Monday, June 15, 2009
Day 16 -- First Day on the Job
Finally started on my research!! Today I planned what I would do for the next few weeks for my project. I got to practice different types of drug administration on mice. I practiced IP/IV injection and PO administration. I also got to chat with my professor for a little bit. He’s a really fun guy. I am really glad I’m working in his lab for the next 8 weeks. I feel pretty close to a few of the members already. They're all pretty open about everything haha =)
Day 15 -- The Sexy Pizza Hut/ New bike!
Our small group that didn’t go to Xi’an split up today. Half of the group –the three girls (Amanda, Wendy, Mira) – went to the amusement park with Hong. I was exhausted that morning and had to read another 60 pages that my professor sent me via email for the following day (when I would start working in his lab). So, Brad, John, and I went to Pizza Hut for lunch and it was amazing!! Pizza hut is a pretty high-end place in China! It's nothing compared to the pizza hut's in America!! They have unique pizza toppings and the restaurant itself is really stylish, and sort of pricey.. :P
I chilled for a little bit after lunch, when my graduate mentor called me up and said he found a bike for me! I quickly ran to meet him and got a decent bike to rent for 45 yuan per month at Tsinghua University!! W00t w00t!! Then he and another grad student invited me out to dinner. We ate at one of the 10 cafeteria’s on Tsinghua’s giant campus. It was fun! My mentor was really funny haha. We kept asking each other how to say words in our different languages lol.
I chilled for a little bit after lunch, when my graduate mentor called me up and said he found a bike for me! I quickly ran to meet him and got a decent bike to rent for 45 yuan per month at Tsinghua University!! W00t w00t!! Then he and another grad student invited me out to dinner. We ate at one of the 10 cafeteria’s on Tsinghua’s giant campus. It was fun! My mentor was really funny haha. We kept asking each other how to say words in our different languages lol.
Day 14 - Temple of Heaven/Peking Duck/.........Kungfu?
Temple of heaven. I danced as much as possible with all those old retired people that were there. One old lady had a crush on me haha. YanYan (AKA sunflower lady) recorded Brad and I on video when we were dancing on stage haha..And then Wendy joined us in one dance. And then our whole group went in the middle of the entire dance party and danced away. We were sweet. Then we had PEKING DUCK – it was the greatest dinner EVER. =) I LOVE DUCK! After that we went to the KungFu Show which sounded awesome, but was really lame. It was just a bunch of guys jumping around, doing ballet, overacting, and smashing sticks on their heads…Even some of the natives were becoming restless and wanted the show to end so they could leave hahaha…
Day 13 - Beijing Zoo
aaaahhh :). I got 12 hours of sleep last night!! I’m ready to do anything today!!! W00t w00t!! The JI lunch was great this time -- I wasn't stopped by any guards again haha!! Then later, we all went to the Beijing Zoo with our language instructor, Liu Nian! Brad and I went to about 85% of the zoo!! We saw PANDAS, bears, lions, tigers, giraffes, gazelles, wildebeests, monkeys, rhinos, and various birds…including a chicken! I want to post pics here. I need to figure out how to do it though...
Day 12
I woke up early today and dressed up to meet my professor at 10AM! So I had to miss language class to catch a cab to Tsinghua =(…It was a journey to find the Life Sciences building…Tsinghua is HUGE! I took a 40 minute walk inside to get to the Life Science Building, and it wasn't because I was lost -- I actually guessed the right direction haha. So I met my professor and we were both surprised as he swung open the door to invite me in his office lol -- He was kind of short and I am…kind of tall haha. We talked and exchanged some laughs. He was really cool. He introduced me to all the students and doctors in the lab. After that they all gave me a welcome lunch at a pretty nice restaurant on campus!! I love the lab members. They all seem very intelligent, but fun at the same time. My mentor and a couple other grad students also helped me look for a bike after lunch -- we failed to find a decent priced bike -- but the search will continue! It was also funny when one of the girls in the lab thought I was a grad student haha and my professor responded “Nooooo…he is only a BOY…a big boy.” Hahaha…the look on her face was priceless. =D!
