to-wall beds, the paint was chipping off the walls, and there were dead mosquitos on the wall. Calling it a hellhole would be generous.

After seeing this room, we did not have high hopes for where we would be staying. Thankfully, our actual rooms were much nicer than this one.

A quick nap and then it was off to our first destination: the City Wall. Xi'an is an ancient city and is entirely surrounded by a brick wall about 12 meters high. We walked along the wall for a while and then checked out some of the exhibits in the interior of the wall.

We quickly learned that Americans are surprisingly few and far between in Xi'an, and, thus, we were approached many times throughout the day by Chinese tourists wanting to pose for pictures with us.

After the City Wall it was on to my favorite part of the day, the Terracotta Warriors, a testament to the power of Chinese rulers of the past.

So basically, if you were an emperor in ancient China, you could get people to do anything you wanted. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of this army to guard his grave almost immediately after his ascension to the throne. He wanted to be able to rule an empire even in the afterlife.

There's more than 8,000 soldiers, all of them different from each other. There were discovered in 1974 by a farmer, and, ever since then, they've been working to dig out and reconstruct the statues, like a giant puzzle. It's sort of mind-boggling, isn't it?

After lunch, it was on to the Huaqing Hot Springs, a palatial estate where the emperor liked to relax with his favorite concubine, Lady Yang. Highlights: a giant, naked statue of the Lady herself and a tree that--according to our guide--would procure boyfriends for any that touched it. The jury's still out on whether the tree will ever return on its promise. One week later, still no boyfriend.

Our guide had arranged for us to attend a tea ceremony at one of Xi'an's famed tea shops. We got to sample the Lychee concubine tea, Ginseng oolong tea, and Dragon Well green tea. After a long day of sight-seeing, enjoying the hot tea in the cool air-conditioning was just what we needed.

We enjoyed another meal of local Xi'an cuisine and then, FINALLY, our day was officially over. We took our first (glorious) showers in more than 36 hours and were relaxing in our hotel room, when we heard whining. Enter: a kitten we took in and named Chairman Meow.

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after an exhausting day of sight-seeing, we were nearly passed out in our hotel room, when we hear whining. Enter: our newly adopted friend that we named Chairman Meow.

We're unsure if he belonged to the owners of the hotel or if he was just a stray. Either way, an adorable kitten is always welcome in my book.

Chairman Meow got a little too feisty, and since we weren't sure if he had rabies, we decided it was best to send him on his way. After more than a day and half with little-to-no sleep, it was bedtime.

Journey to Xi'an

As I alluded to in previous posts, after four weeks of class and studying for final exams, we were rewarded with a midterm break. Many of the students took advantage of the long break and arranged to travel to other cities in China. Along with eight students on my program, I booked a three-day trip through a Chinese travel agency to Xi'an. Our three-day trip, including transportation, hotels, meals, entrance to all attractions, and an English-speaking guide came out to around $250 U.S. Talk about cheap.

Our group left in the afternoon on Saturday, July 17th on a overnight sleeper train to Xi'an. We opted for the cost-effective route of taking the subway and then walking the rest of the way to the train station. It was sweltering, as per usual, so when we spotted a DQ right outside the train station there was no question as to whether we were stopping.

Once we had cooled down, we made our way to the train station, which from the inside greatly resembled an airport terminal: it was enormous. We arrived about 90 minutes early, so we waited at the crowded platform until our train began boarding. Looking around at the crowds and crowds of people, we were the only Americans in sight. It was really quite an authentic experience and definitely not something you get to do everyday.

Exhausted and uncomfortably hot, we lugged our bags onto the train and found our seats. Initially I was disappointed that we were not all seated together, but it really became a part of the experience. Caitlin and I were in the same compartment, both on the bottom bunks. The four other beds in our compartment were occupied by a Chinese family returning home to Xi'an. Mom and dad were traveling with two very energetic daughters (Cassie and Chrissy) and their grandma. Grandma, as she told us, was a teacher, and so she wanted the girls to practice their English with us. After I had exhausted all the Chinese phrases I have learned, grandma translated for us where gesturing failed.

The train itself was much homier than I expected. Our beds, the bottom bunks, served as the common sitting area. In between the beds, under the window, was a small table with a container for hot water. We brought ramen and snacks for the train, and, once we had cozied up in our beds, we hung out, read, and chatted until it was time for lights out.

The train ride was about the same length as my flight from Chicago to China, but, unlike the plane ride, I was able to sleep for a solid six hours. My mattress and bedding were more comfortable than my bed at Tsinghua and all the cabins were air-conditioned. Overall, I would say I much prefer this method of travel over flying.

Our train arrived in Xi'an around 5:00 AM. We were groggy and slightly delirious, but it was full steam ahead as we wandered around arrivals in search of our tour guide.

