Global Colgate

Zurich and Prague!

Hallo! I am now in Weimar, but before I write about all the places we’ve visited in the past week and a half, an update on the skiing in Sils-Maria (in the Swiss Alps) is needed. Four of us from the group, as well as Professor Baldwin’s daughter, went for an afternoon. It was very easy to rent the gear, and it was a very short bus ride to the Gondolbahn (gondola) which took us up the mountain. The views were absolutely stunning. We spent a couple of hours skiing on the “lower” runs, and then took a second Gondolbahn all the way up to the very peak of the mountain.

Absolutely spectacular- I really can’t describe it, so I’ve posted a photo. It felt like being on top of the world, literally. And the skiing was awesome! Most of us hadn’t skied in a couple of years, but we all managed to get down the slope. Overall, a wonderful afternoon.

We were only in Sils for one more day after that, which we spent in class and walking around on the lake (which is completely frozen over). Lots of people were cross-country skiing, and I also saw several people either skiing or snowboarding, but being propelled by kites. It looked like so much fun! Definitely on my to-do list. The next day, it was back on the train, and on to Zurich…

Daffodil Season

On Wednesday our class took a day trip to Cambridge.  Cambridge is a wonderful college town that reminds me of Bath.  The old churches and buildings that line the streets give the town its character.  We visited a few of the colleges in the area and learned some of the history behind them.  Our tour guide told us that Cambridge is exactly eight-hundred years old.  We walked past a small bridge on the Cam River (Cam for Cambridge).  The banks of the river were lined with daffodils; it was incredibly picturesque.

We passed by the pub where Watson and Crick publicized their discovery of DNA and saw an apple tree that is planted outside of the room that Newton lived in while at Trinity College.  Our class saw the Corpus Clock, which is a huge gold disk that shows the passage of time through tick marks in the gold.  A giant grasshopper sits on top of the clock and "eats away time."  Love the metaphor.  

Spring Break!

Hi everyone!

Sorry I havn’t written in so long. In the last three weeks we have had finals, a trip to Rome for an Economics Conference, and our spring break. I went to Edinburgh, Dublin, and Killarney. I’ve been in so many countries and seen so many things and I’ve basically been living out of a suitcase so it is very nice to be back in London. This week the Economics students also started our internships. So every Monday and Wednesday from now on we will be working at a variety of banks and other institutions.

Where to begin!?

Once we finished our mid-term and final exam the week before spring break, we rushed home to finish packing and then it was off to the airport. We flew to Rome for a three day Conference. We heard Professors from all over the world present their research before it is to be published. Our group director, Professor Sparber, presented his research as well. We went to many group dinners which were really fun and we all enjoyed the traditional Italian food. We went on a tour of the Vatican, the City at night, and the Colosseum. I also got to spend some time with one of my room-mates from Colgate, Julia, who is abroad in Rome.

   

(Julia and I at the Colosseum) (Ross Castle in Killarney, Ireland) (Sheep! They were everywhere!)

On Sunday, we all parted ways to begin our Spring breaks. I first went to Edinburgh and then traveled to Ireland. In Ireland we went to Dublin and County Kent, which is in the South West part of the country. Killarney, where we stayed in Kent, is a picturesque Irish town surrounded by mountains, sheep, lakes, and the Atlantic Ocean just to the West. We had the most amazing time driving around the “Ring of Kerry,” a road that takes you on a scenic view of the ocean and through the mountains.  We boated through the Killarney National Park with a tour, and trekked 7 miles through the Gap of Duloe, which was the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. On Saturday night we watched the final two matches in the 6 Nations Rugby tournament. In the final match, Ireland won! It was really fun to be in Ireland on that day because the Irish had not won the 6 Nations in 61 years!

This past Sunday we returned to London with stories to trade and internships to begin on Monday morning. Our jobs will keep us pretty busy for the next few weeks, but I am really looking forward to it.

Until next time,

Jess

Lots of stones

    Yesterday, I went on a day trip with my study group.  Our first stop was Stonehenge.  Prior to the visit, I knew very little about Stonehenge, so it was fortunate that there was an audio guide.  Stonehenge, meaning “hanging stones” was, according to some legends, built by the Druids.  There are many myths behind the structure, some which involve Merlin or aliens or evil forces.  The alignment of the stones also has astronomical significance and the way the light falls on the stones signifies the time of the year.

