Four Days of Fun

大家好! (Hello Everyone!) So the past few days have been nothing short of interesting. I am sure I could keep you dear readers glued to the screen with all of the adventures going on here, but instead I will just go over some of the key points. Keep in mind, this post will be rather long (there are pictures though, so it isn't as though you are reading a huge wall of text), so you might want to get a snack. Go ahead, I'll wait.

You comfy? Good. Let's go.

On Friday, after our orientation meeting, we took a nice walk through the area surrounding campus. One of the main places we visited was Luxun Park, which is right near campus. I was simply amazed by the size of the park, as well as the caliber of people there. We found a small exercise area, filled with many older citizens. These people must have been anywhere from 50s to 70s in age, and they were doing stretches and flips that would have likely sent me to a hospital if I tried them. I was able to speak to one of the gentlemen (luckily in English) and he said the people come there every day, rain or shine. That is pretty impressive to say the least.

After that, we took in an acrobatic show, which was an astounding show. There were contortionists, jugglers, a comedy act, balancing acts, plate spinning; the show seemed like a smaller version of Cirque du Soleil. It was very well put together, and we were all extremely entertained.

Saturday came, and with it came a couple of interesting aspects to the program. We had another orientation meeting, but it was shortened because we had company arriving. Our Chinese roommates were here. Now, I could tell you that I was excited about meeting my roommate, and that I knew things would be great. And I would be lying through my teeth. I was nervous; I had no idea what this guy was going to be like, what he was interested in, if we were going to get along, and especially how much English he spoke (remember, I had about as much knowledge of Chinese as a small vegetable). So I went back to my room, and my roommate was already unpacking. He looks up, walks over, shakes my hand and says, "So nice to meet you. My name is Varys."

The first thing I do in reaction is breathe a huge sigh of relief. The second is think, "...Varys? Interesting name."

Still, the fact we can understand each other is a huge deal. We start talking, and we start talking about sports. He starts talking about basketball, and all the great players in the NBA, and I am trying my best to answer his questions, having no real interest in basketball. Fun fact, Kobe Bryant is one of the most popular players in the NBA (you know, right after Yao Ming).

After our chat, it is time for the dumpling competition. We broke into groups and made our way down the back alley to a farmer's market of sorts. This place was huge, and the smells assaulted your nostrils as soon as you got in. Meat mixed with seafood, which flowed into smells of vegetables, which then melded with god-only-knows-what-THAT-thing-is-supposed-to-be smells.

After purchasing our materials, we went to the school cafeteria for preparation. Basically, everything we bought got chopped up and mixed together (I thought of meatloaf a few times) then are placed on dumpling circles. At this point in the story, we reach the first picture, and I must warn those with weak constitutions that this is a picture of me holding a dumpling I made. Don't say I didn't warn you:

Simply horrifying. But the dumplings turned out to be delicious, even the ones I made. However, if you are expecting me to cook these, I am going to need a lot of time, and maybe a second-tier miracle, just to let you know.

Sunday was another day which had me a little excited. It was the day we met our Chinese language teachers  for the first time. We broke into our class groups, and I was surprised that nine other people did not have any Chinese experience as well. I had expected around five or six, but not a class of ten. After a brief introduction, our teacher took us to lunch, something that will be a common occurrence during the semester to develop our Chinese. Here are Trevor, Rebecca, and Weston at the table, conversing (in English):

After the meeting, our teacher let us go to have fun on the day before class started. I took the opportunity to go with a group to see the modern part of Shanghai. There is a huge difference between where I am and where I went, but I was able to get around with little issue. The one problem with yesterday was that the fog was a big factor, as evidenced by this picture of the Pearl Tower, one of the key landmarks of Shanghai:

Guess that just means I will have to go back for a better shot.

Anyways, today was the first day of classes. It was a brief 3-hour lesson, or at least it seemed brief. Time really flew by in that class. We are just learning the basics, but at this point I think we are actually doing very well as a class.

Tonight is one of the biggest nights in Shanghai: the Lantern Festival, traditionally marking the end of the Lunar New Year celebration. Unfortunately, it has been pouring all day. Fortunately, no one seems to care about that (I know I don't), and the celebration is still on to the best of my knowledge. I figure this is an amazing experience, and I have no intention on missing out.

And of course, before I go, what would this blog be without a funny story to relate? During the acrobatic show, the comedy bit involved knife throwing. The duo decided to pull someone from the audience, and Cong, one of the guys from our program, volunteered. He looked extremely nervous, especially when they thought about blindfolding the knife thrower. Instead, they decided to blindfold him, then simply stuck the knives into the wall next to him. Cong was completely convinced, although the nerves seemed to hit him a little more when they put a balloon between his legs to pop. The rest of us in the audience, of course, decided not to tell him what they had done for a little bit, just to keep up the effect.

Only in Shanghai, Ladies and Gentlemen, only in Shanghai...