lost in translation.

Last night I watched the movie, "Lost in Translation," with some friends, (mostly to make fun of the lives of foreigners in Asia and shout out things like, "that's soooo true!" when there are shots of Bill Murray standing a head taller than everyone in the elevator - but I digress). I then walked the 4 miles home at 1am carrying a basket of waxberries that was given to me by a student. (random fact, random life.)

Anyways, I got home to this message waiting for me on my Chi.nese instant messenger thing:

八百度 11:46:18
Hello recently in the literature of how the
八百度 11:47:46
You busy?

Seriously....my life is lost in translation...

walk slow. xoxo.

It. Is. Finished.

To quote my main man, Jesus. IT IS FINISHED. whoohoooo the longest semester in the history of mankind is now o-v-e-r.

To quote capitalism, "with Chin.ese characteristics,"

FORTUNE IS COMING.

Not sure how those two thoughts relate completely, but this pic cracks me up. I was lost wandering around the city trying to find a restaurant a few nights ago and passed this message. What is awesome is that the wall is cracked, the area of town is dirty, and behind that wall is a football-field sized area of rubble. Sure, Ch.ina, keep telling yourself that.

I'm going to celebrate the end of my year-long Chin.ese study with a step aerobics class. Then off to work tonight and after, a blind massage (being beaten half to death by blind people = my weekly entertainment).

And it's raining like mad up in here, so rain boots might be replacing work heels for the time being. And I'm taking the bus instead of biking. Because rain ponchos while biking = not sexy. But wearing rainboots on the public bus smooshed between natives who don't use soap = sexy.

Pick your battles. Fortune is coming.

My brain is scattered, can you tell? ha.

walk slow. xoxo.

Ting-a-ling's Photo Shoot.

Graduations in Chi.na are celebrated a little differently than home. Families don't come to graduation, gowns are borrowed from the school instead of purchased, and the main thing that students do to celebrate is take pictures with each other around campus.

My friend (and teacher) Ting Ting just graduated with her Master's from my university so today in the afternoon between tests, a few of us met up on the lawn at school and took some pics to celebrate her graduation!

Ting Ting is one of the most precious people I know, I'm really glad to be her friend and that we've gotten closer since she's been my teacher. (I have her class's test tomorrow!)

Here's some of my fave's from the photo shoot!

Nate, Hannah, me, Ting, Dan. (I am forever the person between two couples...)

love.these.people.

Ting got creative and passed around her hat for the photo shoot. Then I got butt-bumped by my teacher. hahaha.

While we were taking pictures, Ting saw my gym bag from this morning's yoga class and asked if I was going to the gym. I explained that I already went this morning and went straight to my test after my yoga class. "So American," she said, "Chi.nese students would never do that." "What do you mean?" I asked. "They would study the whole morning, then go take the test," she answered.

haha.

Happy Graduation to Ting Ting!

walk slow. xoxo.

Faces of the HSK.

Well, the big scary standardized test that has been looming in my brain for the past year is now officially over.

*cue the angels*

I can't believe it. I'm processing the experience, so until logical words can be used, here's a walk down the HSK emotion path via self-portraits. :)

Saturday morning: heading out in the rain to the gym for a last minute stress sweat-out...feeling the pressure already -

Saturday late afternoon train ride to Shanghai - the nerves have piled up and we're not feelin' too hot! (pass the Pepto!)

Sunday morning - how I felt immediately after the test - waiting in the hallway for Angel's room to finish, feeling like the Chin.ese language just grabbed me by the balls -

Another train home, and we decided we are awesome because we can take a standardized test in Chi.nese (level 4 out of 6!) Who cares if we pass, we are awesome!

haha. And there you have the many faces/emotions of my (first) HSK experience.

Embrace emotion. :)

*HSK stands for "Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi" which means "Chine.se Language Aptitude Test." It is the standardized test for foreigners/overseas Chin.ese. It is required for foreign college students and jobs that require Chi.nese proficiency. And I've taken it. :) weee.

I've got 3 more tests this week. Lord have mercy.

walk slow. xoxo

Thailand Dreamin'

Lately I've been dreaming of far away places...

like Thailand....

Anything to escape my present reality which is not exotic or adventurous in the least bit - finals and HSK week! dun dun dunnnnnn.

When I registered the for the HSK that was being held smack-dab in the middle of finals week I must have been high on life.

Bad idea, Jessica.

I'm going slightly mental; my emotions are whacked. One second I'm super content and happy, the next second I'm shaky and a spaz-attack. One moment I could care less about these tests and the next moment I'm acting like my life depends on them.

I've had a massive study block, which means the amount of actualy time studying has been almost nill. Oops. Can't go back in time now.

My next few days look like this...

Tomorrow afternoon: grammar test

Saturday aftenoon: train to Shanghai

Sunday: HSK!!!!!!!!! then return to HZ in the evening

Monday: reading test

Tuesday: listening test

Wednesday: speaking test

Thursday: pass out

Here goes nothin'......

At least I have these memories of a time not long ago when the only tests were tests of will...

Oh, vacation, we will meet again soon. But first...a few tests.

walk slow. xoxo.

600 hours.

Today at 2:30pm I felt that familiar anti-clamatic feeling...

Another chapter is ending, people are leaving, another set of routines and familiarities is changing.

Today was my last day of Chi.nese classes. We now enter finals week (and I will be taking the HSK smack dab in the middle of it on Sunday - talk about test stress).

Technically, the semester ends next Wednesday with my last final, but for all intents and purposes, today was the end. Many foreign students peace out on finals week and go traveling before heading home to their countries. I must take the tests since I am a university student.

I've been waiting for today. I'm thankful this year of intensive Chine.se learning happened, and I am just as thankful that it is over (just being honest). I want to continue learning Chi.nese for the rest of my life (I believe language learning is never-ending), but I want to do it on my own terms, in real-life situations. I want to learn from the people, not an out-dated Commie-slanted text book.

After class this afternoon I marched out these doors...

took a few memory snapshots of the foreign student building (I will have my PhD classes at another campus about 20 minutes away beginning next year)...

hopped on my trust/rusty pink bike with a broken bell and questionable tires...

took a few "yippeee!" shots to the amusement of the Chine.se students around me...

and peddaled away.

20 hours a week for 30 weeks = 600 hours of Ch.inese class in 2 semesters.

That's a lot of learnin'.

walk slow. xoxo.

Woogie Woo turns 22.

A year ago today my mom went to a Chine.se grocery store and stared at the eel/snake/creature things in buckets for like 10 minutes.

ha.

Also a year ago today, my mom, sister and I were galavanting around Hangzhou in the rain trying to find my sister the best Chin.ese birthday cake ever. (this was a serious task).

She was 21 and we were together in Chi.na. It was bliss.

Today, the little monkey turns 22. Now, I've never been really good at math, but I'm pretty sure the fact that my baby sister is 22 makes me like 97.

Happy Birthday to the little one! Who I guess is not so little anymore...

walk slow. xoxo.