    The next stop was Salisbury, where we had lunch at an Indian buffet then made our way to the Salisbury Cathedral.  The cathedral was simply massive and the architecture was very impressive.  I must say it was probably my favorite cathedral I’ve ever seen.  The cathedral also housed the Magna Carta, an agreement that influenced the development of many later constitutional documents, including the U.S. Constitution.

Sydney...again!

Uni has started and it has been somewhat difficult to get into the swing of things. My classes all have their major assignments due at the end of the semester so right now, all I have is reading. Sometimes it gets a little difficult to get that reading done because there are so many things to do and explore here! I get it done, though...it just takes a little longer than it should sometimes. :)

For the past two weekends, I have gone to Sydney. Last weekend, I went to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and to see a Coldplay concert. The Bridge Climb was incredible. It sounds difficult but essentially, all you do is climb a lot of stairs (1437 to be exact!). Once you get to the top, you get the most incredible view of the Opera House and the Sydney skyline. Climbing the bridge was a lot of fun and I would recommend it to anyone who finds themself in Sydney. The Coldplay concert I went to was in Olympic Park. It was really cool to be there knowing that almost 9 years ago, all sorts of Olympic athletes had competed there. The concert was also really good! Coldplay had performed earlier that day at Sound Relief, a benefit concert for the bushfires in Melbourne but they were still able to put on an amazing concert for us that evening!

Best Spring Break Ever

I just returned from the most amazing spring break of my life.  My friend and I spent the week travelling around Italy.  We started out in Rome.  We immediately visited the Coliseum.  We got a breathtaking first impression as we walked out of the metro station and saw the immense ruins right in front of us!  We took a guided tour of the Coliseum and learned all kinds of interesting trivia.  I was surprised to hear that there were women gladiators and that 500,000 humans and animals were killed throughout the Coliseum's history, for example.  We also visited the nearby palatino and forum, which are ruins of an ancient palace, temple and senate buildings. 

Later, we visited the Pantheon.  The classical design is incredibly impressive.  There is a hole at the top of the dome, so when it rains the water comes into the building and drains through holes in the marble floor.  

In the afternoon, we stumbled on the Trinita dei Monti (the Spanish Steps).  The weather was beautiful (I'm talking t-shirts) and the Steps were covered with tourists, gelatos in hand.  Speaking of gelato...it was everything I hoped it would be and more!  Later in the day we walked around several parks and it was wonderful to see the flowers in bloom. 

My friend and I also visited the Basilica.  We arrived early in the day before it was completely overrun with tourists.  We went inside and hiked up the approximately 525 stairs to the top of the dome.  The walk was well worth it, however.  The view of the city was amazing; we could even see mountains in the distance.  We also visited the Vatican Museum and admired the incredible works by Raphael and Michelangelo, of course.

Finally in Deutschland!

Guten tag! I have finally made it to Germany, and have been having a fantastic time so far. We spent the first few days exploring Freiburg, a relatively small university town in south-west Germany, where we will be living for about four months, after our first month of traveling. We arrived on Sunday (the 15th) and Professor Baldwin, our German professor from Colgate, picked us all up from the Hauptbahnhof (train station). There are six Colgate students, and one student from Hamilton College. Because we would only be spending a few days in Freiburg before packing our bags for the month-long travel portion, we did not yet move in to the dorms where we will be living. Instead, we took the Strassenbahn (street car) to the place where we would be staying. It was not quite a hotel, but more similar to a dorm- we each had our own room and bathroom. It was the perfect set up for everyone to get over their jet-lag.

