Piece of Advice

The closer that my 2 months of traveling gets, the more I'm reminded of a theme that many people understand, but few hold their lives to these two simple principles: fun and love. So many people do things "because they have to" or because "they need to," don't give me that crap and don't give anyone else that crap. There's plenty of time and energy to do the things you want to do with your life, but most people choose not to. Why? We are on this planet for a short time NOT to have fun and to love everything. I think that people are afraid of taking risks, people are afraid of failing, but most importantly, they're afraid fo succeeding. What if I'm different? What if people don't accept me for what I'm doing and/or what I've accomplished? First off, get out of high school, everyone, and don't worry about what other people think. There will always be people who will accept you and what you're doing, so if someone in your life doesn't accept what you're doing, move on from that place in your life.

I see too many doors unopened, too many stones unturned, and too many opportunities missed because people are afraid of having fun and loving because "it's not practical." If everyone went for the practical, nothing great would ever be accomplished. Would atomic energy ever have been discovered? How about the light bulb? What about any modern convenience you come in contact with? People who accomplished these feats tried something different and they went outside of the norm; they loved and did something that they were passionate about.

I am noticing an abundance of videos and travelers and writers who are having fun and loving and dropping their boring normal life, a life that people are unhappy with and they don't know why, to do what they've always wanted and you know what? THEY'RE HAPPY. They took a chance and most failed along the way, but they're happy. They succeeded in a way that most people don't succeed, and in the smal failures along the way, these people see success because they're different, they "went for it."

So I ask and plead with people; entertain those crazy thoughts in the back of your mind. Give them a chance, because who wants to be living the one life we have not being happy and not having fun? Whatever these two things mean to you, whether it's having a family, significant other, house, and a quiet life, studying music and education people on it, traveling around the world meeting people, or sitting in your room playing video games. But in any situation, you need to ask yourself truthfully, "does this make me happy and am I having fun?" If the honest answer to yourself is no, then you need to listen to that voice in the back of your head telling you to do what you've always wanted. If your answer to yourself is yes, then I commend you.

Do me a favor, all, give yourself a chance to love and have fun. Too many people disregard it for sadness and being content. Live your life, don't let someone else live it.

Trip to LuoYang/Anticipation

Went to LuoYang over the weekend! It was a great trip. For those of you (probably all of you) who don't know, this is about an hour away from the famous Shaolin temple.....yes where Kung-Fu was invented. It was good, although too touristy for me. We climbed a small mountain to a cave where a monk meditated and then came up with the idea of Kung-Fu, saw some Kung-Fu schools, and just enjoyed the area, which was pretty big. Also went to a temple that claims to have been the place where some of the first Buddhist Sutras were translated from Sanskrit into Chinese. It was nice; very Chinese and there were no tourists, which is always a plus in my book.

Also went to the Longmen Grottoes. One word; breathtaking. This place was covered in thousands of Buddhas carved into caves of a rock face or even tiny Buddhas making tile-like appearances all over the place. This place had Buddhas from over 100 feet tall to ones the size of my index finger; it was absolutely remarkable. The sheer number and magnitude of this place was awe-inspiring.

Still getting things ready for my trip in a month to Indonesia and Cambodia. Should be a good trip and a good opportunity to see what I'm like traveling for an extended period of time, and alone! I'm meeting up with a friend in Cambodia, but not after about 3 weeks, so I'm excited to see how things go. I've been talking to a few people in Indonesia that will help me out and show me around, which is good because they can help show me the little known spots, which are always the best!

Just wanted to give an update after my trip.

Take care all

Update

So haven't written on here for a really long time.....sorry bout that. Guess I should give some updates on what's been going on in my neck of the woods....world?....China-land. Still taking the 笛子, or Chinese bamboo flute to those of you who don't speak chinese. I really enjoy it and it challenges me to relax; something that, if you know me, I have a hard time doing. I need to relax my breath, my body, and my mind to play it correctly. Also taking 太极拳, or Tai Qi, which has the same requirements. I need to relax my body more than I though, and it helps me relax my mind. It's really good for me to find balance, and the relaxation that I'm learning is really helping me to balance out, or get more balanced, rather.

