Olimpiadas Beijing 2008

En Beijing se sienten las olimpiadas en cada esquina y en todo momento. La ciudad grita "One World, One Dream" y los fuwa (las mascotas oficiales) están en polos, en letreros, en comerciales, en la comida. Los chinos andan con ganas de unas olimpiadas desde hace años--se molestaron muchísimo cuando en el 2000 el comité olímpico escogió a Sydney sobre Beijing en base a cuestiones políticas/humanitarias. Por eso el People's Daily respondió con un artículo muy fuerte al boycott que anunció Spielberg en base a Darfur (http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90780/91342/6357571.html.)

Mis amigos chinos de Beijing andan súper emocionados con las olimpiadas. Mi amigo Luis fue al ice cube (el estadio de deportes acuáticos) ayer a ver un competencia amistosa de saltos. Nos contó que conseguir las entradas fue súper difícil y que estacionar fue un problemón... pero se notaba que andaba súper ilusionado con ir.

Muchos de mis amigos de TBC no estarán aquí para las olimpiadas, pero algunos están ahorita en el medio del proceso de aplicar para ser voluntarios. Por mi parte, yo disfruto con todo el alboroto y las construcciones y la línea nueva del metro... es definitivamente un momento increíble para estar viviendo en Beijing.


En frente del olympic village con Ernesto y Ana. En el cartel se pueden ver a los 56 diferentes grupos étnicos de la china y los fuwa. Los fuwa simbolizan diferentes regiones de la china, los elementos de la tierra, los animales más populares del país y la llama olímpica. Si juntas todos sus nombres-"Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni"- dice "Bienvenido a Beijing."




Olympic village de nuevo.




En frente del ice cube con un chino x. Es muy chistoso porque como no han visto a muchos extranjeros, se emocionan full cuando nos ven y a veces cuando caminamos por la calle los atrapamos tomándonos fotos indiscretamente con el celular.




En frente de "the bird's nest," uno de los estadios más importantes.

Cuba- Fidel Castro anuncia que no postulara a la presidencia

José Luis Mejía hace unos meses que comenta en décima sobre las noticias. Hemos quedado en que yo haré lo mismo, pero en dibujo y publicaremos juntos. Aquí el primer resultado de esa colaboración. También lo pueden ver en www.elentrometido.blogspot.com.

Ojalá les guste!


Muy democráticamente
(medio siglito después)
Fidel retira los pies
del cargo de presidente.
Para seguir consecuente
(y no por ser monarquía)
aquel que declaró un día
"¡Patria o muerte, venceremos!"
le habrá de entregar los remos
a Raúl, ¡qué epifanía!

JLM

la comida china-hot pot

A mí me asustaron diciéndome que la comida en la China sería súper fea. Todo lo contrario. Excepto por los postres--todos los que he probado han sido bastante feos--la comida es ríquisima, variada, y súper, súper barata. Así que empiezo mi tour culinario de la china con muchísima ilusión... y bastante cuidado para no andar regando todo con los palitos chinos.

Aquí les presento unas fotos de una de nuestras primeras aventuras culinarias-el hot pot. Alguna gente lo describe como un fondue chino, y nos han dicho que es especialmente bueno (y picante) en la región de Sichuan, aunque se piensa que el plato es de orígen mongol. Nos sentamos todos alrededor de una mesa con una olla de caldo hirviendo en el centro. Pedimos carne, champiñones, verduras, dumplings, y pollo y los cocinamos con el caldo. Fuimos a otro restaurante de hot pot otro día, y vimos que la olla estaba separada en dos--una picante y otra no tanto--muy al estilo yingyang de la ciudad de Xishuangbanna. En esta ocasión sólo tuvimos un caldo, y cada uno sazonó su comida a su gusto con las salsas que nos pusieron en la mesa. Recuerdo una de maní que estaba súper rica (pero que a nadie más le gustó jeje.) La carne estaba cortada súper chiquita y enrollada, como se presenta tradicionalmente. Los dumplings increíbles, y los champiñones también. El pollo... un poco menos rico. La señorita Ana María Pérez andaba en shock con la comida al principio así que fue gran cosa probar algo tan distinto (como se puedo ver en las fotos), pero ahora que ya es una señora experta de la comida china andamos probando cosas mucho más exóticas. Esas historias me las guardo para luego. ¡Buen provecho!


