First impressions of Beijing, overdose of noodles and intensive Mandarin classes

My name is Shaked, and I am a rising junior at Georgetown University in Washington DC (but originally from Israel). I’m majoring in Science, Technology and International Affairs at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, and am planning on minoring in Business and Computer Science.

It’s been a week since I first arrived in Beijing, but time moves differently in this city. Adapting to the insanely fast pace of the city while trying to keep up with the pace of my intensive Mandarin class makes it seem like it has been at least a month. On the other hand, there’s so much more to see and do, so many things I still haven’t completely figured out (reading maps in Chinese to use public transportation is still the main struggle). You need to be prepared to change your mentality in a way that will allow you to absorb large amounts of information quickly, while learning how to accept the conditions of a country that might be out of your comfort zone. The first and most crucial thing we had to do is learn how to cross the roads here, because red lights are merely a recommendation for drivers. Even when you’ve finally reached the pavement on the other side, it is not the end as it is very common to see bikes (or anything with two wheels and an engine) driving and honking at pedestrians on the sidewalk. You need to master your chopsticks eating skills, or else you will probably stay hungry by the time everyone else finishes eating. You need to learn some basic phrases and make sure you hit the right tone, or else you will get confused stares or a dish you did not mean to order. If you don’t speak Chinese, you should definitely learn some of the more common characters on menus, or at least look for a menu with pictures, which will save you a lot of time and frustration. This might seem like a lot at first, but as soon as you allow yourself to experience rather than criticize or compare, you learn to embrace some of the aspects that make this city so incredibly unique.

I’ve been taking Mandarin classes for a week now, which might sound like very little but is actually quite intensive as we get three hours of class and around 50 new vocabulary words a day. If we keep this pace, I might even be able to hold a (very) short conversation by the end of the month. After class we have time to travel and practice our vocabulary by haggling with vendors or getting around the city in Chinese. I’ve managed to master the subway, which is extremely convenient and fast and can get you anywhere in town for less than 6 yuan (which is around $1). The highlights so far were a Confucian temple and the hutong neighborhoods by Nanluoguxiang, which are narrow ancient alleys with traditional courtyard houses. After a hectic week in which I was commuting to the city center everyday during rush hour, and after visiting some of the more touristic parts of the city, it was nice to just walk around without a plan and see what Beijing used to be like. There is something about this city that makes you reassess everything you’ve considered “normal” or “modern” before arriving. Even though KFC and McDonalds are everywhere, Beijing managed to maintain its historical and cultural charm intact. It managed to remain hectic yet remarkably organized, modern yet extremely traditional, big and industrial yet strangely pleasant. I must say that locals here are extremely kind, and every single time I stopped to ask someone for directions, he/she would go as far as drawing me a map and walking with me to the nearest junction to make sure I get it right.

Even after a very short time here, I could already sense that understanding and immersing in this culture will take more than I could ever do in just two months. One piece of advice to those of you who are preparing to come here for the first time: forget everything you thought you knew about this place. Come with an open mind, and embrace all that you encounter. Remember that you are here to experience it as it is. Also, leave yourself some time to travel after your internship, as there is so much to see and too little time. Tomorrow I’ll be camping on the Great Wall with the other interns, more photos and updates to come!

The post First impressions of Beijing, overdose of noodles and intensive Mandarin classes appeared first on CRCC Asia.