Day 11
Today I just relaxed…we’ve been to so many places in the last week and a half!! A day’s rest is so awesome right now!! All the students who are part of the PKU program have lunch together with their mentors today. I get to meet my professor tomorrow!! He has actually asked me to prepare something to discuss – like my interests in the research and my plans in Beijing. I heard he’s a nice guy though from one of the biology students at Tsinghua. So I’m EXTREMELY excited right now!!! W00t w00t!!
So I wanted to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting with my professor. He had given me like 4 articles to read. I wanted to print them somewhere, but I don’t know any printing places around here. So, I called up the front desk and this is what happened:
Front Desk Girl (FDG): Ni hao.
Me: “Ni hao. Hello. Ummm…hmmm..Do you speak English?
FDG: Uhh…oh…..ya.
Me: Oh okay. Great! I was wondering where I can print paper?
FDG: Print paper?
Me: Yeah, I want to print paper from my computer. Do you know where I can find a printer or if you have one?
FDG: Yes, you can only one.
Me: What? Wait. Only one page?
FDG: uhhh…only one.
Me (very confused): okayyy.. nevermind…thank you! Xie xie! I don’t need it anymore. Thank you! Bye.
FDG: bye.
2 minutes later – someone rings our doorbell. I see it’s someone working. So I think he’s going to come and ask me if I want to print one page of paper, which I don’t! I need to print like 50 pages! Haha… So I don’t let him in, because I already told the lady that I didn’t want one page.
I go back to my room and read my articles…..KNOCK KNOCK….what??! he’s upstairs now now knocking on my door……uggghhh..I just went to answer it to tell him I don’t need the one piece of paper….and I swing open the door to see this guy in a hotel uniform with a one roll of toilet paper in his hand! He hands it to me and walks to the elevator. I’m stunned lolool and I follow him and tell him I don’t need it and then he thinks I’m asking him “how much it is” and he starts smiling and turns red and says “no no no” and waves his arms at me…LOL….that made my day –
In conclusion, I don’t think the girl at the front desk spoke English…. =)
So I wanted to prepare for tomorrow’s meeting with my professor. He had given me like 4 articles to read. I wanted to print them somewhere, but I don’t know any printing places around here. So, I called up the front desk and this is what happened:
Front Desk Girl (FDG): Ni hao.
Me: “Ni hao. Hello. Ummm…hmmm..Do you speak English?
FDG: Uhh…oh…..ya.
Me: Oh okay. Great! I was wondering where I can print paper?
FDG: Print paper?
Me: Yeah, I want to print paper from my computer. Do you know where I can find a printer or if you have one?
FDG: Yes, you can only one.
Me: What? Wait. Only one page?
FDG: uhhh…only one.
Me (very confused): okayyy.. nevermind…thank you! Xie xie! I don’t need it anymore. Thank you! Bye.
FDG: bye.
2 minutes later – someone rings our doorbell. I see it’s someone working. So I think he’s going to come and ask me if I want to print one page of paper, which I don’t! I need to print like 50 pages! Haha… So I don’t let him in, because I already told the lady that I didn’t want one page.
I go back to my room and read my articles…..KNOCK KNOCK….what??! he’s upstairs now now knocking on my door……uggghhh..I just went to answer it to tell him I don’t need the one piece of paper….and I swing open the door to see this guy in a hotel uniform with a one roll of toilet paper in his hand! He hands it to me and walks to the elevator. I’m stunned lolool and I follow him and tell him I don’t need it and then he thinks I’m asking him “how much it is” and he starts smiling and turns red and says “no no no” and waves his arms at me…LOL….that made my day –
In conclusion, I don’t think the girl at the front desk spoke English…. =)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day 10
TEN DAYS!! w00t w00t!!!
