china again
Its been awhile since I have posted some China journal.... so heres some more...
Friday June ?
Is it even Friday? My sense of time is completely off.
Yesterday we went to the Panda Zoo for awhile. We saw all 6 pandas which are (wow, I cant even read my handwriting here, its indecipherable).... related to the racoon.
Its about 5:15 in the morning. (Oh, thats why!) I have been waking up every day this time with stomach cramps even though I took a lunesta last night. Im sick, literally, of chinese food.
After the pandas... oh, we were warned not to buy from the vendors there bc Emilys past group all got "counterfake" bills in return.
After we went to the summer palace of the Emperor and the Dragon Lady. Everything here has heavy symbology. Turtles represent logevity and bats represent happiness... so the lake was moulded to look like a bat and an island created with the 17 arches bridge sticking out of it too look like a turtle if you are looking at it from overhead. It is amazing for a place, any place really, to have so much old beauty. It was VERY smoggy, but I oculd imagine how happy and peaceful it was before the pollution.
After that we went to the Temple of Heaven. By far my favorite so far. The gardens were so beautiful, with ancient trees so old and admired that all the bark is smooth to the touch. The buildings were also incredible. (Theres a bit here that im leaving out because theres some personal stuff that makes me sad to think about)
Emily said only 3-4% of the Chinese people have a belief system and that most are aetheist like her. A sad statistic. They follow systems of conduct like confuscianism. I can see why so many organizations are trying to send missionaries here... though these people do not seem hopeless... maybe some realize it. [I saw one church during my whole stay in China, and it was in Shanghai. I find is so utterly odd that they have so many supersitions and they believe in evil spirits and luck and things like that, but they do not believe in a god. Who made up all of their superstitions? Do they not understand how stupid it is? At least, I found it to be stupid. It IS neat and the superstitions are so old... but they are just that... I dont believe that wearing a red shirt will give me luck or that spending money on new years will mean bad fortune and lots of spending for the rest of the year. Its just silly.]
The other day walking through an underpass, here was a parent sitting with a very dirty child in her arms. The child sincerely looked dead or close to it. Granny G took their picture... the epitome of rudeness. There really is such depressive squalor amidst such gracious and beautiful architecture... it makes no sense! I believe the chinese would say that even our poor in america are rich [compared to them].
Lunch was before the temple. It was good, though again, it was chinese. I wonder if they have "american take-out" here.
After the temple was the Pearl Market - so incredibly fun! My mom would have loved it completely. I ended up getting 4 black pearl necklaces... I am not sure if they are fresh or sea. But it was rather cheap... I got them for half of the starting price. Then Shannon and I trekked down to the shoes. I got green converse lo tops. At first they started at 650 yuan... thats like 90 bucks! And I said du shao and they liked it that I was trying chinese, so they were reading my name tag (which they pronounced eri samis) and went to 480 yuan. I hardlined to 100 yuan. Then shannon kept goading me and we kinda played good cop / bad cop. I ended up with them for 120 yuan, about 15 bucks. They really DO look like converse senakers, and I cant tell if they are or arent.
So those were my deals. it was SO much fun and I was really happy after that. We all cant wait to go again and Shannon and I are going to team up.
Dinner was not good... I ate... wow... I ate lemon sesame chicken and it really did me in. I am still feeling awful. I got more or less instantly sick. Squat toilets are NOT for me, esp like that. Their toilet paper is odd also... like a more papery gauze material. ugh.
After dinner was the first rehersal... 2.5 hours. Yeah... lets make them exhausted and then make them sing forever. Not good in the least!
When we finally had a break I rushed to the toilet but naturally no toilet paper... what do these people do?! Chris would die. He would have brough 20 packs of wet ones. So I did not go and I sat down bent over and people saw me and I started to get upset cuz I knew I could not stand and sing for another hour. So I sat in the back with some parents who came. I was so cold! At least I looked over the music. we really need to review the schedule and make sure that we have adequate rest before the performance. I am so sick of chinese food!!! I know I will lose weight here, which is alright, but I need the nourishment. We are walking a ton but I think not working out is affecting me also.
