By Jessica Atwater
December 2008
As for the train ride, no crazy stories, it was surprisingly manageable. However, it started off a little rough due to the sick. My stomach hurt so badly that morning I actually thought to myself, "shouldn't have taunted death by writing 'I evaded death twice, ow tummy..." So I slept like the first four hours of the train ride. When I finally woke up I made myself some lunch and talked to a couple girls and a guy in his thirties that were in my little fangzi (room)--and of course everyone in the immediate area was listening/watching. We talked for a while, and they complimented me very highly by saying that "you don't sound like a foreigner, you sound like one of us." A man who walked by selling tacky waterfall holograms, however, apparently did not hear this and tried to sell me some of his stuff starting out with "chou chou ren," which translates as “smelly person.” Thank you sir, I know I need a shower. The other people laughed and said, 'ta ting de dong,' (she understands). That’s right I ting de dong. And then he laughed and walked away, it was a little awkward, but not too bad.
Anyway, I ended up making friends with one of the girls, she was on the shang po (top bunk) across from me. After lunch I slept a bunch again and watched a movie with English subtitles, but then later I talked with her again about Christmas, seeing as it was Christmas Eve. I guess in China everybody celebrates on Christmas Eve by going out shopping, guang jie[ing] (walking the streets), and eating apples. My friend asked me if everyone in America eats apples on Christmas Eve, of course they don't and I asked her why she wanted to know. I guess here Christmas Eve is called Ping An Ye, apparently pingguo de ping, so people eat apples. I told her in the US if we eat any special fruit it's oranges and tangerines, but not apples. She laughed and said that in China, Christmas is just a trend, people, including herself, think it's really romantic. I told her that it is very different in the US, has to do with religion, tradition, and family mostly, and that it's not really about romance, but that it is very renao (lively).
Luckily I slept in late the next day and then just chatted with my friend until we got to Beijing, after which we walked to the subway together (because I knew my way around better than she did cause she’s from Liaoning) and then she hugged me goodbye and said 'I won't forget you.' It was very cute. Hopefully she finds me on facebook, but who knows.
After that I just went to Gretta’s hostel and got myself a dorm room--with three other men, which I thought wasn't allowed in China, but it's been ok so far--and then took my badly, badly needed shower. I had hoped to go to Lush for a 15 kuai ham bao bao (hamburger) but I took too long in my much deserved shower, and so just went to Sichuan (aka Chengdu restaurant in my Xizhimenwai). It was a little weird not running into anyone I know, but it was nice to be back in the neighborhood. Our hostel is just in Xinjiekou, so it's like a 15 min. bus ride back over there.
Later Gretta's parents took us, Wang Ying, Chun Qing, and Wu Tao out for Beijing roast duck Christmas dinner, it was really fun. Gretta's parents are very nice and very curious about Gretta's friends. They also gave Wang Ying a stocking with her name on it, it was adorable. It was cool watching Gretta translate for her parents, they were very impressed. And I got to hear Wang Ying, Chun Qing, and Wu Tao speak more English than I'd heard them speak all semester. I'm glad I got to see all of them again. It was a very different, but enjoyable Christmas.
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