On Monday, our first full day, we started out at the Carl-Schurz Haus, which is the German-American institute in Freiburg. They welcomed us to Freiburg with doughnuts and coffee, and talked to us about their programs, and Freiburg in general. The program director, Uta Schroeder, was an intructor at Colgate, so she was very excited to meet us. Another highlight of the day was a walk to the Schlossbergturm, which is a tower on top of a hill. We could see all of Freiburg, and even all the way to France! It was absolutely gorgeous. Professor Baldwin pointed out major landmarks, as well as the Vauban (the dorms where we’ll be living) and the university buildings. On Monday we also had our first class. We are taking two German courses with Professor Baldwin, which we’ve started, and then when we return to Freiburg in April, we will take two courses of our choosing at the University of Freiburg. Already, in our classes with Professor Baldwin, we’ve discussed a bit of the very early Germanic history and some of Freiburg’s history as well. It has been great to be able to learn some of Freiburg’s history and culture while walking through the city. On Tuesday, we had another amazing view. We climbed to the top of the Muenster (Freiburg’s cathedral) in the middle of the Altstadt (old city). We were in the bell tower when the Glocken chimed- it was so loud! The views were stunning, again (although my legs were a bit sore from all of the climbing!).

Mud and Blood!

Where has the time gone?  Midterms have gone by and spring break is in just a few days!  In my history seminar this past week we were discussing memory.  The discussion made me wonder what I will remember about London years from now.  Poof! My plane came down from the clouds, the bus dropped me off at my flat doorstep, and I was magically here.  The massive city appeared willing to gobble me up at any moment.  Initially, even with my trusty A to Zed map book, London streets seemed unassailable.  I wouldn’t call it culture shock, though perhaps it had a resemblance.  After the first weekend away, my flatmates started to call our cozy dwelling home.  Maybe it was because everything beyond our door is so expansive and impersonal that we’ve adopted this flat as our own.  Half of the semester has already been a whirlwind of archival research, people, places, adventures, and more archival research.  I’ve fallen into a funny routine between classes and hanging out in the city.  Postcards, phone calls, and papers- all the things I should be doing keep piling up.  Time passes faster for adults because as we experience the world more, we lay down fewer memories.  Depressing, right? The older we get the faster our time seems to pass.  I would like to stop time for a while, especially while I’m here. 

The history group bonded some more this weekend as we went off-roading through the West country.  We traveled to Salisbury, Cerne Abbas, Lyme Regis, Cheddar, and Bath in only 2 days.

Thirteen students and Professor Cooper packed into the minivan and somehow we all survived.  It was a wet and wild weekend.  Ducks and daffodils were out in full force.  The grassy scent of spring was punctuated by mucky mud.  We drove by Stonehenge, waved, and pressed on to our real destinations.  Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral were the first tourist locales we could mentally check off our list.  The brilliant blue stained glass Prisoner of Conscience window in Salisbury was stunning. 

I had lunch at a pub where legend has it Churchill and Eisenhower met to plan the D-Day invasion.  At Cerne Abbas, we trudged through mud to get to a field with a bizarre chalk drawing from the 17^th century.  I cut my finger clutching onto a wire fence to keep from falling to a muddy death.  Professor Cooper found a small little tea shop for a cream tea.  A cream tea is just a tea time where you get tea, scones, jam, and clotted cream.  The clotted cream on top of the scone was delicious. 

The Past Two Weeks and Spring Break

Hi Everyone,

It has been a little while since I last posted so it's about time I got back to it.  Of course the football extravaganza continues but I have been to quite a few really nice places that deserve a mention.  Two Fridays ago I was in Whitstable and Canterbury.  The cathedral in Canterbury was very nice and it was different than the Durham and York cathedrals because you had to go through a checkpoint in order to get to the cathedral.  While it was not as big as York or Durham's that in no way diminishes its impressiveness.  Once again, I was astounded by the stained glass and its many colors and images.  Whitstable is a small town in Kent that I heard about from the NY Times travel section.  It had exactly what the article said it would have ... great food, walks, and conversations.  The coolest thing about the town was the pub the Old Neptune which is literally right on the beach.  You have the option to take your order outside and sit at wood picnic tables on the beach and look out at the North Sea.  It was very relaxing and an entirely different change of pace from London.

Last week was the history group's second group trip and, like the first one, it was a lot of fun.

Theater and the Courtauld

On Monday night our theater class saw The Berlin Hanover Express.  It was wonderful!  The play is about two Irish diplomats working in Berlin in 1942.  As they become more aware of the atrocities that are taking place in concentration camps, they argue about whether they should object.  Some of the major themes of the play are neutrality, conscience and duty.  There is the question of how far individuals should let things go before taking a stand.  The play offers fascinating insight into how people strive to uphold their morals in a society dominated by war and fear.