We found our guide, Yuan (like the currency), with relative ease. She herded us through the swarms of people to the van we were would be traveling in for the duration of our stay. Though we were exhausted, we had a busy three days ahead of us and had to muster up the energy for the three separate sights we would be visiting that same day.

Double Digits! Lindsay turns 20!!!

So, it's not everyday that you get to celebrate your birthday in a foreign country--a foreign country where you can legally drink, for that matter. Sorry Mom & Dad, I know you're probably reading this, but I promise you all celebratory birthday drinking was done responsibly and in moderation. I love you!

We started the celebration the Friday night before my birthday, since we'd be on a overnight train to Xi'an for the duration of my birthday. The four of us started out at Lush, our favorite local bar in Wudaokou. Earlier that week at trivia night, we befriended one of the co-owners of the bar, Rich, and he told us to come by and see him sing on Friday. So we did.

It was packed when we got there, but after Rich saw us waiting by the bar, he came and got us and made room for us at his table with the other owner and a few Lush regulars.

We hung out, played cards, listened to music, and enjoyed the spoils of it being my birthday (aka many rounds of free drinks--thank you, Rich). Lush was having some sort of open-mic night. A few legitimate musicians would get up and do sets with intermittent karaoke-esque numbers by groups of patrons enthused by a particular song.

The group at the table had their sights on getting me up on stage to sing, but wisely, I did not listen to their ill-willed encouragement. My friends did, however, manage to get the entire bar to sing Happy Birthday to me once the clock reached midnight. And then, because I was the birthday girl, I got to make a special request. The guy on stage had been sitting at our table for a while, and once he mentioned that he knew the songs from Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I knew what I wanted to hear.

I chose the song from the Dracula musical in the movie. As FSM is one of my favorite movies of all-time, I thoroughly enjoyed what's-his-name's rendition of the song. After hours at Lush, we decided to migrate to a bar that had just opened right down the street. They advertised "free beer for two and half-price food" as a grand-opening special. They very willingly gave us our free beer, but, much to our dismay, the waiter told us that the kitchen was under-staffed and they weren't serving food.

We were starving and..well...just didn't want to take no for an answer. We march over to the counter that opens into the kitchen, looking around--desperate for any scrap of food. Our attempts to get the chef's attention were not working, so we start pounding our fists on the counter to the rhythm of "We Will Rock You," which was playing in the background.

FINALLY, the chef obliges us and scrounges up some biscuits and gravy. Delicious. AND FREE.

After that victory, we decide that it is time to call it a night. We hop in a cab and head back to campus around 3:00 AM, knowing full-well that we'd be getting up early the next morning to leave for our trip to Xi'an. It was hands-down a fantastic birthday and a memorable way to ring in a new decade of my life.

Though it was the first time I've ever been away from my family on my birthday, I am thankful that I had some truly wonderful friends to celebrate with.

Caitlin, Lindsey, Sarah--thanks for making it a spectacular birthday.

Yong He Gong and Confucian Temples

Yesterday was our last day before we leave for our midterm trip to Xi'an, so we wanted to get in some sight-seeing before we left. We chose to explore an area of Beijing that was known for these two Temples as well as the nearby hutong, a traditional Chinese neighborhoods with narrow streets. These neighborhoods are commonly associated with Beijing and were dying out before they began to be protected to preserve the culture.
most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world.

As soon as we entered the temple grounds, the smell of incense was overwhelming. Many visitors burned incense at alters outside of each structure in reverence to Buddha.

The Hall of Harmony and Peace houses three bronze Buddhas representing past, present and future.
The temples were incredibly beautiful . Yong He Gong Temple, known as "Palace of Peace and Harmony Lama Temple" is one of the largest and esent, and future (pictured above from right to left). The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses is home to a 26 meter (that's roughly 85 ft) statue of the Maitreya Buddha carved from a single trunk of a White Sandalwood tree. It was quite stunning. I snuck a picture of it even though we weren't supposed to "burn incense or film in the temples."

We grabbed a quick lunch in the nearby hutong, one of Beijing's famous vegetarian restaurants--famous for creating dishes that taste deceivingly like real meat. The jury's still out on whether the chicken we ordered was, in fact, real chicken.

Then it was on to the Confucian Temple. It's the second largest in China after the temple in Confucius' hometown. As you enter the temple on either side of the Confucius statue (pictured left) were 198 stone tablets inscribed with the names of over 51,624 jinshi, or advanced Confucian scholars. On some, you could barely decipher any of the Chinese characters.

During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, people would visit the temples to pay homage to Confucius, and now the grounds remain open so that visitors may continue to memorialize Confucius. It's part temple, part museum, with many of the halls being used to display exhibits on Confucius' life.

