Good Qi, Bad Air

The past six days in China we have had great weather, with blue skies and decent temperatures, but we all watched in trepidation this morning as a giant haze of smog descended upon us and basically took over the whole city. Welcome to Beijing, the only city where the response to the question "Do you smoke?" is "Only when I'm breathing."

We are currently in the process of gathering materials to DIY our own air filters for our rooms, and our student development office has handed out masks for everyone to wear when we walk outside, so don't worry, with a some precautions I think we will survive the airpocalypse this week. I do miss the blue skies though...

In other news, I have almost finished my first full week of classes here at TBC. Each class is only once a week, but for three hours at a time (except Chinese which is every day). I am going to have an incredible attention span by the time I get home. I met with a professor to discuss my research project today, so I am gearing up to start part two of my research and hopefully see some Chinese schools. Here are some pictures of our study spaces:

The Library, complete with good qi

The main hallway has its own terra cotta warrior replica

The "Hall of Harmonious Encounters"

More feng shui going on in the library

Ordering food continues to be an adventure, but I am getting much better with chopsticks, and I have had some really tasty dumplings and noodles since coming here. Authentic Chinese food is definitely different than American take-out; mostly it is a lot more spicy! I'll be sure to document anything particularly strange that I may sample while I'm here.

And so my Chinese life is moving along. Soon, I think a lot of the things that seem strange to me are going to appear just ordinary parts of everyday life, and I won't even look twice at that random fish drying outside of a restaurant on a clothes hanger. I'll be sure to let you know when that happens. For now, enjoy this fantastic English translation:

The bathtub did what now?

Chopsticks 101

Sixteen hours after leaving America, and being folded up in an airplane seat for about 14 of those hours, I was sitting at a Chinese restaurant eating my first traditional family-style Chinese meal and trying to figure out how one is supposed to eat corn using chopsticks. I have yet to achieve mastery with chopsticks, which I think is going to be one of the first skills I will pick up here since there is not a fork to be seen anywhere! Luckily, our new Chinese roommates who were sitting with us correctly demonstrated the proper techniques for using them, and I didn't have to resort to eating the corn kernel by kernel or the rice grain by grain!

So far, this is how much of my Chinese experience has been going; The campus staff tells me to go somewhere, I have no idea where I'm going, who I'm talking to, or what I'm ordering, and then the Chinese roommates swoop in and save the day. I think this is intended though - they want us to try new things and see what we can do on our own, but they also want to make sure we're not too lost while we're doing it!

I'm surprised at how much I like Beijing. I think I came in expecting to dislike it at first, just because everything is so different, and I think it's more typical to hear about the bad things in China rather than the good; but so far I've been enjoying everything! We are staying at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, which is about the size of Loyola Chicago back home. I really like the campus so far - we get to meet tons of native Chinese students and join in their activities and student life, so I feel like it's much more immersive than Rome was, back when we had our little Rome Center American bubble. I have a Chinese roommate named Cathy, and have already met many other Chinese students who have been subsequently coming to my rescue ever since. The Chinese students are some of the absolute nicest people I have ever met in my life, and they are amazingly helpful and accommodating. I'm afraid to even casually mention that I need something around one of them because then they will immediately stop what they're doing and go out of their way to help me get whatever I need! It's really fascinating to talk with them and hear about their experiences growing up, their hometowns, and everything they know about China.

One crazy thing did manage to happen to me at the airport however: It turned out my luggage didn't make my flight, and was stuck in Chicago for a few days. I've been borrowing clothes from friends for the past three days, and the status of my luggage has been a topic of interest among everyone here, with all my fellow classmates constantly asking my if I recieved my luggage yet. When one of the Chinese roommates knocked on my door this morning with my suitcase in hand, I was so happy I wanted to hug him and my bag! And everyone cheered when I told them I finally got my luggage!

Our time has been taken up with orientation activities this week, and we start classes Monday. I will try to post more about China soon, I feel like I have a lot of good stories already! And I will also start taking pictures now that I finally have my camera (which was in my luggage) and post them as well!