Our museum class visited the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House today.  Somerset House is an enormous classical style building that represents hundreds of years of English history.  In the 16th-century, it was a palace for the Duke of Somerset.  It was later used to house official visitors in London.  After a semi-restoration, Somerset House became the building used for government and the Royal Academy of the Arts.  In 1989, the Courtauld Institute moved into this space and established the gallery, which contains mostly impressionist and post-impressionist works.  I really enjoyed the paintings in this gallery, particularly the landscapes.  The Gallery has several famous pieces, including Picasso's "Yellow Irises."  The collection on display was small enough that I didn't feel overwhelmed; however, the artwork represented a wide range of styles and historic periods.

Southern Israel- Eilat and the Negev Desert

It has been a very hectic couple of weeks, as I have found myself traveling all over the country.  I spent the past two weekends in the south of Israel, getting a little taste of the Negev Desert.  A couple of weekends ago myself and a bunch of people on my program went down to Eilat, the southern most point of Israel.  It is a very fascinating place, on a clear day you can see Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the east and Egypt to the west.  Eilat is on the Red Sea, which has amazing species of fish and underwater life.  The first morning, we went snorkeling and got a great view of most of the flora and fauna.  The water is so clear, reminiscent of how water looks in the caribbean or other tropical destinations.

After returning from Eilat, we had our first week of regular classes following the month of ulpan.  The four-day week can be trying, but I am starting to appreciate the consistent three day weekends.  This past weekend we did an organized trip to the Negev Desert, where we went on numerous hikes and were able to see the beautiful scenery in the desert.  Some of the hikes were quite intense, as we found ourselves climbing down mountains without harnesses, something Israeli tour guides seem used to.  The last day, we also spent time at the Dead Sea and the Ein Gedi Oasis nearby.  Almost every place we went, there was some story from the bible that related to it.  It is amazing to consider the history that can be related to every destination.

Last night, Purim commenced in Israel, and I can honestly say I have never seen such a celebration in my life.  The streets of Tel Aviv were literally packed for blocks and blocks.  I'm guessing there had to be at least 15,000 people in the streets dancing and singing, everyone wearing ridiculous costumes.  Purim is basically Israel's halloween, giving everyone in the country an opportunity to dress up and have a good time.  

This coming weekend, I am looking forward to spending my first weekend in Tel Aviv in over a month..  Should be nice and relaxing without any death defying hikes through the desert.  I guess I'll just have to settle with beach and good food.

Until next time..

l

Beach...Class...Beach

So I know it's been a while since my first post, but in my defence, I do live only a few meters from a great beach so....ummm....let's just say I've been recovering from the jet-lag! It's my second week here down-under, and I just have to say that Australia is simply amazing! The laid-back lifestyle is just what I needed, and reminds me so much of life back home in the Caribbean. Everyone is really easy-going and genuinely friendly, and we have almost perfect weather every day! I guess I should recap my first two weeks here in Australia, including my first week of classes. The first week was orientation week (or O-Week as they call it here). Although I felt like I was a freshman all over again, it was a really great way for me to meet new people. I met people from all over Europe, Africa, Asia and of course lots of Australians. The study group took a trip to Canberra, the Australian capital (no the capital is not Sydney!) and we visited a war memorial, as well as the parliament building. Although the capital city is really small and seemingly under-populated, it was still a worthwhile experience.

The first week of classes were great! I have no classes on a Monday, so I have a nice, long, three day weekend! The atmosphere in all of my classes is really relaxed and completely the opposite of what I am accustomed to. The amazing thing about living here is that I can go to class in the morning, and then be back to my dorm by lunch, then head to the beach for the rest of the day! I have been to the beach probably every other day! This past weekend, me and a bunch of friends decided to go to Sydney for the Mardi Gras parade, and I have to say

that it was an amazing experience! There were literally hundreds of thousands of people all lining the streets of Sydney! It was a culturally rewarding experience to say the least! The great thing about the city of Wollongong is its location. The suburb we live in is relatively small, but there are tons of restaurants, a mall and lots of beaches all within walking distance! Wollongong is one and a half hours from Sydney by train, so I plan on heading there pretty regularly. Sydney is a really great city, one of my friends described it as a mix between Chicago and New York City. The following weekend the study group is supposed to take a trip to sydney to visit the world renowned Opera House, and one of the zoos. I'm pretty excited to see a kangaroo! I must say that the food here on campus is great! There are a ton of options at University, and the dining hall at my residence (Campus East) is surprisingly good! In fact we've eaten shark on multiple occasions now, and I found it amuzing that the American students couldn't believe that people ate shark (In the Caribbean it's as common as any other fish meal!). I'll keep you'll updated on things, but for now enjoy the picture of the beach near campus below!

