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That's Not My Name
December 30, 2008
// 10:08 PM
This song is so ridiculously catchy; I think I've listened to it on repeat for half an hour or something like that.
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
Go find it.
Anyways, I'm home, in the States, finally after 6 months. I must say, the instant I left Beijing and landed in Hong Kong where they speak English and Cantonese, I missed Beijing. I didn't realize how sad I'd be after not hearing Mandarin being spoken to me and not being expected to be able to speak it. I ordered some food at the Hong Kong airport and although I ordered in Mandarin, she spoke to me in Mandarin, English and Cantonese (which just happens to be the only three languages that I can at least some what understand). It wasn't a good feeling, actually. I liked that pressure and that expectation, to utilize what I was learning in China for 6 months. But now at home, it's hard for me not to speak Mandarin to people I see, especially at restaurants with Chinese waiters. I just hear English everywhere, and it actually sorta sucks. I feel like my learning curve just went down tenfold.
Well besides that, I'm back and I'm back to dealing what I always deal with back here. It's been nice hanging out with old friends. I must say, nothing has changed since I've been gone. It's like I never left. Aside from a few stores here and there that have popped up in the mall and closed down, a few new songs on the radio, everything is just like I left it. I think I expected more, but I'm not complaining. I really do miss being in Beijing though. It was definitely a different feeling and I think I was a different person. Let me tell you, it was weird talking about people that I met in China, back here in Milpitas. I felt like it was years ago that I was there, but it has only been a week.
School starts in 3 weeks, and the new year comes in a day. New Year's resolutions? I figured this out today with a friend--something that I might actually be able to achieve.. get an A in an Econ class! YES! It'll just take a lot of studying, but I think I can do it. I'd also like to visit my old friend Gym more, but that's time dependent. Ahaha.. yeah right, I'm just lazy.
Anyways, I'm excited to go back to Berkeley. I want normalcy again I guess. I'm happy to be back, but I don't know, there's still stuff in the back of my head that isn't really allowing me to enjoy my time at home the way I'd like to. Things need to changeeeeeee. I need to change.
T.I. ft. Justin Timberlake - Dead and Gone.
Okay yeah, I liked it the second I heard JT. muaha.Labels: China, Home, School
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Ready to be a Tourist?
November 30, 2008
// 12:22 AM
So after 5 months and some weeks, I have finally decided to hit up the tourist spots of Beijing. We have about 3 weekends left to fit in everything and let's just say the weekends are about to be very tiring. I've been here for 5 something months and I still haven't gone to The Forbidden City. Why? Well,
1) during the summer and early fall, it was about 90+ degrees outside everyday
2) the tourist season just ended, so prices are slashed in half, yes!
3) the crowds during the tourist season are unbearable; nearly empty sites make better pictures than 3 times over-crowded sites do
 So there. I finally went to The Temple of Heaven this weekend with George, Angela, Ivy, Alex, and Winnie. It was quite fun actually. Temple of Heaven isn't just a tourist location, it's also a place of relaxation for locals. Right when we entered the park, we heard some loud chorus singing. As we approached a long corridor, we saw a group of locals gathered holding scripts and singing with a conductor in the middle. It was amazing! We also saw locals doing 扭秧歌儿, basically ribbon dancing. Others were playing 羽毛球, badminton. We kept walking towards the Temple of Good Harvest or something along those lines, while Winnie gave us a mini tour from the info she got reading about the place earlier. I definitely need to start reading up on the sites BEFORE I leave to see it. The place wasn't too crowded, but it was cold cold cold and windy. But The whole place was amazing none the less. There was also an "Echo Wall" there. It was a perfect circle and if one person stood at the west end and one person stood at the east end, and they yelled words near the wall while facing north, they could easily communicate. We tried it of course, and it worked. It was pretty awesome.
After that, we headed over to 三里屯, Sanlitun Bar Street. We splurged at Let's Burger and had their yummy mouth-watering burgers and fries. Okay, we were going totally American today, being tourist and eating burgers for dinner, so we felt we might as well hit up Cold Stone for dessert too. Haha.. It really doesn't sound like I'm in China, does it? Let's just say we're all pretty sick of eating Chinese all the time. Well the day ended and we were all about 20 dollars poorer (thanks to American prices at Sanlitunr).
Then the night was closed off watching Wanted. It was an alright movie I suppose, but a little confusing. I'd give it a 3.
