回看我的中国计划China Checklist Review

Posted on December 21, 2016 by melissagold11

美国到了！我觉得这个时候回美国是对的。为什么？我很喜欢住在中国，在那儿有很多朋友！我告诉你：去中国以前我有一些想做的事情。七个月以前我打算计划完成以后再回家，告诉我的家人我爱他们，跟他们一起过圣诞节，然后做新的计划还有一定回中国。虽然我遇到了一些出乎意料的麻烦，但是我做完了！你看！

I’m back in America! I think this is the right time to go back to America. Why? I really like living in China and I have a lot of friends there! I’ll tell you: before I went to China I had a list of things I wanted to do in China. Seven months ago I planned to come home after completing my plan, remind my family that I love them, celebrate Christmas with them, then make a new plan and surely return to China. Although my plan met some unexpected difficulties, I finished it! Take a look!

我的中国计划 My China to-do list

住在中国的时候我想。。。

While I live in China I want to …

跟我的大学旅行 Travel with my university’s study abroad program

去中国以前我在我的大学学习了两年汉语（因为玩儿的很开心！哈哈）。每个夏天我的汉语老师会陪一些学生去中国旅行和上文化课。上个五月我跟我四个同学和我的老师一起到了北京。我们也去了济南（一天），曲阜（一天），和青岛（三个星期，在青岛大学上课）。虽然我的一些同学根本没学过汉语，但是在青岛大学我们都认识了特别好的中国朋友。我的同学都很不错，所以玩儿得很开心！

Before I went to China I studied Chinese language for two years (because it was fun! Haha). Every summer my Chinese teacher takes some students to China to travel and study culture. Last May I arrived in Beijing with my teacher and four classmates. We traveled to Jinan (one day), Qufu (one day), and Qingdao (3 weeks, where we had class for three weeks). Although some of my classmates had never studied Chinese language before, we all met great new Chinese friends at Qingdao University. My classmates were great so we all had a great trip!

我和我的同学们
Me and my classmates
从左到右:
From left to right: Cody, 彭永健(Daniel), 我(me), Jackie(一个青岛大学生, a student at Qingdao University),和(and) Mark

Cody在青岛大学(中国学生)餐厅
Cody at the Qingdao University (Chinese student) cafeteria

青岛很漂亮！
Qingdao is so beautiful!

做了六个月Au Pair 的工作 Work for six months as an Au Pair

虽然一个月以后我的同学都走了，但是我自己从青岛到了杭州开始Au Pair 的工作。我打算做这个工作做六个月，但是这个居然比我想象的难。我换了两次家庭！虽然我有麻烦，但是我还很开心。我认识了比较多的小弟弟和小妹妹，他们都很好，可爱，特别！我很想杭州，但是在北京我也认识了很多新朋友。如果我跟我的同学一起在中国只待了一个月就回美国的话，我一定不高兴因为住在中国一个月太短了时间！

Although my classmates left after one month, I went by myself to Hangzhou to start my job as an Au Pair. I planned to do this job for 6 months, but that was unexpectedly difficult. I had to change families twice! Although I had difficulties, I am still happy over all. I got to meet a lot of kids compared to other Au Pairs. They were all sweet, cute, and so special to me! I miss Hangzhou, but I made a lot of new friends in Beijing too. If I had left China along with my classmates after only one month, I surely would have been unhappy because one month is too short of a time to live in China!

在杭州我住在Jonny的家
In Hangzhou I lived with Jonny’s family

在北京我住在Mingming和Lele的家
In Beijing I lived with Mingming and Lele’s family

然后我住在Leeya和Sophia和Yoyo的家（也在北京）。
这是Leeya的照片。
Next I lived with Leeya, Sophia, and Yoyo’s family.
This is a photo of Leeya.

