Self quarantine

Thought that I could avoid the flu pandemic sweeping campus, but no. A few classmates that caught the bug decided to spread around Shaoyuan instead of isolating the virus and now the joyous plague is feasting inside my body. Most people got over the bug within 24 hours, but then somehow virus's enjoy me like a sponge!

A sudden fever of 101 hit me on Wednesday during my speaking class which prompted me to ditch my newspaper class and hit the bed. I thought the fever went away with some Tylenol, but it continued to return. The next day I continued to sleep until noon (have I been suffering from sheer exhaustion?). I sweated buckets the whole night, but then around 1pm the next day the fever surged. Great. Why do you return? Why bring back pain? I was in a little bit of a panic so I called the CIEE office and they gave me two options. Wow options? really? You guys threw Sarah into a 19th century prison cell. "You can go to the Beida hospital (hell hole) or the United Family hospital"

"United Family? ....can I go to that one?"
"yes of course, come over and one of us will take you there."

So after realizing my insurance is bogus, and the travel insurance CIEE/CU Boulder gave us is also considered bogus I ended up giving in and Brian (Li 老师） and I headed to the hospital in Chaoyang district. Another worthy discovery: I don't know why i took it for granted that CIEE was not going to pay for the taxi. So for future reference you pay for your own hospital ride.

We got there an hour early thinking that we could see the doctor sooner. We assumed wrong. After a temperature gun was aimed at my forehead we waited.

Dr. Wang was assigned to me. How coincidental. He used to work in Washington state, but now has worked in Beijing for the past three years. After going through some questions and deep breaths...what's the conclusion Dr. Wang?

"well Susan, you definitely have the flu"
"YES I knew IT!!"

"it's gonna last 4-5 days."
Well this is going to be fun. Self quarantine.

He also asked if anyone else in my hall was suffering from similar symptoms. The answer is yes. Yes with an underlying bitter tone. CIEE might be in slight denial when Brian said "no there's no one else who has a cold."

Oh very funny Brian. There's 4-5 cases and case zero decided to spread it like dandelions. That miserable little jerk face.

So as of now I have isolated myself. I feel fairly well, but as Dr. Wang said, "if you stop breathing or feel like your going to do, you need to see me immediately."

Will I get a 20% discount of my bill if I present my student i.d again? Let's hope I don't have to return to the hospital.

Nanjing Day 2: Happier ending

After the somber museum trip, we made our way to Nanjing's shopping district to visit H& M. Yeah for retail therapy. Lisa and I got lost in Sephora. I was never into the fashion or makeup scene in Boulder. 1) I was lazy 2) I didn't have a great attitude of my self-image 3) I'm a chicken.
I got great tips from Lisa Choi....the sister from another mother....father. Well I guess I do look Korean enough.

While others strayed into the expat district for dinner, I really wanted to get a taste of the local food and in the mood for some local exploration. I'm in Nanjing aren't i? Lisa was happy to be apart of the adventure. We took the subway, which only has one line! VERY easy to navigate. and instead of tickets, the ticket machine spits out tokens.

Environmentally friendly!


Dinner was quite delectable, got a taste o Nanjing's famous salted suck,fresh stir fried asparagus and "lion's head" aka a GIANT MEATBALL>


Consider this a light dinner cuz our real intentions was the street food!
we dived into the tasty treats on the infamous Henan Road
1) Waffle ice cream sandwich with honey


2) Little octopus (made me slightly hesitant to try but he put PLENTY of spices on it)


3) Scorpions (I was about to pass on this one). then again they were the tiny ones. Both of us were reluctant to eat the bigger harder shelled crustaceans.


They even sold silkworms, centipedes, and TARANTULAS.Two Americans walked by, glanced at the treats with a horrified expression. "ARE THOSE REAL?!"
Susan: Yes they're real. Try it.
"NOOOO wayyy man."
Somehow I said, "hey man I don't even have balls and I'm gonna try the scorpion." They applauded. Finally I embarked on tasteless fried crunchy nothing. Don't worry it's caught on tape.