After rehersal we came home. there will be 40 students from the Beijing Conservatory singing with us and they gave us red macrame thingies yesterday. Very awesome of them. I have to start bringing the whistles! [the red thingies are made of silk cords and one giant knot is made from multiple small knots. its supposed to represent unity and luck to families and friends]
My plan today is to make a (???) at breakfast and put it in my bag for lunch along with cereal. Its rude im sure but I gotta do what I gotta do. No more obnoxious as granny taking pictures of the "natives". She was also wearing a sparkly sequined red beret and purple shorts one day. Shes a firecracker. [I actually like her a lot]
I bought postcards at the Summer Palace... 10 for 5 yuan. So I will probably get a chance to send them or at least write someon our bus ride to the Great Wall. We walk along it (is should perhaps be blue skies!) and eat lunch and perform there. We will then stop by the Cloisonne factory. then dinner. Then another infernal rehersal. I\m just so very tired and its really just the beginning of the trip. I wish we had put in a little more rest - us lazy americans are not used to so much walking and heat.
I dont know what time it is but I should try to sleep more.
1430 Sat 06/25?/06
The Great Wall is amazing. Its absolutely stunning. The waether was/is about 93 degress F, which a good breeze. Iff and on you could see the sky. We climbed the "hard" side of the Badaling section of the wall. I twas straight up at points. Shannon and I bartered like rock stars and I got a "wall" t shirt for 15 yuan, beautiful paintings for 50 yuan each, and a parasol for 20yuan. The parasol was the best. Kate bought one for 100 uan. then shannon got one for 35. We went across the street and a lady asked us what shannon got. I said to tell her 25 yuan. The lady, as I predicted, then offered me one for 20 yuan. I said YES! I am sure I could have gotten it for less, but its okay. The pictures were great too bc we went from 280 each to 200 for 4.
anyway we are now "heros" for climbing all the way to the top. Its absolutely gorgeous at the wall and I really enjoyed it. At heart I truly am a coutry girl.
there are times when this trip is wonderful. meal times certaily arent, but today was a western buffet. Spaghetti!!!!!!! but for lunch out in the sun, not as good. but I was still happy.
2044
so tired. after the wall (lunch and short perf where the cali "honor choir" was so-so but their director condescendingly told Kate that we have a "nice little sound") we went to the Cloisonne factory. They make the vase or whatever out of coper. Then using a beggie glue, they glue wire on to the vase. Next they add ground minerals (zing, cu, mg, etc) and water to the metal frame and fire in a kiln for a few mins. they they do it 5 more times. then they use sandston, whestone, and charcoal to sand and shine the product. the woman are paid based on their mark, so every piece sold, the money goes partly to them. its crazy. they used to make 100 a month but now make 250 since they have open the tour and shop. still insane.
[as a side story, they opened the kiln to let us feel the heat, and one of the mothers went to pull me back out of the way. Seeing that I wasnt her daughter, she said Oh, nevermind! I laughed and said Oh, I see, since I am not your daughter its perfectly okay for me to get burnt by the kiln, I see how it is. It was really funny. Over the trip, our group did become quite a family unit, it was neat.]
Emily is 25 and lives at home like me, I must talk to her about it.
I am getting "chops" for Ethan an dJosh. It is a stamp witht he chinese translation and the english name on it and the zodiac symbol on the top. they will love them.
We went to dinner where I had ric eand snow peas. I am glad I did, it helps cutting back food so my stomach can relax. a carb diet, basically. I wrote post cards today and I will get them out tomorrow.
rehersal tonight was a bear but I got Eric Whitaker to sign my music and a program. he is incredibly talented. and hot. but mostly talented. truth be told, he reminds me of Ethan in build and demeanor. they have similar passion, only Eric is mature enough to express it better. He is very comfortable in his skin, unlike Ethan. But I think maybe ethan will get there some day. I am so exhausted. I was saying that today was the least exhausting day... and we climbed the Great Wall! Somehow, that was the easiest day. Since I seem to wak up every morning at 430 am, maybe I will write more then - it helps ease the stomach cramping a bit.
Im so sticky and sweaty and I wish I could describe the beauty of the Great Wall, but oh well. tomorrow is silk alley and the concert! I truly cant wait til that is over! Like I want to spend hours rehersing... sigh. but is is wonderful, I miss singing. I AM happy!
