Back in China

Hello!

Sorry its been so long. My blog is blocked here completely, but for some reason its working today. I am currently back in Beijing working as an intern at the U.S. Embassy!

Exciting news- sorry it was so delayed.

Exciting News

I have some very exciting news to post on here.... but I can't post it for a few more days. Stay tuned!

The End

It seems so weird to think that in 12 hours I'll have started my journey back to the USA.

I've had this weird feeling all day, but I couldn't figure out what it was. It wasn't sadness because I'm leaving China and my new friends, but also, it wasn't excitement to return to the US. Just now I realized what it was- the feeling that I always get before I go on a big vacation. Because I have been gone from the USA for eight months it I have basically changed the way I live, what I've grown accustomed to seeing/hearing/(smelling?), and what my daily expectations are. Eight months is a very long time, it definitely doesn't feel like I've been gone 2/3 of a year, but there are some things that put it in perspective and some radical changes which await me at home. When I left my house on May 8th, I left behind a dirty and plantless yard, three dogs, the best and most affectionate bird that ever lived with people, and sister in high school. When I arrive to my house tomorrow, I will be greeted by a newly landscaped and greatly changed yard, two dogs, and a sister who has finished her first semester in college. 

I've missed several births and deaths of family and friends. I've also missed a couple of weddings. I've missed one of the most historic presidential elections in history. I've missed the changing life of Georgia Tech. All of the clubs and campus organizations at GT which I was heavily involved in have continued in my absence- all with new members who wont have a clue who I am. When I start my "new" life in Atlanta, there will be many changes and adjustments that I will have to make in order to find my center again. Some that I or my friends may not have even expected or thought about. 

In China I've been exposed not only to Chinese culture, but also cultures from all over the world. I learned a lot about China, but I have also learned about (even if it's small factoids) different ways of life in Europe, Russia, Australia, Japan, and Korea. Note: One of the most fun and fascinating cultural aspects I've learned here the differences in English between US/UK/Ireland. 

Of course none of this means I am not looking forward to seeing my family, friends, and true dog tomorrow. Its more a new mindset: When I start back at GT in January, it wont be like I'm returning home. It will be almost like a fresh start. 

This is the last blog entry I'll write, so thanks for stopping by and checking up on me these last 8 months. 

Ted

3 Days

Only three more days until I'm back in the good old USA! Its crazy to think I've been gone for 8 months. 

This last week has been pretty busy. On Wednesday my electronic dictionary broke, and I was very angry. I guess I'm glad it broke here, because if it broke at home then I wouldn't be able to buy a  new one, but at the same time it was just so frustrating that a small device which has been my lifeline in class broke and I had to get a new one less than a week from leaving. After getting a new, better dictionary two of my Chinese friends treated me to Pizza Hut as a going away lunch, it was delicious. Then Thursday night my class had a going away dinner party for me! The teachers came and it was so nice that my whole class would go out to eat to say goodbye to me. Tonight I'm taking it easy because tomorrow we're having a giant goodbye bash which will hopefully involve Karaoke and then many bars. 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Ted

Shanghai- One Last Time

My trip to Shanghai was a blast! 

I flew in Friday afternoon to stay with my german friend, Yeannie. She had taken classes with me this summer at SJTU and is still in Shanghai taking classes. Our first stop was the Shanghai World Financial Center Observation Deck, the highest in the world. 

The WFC is that tall bottler opener the Chinese built so God could open beer more easily.

The top level of the Observation Deck is 474m (1555 ft or .3 mi). The walls are not at a 90 degree angle, but more of a 100 degree angle, making the sense of vertigo even more overwhelming. Being able to see the entire Jin Mao building from that angle also feeds to the sense of height. 

The floor of the deck has many see through panels, which some very adventurous people were jumping on. I did, i admit, but it was kind of nerve wracking seeing the ground so far below. 

Scariest Job in the world... hands down. 

the ENTIRE Jinmao building

The observation deck- the clear panels are in the center and on the edges Notice everyone avoiding the center?

see through floors!

This is only the highest in the world for a few more months until the Burj Dubai opens. 

After that we spent the rest of my time in shanghai just exploring, partying, and seeing all the old familiar sights. I really wanted to go back to shanghai because lately I've been resenting Beijing and I wanted to know that this pedestal i've put shanghai on was completely made up and that both cities are equally fun. WRONG- Shanghai is SOOO much more fun. Its like a huge metropolis where everything is right at your finger tips and fun is always just around the corner. There were Christmas decorations and lights all over the city, while beijing has a scattered tree or two at only the ritzy, upscale shopping centers. Its like living in DC vs NYC. Beijing is great for studying, and has loads of chinese culture, so I'm glad I studied there too because I got MUCH more chinese practice than I did in shanghai. But if I were to live in China, it could only be Shanghai. 

Thanks for stopping by, and I'm home in 7 days!

Ted

Xi'an

Xi'an was a very cool city. It was really small, and still has its ancient city walls completely in tact. Besides the terra cotta warriors ("often referred to as the 8th wonder of the world"), the city wall is the second biggest attraction because you can circle the city and see a lot of sights. 