Nanjing Day 2: The Memorial

I got directions for the Nanking Memorial Memorial. Most of the girls wanted to take the taxi, but I really wanted to get a taste of the local Nanjing transportation. Plus I can be a cheap skate. Lisa was my local transportation buddy as others took the easy way out. (cough* taxi)
Lisa and I clung for our lives as the rickety bus hit every bump and pot hole. I forgot to mention we had street kebabs clutched in our hands.
For an odd reason I felt that I needed to pay respect those who perished.
The front of the museum has a black marble wall and white stones covering the area. The number is printed in bold, the word victim translated into several languages, but the death toll number is universal.

The graves were somber. To make it worse speakers broadcasting these bone chilling, melancholy soundtrack. Like a woman wailing, as if she's chanting everyone's screams and suffering. Lisa pointed out (made me aware) of how charged the museum's attitude was. I came to understand that the Chinese has put a lot of anger underlying the tone. The place bore resentment, hatred, anger, pain, suffering and scars. Hence the description of the massacre. "The Rape of Nanjing."



The names of who died.



Though the Japanese gov are reluctant to acknowledge of a genocide, many Japanese citizens have expressed solidarity and deepest regret for this tragedy. Many school children sent threads of paper cranes to the memorial. It's a start :-D ['Dre and Merrin]



Everyone began to grow weary as we saw the depressing poems, the graphic descriptions and the skeletons of the thousands that were slaughtered. it didn't help that more creepy music played in the background. "how could they get away with this?" "how did they not apologize?" My friends wondered.

By the end of our tour, the museum designed the conclusion on a hopeful note. When you leave the candlelit vigil you enter a giant garden of peace with Lady Justice or Liberty with a child in her arms about to send a white dove into the air.

Nanjing Day 2 Morning Walk

Last night we ventured after some a well thought out satisfying Italian meal at Bella Napoli (with Devon, Mary, Amy, Jess, Jill, Lisa, Sarah, Clarissa, and Merrin!!) some of us ventured to Henan rd to discover the street snack 'munchie ave" but it was closing up shop around 10 pm. So we went to Dist 1912 bar street. taxis are cheaper in Nanjing, but they add 1 RMB for fuel tax. The club ended up as if I entered a scene in Moulin Rouge. (like that Masquerade scene in Romeo + Juliet drenched in red). EXCESSVE. Bottles of XO, creme marnier, whiskey were opened on every table. More expensive liquors were also being brought in and out as party girls please their fat business boyfriends as they puff away on some toxic cigar.

By the end my clothes were drenched in cigar/cigarette smoke. I slept bare naked since I forgot my pj's. The one thing to bring on trips. Sleeping wear. No one really enjoys smelling like you were drenched in tobacco.

But as the title states, I should be talking about my morning walk.


I managed to find some clean clothes and actually crack my eyes open wander a little. Here's what I found
1. The confused baby



2. Big sunglasses man and small cat




3. THE CUTE KITTEN



4. The old brooding brods of Nanjing



4. Grandma on the run!!!!!!!!!! (By far my favorite. I was so thrilled that I manage to catch this)



5. Lanzhou styled noodles in Nanjing? [Authentic Lanzhou beef noodles the sign says] Everyone all over China is crazy for Lanzhou styled beef noodle soup. Is this legit? Looks can be deceiving. My fellow Lanzhou chums have always said "it's not the same" when they try something like this outside of Lanzhou.


6. Fat baby at the dumpling shop. Don't you want to give that baby some fish kisses?


Now I'm siting down in a little restaurant eating some soup dumplings that are hot from the steamer. What's on the agenda for today? Hopefully I can go to the Nanjing massacre memorial hall. Not a light subject.

Nanjing Day 1

First glimpse of Nanjing rail station. PEOPLE
As the slope headed down, the sight of hundreds and hundreds of people bustling like ants through the terminal was insane. "OH shit" was the only thought as my camera clicked away.