Me and a couple friends are going to the shaolin temples this coming up weekend; yes, the place where modern-day kung-fu was invented. Guess who wants to do their Tai Qi there? :-D Really excited to go to somewhere with that much history, but hey, I'm in China, that stuff is everywhere. Besides small trips, I already booked plane tickets to Indonesia and Cambodia for January, and me and a few friends are going to go to Thailand for February....be jealous. Traditional music on Indonesia, ancient temples everywhere in Cambodia, and gorgeous beaches everywhere you turn in Thailand; who can complain? Can't wait to go and do some traveling and see what I want to see! Never traveled for the sake of traveling, I came to China to live and study, not for the sole intention of traveling, so I'm excited at the prospect.

Promise to keep this updated a little more now, kinda lost track of it.

Peace :-D

Apologies

Sorry for anyone who reads this/checks this on a regular basis; not many new things are happening to me travel wise. Some things are happening, but not that I want to plaster on a public blog. Things are pretty normal around here, getting settled in and feeling comfortable, like I've been here all along. Visited some cool things lately, like the Terra-cotta Soldiers, this really neat Modern/Contemporary Ceramics and Clay museum/exhibit, and ancient hot springs. The Terra-cotta soldiers were, cool, but I didn't find them as impressive as I thought they were going to be; the museum on-site was more interesting because it had up-close soldiers and recovered artifacts that you could see in greater detail. Got my tickets for Indonesia then Cambodia in January, and there's talk about Korea for February then travel to a couple places in China before school starts back up in March. We'll see what happens, but Cambodia and Indonesia, chea buddy! Doing a lot of research on where to go, should be sweet!

Keep you posted on cool things that happen or ideas on where to see when I travel. Until next time...

ChengDu

For National Holiday, a celebration for the Communist's victory over the KMT about 61 years ago (I think?), me, my friends from BGSU, and five good French friends from school here went to ChengDu. The city was absolutely wonderful; it was incredibly open and free from a large amount of people in a surprising amount of the city, the tea houses were fantastically relaxing, and there was plenty of things to do including nightlife, temples, or simply walking along the river. The people were incredibly friendly, and their expression of leaving is 慢慢走, which means "walk slowly," which speaks a lot to their mindset and way of life.

The large things that ChengDu is famous for, such as Emei Shan and the Panda preserve, were fantastic (there was also the giant buddha, but I decided not to do that). The mountain was absolutely gorgeous; apart from almost being run over/pushed off the mountain by a donkey, wild monkeys, and a 12 hour hike, it was incredibly pleasant! 12 hours between two days of walking up stairs through mountains only to reach possibly the most gorgeous end really affected me deeply. I had a chance to grow with good friends, see a beautiful mountain, understand how HARD it was to do something that difficult, and be so deeply affected by an experience so hard, yet so satisfying. Being surrounded by such beautiful scenery and the journey of climbing that mountain was the start of a new me, and so will every other experience.

As for the Panda preserve, seeing an animal that is as rare as the giant panda, and being able to HOLD one, was fantastic. The pandas were playful, adorable, and seeing so many was awesome. I did feel incredibly bad for them, because their existence shouldn't be defined by bars and walls, but due to human expansion, even despite habitat preservation efforts, this is how to preserve their species. I felt bad but glad for them at the same time; at what point does their existence become futile, and is this existence just? Some of the issues I had mixed with joy while seeing the preserve.

I couldn't believe how much I loved ChengDu. The people were warm, the scenery was beautiful, and the main attraction were worth going to go and see, despite the crowds during the National Holiday (and I normally hate the typical popular attractions). If anyone wants a suggestion for a city to visit in China, ChengDu is at the top of my list!