Friday June ?
Is it even Friday? My sense of time is completely off.
Yesterday we went to the Panda Zoo for awhile. We saw all 6 pandas which are (wow, I cant even read my handwriting here, its indecipherable).... related to the racoon.
Its about 5:15 in the morning. (Oh, thats why!) I have been waking up every day this time with stomach cramps even though I took a lunesta last night. Im sick, literally, of chinese food.
After the pandas... oh, we were warned not to buy from the vendors there bc Emilys past group all got "counterfake" bills in return.
After we went to the summer palace of the Emperor and the Dragon Lady. Everything here has heavy symbology. Turtles represent logevity and bats represent happiness... so the lake was moulded to look like a bat and an island created with the 17 arches bridge sticking out of it too look like a turtle if you are looking at it from overhead. It is amazing for a place, any place really, to have so much old beauty. It was VERY smoggy, but I oculd imagine how happy and peaceful it was before the pollution.
After that we went to the Temple of Heaven. By far my favorite so far. The gardens were so beautiful, with ancient trees so old and admired that all the bark is smooth to the touch. The buildings were also incredible. (Theres a bit here that im leaving out because theres some personal stuff that makes me sad to think about)
Emily said only 3-4% of the Chinese people have a belief system and that most are aetheist like her. A sad statistic. They follow systems of conduct like confuscianism. I can see why so many organizations are trying to send missionaries here... though these people do not seem hopeless... maybe some realize it. [I saw one church during my whole stay in China, and it was in Shanghai. I find is so utterly odd that they have so many supersitions and they believe in evil spirits and luck and things like that, but they do not believe in a god. Who made up all of their superstitions? Do they not understand how stupid it is? At least, I found it to be stupid. It IS neat and the superstitions are so old... but they are just that... I dont believe that wearing a red shirt will give me luck or that spending money on new years will mean bad fortune and lots of spending for the rest of the year. Its just silly.]
The other day walking through an underpass, here was a parent sitting with a very dirty child in her arms. The child sincerely looked dead or close to it. Granny G took their picture... the epitome of rudeness. There really is such depressive squalor amidst such gracious and beautiful architecture... it makes no sense! I believe the chinese would say that even our poor in america are rich [compared to them].
Lunch was before the temple. It was good, though again, it was chinese. I wonder if they have "american take-out" here.
After the temple was the Pearl Market - so incredibly fun! My mom would have loved it completely. I ended up getting 4 black pearl necklaces... I am not sure if they are fresh or sea. But it was rather cheap... I got them for half of the starting price. Then Shannon and I trekked down to the shoes. I got green converse lo tops. At first they started at 650 yuan... thats like 90 bucks! And I said du shao and they liked it that I was trying chinese, so they were reading my name tag (which they pronounced eri samis) and went to 480 yuan. I hardlined to 100 yuan. Then shannon kept goading me and we kinda played good cop / bad cop. I ended up with them for 120 yuan, about 15 bucks. They really DO look like converse senakers, and I cant tell if they are or arent.
So those were my deals. it was SO much fun and I was really happy after that. We all cant wait to go again and Shannon and I are going to team up.
Dinner was not good... I ate... wow... I ate lemon sesame chicken and it really did me in. I am still feeling awful. I got more or less instantly sick. Squat toilets are NOT for me, esp like that. Their toilet paper is odd also... like a more papery gauze material. ugh.
After dinner was the first rehersal... 2.5 hours. Yeah... lets make them exhausted and then make them sing forever. Not good in the least!
When we finally had a break I rushed to the toilet but naturally no toilet paper... what do these people do?! Chris would die. He would have brough 20 packs of wet ones. So I did not go and I sat down bent over and people saw me and I started to get upset cuz I knew I could not stand and sing for another hour. So I sat in the back with some parents who came. I was so cold! At least I looked over the music. we really need to review the schedule and make sure that we have adequate rest before the performance. I am so sick of chinese food!!! I know I will lose weight here, which is alright, but I need the nourishment. We are walking a ton but I think not working out is affecting me also.
