first week

Hello,

Thank you for reading. This is my first post for my summer study abroad in Beijing. This will be a very visual blog about Beijing and the stuff I'm doing in it. Enjoy. Click on archives for life notes in Japan.

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Through immigration, interminable bag shuffling, cramped bus rides, and a first-class traveler's head cold, I couldn't help grinning excitement during the first day. Beijing is a composite of two of my favorite things - metropolis and foreign countries.

I didn't sleep on the plane, but spent my time pretending to study flashcards or watch the little airplane tick it's way across the Pacific on the screen in front of me. It took its time. Finally, though, it was over. Swinging my bags around me, I gained momentum as, one after another, obstacles appeared but failed to stop my progress out of the Boeing and into the new city - officious state servants sniffing at my visa, baggage carousel, customs - nothing could touch me. Finally, grey sunlight from the enormous terminal windows hit my eyes. For the uninitiated, large Beijing buildings all smell vaguely like auto body shops - smog. Smog smog smog; get used to the word. Smog for breakfast, smog for lunch, smog for dinner. Smoggy dreams.

I found my classmates inside the terminal and dared each other to try to buy bottled water while we waited for everyone to disembark. We took a chartered bus to Zhongyangminzi daxue - "Central University for the Nationalities" - our new home. More on that later.