My room at TBC

My desk, complete with a stock of bottled water

Adventures Part 2!!

My bags are packed, my textbooks have been ordered, and I braved the -14 degree weather today to go downtown and get my visa from the Chinese Consulate, so I am ready to begin part two of my junior year abroad! I am leaving tomorrow on a 13 hour non-stop flight from Chicago to Beijing. I'm super excited, but I also have no idea what to expect from China, so we'll see where this semester takes me. I plan to keep using this blog to report on my experiences in China, so stay tuned for Jenny's Adventures Part II: China edition!

I found a stowaway in my suitcase

Textbooks for China!

Arrivederci Roma!

I am back in America after my Italian excursion. I'm over the jet-lag, but I still have the occasional urge to say "ciao" to people, and I hope I won't sound too pretentious if it accidentally slips out! It's hard to break the habit of using those little Italian phrases I've managed to pick up. Upon landing at O'Hare, my friend and I both accidentally thanked the American airport employees in Italian!

I get to take a break for the next three weeks and enjoy Christmas, and also begin to prepare for China (they're already sending us homework)! But I wanted to conclude my Italy adventures before I embark on any new ones. I had an absolutely crazy last week in Rome between taking finals, writing papers, and also trying to go out and take in the city as much as possible, but amazingly it all got done by the time I hopped on the plane Friday morning. Finals went well and I was especially happy with how my final research paper turned out. (Let's just say it was worth the several hours of sleep I sacrificed working on it)!

My Italian class

My final day in Rome was especially unforgettable. I spent the morning finishing my paper, but after that was complete (success!) my roomie and I took a bus to the Vatican to climb St. Peter's dome. Going up in the cuppola had been on my Rome 'to-do' list since I arrived, but for some reason I never got around to it. I'm kind of glad I didn't though, because going up there, right around sunset on the last day in Rome was just a really amazing way to say goodbye to the city and end the final day.

I got some good wallpaper pics too

 

Though the day was over, we still had the whole night ahead of us, and we intended to do as much as we possibly could in the twelve hours we had left. We got dressed up and went as a big group to our favorite Roman restaurant to have our last dinner in Rome (pear pasta)! The Italians weren't about to let us leave without some ceremony: the owners of the restaurant found out it was our last night and gave us wine free of charge, and we had a big toast to our Roman experience.

After dinner we went to a favorite gelato place nearby, Fridgedarium, and bought our last gelato (so sad)! Even though it was chilly out, I enjoyed every bite of that gelato!

The Last Gelato

We spent the rest of the night just wandering the city, and saying good-bye to our favorite places. It was particularly special, because by then, all of the city was decorated for Christmas!

Via del Corso with lights down the street for miles!

A Christmas tree at Piazza Venezia

Throwing our coins in the Trevi to ensure our return to Rome!

One last picture with the Colosseum

We ended the all-nighter with one last stop to the secret bakery to grab some goodies for the plane ride home, and then we made our way back to campus to finish packing, say our goodbyes, and hop on the bus to the airport.

I think my two favorite nights in Rome were my first night going out and seeing everything for the first time, and my last night saying goodbye and seeing it all for the last time. It was exciting to see how far we had come - we didn't need a map to navigate our way like we did the first few weeks in Rome, and we knew so much more about the places we were visiting; Rome had taken on new meaning for us.

It was really sad to say good-bye to our home in Rome, but I plan to keep in touch with the friends I've made and experienced Rome with. And we're all counting on that coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure our return to the Eternal City one day! I am so blessed to have had such an amazing semester in Italy; it was an incredible experience, cento percento!

A Parisian Thanksgiving

So we're hanging around the Eiffel Tower on Saturday afternoon when suddenly...

Santas!

Just one of the fascinating occurrences that happened over the Thanksgiving break, when I went to Paris with some friends. We took a really cheap flight from Rome on Wednesday and spent about four days in the city, including Thanksgiving, when we had our very own Parisian Thanksgiving dinner!