Cell phone exchange update – The girl kept laughing at me and john’s attempts to communicate with them… but in the end they said they would give me a new one after it comes in in about 3 days. :) I couldn’t go to the art district because I wasn’t feeling well enough to walk around, but I wish I could go some other time. Instead I stayed in the apartment for a little bit and watched 300 with John and Brad. It was madness? Madness?? THIS IS SPARTAAAAA! Lolol haha.
Then we went out to get dinner. We tried some of the chrysanthemum tea and it was good! =D. We were also laughed at with our failed attempts at speaking Chinese with the natives in the restaurant lol. Luckily we were understood and the waiter brought us our food.
Cell phone exchange update – The girl kept laughing at me and john’s attempts to communicate with them… but in the end they said they would give me a new one after it comes in in about 3 days. :) I couldn’t go to the art district because I wasn’t feeling well enough to walk around, but I wish I could go some other time. Instead I stayed in the apartment for a little bit and watched 300 with John and Brad. It was madness? Madness?? THIS IS SPARTAAAAA! Lolol haha.
Then we went out to get dinner. We tried some of the chrysanthemum tea and it was good! =D. We were also laughed at with our failed attempts at speaking Chinese with the natives in the restaurant lol. Luckily we were understood and the waiter brought us our food.
Day 9
Rained all day. We had dumplings for lunch!! It was at this really authentic little restaurant in an alley. 25 dumplings for 6 yuan!! What an awesome deal! lol less than a dollar! =D
Later on, I watched the original Terminator with Brad. It was fun. I was also laughed at by cashiers in supermarket when I tried to talk to them…lol I seem to get that a lot haha. And I was laughed at by the waitresses in a restaurant for dinner with Amanda and Mira lol. I didn’t know the word for chicken and sort of just strutted my arms up and down like chicken wings and the waitress cracked up and laughed. The other waitresses were very amused by our big eyes lol and also laughed at my attempts to speak Chinese! Lol at least I tried haha. It was funny though. =)
Later on, I watched the original Terminator with Brad. It was fun. I was also laughed at by cashiers in supermarket when I tried to talk to them…lol I seem to get that a lot haha. And I was laughed at by the waitresses in a restaurant for dinner with Amanda and Mira lol. I didn’t know the word for chicken and sort of just strutted my arms up and down like chicken wings and the waitress cracked up and laughed. The other waitresses were very amused by our big eyes lol and also laughed at my attempts to speak Chinese! Lol at least I tried haha. It was funny though. =)
Day 8 - Great Wall and Ming Tombs
Climbed all the way to the top of the wall with Brad. We dominated that section of the wall!! Highhh fiiiive! Verryyyyy niiiiice! =D
The tombs were okay lol – I wasn’t a big fan of it because a lot of the things were replicas. I also was chasing a bird for a few minutes trying to get a picture of it. Lol, some of the birds here are so beautiful.
I then just rested for the remainder of the night. ^___________^
The tombs were okay lol – I wasn’t a big fan of it because a lot of the things were replicas. I also was chasing a bird for a few minutes trying to get a picture of it. Lol, some of the birds here are so beautiful.
I then just rested for the remainder of the night. ^___________^
Day 7 – Lama and Confucius Temple, Hutong Tour and Drum Tower
Confucius temple was interesting. The CRAZZZZYYYY cricket man was SWEEET lol….he was very excited to tell us his about cricket fights lolol…
The rickshaws were also pretty COOL. Yifang and I creeped out one of the drivers by pretending that we (probably the biggest in the group) were going to ride one together while the guy drives us lol..his reaction was funny
I also found out that Angela is a really good bargainer. Based on two instances where I’ve witnessed her bargaining skills, I’ve compiled a set of rules for getting the best deals when bargaining:
This is how she does it – she just says “no” lolol – she got a shirt dropped from 980 yuan to 80 yuan, and a flute from 50 yuan to 5 yuan. Lol...
At the end of the day we also learned “How to drink tea” – There is a smelling cup and drinking cup. The smelling cup is skinnier and we hypothesized that it concentrates the smell more towards the nostrils, while the drinking cup is shorter and wider for the mouth to get the most out of every sip lol...
