The bridge across the Yalu that the Americans destroyed in '51, or something like that. You can walk to the end of it and gape.
Boat going as close as possible
NK, in all its glory.
Myself, at a Dandong military museum. Yes, that is a T-34
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Dandong and Beijing
A few days ago Spencer (friend from Vietnam) and I went to Dandong. Dandong is on the North Korean border. The Chinese we met there had a tough time understanding why we wanted to go. This curiosity about an inaccessible country seems natural to me. The incomprehension here made me recall a passage in Kapuscinki about question asking in Russia. It was surreal to look over the Yalu River and see the North. If you have looked on Google Earth or seen the photo spreads of North Korea taken from Dandong, then you have seen what I have. Perhaps more so than you realize, because the Korean side is as still as it appears in the photographs. I saw about 10 Koreans. Some were wading in the River, a police boat in the River, a few farmers, a girl walking a dog. The factories were quiet, and the windows were dark. You can get closer to the Korean side in two ways: walk as far as a ruined bridge will allow, or take a Chinese speedboat as close as you can. We walked to the end of the ruined bridge and ogled at the other side through binoculars. Chinese tourists were there too. Rumor has it that the Chinese speedboat will go so close that the North Korean guard will point his rifle at the tourists, then the boat speeds away. Rehearsed theater or real threat? I don't know. I enjoy being in places like this, because there are some things you just cannot know. We saw one other group of Americans there and smiled at them.
That night we ate at a N Korean owned and operated restaurant on the Dandong side (of course). We wanted to sit with some Chinese. Perhaps aware that our conversation might drift uncomfortably, the waitress pushed us to a table where it was only the two of us. It was entirely too big, but we needed room for the dishes, she explained. We spoke in Mandarin. I can proudly report that after three years of studying Chinese in college, I am able to order food in restaurants. I asked her if she was a Korean. I unwittingly used the word for South Korean. Exasperatedly, she told me that she was from "chao xian." I had no idea how you get Korea from that, but a few days later it hit me: Chosun. Chosun is the name of an ancient Korean kingdom. The regime uses the ancient word to establish its claim to represent Korea. The waitresses were wonderfully nice, they sang, and the food was excellent. I told them we were Canadian, but I think they knew we were Americans.
I look terrible. I haven't washed my clothes in weeks. The cleanest shirt I have is a Ho Chi Minh shirt I got awhile ago in Vietnam. It earns some stares. Though it was interesting when my hostel owner in Beijing started singing a Vietnam and China friendship song from the Cold War. Thankfully I am feeling pretty good and am swine flu free. I've had my temperature taken a few times. I am trying to trade my mild coffee addiction for a green tea addiction. I spent a few hours at a Houhai cafe today, drinking very good green tea. The waiter didn't charge me for it, because, he said, I didn't get wasted like all the other Westerners. It was a little weird. My language program starts in a couple days.
That night we ate at a N Korean owned and operated restaurant on the Dandong side (of course). We wanted to sit with some Chinese. Perhaps aware that our conversation might drift uncomfortably, the waitress pushed us to a table where it was only the two of us. It was entirely too big, but we needed room for the dishes, she explained. We spoke in Mandarin. I can proudly report that after three years of studying Chinese in college, I am able to order food in restaurants. I asked her if she was a Korean. I unwittingly used the word for South Korean. Exasperatedly, she told me that she was from "chao xian." I had no idea how you get Korea from that, but a few days later it hit me: Chosun. Chosun is the name of an ancient Korean kingdom. The regime uses the ancient word to establish its claim to represent Korea. The waitresses were wonderfully nice, they sang, and the food was excellent. I told them we were Canadian, but I think they knew we were Americans.
I look terrible. I haven't washed my clothes in weeks. The cleanest shirt I have is a Ho Chi Minh shirt I got awhile ago in Vietnam. It earns some stares. Though it was interesting when my hostel owner in Beijing started singing a Vietnam and China friendship song from the Cold War. Thankfully I am feeling pretty good and am swine flu free. I've had my temperature taken a few times. I am trying to trade my mild coffee addiction for a green tea addiction. I spent a few hours at a Houhai cafe today, drinking very good green tea. The waiter didn't charge me for it, because, he said, I didn't get wasted like all the other Westerners. It was a little weird. My language program starts in a couple days.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
China 2009-2010
This summer I will be at ACC (Associated Colleges in China). This is in Beijing at the Capitol University of Economics and Business. This fall and spring I'm at IUP (Inter University Program). IUP is at Qinghua. I am extremely happy about how this has played out so far. Perhaps I would have rather gotten out of Beijing for some time, but because the best programs (I'm told) are in Beijing, I will just accept the pollution.
I am there for 12 months. That part is still holding together. I want to have a big New Year's get together in Vietnam, to which everyone is invited. I'm tentatively calling it "New Year's Fest 2010."
The year at Yale ended well, I think. Spring came and the secret society initiations started. You would see hooded people who looked like Harry Potter extras smugly traipsing around campus, asking to eat a bit of your pizza and things like that. At night incongruously tuxedoed men and ball-gowned women would walked quickly by you and laugh loudly about things. Tired girls and boys, they look like girls and boys when they are tired, would file out of the secret society door in pajamas and carrying pillows. We happened to pass it at the right time. Okay I staked it out, jealousy is powerful. Every sort of crazy behavior was tolerated, and tolerated rather kindly because these proudly humiliated people are the future leaders of the free world. I thought I could take advantage of this, and that people would assume my insane behavior was part of a secret society initiation, wrong. My escapade involved renting a big bird suit, liberally applying ketchup, and rampaging through the library proclaiming that I (big bird) had come down with one or more blood-borne diseases. I spent a great deal of fellowship money buying myself out of that one. The Yale cops are top of their game, but for a price they can be persuaded to overlook a thing or two. I made back the money, however, by telling frightened underclassmen that I was a bonesman, and to remain in consideration for membership they had to pay me moderate sum. As they say in the Lion King, Hakuna Mattata.