Paris is one of those cities that is so idealized, and while I really wanted to visit the city, I was also a little curious to see if it would actually live up to expectations. Honestly, I have to say I was not disappointed. Even in the winter, the city was beautiful - it's just what you would expect Paris to be like. And while going this late in the semester meant it was a little chilly, we got to see the city with all its Christmas decorations, which I loved! (Not to mention the 101 Santas...)

Some of the highlights were:

The Eiffel Tower - I freaked out when it started sparkling!

The Palace of Versailles

Notre Dame

The inside of the incredible Notre Dame cathedral

...and the back of it - not a vantage you see too often

Love-lock bridge, basically an entire bridge covered in padlocks!

Shakespeare and Company, the popular bookstore-hangout of Ernest Hemingway

The Louvre! I could've spent a week in here!

The Christmas Markets along the Champs-Élysées

All decorated for Christmas!

The Pompidou Museum

Sacré-Cœur, another beautiful church with a fantastic view

Sorry I'm skimping a bit on descriptions. I'm pressed for time thanks to final papers and exams. We only have 9 days left in Rome! You'll just have to ask me about the trip over Christmas and I can give you the director's cut version!

The City of Bridges, Water, and Light (but mostly Water)

Yay! Two blog posts in a row! I've got to get caught up before I leave for Thanksgiving break, where I will be having new adventures in Paris!

I went to Venice this past Thursday-Saturday, a trip I had been wanting to take since I first found out I would be studying in Italy. The fact that I didn't happen to get around to going until just this past weekend meant two things: 1. I missed tourist season, so the city was relatively uncrowded (a positive) and 2. I was there during rainy season, so the weather was, well, a little rainy (a negative). But overall, I was very glad to go regardless. The city really is extraordinary, with its canals and boats instead of streets and cars.

Since I seem to be in a list-making mood, I think I'll continue on that track. Allow me to present my Top Ten Venice Experiences:

1. Visiting the Doge's Palace, a lavish Venetian-Gothic palace which used to be home to the Doge of Venice, the main authority of the city. We saw the doge's incredibly elaborate apartments, the courtyard bordered by St. Mark's, the prisons inside the palace, and the Bridge of Sighs connecting the two.

The palatial courtyard

2. Making our way to St. Mark's square by following some graffiti left on the walls of buildings by a surprisingly community-minded rebel.

Seems legit.

 3. Taking the vaporetto (Venice's public transportation system) down the Grand Canal.

Beats taking the bus!

4. Experiencing the rain (and flooding!) in Venice. This basically meant that everyone had to walk down the streets on these raised platforms to avoid the water where it was pretty high. The locals also all wore these bright yellow and orange plastic-bag-like things over their shoes to stay dry! (Luckily, the rain/flooding only happened on the last day we were in Venice).

St. Mark's Square flooded! (The ducks seemed to like it, though)

Raised platforms to avoid the water. (Look at all those yellow boots!)

5. Staying at a really cool hostel, and having meals where we got to meet people from all over the world, including a new friend from Amsterdam, a college student named Victor, who pronounced my name so it sounded more like 'Janey' than 'Jenny!'

6. Taking a mini-trip to one of Venice's islands, Murano, which is famous for glass-blowing and crafting. We saw so many beautiful shops there!

Murano, home to Venice's famous glass-blowers

7. Venice at sunset, and Venice at night.

When all the gondolas come out!

8. Finding a church which was apparently the place where an Indiana Jones movie was filmed.

9. Strolling through the Rialto Market, and crossing the Rialto Bridge - Venice's most famous.

Rialto Market, fresh fish anyone?

Rialto Bridge

10. Simply strolling around the beautiful city and seeing its amazing architecture! Every time you turn a corner, or go down a little street, there's something to see.

It wasn't the sunniest of days, but we made the best of it!

Basta pasta!

Three weeks left in Rome and we're all trying to cram as much as we can into the time we have left! That means both a lot of traveling and a lot of work, so it's just a whirlwind of activity in general over here. This post is about a week belated, but in keeping with chronological order I thought I'd describe last weekend's adventures before I get into what I did this week/weekend.