Nanjing: Quieter. Toned down. But alas disturbed as people wailed their car horns. People are the same everywhere.
When you leave the train station, Xuan Wu Lake glistens in front o you. The southern autumn air is cooling, warm compared to the North which gets colder and colder.
Autumn was visible as we began our trip at Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum. It was so serene. Up until waves of tourists.



Sun Yat Sen's (Founder of the Chinese republic/Communist Party) eternal shrine is dawned in blue and white. A huge contrast to the orange colored roof tops

There's 392 steps (392 represents 392 million, the Chinese population at the time) to reach the top and see his tomb.

(Peiyi, Li Laoshi 'Bryan', Keegan and Nancy)

A climb of 392 steps later I nearly forgot that I was still in a tourist trap. No matter where I got, you can't escape it. When I entered the actual mausoleum and squeezed into see his grave, a wave of absolute emptiness filled my head. I felt slightly spooked starting down at a white marble tomb and deeply pondering. I think Sun Yat Sen is trolling in his grave by the site of modern China. Being the founder of Modern China/CCP, unfortunately it probably didn't go the way he imagined. Keegan felt the same. I'm glad to know I'm not alone.

Perhaps I'm a harsh realist or my view point is so charged with cynicism. Two little girls went up to my Western buddies to practice their English. Apparently their father brings them here to practice English every weekend. Pointless in my opinion. Tourists aren't teachers. Sure your kids are immersing (for 10 min) impressing western tourists with their superb English skills, but it felt exploitaitive (even though you nor doing it for the money) The situation rubbed me the wrong way. Some people complimented their English, some found it adorable. Positive reinforcement. Sure! Why can't I be optimistic? Maybe I believe that children should experience this in a more appropriate place like a school or hey maybe you could save a little $ for a tutor than letting 2 girls trek out to the mausoleum every weekend. Let them learn naturally at school.

Heading out of the Mausoleum, we had to take a little trolley down. At the bottom of the hill awaited a large crowd of old people who pounced onto the trolley just as it parked. They wanted to flood that trolley and no one got off it yet. Keegan waited a split second but then he got attacked by a grandma mosh pit.


Reaching the afternoon, we went to this pagoda, and thanks to our tour guide. We only had 20 minutes to run up to the top if we wanted. Somehow I didn't kill myself and manage to catch the sun set.

Waking up in Nanjing

I woke up to a red sun, a Jiangsu sunrise that halo'ed over the sleeping hour of 6 am. My alarm clocks was the opening of the curtains, the beams of early sunshine piercing into my sleepy eyes. Thanks Miss Train Attendant. Alarm #2 came right after with the shouting. "COFFEE!! (咖啡）MILK （牛奶） TEA （茶水）" with a trolley cart crashing down the corridor. My bladder needed the bathroom and I didn't have the pateince to stand in line in my car. So I walked up the train, and walked past the naties who were just waking up even more dazed and confused by the site of a 5'7 girl with a Boston hoody and running shoes. Finally car #8 or 11, I didn't have to wait for the W.C. The walk back to car #2 I was shadowing the breakfast trolly who woke up everyone with the breakfast call, "Deserts (点心） Buns （馒头） 8 treasured porridge 八宝粥！！！！" It was so catchy.
[John is eying the breakfast cart}
Couldn't stop repating it to my CIEE group. My teachers were amused with the near perfection of mocking his southern Chinese Jiangsu accent. I think Jill was about to slap me :-D
Merrin and Sarah Christian and Martin
Kent is snoozing away

Bodyguard at the Summer Palace

Hours before leaving for Nanjing I visited the Summer Palace with Sarah and Clarissa. The previous time i went there was in 2001 with the family. Experiences will always differ. 2001: It was raining, there was a romantic tingle in the air. Some reason I remember I was in love with the imperial summer retreat. Oh adolescence.