Ana y Juan



Marta y Ana



el hot pot




Los dejo con unas citas de "My Country, My People" de Li Yuntang, un escritor chino.
“No great English poet or writer would condescend to write a Cook Book, which they regard as belonging outside the realms of literature and worthy of the efforts of Aunt Susan only. But the great poet-dramatist Li Liweng did not consider it beneath his dignity to write about the cooking of mushrooms and all kinds of vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods.”

“Actually our love of fatherland is largely a matter of recollection of the keen sensual pleasures of childhood. The loyalty to Uncle Sam us the loyalty to American doughnuts, and the loyalty to the Vaterland is the loyalty to Pfannkuchen and Stollen, but the Americans and the Germans will not admit it.”
Li Yuntang "My Country, My People"

Clases

Otro artículo más que escribí para la clase de BC. En este describo un poco cómo son mis clases de TBC.


My experience in The Beijing Center for Chinese studies does not resemble that of Chinese university students. TBC is housed in the University of International Business and Economics, but it is not very integrated into campus life, nor do we take any courses with Chinese students--my classmates are primordially Americans. Some of the faculty is Chinese, but there are also many international faculty members. TBC is a very well situated American bubble; I get glimpses of Chinese student life, but I do not participate in it. My limited knowledge of the Chinese language and culture relegate me to this peripheral experience. Nonetheless, because China is so complex and foreign to me, this experience and the conclusions I indirectly derive from it fascinate me.

All TBC courses except Chinese are held in the 4th floor of a UIBE classroom building. UIBE students don’t have access to our facilities, and do not really understand what we do. Some local students have even developed conspiracy theories about TBC, and as a senior prank they sneak into our hallway and take pictures with the statue next to the library.

I am taking 4 courses--Beginner Chinese, Chinese Economic and Political Reform, Crafts of China, and International Business. All are held in small classrooms of 30 students or less furnished with simple desks and very uncomfortable chairs. Some of the faculty are important Chinese intellectuals--one of our history teachers appeared in an influential movie about China after the Communist Revolution. Most are foreigners with extensive experience in the country. My International Business teacher, for example, has lived here for years and participated in key DC negotiations regarding China.

All my non-language courses last 3 hours, meet once a week, are casual, and stress the importance of attendance and participation. The goal of Crafts is to develop a connoisseur’s eye for Chinese crafts. The teacher disregards stressful exams and extensive theoretical reading; the whole class builds towards our final project, which consists of collecting a series of examples of a particular craft, explaining their cultural significance, and recognizing quality. International Business class is based on readings from our textbook supplemented by our teacher’s extensive experience as a businessmen and banker in China. Our grade depends heavily on a final exam, but participation and in class presentations are also important. My Reform class is by far the most challenging--it is taught by the dean of the school, involves extremely complex readings, and grades depend on two highly analytical exams.

Chinese classes are held on a different building and all taught by native speakers. Although this is my most direct window into the Chinese education system, my teacher does not seem to fit within the descriptions provided by my UIBE friends. They say that their culture is very exam-oriented and stresses memorization--my teacher forgets that we have quizzes and favors comprehension over memorization. Chinese teachers are generally perceived as distant and authoritative--she is very approachable, and encourages participation. Perhaps this is because she does not hold class in a huge lecture hall and she is not a respected intellectual like the UIBE faculty.