The Big Pit and Hay-on-Wye

    Yesterday my study group took a trip to Blaenavon to visit the Big Pit, which is a historical coal-mining site.  We made a quick stop at the Ironworks first, where we saw the machines the workers used everyday and the cottages where they lived, which still contained all of their belongings.  Apparently, there was a British TV reality show at the Ironworks, where people experienced the life of a worker there and lived as they would have lived in that period.

    At the Big Pit, we put on hard hats, a headlamp, and a belt that carried a battery and emergency supply of oxygen.  We got on a lift that descended 300 feet into the mine.  Once down there, our guide walked us through the mine, which was dripping with water at spots and very low at others.  (Being short was definitely a plus)  Much of the tunnels in the mine were lined with iron and wood to keep the ceilings from collapsing.  Although the wood eased the pressure on the iron, it was also a fire hazard, so we had to leave all electronics behind (including cameras, which is why I haven’t posted any pictures of the mine).  When we came to one area where miners would have collected coal, I was surprised that the ceiling was so low.  The workers would have had to crouch while working, which I imagine would have taken quite a toll on their backs.  The ventilation was also terrible, so breathing the coal dust-filled air led to terrible cases of black lung. 

Spring in London

We've had absolutely beautiful weather in London this weekend.  It has been sunny for most of the day (a rarity here) and people have been out enjoying every minute.  My friends and I went for long walks in Regents Park, which is nearby.  One thing about the British is that they take their parks very seriously.  The landscape is pristine and there are fountains and gazebos around every corner.  Flowers are starting to bloom as well.

Yesterday we visited Camdentown, where there is a large outdoor market.  We walked along a small canal on one side of the market and went through about a mile of shops and outdoor tents. 

Our history class has a midterm on Tuesday that my classmates and I have been preparing for.  It is helpful, though, that the buildings that we study in class are all around us.  We are all looking forward to spring break next week, however.  I can't wait to travel all over Italy!

The National Assembly for Wales

    On Wednesday, my study group took a trip down to the Cardiff Bay to visit the National Assembly for Wales.  The National Assembly is the governmental body of Wales, which was founded in 1997 so that the Welsh could govern themselves rather than being governed by England.  The National Assembly doesn’t have all powers regarding Wales, however, as Parliament still does have considerable control over Welsh legislation.

    We got a tour of the National Assembly, which included sitting in on a meeting in the Senedd, which is the debating chamber.  From the seats above the debating chamber, we could see everything that was going on – if we couldn’t see the speaker because his back was to us, all we had to do was look at the screens in front of each seat, which showed the speaker.  As some of the MPs (members of Parliament, as the National Assembly members are called) spoke in Welsh, there were headphones connected to the screen with a continuous stream of translation from Welsh to English or from English to Welsh.

    The National Assembly system is incredibly transparent.  The public is allowed to sit in on any meeting that the National Assembly holds.  Not only that, but every meeting is recorded and available to view online.  This prevents any shifty activity, as all the MPs are very accountable for their actions and any legislation that is passed can be scrutinized by anyone who wishes to do so – nothing can be swept under the rug.  Although I’m no expert on the U.S. government, this sytem seems like a much more transparent and accountable system than that in the U.S.  Perhaps the U.S. has something important to learn from the Welsh.

Walk like an Egyptian...

Wild.

That's pretty much the only word I can use to describe Cairo.  Not "wild" a la New Orleans during Mardi Gras, but "wild" in terms of its culture, spirit, and overall hustle-bustle.  Think New York City on steroids (A-Rod included).

