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!