这是Sophia的照片

这是Yoyo的照片

认识新的中国朋友 Meet new Chinese friends

我觉得认识新的中国朋友特别容易，也是最好的朋友。认识你们很高兴！谢谢大家帮我做东西（找到出租车，点菜，买票，什么的）。我真喜欢跟你们一起玩儿！你们都是我的中国家人。

Making new Chinese friends is so easy and they are such good friends. It’s so nice to have met you all! Thanks everybody for helping me do stuff (like finding a taxi, ordering food, buying tickets, etc.) I really liked hanging out with you guys! You are all my Chinese family.

跟Bella一起吃了晚饭
Eating dinner with Bella

在798我跟越一起吃了糖葫芦
Yue and I ate Tanghulu (a kind of candied fruit) together

我跟Sylvia一起去了故宫
I went with Sylvia to the Forbidden City

在青岛啤酒厂博物馆
我跟Qian’er和甜甜
Me with Qian’er and Tiantian at the Qingdao Beer Factory Museum

每天练习汉语 Practice Chinese every day

如果我只用汉语说容易的东西（这个多少钱？我想吃那个。什么的）那么我的汉语水平就不能提高，我也快觉得说汉语没有意思了。中国朋友们，谢谢帮我练习汉语（如果你不会说英语，就是最好的，真的！）虽然我有点害羞，但是我觉得说汉语玩儿的很开心！跟你们聊天很开心！

If I only used my Chinese to say easy things (How much does this cost? I want to eat that. Etc.) then my Chinese wouldn’t improve and I would quickly start to think that speaking Chinese was boring. To my Chinese friends, thank you for helping me practice Chinese (if you can’t speak English, you were especially helpful, really!) Although I’m a bit shy, I really enjoy speaking Chinese! I enjoy our conversations!

在杭州民宿我跟这些小朋友一起读了英文和中文小故事，看了中文电视，和打牌了！
In a guest house in Hangzhou these kids and I read English and Chinese stories together, watched Chinese TV, and played card games!

去看我的来中国以前认识的朋友们 Meet up with Chinese friends that I met before coming to China

去中国以前练习说汉语很不容易因为在我的大学和老家中国人很少。所以我上网找到了一些中国朋友一起练习说和写。在中国我见到了三个朋友（Lily，我当然也想看你！谢谢给我礼物！）

Before I went to China it was difficult to practice Chinese conversation because at my university and at home there are very few Chinese people. So, I found some Chinese friends online to practice writing and speaking with. In China I was able to meet three of these friends (Lily, of course I want to visit you too! Thanks for sending me the present!)

这是我的好朋友Kate。她在北京是一个学生。
This is my good friend Kate. She is a student in Beijing.

这是我的朋友Jade。她在深圳工作。
This is my friend Jade. She works in Shenzhen.

吃很多东西！ Eat lots of food!

啊，我爱中餐！我的美国朋友担心每天吃中餐会没有意思。不对，其实中餐很丰富多样，很好吃！菜比美国也便宜很多！我很怀念中餐！我可能最喜欢吃烤鸭了。

Ah, I love Chinese food! My American friends worried that eating Chinese food every day would get boring. That’s not true at all though, actually Chinese food as a lot of variation, all the dishes are different and they’re all delicious! The food is so much cheaper than in America as well! I think roast duck might be my favorite. img_20161123_101142_hdr

茶
Tea

热的荔枝汁
Hot litchi juice

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找到数学工作

虽然我在大学学习了两年汉语，但是其实我学习的是数学专业。虽然我很喜欢孩子也觉得教英语很有意思，但是我也很喜欢我的专业，想找到关于数学的工作（不是数学老师的工作，是统计学的工作！）。虽然去中国以前我没有计划，但是在北京我找到了Paires公司，做了一个月的统计学实习工作！

Although I studied Chinese language at university for two years, my major was actually math. Although I really like children and think teaching English is interesting, I also really like what I majored in and want to find a job doing math (not a math teaching job, a job in statistics!). Although I didn’t have any plans before I went to China, I found a company in Beijing called Paires and spent a month there doing a statistics internship! img_20161209_190437_hdr

虽然我回到了美国，但是我当然想回中国。在中国我还想…

Although I returned to the US, of course I want to go back to China. In China I still want to…

-学太极

Learn Tai Chi

-在公园里跟老人一起打麻将

Play Mahjong with old people in the park

-和拜访我的好朋友。我很喜欢我的中国朋友们！

and visit my Chinese friends. I really miss my Chinese friends!