Last semester we played some soccer, and lost every game except for the time the opposing team failed to show up. I got better grades this semester than last semester. I think that is because this semester I took courses that involved less formulaic writing and more creative activity (coloring). Seriously, this semester was better than last semester, and last semester was great. I will miss everyone.
While in China I want to go to Tibet and/or Xinjiang. Tibet seems a bit more realistic, if more expensive and difficult to access. I want to travel from Lhasa to the Nepal border. Then I'll sit down at one of those prayer-flagged camps and come to terms with my inability to join the skull and bones.
I am there for 12 months. That part is still holding together. I want to have a big New Year's get together in Vietnam, to which everyone is invited. I'm tentatively calling it "New Year's Fest 2010."
The year at Yale ended well, I think. Spring came and the secret society initiations started. You would see hooded people who looked like Harry Potter extras smugly traipsing around campus, asking to eat a bit of your pizza and things like that. At night incongruously tuxedoed men and ball-gowned women would walked quickly by you and laugh loudly about things. Tired girls and boys, they look like girls and boys when they are tired, would file out of the secret society door in pajamas and carrying pillows. We happened to pass it at the right time. Okay I staked it out, jealousy is powerful. Every sort of crazy behavior was tolerated, and tolerated rather kindly because these proudly humiliated people are the future leaders of the free world. I thought I could take advantage of this, and that people would assume my insane behavior was part of a secret society initiation, wrong. My escapade involved renting a big bird suit, liberally applying ketchup, and rampaging through the library proclaiming that I (big bird) had come down with one or more blood-borne diseases. I spent a great deal of fellowship money buying myself out of that one. The Yale cops are top of their game, but for a price they can be persuaded to overlook a thing or two. I made back the money, however, by telling frightened underclassmen that I was a bonesman, and to remain in consideration for membership they had to pay me moderate sum. As they say in the Lion King, Hakuna Mattata.
Last semester we played some soccer, and lost every game except for the time the opposing team failed to show up. I got better grades this semester than last semester. I think that is because this semester I took courses that involved less formulaic writing and more creative activity (coloring). Seriously, this semester was better than last semester, and last semester was great. I will miss everyone.
While in China I want to go to Tibet and/or Xinjiang. Tibet seems a bit more realistic, if more expensive and difficult to access. I want to travel from Lhasa to the Nepal border. Then I'll sit down at one of those prayer-flagged camps and come to terms with my inability to join the skull and bones.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Pictures from China
The Yellow Mountains, Anhui Province
Boat on West Lake, Hangzhou.
The coolest monkey I've ever seen, Hangzhou
Chinese character on a Buddhist Temple, Hangzhou
Church, Hangzhou
The layout is crazy, I know, still experimenting. And yes, these pictures should have been here a long time ago.
Pictures from France
Obelisk and Eiffel Tower, Paris
Montmartre, Paris
Paris from Sacre Couer
Random Cafe, Paris
Restaurant on top of the mountain, Chamrousse
I should have put these up awhile ago, but I'm exceptionally inefficient.
China it is (probably)
I've been accepted to a program in China (ACC Beijing) and I was lucky enough to get funding. Several 4th years I know here are not getting money. I have an application out to study in Vietnam as well, and have not completely given up the idea of spending the year there instead.
However, one must consider a friend of a friend. This friend of a friend, who shall not be named, studied Vietnamese quite well, loved the history, got a Ph.D from one of the best Vietnamese Studies programs in the U.S. and now hates his job teaching at a small college in the South. Another guy, who does not speak Chinese fluently, worked as a journalist in Beijing for a year and only reluctantly left his job for grad school. A job list serve I get sends me about 30 jobs a year for people who speak Chinese. I have yet to see one for Vietnamese. To be fair, maybe Chinese is overfished, and one should think about other places in East Asia, like Vietnam. I sort of got that impression visiting the Eurasia Group in New York. They had Chinese-Americans for the Chinese speaking jobs, but there was a vacancy for a Vietnamese speaker. As mine is only intermediate, I wasn't competitive for the job, but it was food for thought. Nevertheless, that is the only job I've come across that requires Vietnamese. This is anecdotal evidence, but it is, unfortunately, persuasive. As always, everything is subject to change.
I am going to visit Vietnam as much as I can, but I think it is going to be China next year. Any and all are invited to visit. In China I am deciding between ACC Beijing and CET Harbin. Does anyone have an opinion on which program is better?
However, one must consider a friend of a friend. This friend of a friend, who shall not be named, studied Vietnamese quite well, loved the history, got a Ph.D from one of the best Vietnamese Studies programs in the U.S. and now hates his job teaching at a small college in the South. Another guy, who does not speak Chinese fluently, worked as a journalist in Beijing for a year and only reluctantly left his job for grad school. A job list serve I get sends me about 30 jobs a year for people who speak Chinese. I have yet to see one for Vietnamese. To be fair, maybe Chinese is overfished, and one should think about other places in East Asia, like Vietnam. I sort of got that impression visiting the Eurasia Group in New York. They had Chinese-Americans for the Chinese speaking jobs, but there was a vacancy for a Vietnamese speaker. As mine is only intermediate, I wasn't competitive for the job, but it was food for thought. Nevertheless, that is the only job I've come across that requires Vietnamese. This is anecdotal evidence, but it is, unfortunately, persuasive. As always, everything is subject to change.
I am going to visit Vietnam as much as I can, but I think it is going to be China next year. Any and all are invited to visit. In China I am deciding between ACC Beijing and CET Harbin. Does anyone have an opinion on which program is better?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
