Day 5/6 每天冒一点险 Everyday a little adventure!

Before I begin my two day story, let’s give the important things out – my address!  And my Phone number!

Nanjing Address　

江苏南京市鼓楼区金银街１７号金　撞一单元３０２室

Mailing Address (only a 30 second walk for me) 

南京大学海外教育学院

Institute for International Students, Nanjing University

C/O 蓝凯琳， Caitlin Klein

中国南京市汉口路２２号 (210093)

22 Hankou Road, Nanjing China (210093)

Phone Number  15651788526

Everybody 你好！So sorry I didn’t have time to write yesterday!  I have to combine these last two days to make up!   I woke early yesterday (5:30) and started reviewing vocabulary.  It was a relaxing Sunday!  Grabbed some 包子baozi again with some 豆浆doujiang (soymilk) for me and my roommate before I met with my landlord 郭先生at 10:00.  I signed my contract, paid him some of the due money, and then went about my day! It was a very relaxing day.  My roommate took me out for 水饺 dumplings for lunch, and gave me a tour of the campus.  She is so sweet!  Anyways, after that she had some school work to handle, so I came back and watched a romantic comedy that I had bought the second day I got here.  I had started watching it back in the states but never finished it lol.  It is called 恋爱通告 “Love in Disguise” -really cute! I will probably watch it a couple more times to record useful phrases and such… language can be fun!  I just didn’t have my girlfriends or mom around to watch it with and drink red wine and eat chocolate lol.  My mom found a way to call me at that time =).  Anyways, my roommate wouldn’t come home until late with her tasks, so I went out at dusk to see the little shop-tents that pop up on the street.  After indulging in a McDonald’s coffee, I bought a mirror and a desk organizer for my makeup.  Being my clumsy self, I tripped on a small teacup, after realizing what I’d done; I immediately offered to pay for it.  The lady was very nice, and it wasn’t expensive, so I also came home with a random teacup lol.  For dinner I had some more scramble egg tomato to-go 西红柿炒蛋, it is kind of a comfort food for me, and not too greasy!  I gobbled half up and saved half in the fridge… but I don’t have any frying pans, nor do I have a microwave… so unless I plan on eating it cold, I don’t know what was thinking by saving it now as there is no way to heat it up.  Lol I probably didn’t need to put it in the fridge, as it is cold enough in the house.

Today was much busier!  I woke early today to run on the track.. 7:00. It was a nice jog!  Only four laps.. Gotta work my way up!  But I like this routine, and I think I will stick to it!  Keeps me warm here =)  There were women doing morning dance-aerobics outside.  It looked like they were doing the Macarena to Chinese music!  I must mention, I don’t feel quite as estranged running on the track as I have in the past at other Chinese Universities exercising.  Tomorrow will be even more exciting, stay tuned as I will explain to you tomorrow a Chinese dancer-size class that I will attend with my roommate!  I tried explaining the concept of “Zumba” to her. 

After getting ready, today we met in the office for orientation, do’s and don’ts, how to pick classes, etc. etc.  After all we had another tour of the campus, and that’s when Cali and I decided to split, grab baozi for lunch, and the return to the office to 选课 choose classes.  The classes that the students from the last cohort of Flagship took seemed very interesting; however none of the ones I thought I would like are being offered this semester.  So far, my list from the Nanjing University School of Journalism has: 

公共关系 – public relations,

专播与文化 Broadcasting and Culture-Profiling

负面专播 Negative Broadcasting

西方传播流派 Western Broadcasting

Maybe some of my translations aren’t the best, for example negative broadcasting must mean methodology of broadcasting negatively connoted-topics.  We will each pick out about three or four classes, and then try them out for a week, and probably end up taking two or three.  In addition to these two, we are also required to take a Chinese media class, a class on the history of Nanjing, and an HSK preparatory class; not to mention our tutoring times.  I think that it is really lucky that I happen to be interested in Journalism, there are several Journalism professors teaching the media class.  Perfect!  The teachers were super nice!  After attending this class from 1-2:30, I asked 方银 to help me go to the 派出所police station to register my residency here in Nanjing.  It was quite successful!  方银has been so helpful!  I think I will give him one of my music CD’s.  He seemed interested in music, and he had never heard of the Eagles, maybe he’ll like it?  They’re a good ticket to U.S. pop culture, I mean, who doesn’t know “Hotel California?”

When I got back, my roommate took me out and about!  We took the 地铁 subway two stops to 新街口 where there were (no joke) – more than five shopping malls!  Holy smokes!  Shoppers’ haven!  It is quite overwhelming.  To fuel-up for our shopping trip, 李岳 Liyue (roomy) took me to a place to try Nanjing specialties.  Apparently Nanjing, along with Shanghai also specializes in 小笼包 (little dragon package) a certain type of dumpling that has soup inside, along with another delicacy, 鸭血粉丝汤 (duck blood transparent noodle soup) now…  I know what you’re thinking, but don’t freak out yet…  Okay, I’ll admit, did try it. And yes, it is a chicken broth soup with cilantro, green onion, transparent noodles, tofu, duck liver pieces, duck intestine pieces, and chunks of jellied duck blood.   It is not my favorite, but it wasn’t inedible people, and it is highly common to eat this in Nanjing.  Try everything once 每天都要冒一点险 “every day one should have a little adventure.”  And although most people at home would call that plain crazy, I call it getting under China’s skin!  It was well worth it because later she took me to DQ and treated me to an ice cream cone.  lol The shopping was fun, but I literally window-shopped -until I dropped.  I don’t know if there is a chengyu (idiom for that), but when we got home, I went straight to the hot water to make some coffee, and the two of us sat and chatted girl-chat the rest of the evening.  李岳, come to find is quite wise in the fine arts of girl chat ;)  Until tomorrow!  <3