noiamnotaladyboy: Surviving Classes, Peking Opera and Baozi

哎呀, it's hard being a student at Beijing University.

This past couple of weeks have been tough, and I've been in great need of some sort of feeling of accomplishment.

The classes are demanding, we have too much homework, and seemingly the only thing I seem to do is get up at 6 (or 05.15 as I did a couple of days last week when I felt I wasn't prepared enough for class even though I had spent the entire afternoon and evening the day before doing homework, still not being able to finish), be in class from 8 until 12, have lunch in one of the many cafeterias at school, ride my bike home and do my homework until I have to go to bed.

And it drives me a little nuts

So many beautiful bruises covering my legs
from fighting with my bicycle.

You should see me when going out on the weekends,
in my skimpy outfit,
too much makeup, high heels
and bruised-up legs.
I really look like a whore.
Oh, well

I was a bit fed up last week, especially when getting back a vocabulary test, which I had did poorly, getting only 7.5 out of 10 because I messed up - and my teacher had commented on my test that she wondered how come my vocabulary test results had gotten more and more bad (听写越来越不好了。为什么?). And I was like, "Chillout, bitch, we've only had three vocabulary tests in total - cut me some slack!". And when I do get full score there's no comments.

I am not being completely serious. Our teacher is very sweet and very competent, and she just wanted to give me a little push..

.. which I think was uncalled for.

Because I'm neither lazy, nor stupid. Just a bit over-sensitive at the moment, struggelig with keeping my head above water.

So I felt the need to show her that I'm not stupid, even though the teachers nearly have to beat me in class to get me to say anything (so out of character, I know, right?)

The topic for last week's essay assignment was having to discuss some quote saying something about how you can not change the environment, only how you adapt - and whether or not you agreed to this statement.

I used the opportunity to write a two-paged essay about how the most important thing in life isn't getting a ten out of ten on a vocabulary test.

I also explained about how I've studied Japanese and lived in Japan, and how I got the best grades and the best scores, and whatnot - and how I was too busy doing my homework at home to be going out and speaking to actual Japanese people, and how people who not necessarily got the best grades, but went out and got friends, are the ones who now actually can speak Japanese - and how I've forgotten everything, and that it was a waste of time, money and effort, and how I'm not willing to let that happen again.

"So, if I sometimes don't do too well on my vocabulary tests does not mean that I'm lazy - it means that I'm actually out there, having genuine conversations with real Chinese people, instead of being cooped up in my apartment, practising the vocabulary and grammar that I've learned during classes at Beijing University. And in this way I'm conciously "adapting" to the unchangeable conditions at Beida"(having hard classes and too much homework, accepting not having to necessarily get the best grades in order to get a feeling of success - favouring spending the time actually in China, practising Chinese by speaking with people outside the classroom).

I kind of squinted my eyes and hunched my back as the teacher came over to my desk this morning, returning my essay. She commented on a few mistakes and said that I'd did a good job.

Then, during class she said that I had written the best essay last week, both of solid length and with good content - and that my fellow students should ask to get to read it during the break.

(Nobody did, however).

"非常好！"

But finally, at least some feeling of accomplishment.

And praise to me teacher, being able to handle (hopefully) constuctive critizism.

ANYWAY.

Last week, I went to see Peking opera.

On my bike.

(You should have seen the heels I was wearing).

Mind you, it is a true wonder if I return after six months riding my bike in Beijing alive, everyday maneuvering through the crazy traffic, dodging buses in high speed and even biking through heavy rain storms, feeling like your biking having ten fire hoses in full force directed towards you.

But yeah, on Wednesday our class met up on campus to catch the bus that would give us a lift to the show.

But.

Soon I spotted my pray

I was ready, with my camera - to take his photo, or maybe bite him in the face

Chinese kids are too cute

At the opera theatre we bought some horrible sake that tasted like soy sauce with alcohol. Luckily, Lotte had paid for the awful thing, so I did not feel bad about not drinking it.

Silje, Hanna and Lotte

Klara

Foolishly enough I had taken my tele lense out of my purse just as I was leaving the house, so I did not have the appropriate gear to be taking photos of what was going on on stage - but I borrowed Lotte's lense for a moment and got a quick shot.