28/09/08: Eason Chan Live Concert!

Tonight we went to see Eason Chan live at Beijing's Worker's Stadium. Eason Chan is a leading Hong Kong cantopop star*.

A natural showman and entertainer, Eason's vibrant performance was full of energy. His song's were primarily sung in Cantonese (Eason's mother tongue) but were also accompanied by a number of Mandarin songs and even the occasional English song.

Eason is certainly a talented performer and gave an engaging performance, but from my perspective at least, there were a number of differences from typical UK concerts...

...and I suppose a question worth asking is how does a China manage such large gatherings of people?

<...Return soon to see here soon for video highlights of the concert and more commentary!>

Traditional Name - 陳奕迅
Simplified Name - 陈奕迅
Pinyin - Chén Yìxùn


* 'Cantopop' = Cantonese (southern Chinese dialect) pop music

Check him out! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eason_chan

27/09/08: The Summer Palace / 颐和园

Today we visited the beautiful Summer Palace [颐和园], a short journey just to the northwest of Tsinghua campus.

We were only there for a couple of hours, but definitely had an extremely pleasant trip!

Return soon for pictures of our trip and more description!

Check it out! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace

Diary Entry 23/9/08: First Day of Class

So finally we begin classes! Following a grueling placement test that took place last Friday at 8:30 am, I've been suitably allocated to an upper beginner/ lower intermediate class. The classes contain around 16 people from a variety of countries; mainly Japanese, South Korean, American, Australian and a few Europeans. I'm the only English person. All the classes are conducted entirely in Chinese, with "ok" being the only English ever spoken - quite intimidating right? Not to mention most classes begin at 8:30 too! We have four hours a day, followed by homework and optional private tuition. Over the next few days we will finalise our class schedules, buy books etc. It seems Tsinghua will be very much a work hard/ play hard culture. However, unexpectedly, given an upcoming Chinese holiday, we will have next week off! Students are currently making arrangements for trips away - and over the next couple of days I will too. In other news, I bought a dinner card for which I was miffed to find that I'll be charged 15% of the value I'll ever load it... "admin costs" apparently. Despite the initial purchases cost of the card and the deposit! One thing I've learned here is to beware hidden charges... they're everywhere!

So Far... So Good?

Almost two weeks in and no blog posts? This doesn't make sense! Could it be that my "elementary" Chinese was insufficient to arrange an internet connection with the IT office? Or even so elementary that I was unable to arrange a taxi from Beijing Airport! - and for two weeks I've been stranded, literally living out of a suitcase? But wait- I had a phrase book. So, you may then wonder, could it be that One Jasmine Tea has already been censored for politically sensitive content? Or just plainly censored... for bad content. So unimpressed by my recent bland content they thought it was in the greater good that I be prevented from uploading anymore! More likely than the first explanation, I admit, but fortunately not! ...Yet, at least.

So Far...

In truth, these few days have gone like tickets to the Olympic closing ceremony - quickly! Things have been eventful and only now, on a quiet Sunday morning do I find time to relax and reflect on my time so far. What is clear to me is that such an experience is not simple. Different country, different city, different university, different culture and different people from such a variety of backgrounds means that the detail of daily life is varied and unpredictable. Everyday presents opportunities and challenges.

Some things you enjoy; the intense socializing typical of freshers that brings together students from so many nationalities, backgrounds, mindsets that connects you with local students eager to meet international students. The excitement of exploring a new city, especially one as large and historic as Beijing. It's culture, cuisine, people, nightlife and history all serve to fascinate. The daily bike rides around a campus as beautiful as Tsinghua and the thrill of navigating through the perils of Beijing traffic.

Others present challenges. The uncertainty and volatility of daily life. The frustration of not knowing fluent Chinese and thus the inability to engage fluently with local friends. The restricted access to hot showers! The difficulties of reading a menu and ordering food. And again the perils of Beijing traffic!

More detailed accounts of my experiences including visits to the Olympic venues, historical sites and general daily life to come!

So Good?

To describe my time bluntly as either good or bad or some crude combination of the two would not do justice to the variety, range and volatility of experience I've had so far. Things are unpredictable, so some things you enjoy where others provide a greater challenge and often require time. Uncertainty is exciting, but surely unsettling. This week I begin class and with it I will obtain a routine and a structure around which I'll come to forge a lifestyle, establish a degree of predictability and come to understand my life here for the next half a year.

Whether good or bad, things will certainly be interesting and I'm already excited. I'll keep the site updated with more written blogs and I'm working on uploading some videos- hope to see you here again soon.

Wishes from Beijing and 再见,
Harry