The rickshaws were also pretty COOL. Yifang and I creeped out one of the drivers by pretending that we (probably the biggest in the group) were going to ride one together while the guy drives us lol..his reaction was funny
I also found out that Angela is a really good bargainer. Based on two instances where I’ve witnessed her bargaining skills, I’ve compiled a set of rules for getting the best deals when bargaining:
This is how she does it – she just says “no” lolol – she got a shirt dropped from 980 yuan to 80 yuan, and a flute from 50 yuan to 5 yuan. Lol...
At the end of the day we also learned “How to drink tea” – There is a smelling cup and drinking cup. The smelling cup is skinnier and we hypothesized that it concentrates the smell more towards the nostrils, while the drinking cup is shorter and wider for the mouth to get the most out of every sip lol...
Day 6 - Silk Market
Shopping was intense at the silk market!! I was grabbed so many times for looking like a non-asian, or American I guess. And they’re trilingual!! I bargained for some nike running shoes down to 85 yuan – which is like $12 haha. And then I bought a Sony mic/headphone for 20 yuan, which is just under $3…I needed it to contact my parents! data-blogger-escaped-a="" data-blogger-escaped-all="" data-blogger-escaped-amazing="" data-blogger-escaped-american="" data-blogger-escaped-and="" data-blogger-escaped-appetizing="" data-blogger-escaped-around="" data-blogger-escaped-at="" data-blogger-escaped-awesome="" data-blogger-escaped-barbeque="" data-blogger-escaped-beijing="" data-blogger-escaped-both="" data-blogger-escaped-br="" data-blogger-escaped-but="" data-blogger-escaped-by="" data-blogger-escaped-cost="" data-blogger-escaped-d="" data-blogger-escaped-dessert="" data-blogger-escaped-district="" data-blogger-escaped-e="" data-blogger-escaped-end="" data-blogger-escaped-expect="" data-blogger-escaped-food="" data-blogger-escaped-for="" data-blogger-escaped-found="" data-blogger-escaped-free="" data-blogger-escaped-front="" data-blogger-escaped-got="" data-blogger-escaped-huge="" data-blogger-escaped-in="" data-blogger-escaped-including="" data-blogger-escaped-it="" data-blogger-escaped-jing="" data-blogger-escaped-john="" data-blogger-escaped-korean="" data-blogger-escaped-least="" data-blogger-escaped-like="" data-blogger-escaped-me="" data-blogger-escaped-meal="" data-blogger-escaped-mmmmmmmm="" data-blogger-escaped-of="" data-blogger-escaped-on="" data-blogger-escaped-only="" data-blogger-escaped-over="" data-blogger-escaped-pay="" data-blogger-escaped-per="" data-blogger-escaped-person="" data-blogger-escaped-restaurant="" data-blogger-escaped-right="" data-blogger-escaped-so="" data-blogger-escaped-standards="" data-blogger-escaped-starving="" data-blogger-escaped-subway="" data-blogger-escaped-the="" data-blogger-escaped-them="" data-blogger-escaped-then="" data-blogger-escaped-there="" data-blogger-escaped-they="" data-blogger-escaped-this="" data-blogger-escaped-time="" data-blogger-escaped-to="" data-blogger-escaped-traveled="" data-blogger-escaped-upscale="" data-blogger-escaped-wang="" data-blogger-escaped-was="" data-blogger-escaped-we="" data-blogger-escaped-wendy="" data-blogger-escaped-were="" data-blogger-escaped-you="">
Everyone went out at night, but I am way too tired to do anything tonight….so good night everyone ;).
Everyone went out at night, but I am way too tired to do anything tonight….so good night everyone ;).
Day 5 - Tsinghua Campus
Tsinghua university is b-e-a-utiful! Still didn’t meet my professor yet, but I heard that he was nice from one of his previous students from a class that he taught.