Hangzhou Dancing Video Compilation

Posted on December 15, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I share some epic/adorable video footage I recorded in Hangzhou while I was staying with my first Chinese host family

Everbody takes videos on their phone, but sharing them takes a conscious effort. I compiled these three way back from my stay in Hangzhou this summer.

Of the three videos in the compilation, the first and last are from Jonny’s kindergarten graduation (every class performed some sort of dance routine, though neither of these videos was Jonny’s class). The middle full-length dance was from a rehearsal. Lisa (my host mother) has a sister who dances competitively with her dance team. We attended several of their practices while we were staying with the grandparents on the countryside of Anji. Fun times!

For more stories about dancing in China, check out my Plaza Dancing post.

Matcha Treasure Hunt

Posted on December 15, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I try a new method of sharing food virtually (which still falls short of lickable screens).

Hello there! I finished my Au Pair contract and I’m back in the U.S. (for Christmas!). However, that means that I have access to Youtube OH GLORIOUS DAY!! ahm… which means that I can share a couple videos I was experimenting on making but couldn’t share when I was in China. Take a look, see what you think!

Temple of Moon Park 月坛公园

Posted on December 7, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I visit the one remaining element-themed temple park on my bucket list, master all four elements and become the Avatar (maybe not that last part…)

Well, I did it. I’ve visited the Temple of Heaven, Earth, Sun, and now Moon. This last one is perhaps the least famous and barely makes it onto the tourist map (and probably never the itinerary) but I love Chinese parks so I had to visit before I leave Beijing.

I finally visited the last temple park, Temple of Moon!

The park was pretty darn small, more like a double courtyard than a full park. Only one kuai as the entrance fee (about 16 cents) and according to the informational poster at the entrance, all the original relics got destroyed and the ancient trees cut down during the revolution and other conflicts. All the current structures are restorations.

All the yellow leaves have fallen, but they’re still nice to look at.

Gate to the alter. As in the Temple of Sun park this was completely closed off.

Bell tower has great acoustics, as several musicians in the park discovered.

The Bell Tower has great acoustics, as several musicians in the park have discovered.

Aha, there is an accessible structure in the park! Notice the kids down in the waterbed who’s parents completely ignored the “don’t climb over the railing” sign.

These walkways remind me of the Summer Palace

Lantern dressed in red

Many pavilions were scattered throughout the park. All are reconstructions and have unique moon-related names according to the map at the park entrance.

I didn’t come to the park for the relics, though. I came for the atmosphere. In this I was not disappointed. The plaza dancing was exceptionally fun to watch, the regular hobbyist musicians, Tai Chi masters, chess players and ping pong champs were busy at work. The walled structures everywhere gave the feel of an almost European-style courtyard which I liked.

Old women giving this lady some pointers.

She’ll show you how it’s done!

It was a crisp morning, but a good day for a walk in the park. Except for novelty’s sake I wouldn’t say visiting this particular park was worth the 13 subway stop journey. As far as Chinese parks go (and there are at least a hundred in Beijing) it’s not spectacularly unusual. However, it is true that some of the best parts of Beijing (or anywhere) are sometimes the places recommended by no one. Sometimes I just take any place on the map as a destination (no matter how obscure) and use it as a guide to venture into a new part of the city.

If you intentionally plan the destination to a non-thrilling scene, does it make it easier to enjoy the journey? Do low expectations make it easier to notice and appreciate the little things?

Pizza for breakfast, anyone?

Posted on December 3, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I finally try out Pizza Hut’s breakfast menu

I’ve touched on Chinese pizza before, but now I’ve expanded my experiences to include sit down dinning at Dominoes and the gourmet breakfast menu at Pizza Hut.

Dominoes

Oh no, Dominoes has infiltrated China too…. oh yes. I’ve gotta try it!