慢慢走

Little Backed-Up

I haven't posted in a while cause there wasn't anything exciting or pressing that I needed/wanted to share, but I feel like it's good to fill everyone in on those details sometimes. Me and the group of people from BGSU have made pretty good friends with a lot of international students; we're very close with the other Americans, a few girls from Europe (like Poland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Germany) and a bunch of French students. We're actually traveling to Chengdu with five French students that we've become really fond of, and we're all excited because they're very good people and a lot of fun to be around. I'm glad we met students that we clicked with so well and that share our values/desires about being here in China. It's nice to know that there are people that think like we do, feel like we do, and act on what they believe, which is why most of them are here.

Going back to the Chengdu thing, we're actually leaving today (tomorrow for you people in the states)! We're taking an overnight train there from Xi'an and arriving at 9:00 in the morning; perfect! We're going to go see pandas, try and climb a mountain, see some temples and national parks, and just take in the feel of the city itself. It costs 1000元, about 150 USD, to hold a panda; yikes! But I think the money is worth it, especially since they're so rare, it's not really THAT much money, and I get to actually hold it. I'll have my camera, so everyone in our group will be able to have the memory in pictures, which will help us rationalize the money. China Bilotte is the one that's especially excited, because her sorority's mascot is a panda! She's incredibly excited to feel closer to home, closer to China, and closer to this endangered species all at the same time.

As for me, I'm excited to go to the city that so many people say they fall in love with, that they never want to leave, and that they write songs about. As for the excitement of Chengdu and the good friends, nothing else is really worth writing about. just kinda living, going to school, and getting used to the language, the people, and the culture, which takes a lot of time to do all of that!

Until I return

Getting in the Groove

Things have been improving a lot out here. People are FINALLY starting to get to know people well, breaking out of their bubble, and metting people they didn't think they would meet. I've made some awesome friends from the States (Amuricca, fuck yeh), a bunch of French students, and then some other students scattered around Europe. They're all incredible people and we're all really starting to get to know each other and do things together. That whole bubble/timidness that everyone had when we all arrived is finally wearing off and even people that don't normally hang out, like Kazaks, are hanging out with us (I mention Kazaks because they typically hang out with themselves since there are so many of them).

A group of us went to see Asia's largest water fountain; it was a lot of fun to watch, apart from a couple unexpected tumbles and "admission fees," it was really enjoyable. A groups of about 10 of us went and we had a blast! We sat in GRASS in a park by a lake, talked, tossed a frisbee, and ate.

That's pretty much it, short one for now. Just thought I'd comment on new friends and what not.

Deuces.

New Things!!

So the other day I ate pig intestine! Gross, right? Actually, not even close; it was freakin' delicious! It was crispy on the outside and chewy, like fat, on the inside. It was seasoned with some pretty good spices and after getting over the thought of the food, I can honestly say that I would order it again! I've tried some vegetables that I would never had tried back in the states, even though they aren't scary at all!! Green beans, duck, pig intestine, even something as simple as lamb!! Some of these things I've never tried that are common to most people that I was afraid to try, but I'm getting over these barriers.

My friends are helping me out, too. They aren't telling me what I'm eating/ordering so I eat it, thinking that it's good, and then I find it's good and get over the negative thought. They're jerks for doing it, but I love them for helping me get over my irrational fear of food.

Short one today, but I was proud of myself for eating pig intestine and knowing that it's pig intestine halfway through the dish.

Go me.

Not Homesick....Yet

So I was looking up some things on homesickness to see what I should expect to happen to me, or to even see if it was happening to me at all. I found everywhere telling me there's four steps: excitement (honeymoon phase), frustration, depression, then acceptance. I've definitely gone through the first one and would have to admit that I'm right in the middle of the second stage. The immense cultural differences are fascinating to learn about, but you can only get stared at for so long before you want to strangle someone!! I understand that I'm an oddity, they think my whiteness is attractive, or are simply curious about me; I get that, I really do. The problem is that where I'm from, that's considered rude and I'm still under the impressions of those cultural norms and morays. I understand that they're not trying to be offensive, but it gets old! I have to stop myself from cussing someone out.