If I had to assign a defining characteristic to last weekend's activities, it would be pasta. Not that pasta isn't a defining charateristic of Italy in general, but it was particularly abundant that weekend.

Thursday night a group of us went to the Italian Film Festival, where they were screening the premiers of several movies. We happened to stumble upon the movie stars from the popular American film "Catching Fire" while they were walking down the red carpet. I'm not one to get particularly "star-struck" but I have to say it was a fun way to spend a night. The very best part came later though, when we went to a local restaurant renowned throughout JForce for its signature dish: pear pasta. And the pasta was ah-mazing! It was this kind of dumpling-like noodle filled with pear and served in cheese and carrot sauce, and it was by far one of the best things I have eaten in all of Italy. Which is saying a lot!

Friday was a day of more pasta, as some other friends took me out to dinner at a place called L'Archetto, famous for its 113 different kinds (yes, we counted) of spaghetti. I had spaghetti with this delicious kind of walnut sauce - really different but really good! The waiters there were very funny and also slipped me a bite of tiramisu when they learned it was my birthday! We spent the rest of the night out in Rome and I had a really good time; Rome is definitely an incredible place to celebrate a birthday!

Saturday I jumped on a day-trip hosted by the campus ministry to Assisi. We left very early in the morning and took a bus a few hours out to the town. Assisi was absolutely beautiful; I suspect that visiting after tourist season helped, but the town was just so peaceful and lovely and, well, I suppose I can show you what I mean:

Welcome to Assisi

The courtyard outside the Basilica of St. Francis (the pope visited here in October)

Strolling about town

Pilgrims in Assisi

 Since it was hosted by campus ministry, two priests from JForce led the trip, which gave us some excellent insider views and information. First we visited the Basilica of St. Francis, which is built into the side of a hill. The basilica has two churches - the cave-like lower church and the elaborate Gothic upper church, as well as the crypt of St. Francis. After the tour, we actually had mass in the basilica, and then were set free to explore the town on our own. A few friends and I went to eat lunch in the main piazza in town, which was very nice (but maybe a little pigeon-infested)! Afterwards, a seminarian took us to see the place where St. Francis was born, near a small little church, and later we recombined as a big group to tour a few more churches (a main focus of Assisi).

One of the churches, Santa Maria degli Angeli, was particularly interesting. Inside the enormous church is the porziuncola, another, smaller church which was originally built on the site. So it was basically a church within a church. The tiny porziuncola was apparently the place where St. Francis lived and died, and around which he founded the Franciscan order. Since so many pilgrims came to the church after his death, the pope eventually ordered a much bigger church - the basilica - to be built around it without demolishing the church that was already there - hence the tiny porziuncola nested within the giant basilica. You never know what you might see in some of these Italian churches...

Santa Chiara, St. Clare's church

A small portion of the quite large Basilica of St. Francis

Santa Maria degli Angeli, home to the church within a church

We had time to chat with Friar Matteo, a young Franciscan brother at Santa Maria, about his life. He was very funny: he told us the story that when he learned Pope Francis had taken the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, he was so excited that he tackled one of the much older brothers to the ground. "But luckily he survived!"

By the time our tour was finished, it was getting dark, and we hopped back on the bus to go to dinner. Once again, the Italians took care of us, and we had an immense meal; I thought I was full after the first course, but there turned out to be about 5 more after it (including two dishes of pasta)! Luckily the friends I was sitting with provided the moral support so I could eat everything - and it was so delicious!

Sunday was spent prepping for my research presentation and working on papers for classes, so nothing much to report, but I was glad the presentation went so well on Tuesday. It also happened to be followed by another large meal of pasta (though I also got to try wild boar, so that's an interesting fact). I feel like I must apologize to anyone who has read this and is now hungry. What can I say? So much revolves around food here in Italy. If it's any consolation, I haven't had a really good American burger in a really long time...