Day 33- I'm on a Boat

WARNING- I haven’t been dead for the past week and some change. I just didn’t have access to my blog in China (Repressed by the government. Curses!) so I’m transferring my blog posts from my journal to blogger and adding pictures. AS SUCH, in order to get a good grasp of the time line…GO TO DAY 31 FOR THE START OF CHINA OTHERWISE YOU WILL MISS OUT ON SOME PRETTY INTERESTING STUFF. Ahem. So there.

So, breakfast as usual and walk to class at 9 AM. This is the usual format and it was a bit annoying as we really didn’t learn too much that mattered. We learned some Chinese symbols but the lesson was structured such that it was just throwing information at us rather than walking us through writing it. It just was unpleasant. Eh, but life moved on and lunch- which was cutlet of chicken and rice with curry sauce was fantastic.

On a side note, I have really been assimilated into the Jim/Nancy/Libby/Campbell/Miranda group right now. I don’t know how it happened, but I like the feeling of being a part of it. Of course, my feelings for Miranda may be clouding that. But it’s just nice to be in a group with other people who are from your area and know little regional stuff that you can reference, like Cleveland sports sucking and the like.

As for today’s field trip, we went to this traditional Chinese road area, which while it was traditional and I respect that, the area looked like it was out of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, sans guns and soldiers, though there were probably close by. There was rubble and refuse all over the place and it looked like none of the buildings were really up to code…or had been for years.

Anyways, the real reason we came here (and it was a decent one was to visit a Chinese traditional opera house. Now, Chinese traditional opera is much much different than the Western opera that involves obese women singing Wagner. No, basically the actors walk on stage, speak in incredibly high voices and walk around (yes, I said that twice). The stories that we watched (there were two of them) involved a magical monkey who could do stuff (mostly just walk around with a stick) and some kind of love story between a princess and a prince that took place in a dream world.
Here's the monkey:

And the love story:

And me failing at posing with the actors after the play:

>


It was interesting, though not necessarily entertaining. I'm glad I experienced it though. It was definitely different than anything I have experienced. The costumes were really amazing and the acting was...different, but why not experience it at least once, right?

We exited the opera house for some "traditional snacks of China" which looked like items from episodes of Fear Factor. I wanted to take pictures, but did not out of respect. I was at a table with Nadia (forgot to mention her in the previous post, whoops), Nancy and Jim. I was adventurous and took a few bites. It was alright, but nothing I would've freely chosen to eaten.

Jim called Tony over and asked him what we were eating. Tony just shrugged and said he didn't know, that it looked disgusting and that 'normal' Chinese people don't eat that kind of food. I laughed (as did our table, a bit uneasily). Normal Chinese people don't eat this crap? Haha. So, then why are we?

On the way out, I let Nadia walk in front of me (we were going towards the same door frame and I gestured for her to walk in front of me). She said (honestly) "Ah, what a gentleman."

I have a long history with that word- 'gentleman.' Specifically that it seems to have connotations with someone incredibly old fashioned and a bit set in his ways. I explained this to Nadia and that saying that calling me that made me sound like I was from the 1950s. She claimed that I was wrong and that girls like guys with manners. I somewhat bitterly replied that I didn't feel that was the case. I honestly feel though the chivalry that I was raised to uphold has been squarely shishkabobbed by high heels and it is, for all intents and purposes, is dead. It's frustrating, so I had a bad relationship with that word.

Miranda, who had been walking right in front of us, whirled around (she wasn't part of the conversation prior) and replied that "generally the girly girls do" like manners before looking forward and departing the conversation.

I was stunned by the quick interjection of Miranda, though this didn't faze the very stereotypical blonde Nadia, who continued on to say that she (Nadia) doesn't consider herself a girly girl (she is) but that she still appreciates manners. The conversation shifted, but I was left deep in thought.

First off, why had Miranda suddenly hopped into the conversation (and if she was one of the "girly girls")? That's not really important. Secondly, why do I fight and be bitter about what I naturally am? So what if I hold doors open for girls if they are close enough or give my subway seat to the older man walking in? Never mind that it's supposedly outdated...doing those things is a part of who I am and I shouldn't given it up even if society things I shouldn't. I know it sounds preachy, but I learned a good deal from her saying that. How odd.

It should be duly noted that Nadia just continued rambling on in some other facet of conversation, completely oblivious to the mental puzzle that she threw me into. Typical.

We later walked around the street of Pingjang which were kinda run down but looked interesting (pictured to the left) and ate dinner at a buffet style restaurant. I had a few interesting items- bamboo (it was alright, nothing fantastic), ox tongue (excellent!), duck (not bad, but not too much meat on the bone) and the ilk.

Later, since Suzhou is pretty much considered the Venice of the East due to its abundance of rivers and canals. My pictures didn't turn out fantastic, but that's alright. We were treated to some traditional Chinese music with people in period clothing (though which period, I do not know) playing old instruments. It was really cool and in retrospect possibly the best part of China (I'm writing this a week or so later). So...yeah. I was on a boat. Tee hee. If you don't get the reference, just search for "I'm on a boat" (be prepared for foul language but an amazing song).

-Reven