On a cloudless day like the day we visited, the sunlight illuminates the intricate gold details on the exterior of each hall. There was a warm breeze that carried the faint smell of incense throughout the grounds. Such sacred places demanded noticeably different decorum than that which is acceptable outside the walls of the temple in the busy city. Many people were performing rituals: lighting incense and bowing down at altars. I almost felt like an intruder. I tried my best to be respectful while still taking in the beauty of it all.

At Yong He Gong, there was a metal urn-like object near the entrance of the temple. Though the sign explicitly said "Do not throw incense or coins," the area surrounding the urn was littered with both coins and bills. (We assumed that this will bring us some sort of good luck). Sara and I decided that we must try this for ourselves. Sara goes first, makes contact with the urn, causing a slight "ding" and the coin rolls to a stop inside the fence. I go--that's me mid-throw on the left--and instead of going anywhere near the urn, the coin went straight up in the air. How. Typical. Also, it was quite embarrassing. Here's hoping that I won't be fending off bad luck for the next seven years.

Tuesdays with Morty

This past weekend we had the privilege to spend some time with Northwestern's own President Schapiro (and his entourage). Morty is a rockstar and thus is doing an Asian tour, making appearances in major cities in China and Japan--who knew Northwestern was so global, right?

All 50 students on my program were invited to an Northwestern Alumni Reception at the St. Regis in Beijing. It was a small, private event where we had the opportunity to meet local alumni, hear Morty speak, and ask questions about the university's 10-year plan.

President Schapiro spoke and then there was time for questions and comments. I'm going to be honest, the question and answer session felt excruciatingly long. We were all famished and could smell the delicious food waiting just outside the doors.

When Morty finished speaking, judging from the literal stampede toward the buffet line, you'd have thought that we all hadn't eaten in days. The food was a dream. Beef tenderloin, fresh-made crepes, curried pork chops, puff pastries--we were in heaven. Forget networking, most of the students were hell bent on taking full advantage of the catered food--oh, and did I mention the open bar?

Even better than the food were the downright luxurious bathrooms. Western toilets! Hand towels!? SOAP?! It was better than Christmas.

We were up bright and early the next morning to climb the Great Wall with Morty and company. Having volunteered to go on the early bus too pick up Morty and his entourage, I got to spend the two hour bus ride chatting with Morty and doing crosswords with Northwestern bigwigs. Totally worth getting up early for.

The rest of the day was spent climbing the Great Wall. This section of the wall was open to tourists, but that day it was cloudy and overcast, so we had the wall to ourselves.

I'll be the first to admit that I was completely star struck by Morty. He has this sort of larger than life persona amongst Northwestern students, and after spending an extended amount of time with him, I can say that he definitely lived up to my expectations. He was gracious and down-to-earthy and happily agreed to pose for pictures with students.

The president has students over for dinner all the time, but how many get to climb the GREAT WALL with him? It was really an incredibly unique environment to spend time with someone as important to Northwestern as President Schapiro and definitely something I'll never forget.

context-less Gu-ism #2

"this is Zhongguo, they don't have guts."

Gu-ism #1

"if you are human, you can drink in China."
--Gu Laoshi

my heart will go on..and on..and on..

K-TV, synonymous with Karaoke in China, is what I now consider to be a rite of passage for anyone who comes to China. A rite of passage I had the honor of experiencing last night. The Chinese know how to do karaoke and they know how to do it in style.

The pictures I took of the complex do not even begin to capture how ornate and expansive these karaoke venues are; they look like palaces.

They set you up with a room and then it's yours to belt out your favorite tunes til the sun rises. Seriously, though. We paid for the room and it was ours until 7:00 AM. And while we didn't stay that late, we did muster the stamina for a solid three hours of karaoke-ing.

What I learned:
1) Karaoke is a marathon, not a sprint. If you put too much oomph into that one Britney Spears song you only kind of know, you're not going to have the voice or the breath to sing your favorite Backstreet Boys Song of all time. Take breaks as you see fit.
2) Boyband throwbacks from the 90s are the most fun to sing--and if the video is playing in the background behind the lyrics, you can try (mostly in vain) to imitate their dance moves.
3) If you choose to go with the aforementioned route for music, DO NOT BRING BOYS WITH YOU. THEY WILL COMPLAIN (even though deep down they know they secretly like N'Sync).
4) A little liquid courage is absolutely necessary, otherwise you just feel stupid belting out "I Will Always Love You" at an octave that would be sobering even to Whitney Houston. Or worse, you'll be annoyed at everyone else, who doesn't seem to notice how off-key they actually are.

Overall, a completely hilarious experience that I plan to repeat often.