Gender roles

So....I haven't been updating.  Mainly because I've been busy.  I haven't been going out and doing a lot of stuff, I've been doing homework, going to class and catching up with friends.  I haven't had a bunch of new experiences to report.  I know I did a blog about genders last semester, but that was more about jobs.  This one I want to discuss different genders.  Like how they are expected to act between each other and what I find problematic.  The guys here are more oriented towards being a gentleman than the guys back home.  


I guess walking is a good place to start.  A few times I have walked with guys and they have 'steered' me through traffic.  At first I thought it was just cause I was a foreigner and I am not as familiar with the traffic rules as they are.  Then I noticed that guys do the exact same thing to their girlfriends.  Its one of those things that I have mixed feelings about.  Its cute because they are being protective, trying to ensure the girls safety.  Its annoying because its like she is being treated like a pet or a child, being steered through traffic. I have also noticed that guys will put themselves between the girl they are with and any danger they perceive.  Like a pretty deep ditch.  The guy will walk between the girl and it, just to make sure that she doesn't fall in.  


Going out to eat is a whole new set of rules.  I have had a job for years.  So I'm used to being able to pay for things.  But when I'm here and people ask me to hang out they will almost never let me pay or even split the bill (they call it going AA).  If it is a guy friend who has asked me out he won't let me pay at all (unless its a large group).  Recently I went to Haidilao and 3 guys paid for 2 girls.  Which made me feel like a mooch. Again I have mixed feelings about this.  I'm older than most of the guys on campus and I have actually had a job.  So....I don't feel comfortable letting someone younger than me who has never had a real income pay for my food.  Even though I'm a guest in this country, it isn't like I'm staying here for two weeks.  It just feels weird.  


Then there is food.  It is considered polite to pour drinks for people....and to put food on their plates.  Now the refills I am totally cool with (and I do it too now).  If you are going to refill your drink, you might as well make sure your friend's drink is full too.  But....the food being put on my plate is a little weird.  I know its the polite thing to do.  And both guys and girls do this now, its not just guys.  When it happens I feel like I'm a two year old.  I get the feeling that either they think I suck at using chopsticks or that they are playing the mom (or dad) and I'm the little kid they got to take care of.  Keep in mind this is not what they are intending at all.  They don't think any of this stuff, its just how I feel when it happens.  I'm working on it.  Its just a difference in culture.  This being said, I really like Chinese-style of eating better than Western.  Its much more interactive if you have 5 dishes for 3 people and everyone shares.  You get a feeling of closeness when you eat that you don't get when you eat Western-style.  So maybe I'll be really happy about it some day.  I don't know.  Also I need to take more photos....I just haven't been doing new things so I haven't been taking photos.  So I'll work on that.  Sorry....

Alex writing the first line of the Dao De Jing (道德經)

Rocky found the peanut butter (hard to find in China)

Me eating noodles for lunch at the cafeteria. It cost a dollar (7 Yuan)

Unlike the fortune cookie, egg rolls actually do exist in China.  They are called Spring rolls.

Our new cat, Rocky named him Oscar.  He's very loud.

Fries I bought at a cafe that my classmate Liu Chang showed me.  With REAL ketchup! So good!

I re-dyed my hair today. Its blue.  My shirt is purple.

联系中文 (Study Chinese)

Last semester I was the only American student in this program.  This semester there are two guys Alex and Rocky.  Having them here has brought some perspective to my life.  First of all, Alex went to 后海 (a district in Beijing) and back because he wanted to get an instrument fixed.  Then later, Rocky went to a shop and bought an internet cable by himself.  They have both been here less than a week.  I know that when I first got here, there was no way I would have been able to go to the shop by myself like Rocky did.  Also I still wouldn't feel comfortable taking a taxi by myself to 后海 (although this might have to do with the fact that I am a girl).  I wonder if I am pushing myself hard enough to experience everything here.  


Despite that, recently on 人人 (Chinese facebook) I was informed by two different people that my Chinese was getting better.  For a while I was sure that they were pulling my leg because I didn't use my Chinese for about a month, so I think it has gotten weaker.  But I also think that I am more confident in my abilities in Chinese.  I really don't mind using it and messing up.  Making mistakes is a good thing because then I'll learn to correct them.  


This evening I went with Christina and Carmen (and Carmen's boyfriend) to dinner.  I had a great time, and I understood more of the conversations than I have previous times hanging out with them.  That being said, I think I was lost about 75% of the time.  Unfortunately.  Carmen's boyfriend was insistent that I should practice my Chinese more, and he is correct.  One of my friends, 李众 (Ryan), said the same thing to me, and made me do most the ordering when we went to get hotpot for dinner.  


This is probably why I spent over 4 HOURS trying to get my phone to be able to type in Chinese.  Its also probably why I have more Chinese in my most recent blog on 人人 (which is a rant about how much valentines day sucks, I'll re-post it on Facebook when the day gets closer). I hope that I'll continue to get better at Chinese, while still not pushing myself outside of my comfort level.  


P.S. We had Bejing duck for dinner...it was sooo yummy.  I love that stuff.  Great every time I eat it!

Stupid phone!

So my phone issues cropped up major this time.  Last semester I bought a phone here.  It worked well, I was happy.  Yay!  Well....then I had one major problem.  For some reason it wouldn't let me type Hanzi (Chinese characters) in my text messages.  Which....is something I really wanted to do.  My Chinese phone was better than the American phone because it could disply Chinese characters, but for some reason I couldn't type them.  So...this time I decided to use my new Samsung Exhibit II 4G phone, and use the Chinese SIM card in it.  


First I had to unlock the American phone.  That was the easy part. 


Then I decided to get an app called google pinyin on my phone.  I looked up ways to download them onto the computer and send em to my phone through USB.  But when I tried to download the app, I got the error message that there wasn't a device attached to the google account.  After several hours and attempts at getting the app onto my phone, my friend Rocky finally fixed it.  He used his phone to create a Wifi hot spot, which I used on my phone to get online and get the app.  So today I learned that Wifi with cell phones has nothing to do with the SIM card.  My phone didn't have a SIM in it when we did this.  Well to thank you for reading this I'll add some photos we took at the Olympic buildings and at the art district 798.

Red Rocks in Beijing (798)

Shout out for my Kings people!

So...I have worked at King Soopers for almost 7 years.  I have worked as a Sacker, Checker, Grocery Clerk, Bakery Clerk and a Produce Clerk.  So I feel like I know the store pretty well.  Assuming this blog updates correctly, I'm going to be adding photos I took of the supermarket here, just so that people can get a hint of what its like.