Not as fancy as most of the other foreign fast food chains I’ve seen, but hey, I’m not even sure I’ve ever enjoyed Dominoes pizza inside the restaurant itself. I thought they only did takeout orders. I wanted to order something that was tailored to Chinese taste buds and probably would never appear on an American menu. There were several options.

Ah yes, that crispy chicken with Chinese sweet potato sauce. A winning combination!

The chicken was tasty, the sauce was interesting but (like most breads I've tasted in China) just a little too sweet. My only regret, though, is that I forgot to get stuffed crust.

The chicken was tasty, the sauce was interesting, and the tomato and pineapple were a nice touch. However (like most breads I’ve tasted in China) the combination was just a little too sweet. My only regret, though, is that I forgot to get stuffed crust. Pretty good I’d say!

img_20161029_133222_hdr

A fleet of pizza delivery bikes parked outside

Mural inside Dominoes

Pizza Hut (for Breakfast!)

Pizza Hut proudly boasts their breakfast menus on the signs out front. Now that I think about it, Pizza Hut probably does a lot of breakfast business in the U.S. However, I didn’t expect cold leftovers to be front-and-center on their breakfast menu, though. What do they have for breakfast? Is it pizza?

Ham and egg sandwich slices and a glass of milk tea. Superb!

Ham, cheese, and egg sandwich slices and a glass of milk tea. Superb!

What I got handed by the waitress was the closest thing to a Western breakfast menu as I’ve ever seen in China (and no pizza at all). Aside from the milk tea the menu had normal Western breakfast items like omelettes, toast, pancakes, etc. This might not seem monumental if you don’t know how different a Chinese breakfast is from a Western one. Most Chinese breakfast tables feature rice or bean porridge, boiled eggs, steamed vegetables and buns, and maybe some sausage.

I still can’t get over the fact that this is Pizza Hut in its Chinese incarnation!

So, is there a moral to the story? Always experiment with fusion fast food, and if your stuck in China and craving a “normal” breakfast, go to Pizza Hut!

Temple of Sun Park 日坛公园

Posted on December 3, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I recount my next step on my quest to master the four elements

My inner fangirl for Avatar：The Last Airbender (which I have mentioned on numerous occasions at this point) compels me to visit all four element-themed temple parks in Beijing. I visited the Temple of Heaven with my study abroad group when I first arrived in China back in May (but the photos are trapped in my digital camera’s internal memory for the time being), I already posted about my visit to the Temple of Earth, and now I’ll share pictures from a few weeks ago from my visit to the even less popular Temple of Sun. How do I know it’s even less famous? The alter and temple were closed off to visitors and there wasn’t even a park entrance fee at the main gate.

Beautiful autumn colors

Mural of an ancient sacrifice ceremony

A rainbow of sunny warm colors

More closed doors, but a chance to admire the dragon gate.

The doorway was closed off to visitors, but the stone lions guarding the gate offered an interesting photo perspective.

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Each panel has a different painted scene.

My walk took me across the shallow pond and up a stone path.

img_20161029_115824_hdr img_20161029_115720_hdr

Such a tranquil place

Beijing turns yellow in November

The entrance to the alter itself is closed off.

A peak through the slats in the door shows me that it’s basically identical to the one at Temple of Earth. Still would have been nice to go in though.

I passed a strange scene on my way back to the subway station: four people holding the corners of a blanket and poking the branches of a tall tree with a stick.

I’m not sure exactly what these things are, but they insisted that they could be cooked and eaten and offered to send some home with me, which I declined. (This one got busted from falling out of a tree, not from being eaten)

So, that does it for the Temple of Sun Park. Only one left: Temple of the Moon.

Temple of Earth Park 地坛公园

Posted on December 3, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I visit one of the less-famous temples in Beijing

You know, the less-famous attractions might be my favorite. Less (or no) tour groups, smaller entrance fees, peace and quiet just like a park should be.