Canberra and Sydney

Greetings from down under! This past weekend was action packed for me. On Friday, I went on a class trip to Australia's capital, Canberra. We woke up nice and early and drove for about 3 hours before we reached Canberra. Our first stop was the War Memorial, a crucial part of Australian culture. Professor Quilton from the University went on the trip with us and helped us to understand the significance of the War Memorial. Many Australian men and women were lost during thewars of the 20th century and as Professor Quilton explained, the Australian national identity was born following the great losses of World War I. The memorial is a museum full of artifacts from the many wars that Australia has participated in. It also features many reconstructions of what certain battles looked like. In the middle of the building is the tomb of the unknown soldier. It is a beautiful building. After lunch, we headed to Parliament. We got a tour of the building. Much like the War Memorial, it is a beautiful building. Much of the interior of the building is made from imported marble which is quite breathtaking. We were able to see where the Senate and the House of Representatives meet. I really enjoyed my time in Canberra. As I have never been to Washington, D.C., my own nation's capital, it was very interesting to see what a capital city is like.

On Saturday morning, a group of friends and I headed into Sydney for the weekend. While Canberra is interesting from a historical and educational perspective, Sydney is just fun! I really enjoyed my time there. We started our time there by going to the Opera House. The Opera House is incredible. Over the course of the weekend, I probably took 25 or 30 photos of it because it is such a beautiful place. After standing in awe of the Opera House, we headed to the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World. Wildlife World features all of the creatures that you think of when you think about Australia: kangaroos, koalas, snakes, platypuses, echidnas, etc. I was ecstatic because I finally saw my first kangaroo. I loved every minute I spent at Wildlife World. The Aquarium was just as cool. We saw all sorts of fish, sharks, a few dugongs, manta rays, etc. The Aquarium and Wildlife World were the highlight of the weekend for me. The next day, we headed to Luna Park, an amusement park in Sydney. We had a blast going on the rides and taking in the beautiful view of the Sydney Harbor. Unfortunately, we had to head back to Wollongong after Luna Park but I will definitely be heading back to Sydney several times this semester. There are way too many things that Sydney has to offer; we could not possibly have covered it all in one weekend.  

Stonehenge and Bath

This weekend the Colgate English group went on a class trip to Stonehenge, Glastonbury and Bath.  It was fun to get out of the city itself and see some of the English countryside.  We were lucky at Stonehenge; the weather was sunny and not too cold.  After walking around the site for a bit, we headed to Glastonbury.  There is not much to see; it is a small town, but we did visit the Glastonbury Abbey.  Supposedly, this Abbey is the resting place of King Arthur and the Holy Grail.  This site also represents the birthplace of Christianity in England.  We walked around the ruins for a couple of hours before going to Bath.

On Saturday, our class took a walking tour of Bath.  Most of the buildings in this area are from the eighteenth-century.  It is still possible to see WWII damage from shrapnel on some of the buildings, which was very interesting.  As Bath is a place where wealthy English families have traditionally come on holiday, all of the historical sites are incredibly well-maintained.  We stood on the porch of Jane Austen's summer home and saw Nicholas Cage's weekend home (worth about $4 million).   

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd!

Tuesday was Pancake Day, so my flatmates and I decided to make pancakes for dinner.  In Wales, pancakes refer to what we Americans think of as crêpes, but I convinced my flatmates to make American pancakes.  Some had never had American pancakes before, and others remembered them as “really thick crêpes.”  We went to Tesco’s to get the ingredients and returned to our flat to make the pancakes with a recipe I found online. Upon seeing the batter, some of my flatmates were rather skeptical, but once the pancakes were done, they absolutely loved them.  It was definitely a success.

March 1st is Saint David’s Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi in Welsh) and is cause for much celebration in Wales, as Saint David is the patron saint of Wales.  There was a parade from the museum near the city center all the way to the Cardiff Bay.  Preceding the parade, there were several speeches made which were said twice – first in Welsh, then in English.  Next came the Welsh national anthem, which was all in Welsh and which most of the crowd sang along to.  Along with many Welsh flags and Saint David’s flags, the parade included people in traditional Welsh dress, bagpipers, a marching band, and teenagers with pogo stick-looking things on their feet doing jumps and flips in the street. 

Beijing.