Another difficult thing that I have to deal with is that the people don't really look where they're going so they bump into you, accidentally hit you with an umbrella, or just are oblivious to you wanting to go around them when they stop in the middle of the sidewalk. I think that it's accepted there because everyone understands that everyone around them is going somewhere and at their own pace and they don't take it personally when these things happen; they're not doing these things because of the people around them, but they're doing them because of themselves, and everyone understands that and practices that. Back in the states you would be considered very rude, but here it's a mutual understanding that it's not necessarily "I'll get mine and I hope you get yours," but it's along the lines of "I'm going to do me, don't take that personally." I also hate how overly bearing people at stores are. You walk in and you have 3 people shoving different things in your face; I'm so not used ton that. I'm used to someone being available when you need them but your shopping experience is relatively unimpeded; not how things are done here. I literally walk out of a store that I like because I get so fed up with this style of customer service: again, I'm not used to it!! It's not bad by any sense and I'm not putting the culture and customs down, it's just hard for me to get used to something that's so different when they're based on deeply embedded morals that I have yet to understand.

There's a few things we've been sitting down and thinking about that we miss from home, and here's a little list of some of these things:

Late night Taco Bell
Convenience of talking to friends without losing sleep
Convenience of hanging out with anyone on a whim
Having a multitude of friends you can hang out with on said whim
A complete understanding of the common language
Being able to blend in
A hamburger
Red solo cups....you know why
Thirsty Thursdays
Hookah
Sidewalks not crowded with people

I'll probably add more when I remember them. Just wanted to share where I was emotionally and why I was there. If anyone wants to send me any of these, please send me a crunchwrap supreme, bacon club chulupa, freinds, fluency in Chinese, and red solo cups.

Much love =D

Few Neat Places

So I've already gone to a few really cool places around the city, but only a couple. I've done to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an city wall, and the Muslim district. They're all really fun and neat. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda was a Buddhist temple that was really important, mostly because Xi'an, then known as Chang'an, was the center of Chinese politics and culture for centuries. It was a functioning Buddhist temple and it's absolutely gorgeous.

The city wall was a lot of fun; we got to walk an 8 mile wall (yeah, we walked the whole way) around the historic part of Xi'an. Although the wall itself and the walk was boring and it was more for the sake of doing it and being able to say that we walked it, being able to see the whole city from different places was really neat. It was a lot of fun being able to walk along the wall that was build many centuries ago, the same path that was taken by so many people over so many years!



The Muslim district was a lot of fun. Although there wasn't a lot of important historical monuments that we saw, it was filled with great food stalls and awesome shopping. Obviously most of the things were knock-offs, but they looked authentic and they looked to be pretty good. There was bargaining and excitement all around, and it was easy to tell that a lot of the foreigners were excited at the prospects they were finding.

First few days of classes

So classes started. It's pretty intense; none of the teachers use english very much, if at all. They divide all the classes up by levels, 1-8, and descending level gets more difficult. Level 1 is the easiest, it's for people who don't know chinese, and level 8 is the hardest, designed for people who are very proficient in the language. I was placed in level 4, which is actually pretty good, and I could have gotten by and learned a lot, but I dropped down to level 3. Level 3 is pretty much where I left off in BG, but moves quicker. I'm much more comfortable because, although I could have learned more in level 4 than 3, I feel I wouldn't have gotten as much out of my time here. I doubt I would have retained the things I would learn in level 4, and I would need to dedicate a large amount of time to studying, which means I might lose out on travel experiences and opportunities to meet locals and native speakers, where the majority of learning occurs.

So my decision to drop to level 3 was smart because I am learning at a similar pace and at a similar level that I left off at and I'll have more free time to explore and meet people. The classes are tough, but satisfying. The majority of people are kind and intent on learning, with the exception of students who get free tuition for the rest of their college career if they study abroad, those students are disrespectful, disruptive, and unfocused, which inhibits everyone else. I really feel like my time here will be well spent, both in and out of school hours.