This time we forked over 60 RMB (no student discount either) and paraded into he crowds.THis time the weather was wonderful. The route we took brought us right in front of Kunming Lake, which stretched beyond my eyes could fathom. Breathtaking, right uni the paparazzi attacked Sarah and Clarissa. They prepared with big framed sunglasses and dodged their advances. Somehow I acted like their bodyguard or agent if they were celebrities. In front of the Fragrant Incense temple a guy asked his tour guide to approach us and ask to take a photo. I guess the site of foreigners is sensational. Before even finishing her sentence the answer was "不要” or 'no.' (For some reason tourists approach me rather than Sarah or Clarissa to seek photo taking privileges. Hence the agent labeled on the metaphorical chest) Seeing the first attempt failed, the Chinese man, sporting a black and orange striped track suit tried again. This time with direct dialogue.

"我可以吗” (Can I?) he asked. The answer once again is 'no'.
He then actually got the nerve to ask, “哪可以偷拍吗” （Can I secretly ake one? aka Can I be a peeping Tom?") This guy actually has balls. I was offended by his statement and amused that he failed to understand how pererted that was. W/out hesitation I responded,
"well if youre going to do that, I'm gonna smash your camera on ground." “要是你拍的话， 我砸你的照相机。”

He retreated in shock. Yeah you better run.

Heading to Nanjing

CIEE had another weekend excursion. This time my adventure went down to Jiangsu province; the old capital of Nanjing.

We begin our story at Beijing Central Railway station. Pushed and prodded into a densely packed rail station. You try not to trip on the masses squatting on the ground as they wait until they can board the platform.

The overwhelming chocked atmosphere wasn't bearable for me. i had to escape (along with several others) to the outside.

As the train moved along towards Nanjing Jill wasn't feeling too well. I think she got an anxiety attack soon after wards. Her breathing was heavy and short and she said, "I think I'm about to pass out." I notified Bryan (Li Laoshi) who brought out a bag full of western meds. "Take your pick" as if to say. It was a little difficult to explain what Jill was suffering from. 'Anxiety attack' is not really something common for Chinese vocabulary. What do I say, she's suffering from a sense of panic? That's the only way to put it along with other things.
The train attendant made a P.A in search of a doctor. First nurse came and made a horrifying suggestion, Jill refused the offer. Then a Chinese man approached who I assumed was a doctor. he started speaking American English to us. Thank God, I thought to myself. A doctor! But I assumed much to quickly because clutchd in his hand was black skinned book with the words "HOLY BIBLE" written across the front. Oh no. Not a bible thumper.

"I'm not a doctor, but I heard about you oer the PA but I am a believer of Christ. I would like to pray for you as I believe that Jesus can heal you."

Upon hearing this come out of his vocal box I politely told him to leave our presence. What I meant to say was "get out. GET OUT!! HEARD ENOUGH" Couldn't believ that the train attendant allowed him through! Sure she meant good but neither Jill or I was Christian or beleived that religious could cure her anxiety in a totally crazy foriegn country. May I remind you is China.

Peking Duck

Last night through typhoon like winds, several of us managed to reach the famous Peking Duck restaurant on Chengfu rd. Somehow our driver (Merrin and I) had no idea where the Tsinghua tech center was. Fail. Then I realized 'Dre gave us some bad directions and then I realized it was the same restaurant that was on our Wudakou scavenger hunt. Oh well. My face was slapped around by high speed winds. Chapped? Yes. Though worthwhile after that taxi ordeal and mother nature.

The staff gives you a rundown of their restaurant's history while you order. They also show you the duck and then they slice the little guy up for you to enjoy. Plus they give you a card telling you your the....billionth, trillionth customer they've served. Fun stuff.


How to enjoy Peking Duck
-You get a condiment tray which includes a basket of thin crepes
- Take a few slices of duck
- spread some hoison fish sauce, put some cucumbers, garclis and pepper
-wrap up the crepe and eat


The different savory flavors along with he smoky flavor of the duck was amazing.
Aside from the duck, 'Dre also order a delicious tofu dish (seen here)

My existing prejudice towards Beijing's infamous roasted Peking duck has ceased. Perhaps it's due to he quality of the Peking duck that I've eaten in the past. They weren't very god. I suppose the well known restaurants are famous for a good reason. They know hot to roast their duck. If any of you make it to Beijing we can spend an evening at Quanjude 全聚德. Hopefully there won't be any typhoon like winds.