There are four parks preserving ancient sacrificial alters in Beijing. The Temple of Heaven is the most impressive but thus the only one anyone’s heard about. However, there is also a Temple of Earth, Temple of Sun, and Temple of Moon. The Temple of Earth is walking distance from where I go for my Mandarin class. The air quality in Beijing fluctuates wildly so when the air is good and the sun is shining, you shouldn’t waste the opportunity! This is a delayed post but I wanted to share some pictures from my after class stroll through the Temple of Earth Park.

It was a great day just to take a nap on a park bench and listen to the guy a few benches down practicing his saxophone. So many retirees come to the park to practice instruments or Tai Chi or dancing or whatever. It’s a great atmosphere.

Fan dance practice

Cute Asian child vs pigeons

Relics aside, I love the aesthetic of the park itself

The park itself is nice enough, but the name comes from the ancient sacrificial altar and adjacent temple on the park grounds. There was an extra fee to get in, but I figured it was what I came to see.

Looking out at the altar. Such a huge open space! I pretty much had the place to myself.

Looking back from the altar.

3 gates

I spy a dragon!

Nomnomnom

Let’s face it: I paid 15元 to get into a oversized patio surrounded by walls. Even though there wasn’t much to see I walked around the entire space to try to justify the entry ticket. Got some cool pictures anyway!

Temple for sacrifice preparation(?) Costed extra so I did what everyone else was doing and just took picture through the gate.

So, in conclusion… I don’t know, I didn’t really have a point with this post except to post some serene Autumn pictures. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Chinese urban parks are the best!

Beijing Trampoline Park

Posted on December 2, 2016 by melissagold11

In which I go do an energetic and childish activity without the kids and bounce off the walls (literally).

One of the advantages of living in a big city is that there’s an indoor trampoline park, but an advantage of living in a ridiculously huge city is that you get to price compare trampoline parks. Ha! Visiting a trampoline park is something I’ve wanted to try for a while and I finally convinced two friends to go with me, Kate and Yue.

Our first objective after traveling across town was to get lunch. We decided on a restaurant specializing in food from Hunan Province.

Ah, yes. The comfort of beef and potatoes on a cold day transcends cultures!

Slightly over-salted but nonetheless delicious fish.

After a not-too-heavy lunch we headed to the trampoline park. Basically a trampoline park is just an indoor place space where the floor and walls are all trampolines! The one we visited also had basketball hoops, a climbing wall, and a foam pit. We were the only adults there besides parents and staff, but that’s ok! (I can blend in, right?)

This was my birthday party as far as I’m concerned ^-^

Excited to get started! I’ve got one hour to spend all my energy. Ready, set, GO!

The floor and walls are trampolines, meaning you can jump from one trampoline to the next. These should replace sidewalks! One of my goals is to learn how to use the wall trampolines for bouncing. Mostly they just get used as slides.

Kate got swallowed by the foam pit. There were trampoline spring pads on one end (great for practicing flips if you’re afraid of falling on your head!) and a rock climbing wall on the other side (no harness needed).

Falling off a rock wall isn’t supposed to be this much fun.

Yue and I couldn’t figure out what these baby trampolines for doing there. How could you ever go back to using those now???

After a solid hour of jumping my friends were exhausted but when I saw this all stamina limitations were forgotten. Unfortunately my hard-earned Dance Dance Revolution skills did not carry over to this way more complicated game variation… the machine is epic-looking though!

Post-jumping ice cream at Chinese Dairy Queen. I got a Tiramisu Oreo Blizzard and Yue got an Almond Green Tea ice cream cone.

Post-jumping ice cream at Dairy Queen. I got a Tiramisu Oreo Blizzard and Yue got an Almond Green Tea ice cream cone.

We sat and talked for a long time, then called it a night and headed home to shower. I had a lot of fun and would definitely recommend visiting a trampoline park!

White Rice

Monthly Archives: December 2016

回看我的中国计划China Checklist Review

Hangzhou Dancing Video Compilation

Matcha Treasure Hunt

Temple of Moon Park 月坛公园

Pizza for breakfast, anyone?

Temple of Sun Park 日坛公园

Temple of Earth Park 地坛公园

Beijing Trampoline Park