After rehersal we came home. there will be 40 students from the Beijing Conservatory singing with us and they gave us red macrame thingies yesterday. Very awesome of them. I have to start bringing the whistles! [the red thingies are made of silk cords and one giant knot is made from multiple small knots. its supposed to represent unity and luck to families and friends]
My plan today is to make a (???) at breakfast and put it in my bag for lunch along with cereal. Its rude im sure but I gotta do what I gotta do. No more obnoxious as granny taking pictures of the "natives". She was also wearing a sparkly sequined red beret and purple shorts one day. Shes a firecracker. [I actually like her a lot]
I bought postcards at the Summer Palace... 10 for 5 yuan. So I will probably get a chance to send them or at least write someon our bus ride to the Great Wall. We walk along it (is should perhaps be blue skies!) and eat lunch and perform there. We will then stop by the Cloisonne factory. then dinner. Then another infernal rehersal. I\m just so very tired and its really just the beginning of the trip. I wish we had put in a little more rest - us lazy americans are not used to so much walking and heat.
I dont know what time it is but I should try to sleep more.
1430 Sat 06/25?/06
The Great Wall is amazing. Its absolutely stunning. The waether was/is about 93 degress F, which a good breeze. Iff and on you could see the sky. We climbed the "hard" side of the Badaling section of the wall. I twas straight up at points. Shannon and I bartered like rock stars and I got a "wall" t shirt for 15 yuan, beautiful paintings for 50 yuan each, and a parasol for 20yuan. The parasol was the best. Kate bought one for 100 uan. then shannon got one for 35. We went across the street and a lady asked us what shannon got. I said to tell her 25 yuan. The lady, as I predicted, then offered me one for 20 yuan. I said YES! I am sure I could have gotten it for less, but its okay. The pictures were great too bc we went from 280 each to 200 for 4.
anyway we are now "heros" for climbing all the way to the top. Its absolutely gorgeous at the wall and I really enjoyed it. At heart I truly am a coutry girl.
there are times when this trip is wonderful. meal times certaily arent, but today was a western buffet. Spaghetti!!!!!!! but for lunch out in the sun, not as good. but I was still happy.
2044
so tired. after the wall (lunch and short perf where the cali "honor choir" was so-so but their director condescendingly told Kate that we have a "nice little sound") we went to the Cloisonne factory. They make the vase or whatever out of coper. Then using a beggie glue, they glue wire on to the vase. Next they add ground minerals (zing, cu, mg, etc) and water to the metal frame and fire in a kiln for a few mins. they they do it 5 more times. then they use sandston, whestone, and charcoal to sand and shine the product. the woman are paid based on their mark, so every piece sold, the money goes partly to them. its crazy. they used to make 100 a month but now make 250 since they have open the tour and shop. still insane.
[as a side story, they opened the kiln to let us feel the heat, and one of the mothers went to pull me back out of the way. Seeing that I wasnt her daughter, she said Oh, nevermind! I laughed and said Oh, I see, since I am not your daughter its perfectly okay for me to get burnt by the kiln, I see how it is. It was really funny. Over the trip, our group did become quite a family unit, it was neat.]
Emily is 25 and lives at home like me, I must talk to her about it.
I am getting "chops" for Ethan an dJosh. It is a stamp witht he chinese translation and the english name on it and the zodiac symbol on the top. they will love them.
We went to dinner where I had ric eand snow peas. I am glad I did, it helps cutting back food so my stomach can relax. a carb diet, basically. I wrote post cards today and I will get them out tomorrow.
rehersal tonight was a bear but I got Eric Whitaker to sign my music and a program. he is incredibly talented. and hot. but mostly talented. truth be told, he reminds me of Ethan in build and demeanor. they have similar passion, only Eric is mature enough to express it better. He is very comfortable in his skin, unlike Ethan. But I think maybe ethan will get there some day. I am so exhausted. I was saying that today was the least exhausting day... and we climbed the Great Wall! Somehow, that was the easiest day. Since I seem to wak up every morning at 430 am, maybe I will write more then - it helps ease the stomach cramping a bit.
Im so sticky and sweaty and I wish I could describe the beauty of the Great Wall, but oh well. tomorrow is silk alley and the concert! I truly cant wait til that is over! Like I want to spend hours rehersing... sigh. but is is wonderful, I miss singing. I AM happy!
posted by FireWithin at 5:45 PM
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