For some reason, I've been longing to go home for so long now, but now that I think of it, I can still remember every little thing about home. I didn't forget anything, so it shouldn't be any different from when I get home, right? 22 more days! My flight gets in to SFO at 12:25pm on December 22. Oh baaby!! I hope I'm not jetlagged. I don't want to sleep during the day! I want to embrace all the Milpitas I can get.
Locals doing ribbon dancing
 Us doing the classic jumping picture in front of the Temple of Good Harvest 
Let's Burger, all decked out for Christmas. How American is this place!? It made me so happy being in there with all the decorations!
Labels: China, food, Home, sight-seeing
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Excuse the mess
November 26, 2008
// 7:58 AM
So I realized that I've neglected this blog time and time again and I think it's about time I show some loyalty. Anyways, I've been busy trying to think of a new layout and even then, it didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it to, but I'm working on it. There will be some changes and stuff, but I must admit, I'm having a good time reliving my web-design, web-page making days. Those restless nights were so great. That feeling you get when you press "preview" and it FINALLY looks the way you want it to? Yeah. That feeling is good good good.
Anyways, Beijing is driving me crazy. I have about 25 more days here. Unbelievable. Everyday I think about how bad I want to go home, but I feel like I'm just going to be lost when I get home. It's weird really. I have gotten used to this place and have called it home for almost 6 months. I'm pretty knowledgeable about the city, where I should go if I want to go shopping, where the CBD is, where I can find yummy American food, where I can find good deals on everyday necessities. Also having my own room, as weird as it sounds, is going to make it weird for when I get back home. But don't get me wrong, I miss a billion things from back home. But as much as I feel like going home, I feel weird about leaving this place also. I've learned so much about Beijing, about its people, about their customs, habits, and so much more. It's been a successful study abroad experience, I think.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for us Americans here in China. EAP has planned a huge feast for us at some German Hotel in the CBD that is serving an All-American Thanksgiving dinner buffett. Sounds delicious right? Well maybe not to someone who hasn't been without American food in a while. But to us, it's worth starving 2 days for. This feast we're having means we're going to get to the hotel right when it starts, and stay there until 9, when it's over. My stomach is growling right now just thinking about it. Anyways, 8am tomorrow!Labels: China, Home
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Doing that thing you do
July 09, 2007
// 11:56 AM
Do you like the new layout? I do. This was one of my most favorite pictures from my trip down to San Diego for my sister's graduation. we went to Balboa Park.. that place was amazing. Speaking of which, I still haven't uploaded pictures from the place. I shall do that tonight!
Anyways, I'm at work and I just finished a Safeway order. that's always fun. I hate Mondays. I can't believe I have to go through another 3 weeks of waking up at 8 something and get yelled at for going out by my mom because I lack free time during the day. When I'm done here, I should have a good 3 weeks to enjoy what I have left of my short, work-filled, summer. I really don't feel like going back to school, but I feel like I've just gotten twenty times dumber  from leaving the books for so long. I really freaking hope I get into my Chinese language class. I REALLY need to get in. If I don't, my plans for study abroad are going to screwed up. Nevertheless, I still need to meet up with the EAP people at school. I can't wait to go to China to study! That is, assuming I get into the program. But my sister said it shouldn't be to hard? It'd be super exciting because the Summer Olympics are going to be going on. I'm going to get a billion of those mascot memorabilia--soooo freaking cute. BeiBei JingJing HuanHuan YingYing NiNi (Beijing Huan Ying Ni -- Beijing Welcomes You or Welcome to Beijing). My favorite one is the panda (Jing Jing). Apparently, from left to right, they are--a fish, a panda, the olympic fire, antelope, and a swallow. Cute.
I want to play tennis. I really need to get off my butt and do something. Actually. I take that back. I spend a lot of my time on my butt at work, but I'm still technically working. So kudos for me for not being lazy. Extra kudos for when I get back from work and go play tennis right when I get home--which I very well may do today if it's not 100 degrees outside (just kidding--even if it's 90 I won't play..hah).
Someday soon I'm going to do a 'day in the life of' post. I'm just going to take pictures from the time my damn phone wakes me up for work until I set my alarm at night before bed. That should be fun.
Oh, I got my photos from my SLR camera that I took in what.. November? I know. Lazy. Anyways, they're pretty! Too bad I'm too lazy to scan them.Labels: China, photos, work
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Name: ymmatammy