We left Friday night (arrived in Xi'an Saturday morning), and then left Sunday night (arrive monday morning). I still made it to class today! 

I'll give a brief history of the Warriors. They were built to protect China's first Emperor (the Qin Dynasty) in 225BC. He built many thousands, and they were destroyed and forgot about before 0AD. Not unearthed until 1974... some 2000 years later, and the warriors are still being excavated today. There are three sites currently, pit 1 one being the biggest and most famous. Each has a special purpose with calvary, archers, ect. 

Here are some pictures:

A chariot of Warriors 

Some Warriors in "Command Headquarters"

Some soldiers currently being excavated in Pit 1

Trying to fix our Audio Guide 

Pit 1

closer shot of some soldiers 

The Muslim Quarter. Lots of small restaurants and small vendors. 

Bianca, Maria, and Jenny getting ready to climb up to the City Wall 

The four of us rented 2 two-person bicycles to ride the perimeter of the city. It was really fun!

I hope that was as good for you as it was for me. Anyways, I've got to go take a nap, because sleeper trains don't really provide much sleep. In a brief summary I'd say the warriors were cool, and I'm glad I saw them, but I don't think i'll need to go back to see them a second time. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Ted

Thanksgiving Week+

Sorry for not updating since before thanksgiving... the Internet has been spotty every time I've thought about updating *coincidence??*

Thanksgiving was fine. Bianca and I went to a hotel for their Thanksgiving buffet, but the europeans didn't want to go. 

Since then I've had a lot of fun! Earlier in the week our  cell phone salesman (who doesn't speak english) invited Maria and I to his home (1 room, smaller than my freshman dorm room). He lives with his wife and mother-in-law. They taught us to make dumplings and we had a lot of fun. Also- good last minute chinese practice before coming home ;) 

On Saturday, Jenny's Chinese friend (who doesn't speak english) took the two of us to a Hutong. The hutongs are famous is Beijing because they are ancient neighborhoods that date back hundreds of years. They're small stone buildings with small houses with courtyards all throughout. They are also known for small shops and trinket stores. It was really interesting, and also really good practice. 

I have a really exciting weekend ahead of me. Bianca, Maria, Jenny, and I are going to Xi'an for the weekend to see the Terra cotta Warriors. We're taking a train tonight and we'll get back 6AM on Monday. Then the weekend after that I'm going to Shanghai to re-visit the city, climb to the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center, and visit my old friends before I go home. 

Lots of last minute travels before I leave!

Thanks for stopping by

Ted

Great Wall (again)

One of my Canadian friends has a classmate from home visiting him this week and they decided to go and climb the Simatai Portion of the Great Wall. For those of you who are dedicated readers with a good memory for chinese names, this is the section I never made it to with my Mom (due to one of us (not going to point out any names) not being able to complete the hike). 

Having this sense of bitterness ingrained in me, I decided to cut class and join them! It was really exhausting, but very very beautiful. It was a balmy 45-50 degrees, but it was a really clear and beautiful day. Also if you stayed in the sun it felt fine. At the end we got to take a zip-line down which took us over a lake and was definitely several hundred feet high at the beginning. 

Here a few pictures from the day (don't forget, if you click them, they enlarge to reveal more):

Chairlift to the base of the wall. 

Resting. The JinShanLing section of the wall behind me. 

This is the Jin Shan Ling wall. If you look closely at the big hill center right in this picture (the one with two towers), that is the hill that killed my mom('s spirit). 

JJ and Nick taking the Zip Line down from the Wall 

Hope you all enjoyed the pics, less than a month before I get home (28 days)!

Thanks for stopping by, 

Ted 

100 Billion Dollars

A short, but interesting story from this weekend. 

I was at a market getting a new suitcase (my old one broke) and I though talking with the shop owners (which we do often because its such good chinese practice) he got to showing me the foreign currency he collects from people around the world. He was showing me his foreign currency notes and then he showed me a special one. A Zimbabwe bill which was worth 100 Billion Zimbabwe Dollars. Apparently their money expires all the time, so it was worthless now... but how cool is it that I got handle a 100,000,000,000 dollar bill. 

If you look up the conversion:

USD$2,382,490= 100 Billion Zimbabwe Dollars 

USD$ 1= 41,973 Zimbabwe Dollars 

Though the Z$ has gotten better since the dollar has gone down, apparently when the 100 billion Z$ bill was first issued it could only buy three eggs. 

Sorry for the China blog update not related to China at all, but it was a cool story. 

Thanks for stopping buy, 

Ted

Life Goes On

Well my dad left on Sunday, and after an interesting plane ride arrived home safe and sounds. 

This week has just been school so far. I'm getting my test grades back and so far none of them are as horrible as I had imagined, so that's good. 

I just got back from a massage from a blind masseuse. I'm not sure if I really liked it, or not at all. Very rough, though. 

Only 5 weeks until I come home!

Thanks for stopping by (and sorry for such a short, uninteresting update), 

Ted