Oh Californians...

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007



It’s the weekend after Halloween and I’m being “lame,” as Big Nick would say. Big Nick, by the way, is someone I met through couchsurfing.com before I came to China. Since then, we’ve met up a few times and have had dinner. He’s met my people and I’ve met his, hah. He’s been working in China for the last year and a half or so and plans to stay for another 4 or so. What does he do? Sorry…I kind of forget. Something about his own company though. I remember that, which is pretty impressive. I’ve also met a few of his friends that are also from the states that are working here. It was actually really good to get the perspective of some people who work in China. More to ponder about…

So this weekend I haven’t really done much. All the people from UC are gone on a trip to Dalian this weekend, until Monday, and have left me here stranded. Well, not exactly. Yesterday after class, I hung out with my language partner Sophia, more of a shopping partner I think. We went to a discounted part in wujiaochang to go shopping. I got a few running apparel, yay! It’s all real, and a whole lot cheaper! I got a Mizuno track jacket for 80 rmb when it’s originally is 260rmb. It’s wonderful. I also got a few more things as well. We also had dinner there as well at a cafe/restaurant. During our trip, I learned a lot about her. First of all, she’s a freshman and she’s not originally from Shanghai. Her parents are divorced and she has a younger step sister in the states. She loves to dance, especially hip hop. She lives with her grandmother. In middle school, her first boyfriend was her dancing partner. Sometimes she would skip school to hang out with her boyfriend and when her grandmother found out, she made her stay at home, I’m not sure for how long. Her grandmother also doesn’t like the dancing that she does, but hey, neither do my parents. She’s had three boyfriends, but none at the moment. These girls…they like to date. She said she’s sad because she doesn’t have a boyfriend right now and the boys at Fudan don’t like her because she’s not traditional enough for them. The boys here apparently want a girl very traditional and will listen and do what they want and be with them all the time. Over National Holiday on her plane ride home, she said she met this gentlemen who was about 20 years older than her. She told him she was 23. Apparently he “liked” her or so that’s what he told her. She said she only knew him for a couple hours but thinks she still likes him. During that conversation, all I wanted to say to her was…are you serious? She said she still thinks about him. Oh my…she needs to learn…he doesn’t really like her…he just…well, you know the rest.

I also asked her what she did for fun and if she likes to go to KTV. She said she went to KTV when she was in middle school and one of her friends died so she doesn’t go out or to KTV anymore. I was like…holy crap! Apparently he was fighting over a girl, she got really upset about it when she was telling me about it. She wasn’t sure what about the girl was fantastic or why they were fighting over her, but just the fact that was the result of his death. He was beaten to death by other boys I suppose. She said they called the police but the police don’t come right away. They wait about 20 min. and then call you back and ask if there’s still a problem. If there is, then they’ll take another 20 min. to arrive at the location, very different than what happens in states. It was a sad story. But on a happier note! Here’s a picture of her down in the shopping plaza.

sophia

Also while we were there, we saw a commercial being filmed. I think it was for coke because they had coke products there. It was pretty cool. It was also pretty cold though.

Also a few days ago we were going to the skewers place, we haven’t been there in so long!, and right outside there were the police confiscating motorcycles. Apparently the Koreans who owned them were driving without licenses, figures. They’ve been warned before as well, along with being told that there should be no drinking and driving! But they don’t listen. There were a lot of motorcycles being towed away. But skewers…yea, their service got worse! We had to wait over an hour for our lamb, not a fun deal.

So last night I didn’t go out. There was a foreign students Halloween party at 173, where my friend Ben DJ’s. I was too tired though. I had stayed up til 5:30am the night before working on my mid-term. Yea, I know, I procrastinate. So I slept at 5:30am and then got up for class and then right after class I went shopping with Sophia, so no time to nap. No nap=passed out. I wish I went though. I saw pictures and it looked like a lot of fun, but I was waaaaaaay too tired.

Today I actually got up pretty early, 8am. From then I applied for internships, writing my cover letter or whatnot. It took me about all day to do, considering I hate writing cover letters so I did everything possible instead of it, which is why it took me all day. I’m hoping I get at least one interview, but they’re really good companies, like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, UBS, along with other companies as well. I also hung out with Gabriel, who is from Korea. He helped me get a internet card since mine ran out and then we hung out for bit. We also just grabbed street food. Yum! He was telling me about how spicy is taste different in Korea and China. In Korea, spicy food hurts your tongue, in China, in hurts your lips. Therefore, when he eats spicy in Korea, its spicier so he has to drink more water.

Tomorrow is the foreign students olympic games or something like at. I guess I’ll check it out, see what I can do. The only thing that sucks about it is that it’s 7:40am, so early! But hopefully it’s worth it. And I guess it’s good too. Since we should be back by 12:30pm, then I can study for my international marketing mid-term. Sweet! Well I think I’m going to pop in a movie and then go to bed. Night!