Third Impression......Not So Great

So my third significant impressions wasn't a particularly good one. Unfortunately, I'm used to an extremely clean and fresh environment in the United Stated, and I wasn't aware of the lack of regulations, care, or awareness for cleanliness in other countries. The air is heavy and the sky is hazy with pollution. We have rarely seen blue skies since we have been here and it's rather depressing. The sun also shines clear enough where we can make it out, instead of just a mass of bright haze. Not seeing blue skies and making out the sun clearly is something that I'm not used to and it's not something that I want to get used to.

If you want to walk some of the streets in this city you need either a mask or the ability to get over very overpowering wafts of air. The scent on the streets change step to step, and there are a lot of unpleasant smells in between the delicious food vendors. Infants and babies use the streets as toilets because diapers are expensive. Little kids have the crotch and backside of their pants cut out for easy access. It's a rather difficult thing to get used to because the streets smell horrible.

Not everything in China is nice, but one cannot expect everything to be a positive experience. This is a cultural difference between the two countries and it's a difference that I'll have to get over.

Second Impression...The People!

The people in China....ooh boy! For the most part they are very kind hearted and warm. When I say hello (你好) and wave, they smile, say hello (你好) right back, which is more than I can say about a lot of people I've met! There is one thing that I can't get over though: they stare at me so much. I'm not sure if it's contempt, amusement, curiosity, animosity, or their vision of beauty, but the fact that I'm white and from the United States (mostly because I'm white) compels a vast majority of people to stare at me as I walk. It's starting to get annoying how much people stare.

The people I have a problem with staring is the younger generation; kids my age. I get the vibe that they dislike me or have that macho thought that I admittedly have where you tell yourself, "he's not so tough. I could take him." I just get the feeling that they're intimidated by me or don't like me because I'm a foreigner. Guess it's something I'll have to change or get over. I was expecting the older generation to be much more abrasive and unwelcoming, but I've found that to be far from the truth. I've met a friend who lives in my building who can't be younger than 60, but he is the most friendly person to me it's astonishing!

As for the hospitality; it's incredible. The culture around here is so focused on making people visiting your house, store, shop, restaurant, whatever, as comfortable as possible that it's almost off-putting. People make sure you're comfortable, not thirsty, and having a good time that it's a huge change from back in the States.

Overall the people are warm and friendly, eager to help you in any way possible and to make you as comfortable as you can be. I do wish to say thank you to my previous Chinese teacher, Wu Xiaoping, who has made all of our lives in Xi'an as pleasant, easy, and comfortable as possible. She has helped us find apartments, locate good places to eat, places to buy food, necessities, and frills, and offered her time in any way possible. She has sure helped all of us students from BG and we are grateful for her being here. The help she has given us has been an example of how nicely someone can expect to be treated in Xi'an, and it's heartwarming.

My Journey Begins....With Food!

So this was the first time that I could get around the Great Firewall of China and make a post on here (they blocked this site for some reason!) My initial trip over here was tough and tiring. Between forgetting a lot of my Chinese, exhaustion, and the speed that the Chinese people talk with I was so taken aback. My way around the the Shanghai was confusing and I had no idea where I was, but I like being there. The flight over to Xi'an was a lot less tiring and confusing, and as soon as I arrived in Xi'an, I went to bed immediately!

After arriving in Xi'an I was in complete awe. I was in a new country, continent, and half of the world! I had so much to learn, do, see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and understand that the possibilities are were endless and I wanted to see them all right then and there. There was only one problem.....I needed to get some food in me! I hadn't eaten much from stress and forgetfulness, so I was taken to the school canteen. The food sucked!! I can't tell you how awful the food was at this school cafeteria, but the good thing for me was that this food did not represent the quality of food in this city!