I also learned how great I am at living in a foreign country with absolutely no background in the language! I’ve used gestures whenever I talk and I’ve gotten really good at it! I think I can dominate in Pictionary once we get back to the States…haha :P
I also learned how great I am at living in a foreign country with absolutely no background in the language! I’ve used gestures whenever I talk and I’ve gotten really good at it! I think I can dominate in Pictionary once we get back to the States…haha :P
Day 4 - PKU campus
Language class was still AWESOME...my name is mai ke!!
After our lecture, I stayed a few minutes to ask some more questions. Adam stayed with me and we left a few minutes after everyone else did. We went to the entrance to PKU and were stopped! Hahaha The guards wouldn’t let us get past the gate of PKU campus – so after a lot of talking and calling around, they finally let us in and we arrived to lunch an hour late. Luckily, we were still able to get lunch and talked to Professor Coppola for a little bit about life in Beijing so far and the REU program
Dinner at pizza place – food eating competition :D. Me vs. Yifang. Yifang vs. Me. The battle was intense!! Well sort of hahaha….nah, I basically destroyed Yifang on the first competition for who can eat a slice of pizza. Then we competed again with half a slice and he beat me by a little bit hahaha with his AMAZING victory ROOOAAARRRR lolol
After our lecture, I stayed a few minutes to ask some more questions. Adam stayed with me and we left a few minutes after everyone else did. We went to the entrance to PKU and were stopped! Hahaha The guards wouldn’t let us get past the gate of PKU campus – so after a lot of talking and calling around, they finally let us in and we arrived to lunch an hour late. Luckily, we were still able to get lunch and talked to Professor Coppola for a little bit about life in Beijing so far and the REU program
Dinner at pizza place – food eating competition :D. Me vs. Yifang. Yifang vs. Me. The battle was intense!! Well sort of hahaha….nah, I basically destroyed Yifang on the first competition for who can eat a slice of pizza. Then we competed again with half a slice and he beat me by a little bit hahaha with his AMAZING victory ROOOAAARRRR lolol
Day 2 & 3
Day 2:
PEARL MARKET – I bargained for a sweet “Rolex” watch lol
Language class was great! Our instructor is extremely enthusiastic!! She’s AWESOMEEEEEEE!
Lunch at Italian restaurant was great.
Dinner at secret garden (food form hunan province) – probably the best meal I’ve had so far in Beijing – spicyyyyy food.
Day 3:
Language class again. I’m really trying to show some progress in my Chinese. Bought cell phones for only 130 yuan…too bad mine broke already! Haha, I have to replace it sometime soon. We had a lecture on museums – the video was cool.
PEARL MARKET – I bargained for a sweet “Rolex” watch lol
Language class was great! Our instructor is extremely enthusiastic!! She’s AWESOMEEEEEEE!
Lunch at Italian restaurant was great.
Dinner at secret garden (food form hunan province) – probably the best meal I’ve had so far in Beijing – spicyyyyy food.
Day 3:
Language class again. I’m really trying to show some progress in my Chinese. Bought cell phones for only 130 yuan…too bad mine broke already! Haha, I have to replace it sometime soon. We had a lecture on museums – the video was cool.
Day 1 – Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City
After the longest flight I’ve taken in my life, we had lunch at an all-you-can eat vegetarian buffet! It was a neat experience, even for a fervent meat-eater as myself. We then visited Tiananmen square and the Forbidden city! I have a bunch of pics that I took below. We found that some of the Chinese natives have never seen Americans (or in my case, an Egyptian) before. One guy was extremely excited to see me and asked me to take a picture with him!! Hahahaa, it was hilarious!
We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant – it was pretty good. I love meat and I need meat in EVERY meal, but I must admit that this restaurant was not bad ^_^
Dinner was cool – I really like the communal style of eating. It really lets all of us bond quickly haha :D
We had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant – it was pretty good. I love meat and I need meat in EVERY meal, but I must admit that this restaurant was not bad ^_^
Dinner was cool – I really like the communal style of eating. It really lets all of us bond quickly haha :D
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