Beijing.  You really have to come to Beijing to understand what kind of city it really is.  The olympics were held here, and you might have seen a number of interesting places, but Beijing is not what the television has presented.  I grew up watching a growing Beijing on television.  On television, I saw thousands upon thousands of bicyclists mixing into each other under dark grey skies and half-completed high-rises.  Everyone had the same fixed expression on their faces, and I could not help but think that this was exactly how Beijing people carried out their lives.  Well, the media only gets the image partially right.  My perceptions were like 80's Beijing whereas the real Beijing is still unclear to me.  

For one thing, there are not as many bicycles on the road, but there are a lot of people who bike with wooden carts and food stalls attached to them.  The number of cars have increased, but the contrast between drivers and ancient cart drivers is extremely weird.  It is like Beijing grew up too fast and left many of its people, especially the older generations, scratching their heads.  A lot of the elderly still cling to their Mao suits, sell sweet potatoes on the street, and practice Tai Chi in the park.  I am glad to see that certain people have not changed their ways of living despite rapid modernization and Westernization occurring within Beijing and other prominent Chinese cities.  

It has been a long while since I posted, but I honestly do not feel that it has been 3 weeks since I left Hong Kong.  I have barely scratched Beijing, as this city is massive.  We've been to the two Summer Palaces (Yuan Ming Yuan and Yi He Yuan) and the Forbidden City.  I've seen the Hutong communities where people live in these courtyard homes that their great ancestors inhabited.  I promise to talk about these places later, but class is tomorrow and it is bound to be intense.

Every single week day, we study Chinese for a solid 3 hours.  Depending on the day, we spend this time speaking, reading, and writing characters.  Zhang Laoshi (Teacher Zhang) is my speaking and reading teacher; he encourages us to create dialogues with each other.  Right now, we turn our dialogues into absurd situations because it is more entertaining to practice Chinese when situations become sour.  For instance, I am a patient and you are a doctor.  I want medicine, but you decide to overcharge me.  Then I say that I have no money and would like to have it for free.  You ask for my insurance, and I say I have none and that my family needs me to support them.  You get the idea right!  Song Laoshi is my writing and pronunciation teacher, and he has really made sure that we are saying the words right.  Mandarin has tones and a certain force applied to each word.  If you say the tones wrong, then the meaning of the word can be completely be different.  The language is melodic when it wants to be, but it can go horribly wrong if you make a mistake with the tones.  This is why I believe that Mandarin takes a certain level of confidence and decisiveness in character to speak.  One example is if you wanted to say, "I want to ask you."  It is "Wo xiang wen4 ni."  The "wen" drops.  However if you say "wen4" as "wen3," where it dips and comes back up you could be saying this, "I want to kiss you."  You just have to be careful with what you say!

Apart from our language courses that go from 9:00 in the morning to 12:00 noon, we have Colgate courses as well.  We are taking two that have to deal with Modern China in political, sociological, cultural, and literary frameworks.  What I am greatly interested in is literature, especially literature dealing with national identity issues.  So far, we have reading articles and stories concentrating on these very issues, and I can't get enough.  I might want to do research on this topic in the near future as our research projects loom in the distance.  

We are also taking calligraphy classes on clerical script, which is so relaxing.  We are currently learning different strokes with the brushes made of animal hair and the black ink which we dab into.  Although writing calligraphy requires patience and skill, it is very rewarding.  I feel that it is the purest art form that the Chinese culture has, but many would argue that Chinese culture has many pure art forms such as painting, pottery, carving, etc.  I just have a preference for writing.  By the way, I saw a water calligrapher at the Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan).  He had this huge mop brush with a metal contraption that held his paint, water.  Each character was temporarily sealed onto the old concrete floor until the sun took the meaning away along with the water residue.  This form of calligraphy is supposed to be therapeutic, a form of spiritual release that has connections with Buddhism.  

What else can I say before I sign off?  The "Bird's Nest" and "Water Cube" are not as big as they were on television.  The Forbidden City is not as colorful as it was in "Mulan," but its majesty and scalel can take one's breath away.  And yes, the Beijing people are really hard to understand because their accent incorporates a lot of r retroflex's that a regular student of Chinese like me has trouble distinguishing the words from the r's.  In layman terms, I think the Beijing accent has the same effect as with the adults in the Charlie Brown cartoons.  I am a child and the grownups are speaking another language entirely.  

Next time, I will share my adventures in the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square!

再见！  

－伍键立 Geoff