Things are getting easier (and my grades are getting better) now that we have adjusted and know what to expect. This week was even harder than the first to get through though in some ways, partially because of post-adjustment anxiety/excitement slump and partially because we spent three days on the same text (usually it takes two days maximum), and that particular text was all about speed-reading at 150 words/minute, which gets annoying and boring after a while since every paragraph eventually ends up saying the same thing. Also, we took a practice HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi aka the Chinese version of TOEFL) on Monday, which for me was easily one of the hardest tests of my life (especially running on 5 hours of sleep =_= ) and thus put a damper on the rest of the week in terms of self-esteem and energy. On the flip side, it's hard to imagine we've only been here two weeks because it feels like months... and it's equally hard to realize that we're already almost a quarter of the way through.
Xiu Shui:
On Saturday we went to Xiu Shui (also known as Silk Market), which is probably Beijing's most famous shopping area for knockoffs and souvenirs. In a way I liked Ya Xiu better because it's not as run-over with tourists, but in general my conclusion is that I'm not that good at bargaining because I'm too nice and I'm actually willing to pay more than I should be able to get things for so I don't start low enough. Plus, haggling tires me out and I don't care enough about the difference between 50 and 60 kuai since that's the equivalent to arguing about $1. The idea is to still do it because it's not the money, it's the game! So hopefully I'll just keep learning the tricks, toughening my skin, and do better next time. And just in case my parents are freaking out right now about me spending so much money - it's ok because I don't end up getting very much since everything requires so much time and energy to bargain for (hence the need for multiple trips). Plus, I need to capitalize on the RMB/USD imbalance before the exchange rate drops too much 0=)
Beijing Opera (京剧）:
Saturday evening HBA took us to see Beijing Opera, which was remarkably enjoyable. We sat around at tables to drink tea, eat snacks, and socialize during the show - a setup that Feng Laoshi described as being similar to American customs at baseball games, except I think all the students agreed that analogy is a bit of a stretch. Beijing Opera is famously difficult to understand and strange for foreigners to listen to, but the costumes were spectacular and the acrobatics impressive. I personally also get a big kick out of how theatrical and steeped in tradition Beijing Opera is. The show we watched was some minor segment of 西游记, so I was reminded immensely of the music/artistry of the cartoon version I loved watching when I was little.
(The guy who poured our tea did a little wushu demo before each serving, which made him an instant favorite.)
(The actors putting on makeup before the show.)
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