One of my favorite things about China is how fast and unexpectedly things happen. People here just make things happen. One moment you're walking down the street, and the next you have a job offer. Stuff like that happens all the time. And the best part is, you never know when something amazing is about to happen to you! Of course, this happens in the US too- you get some random email out of the blue from an old friend or someone you don't even know who offers you some amazing opportunity, etc.
So my big exciting "unknown" this week occurred last night when I met with a friend of my parents', Barrie. My mom had emailed me last week saying one of her friends was coming to Beijing and that we should meet up. Barrie is in charge of Aubade (omg check out the website- this stuff is so beautiful I could die), one of my favorite Lingerie vendors, in Asia. Barrie and I had wonderful conversations about women's place in society in Asia, and China specifically. Returning to Chinese classes this week after last week's vacation was very frustrating because I had already begun to forget some of my Chinese. If I can't go 1 week while still in China without forgetting my Chinese, how will I ever manage keeping up my Chinese post-IUP, and definitely post-Fulbright? Is my study of Chinese a total waste?! Why am I even here?! ...Ok so I know, a little dramatic. But these were my thoughts. And then I went out with Barrie last night, and she reminded me how important my project is, and how much I've already accomplished already just by being here. It definitely made my week, re-inspired me, and now I have a new friend!
Other "unknown" excitements of the week (sorry, I can't really speak English anymore, I'm pretty sure that grammar is wrong...):
-another trip to Haidilao, Beijing's best Hotpot restaurant. The service is just unbelievable, especially for China. We arrived with a group of 5, and they told us maybe a 30-40 minute wait (and this is a random Tuesday night!). We had made the journey (only a few subway stops away, but still) so we decided to wait. They seated us at a "waiting table" and wrote down our number so they'd know where we were sitting. Then while we waited, they brought us snacks, games, and hot soy milk (a very normal thing to drink here). We also got to order while we waited so that once we got to the table, our food would be almost ready. After only about 10 minutes, they seated us in a private room with our own waitresses who were never more than about 10 seconds away when we pressed our "call waitress" button. One of them even spoke English! Of course all the food was delicious as always.
-yesterday, I went to Ricci Cafe, my friend Wayne's favorite coffee shop and study hangout. It's relatively new so it's not usually that crowded. Upon returning from the bathroom, I found Wayne sitting at his table with two giant plates of spaghetti bolognese in front of him. While I was gone, the manager had brought out the spaghetti for Wayne to taste test, as they are still perfecting their recipes. We then proceeded to chat with the manager for almost an hour and "taste tested" 3 desserts! It was amazing. And now we're basically VIP.
-Not really an "excitement", but on Monday my electricity ran out. I'd been waiting for this day to come for awhile so I wasn't that suprised when it happened. My general philosophy about stuff in China is just keep doing it/using it until you encounter a problem. This mostly applies to my phone plan and my utilities. When I moved in, my landlord said, "don't worry about the utilities. Just call me if you have a problem. You have to pay for them, but it's too hard to teach you how to do it so I'll take care of it when the time comes." Of course she didn't explain how I can monitor the utilities either so I had no idea our electricity meter was low. So because we had no electricity, I decided to shower at the gym because I was afraid we wouldn't have hot water (turns out we did because our hot water is gas-powered). By doing so, I discovered that the gym showers are so nice! Mostly because 1) you don't have to hold the shower head up yourself; 2) the temperature stays at the same temperature you put it at and doesn't swing violently without your control; and 3) I didn't have to reach over my washing machine to get my toiletries. It was great. So now I know that something good can come out of loosing power for a day. (I'm feeling very Pollyanna today.)
That's about it for the week. :)
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