Since my first experience with the food I've come across soooo many new and delicious foods. From this delicious semi-uncooked (I think?) flatbread that's made with green onions, red peppers, sesame seeds, and other spices, to random meat on a stick, to deep fried mushrooms, the food here is delicious and frankly, I don't know what half of it is, and I don't care! This experience here is opening my eyes to new food options that I've started to not care what it is; I'm just going to try it instead of asking questions. That's not to say that I'm just going to eat anything; on the contrary, I'm still a little hesitant to try some things, but that's because I know my limits. I'm easing myself into the mentality of food isn't evil or bad, that I just need to try it, but it takes time people!!

The flavors are complex and delicious, yet there seems to be a minimum of ingredients and flavorings used. I think the fact that most of the food here is natural helps the quality of the food that I've been eating because additives don't detract from the natural flavors of whatever I'm eating. I appreciate it and love it. I've gained a new appreciation for food and am opening myself to new ideas and flavors.

My journey was impacted by food first, and what an impact that food has had on me!

Interesting Observation

While reading a book, I think I've concluded something about philosophy. Western philosophy seems to be about the facilitation of practical and traditional learning: they want you to "learn more" about the way we learn. Eastern philosophy seems to do the exact opposite; learning in eastern philosophy seems to be centered around the notion that what we know is completely incorrect and that everything we know is a veil over our eyes, smoke and mirrors, whatever metaphor you want to use. Eastern philosophy seems to want you to unlearn what you know and open your mind to the "truth," the truth being the "unlearned or untapped" knowledge that can only be obtained by completely changing the way we think about concepts or ideas.

This seems to be the major divide between the two schools of thought. Not all philosophy originating from the west is western thinking, and same goes with the east. Western and Eastern philosophy isn't as simple as geographic location, but the complexities described above. Most people would find this important or pertinent to what they do, but to me this is an important revelation. I like and respect both schools of thought, but I think I would habe to agree with Eastern philosophy more, because I think there are a lot of ideals that people hold now-a-days that are negative and flat-out wrong. A lot of problems in today could be solved with some "innovative thinking," changing the way we look at things in our lives which might give us perspective on what is and should be important to us.

Interesting thought I figured I'd share.

More than a month

A little over a month until I ship out, and I'm noticing some changes. I'm becoming much more introverted; I'm not talking as much. I want to see how things change, or don't, without my interaction, but I also am much more deep in my own thoughts, mainly about my trip. I keep planning, thinking, and wondering about my trip and experiences. I'm starting to read a lot more, or at least enjoy reading more. I appreciate the value of good literature, but there's one thing I absolutely hate about reading: those damn computer readers that you download books on and it's basically a small screen. Those things take away from the reading experience; not only can you not write notes or anything down, but the physicality of the book makes for a much better connection, and you don't have to worry about a battery life. The jitters and nervousness of my travel is gone completely; everything that remains is anxiousness. I want to go, and I want to go now. The sooner the better. I need to experience and change and grow and develop, and I feel stagnant being where I'm at.

On a brighter note, Cambodia and Thailand are looking to be the highlights of my trip. Sitting on a beach, experience international city life, and, the best part, important historical monuments. So many temples, shrines, and national icons that have affection entire empires, and the fact that they're breathtakingly beautiful doesn't hurt! Studying in Xi'an will be awesome and I'm excited about the prospect of learning Chinese in China, but lets face it, with sites like these, how can you beat it!

Temple in Bangkok

Po Tao

Phuket

Angkor Wat

Angkor Thom

Pre-Travel Part 1

Sooooooo guess whose going to China in August? THAT'S RIGHT!! I've been geeking out about this for close to a year and it's only three months away. I've already been getting shots, doing travel research, and brushing up on my culture. It's pretty scary, but I'm so ready to take this challenge on. I plan on traveling a lot, and you can bet this blog will be full of pictures and details of my travels and my schooling ( yes I have to go to SCHOOL =[ ).

I also ordered a Chinese flute called 笛子 (dizi) which I'm going to try and learn how to play. It'll be tough but I really want to learn how to play it so I'm going to keep practicing.

Probably not going to update this blog much until I go to Xi'an (the city I'm going to) unless is has to do with my dizi or more pre-departure jitters/excitement.

Until then,

You stay classy, planet Earth