Even though at TBC we study side by side UIBE students, it seems like our classrooms are miles apart. For Reform class we read a book written by an American who came to study at Nanjing University in the 1980s. I admire and envy his experience; but I don’t think I could deal with the Marxist discourse, the 11pm curfew, the excruciating exam period, or the authoritative lecture style. At the moment, the language and cultural barriers do not allow me to do so anyway. For now it is enough to see it through the eyes of my teachers, or the explanations of my Chinese tutor and his UIBE classmates. I recently met a Spanish girl who lives in my building and is planning on studying her entire undergraduate degree here. As China becomes a world power, if tuition and the cost of living remain cheap, I think this will be a trend in the rise. I can only wish these students luck. Even within the confinement and protection of my American bubble, I can tell that life as a Chinese daxuesheng is not easy.

el arte de comprar adivinando

Otro artículo que escribí para la clase de BC. Éste es sobre nuestras aventuras tratando de hacer las compras en el Stadium Store, la tiendesita de la universidad. Cada día probando cosas más raras... y tratando de no volverme más tacaña!!



One of my first experiences after arriving in Beijing on January 6th was going to the university grocery store with my Ecuadorian roommate, Ana María. The store is a 5 min walk away from the international student center, where most of the people in my program live. It is relatively small--only about five aisles--but it is tailor-made for student needs, so we found most of the things we needed (basic kitchenware, tea, coffee, yoghurt, fruits, cereal, notebooks, pens, detergent, moisturizer, etc.) The program coordinators had been right in warning us it would not be easy to find deodorant in China; we were happy we had listened to them and brought several extra from home. We also realized that stores never carry cheese. For some reason most of the Chinese, who will not hesitate to eat cat’s ears or seahorses on sticks, don’t like eating cheese.

We found some familiar products--Fitness brand cereal (which Ana María and I eat when we are home in South America,) Oreos, and every conceivable flavor of Ramen noodles--but most products were completely alien to us. I have learned to like kiwi-aloe flavored yoghurt, rice chips, sea-weed flavored crackers, and milk tea; but there are some things, shrimp-flavored chips for example, which I don’t think I will ever enjoy. I am open to trying them though; so every trip to the store is a bit of an adventure.

At the time we could not read any Chinese, so we had to guess what we were buying because most of the products were labeled exclusively in Chinese characters. Ana María, for example, mistakenly purchased peach-flavored milk. But that really didn’t matter. What we were really worried about getting the wrong kind of adaptor or buying detergent with bleach. The University of International Business and Economics is renowned for its language programs and students are really polite and eager to help. Unfortunately, most have very broken English or don’t know how to translate words like “bleach,” or “voltage,” or “shrimp-flavored chips”--but at least they guided us a bit. Ana María got the worst of it; she accidentally burned one of her appliances because we bought the wrong adaptor. My Peruvian appliances run on 220v--just like the Chinese--so I didn’t really have any problems.

Since we didn’t know how to say numbers in Chinese, we communicated with the cashier using a calculator. The prices are extremely low in general. An apple costs less than 2 Yuan (less than US$.30,) a big container of yoghurt costs 6 Yuan (less than US$.85.) Toiletries are a bit more expensive--lip balm costs 14 Yuan (less than US$2,) and moisturizer around 20 (less than US$3.) But since we can get amazing, huge meals in the cafeteria and neighboring restaurant for US$3 or less, we have become ridiculously cheap. We can’t bargain in the school’s grocery store; but we got a chance to practice our bargaining skills when we went to the silk market. Ana María got designer sunglasses that were originally 850 Yuan for 30. The American students did not fare as well. They have not been to tourist marketplaces in their own country and seen foreigners being taken advantage of.

I don’t really miss anything. I am used to living in the US where I cannot find the things I am accustomed to at home. Also, I chose China precisely because I wanted to immerse myself in a culture that is completely different from the ones I have experienced. I wanted to be uncomfortable. China is even more diverse and different than I had expected; I feel like I don’t have enough time to experience it all. I used to get really annoyed with my friends for going to Western restaurants (which are also comparatively expensive,) but I am trying to be more tolerant. Yesterday, some of my friends went to Carrefour (a French supermarket chain) and bought cheese. I have to admit it was nice to eat it after so long. I know I will not become completely acculturated or adjusted because of the language barrier, and because I am alienated living in international dorms and attending classes designed exclusively for international students. Regardless, I am trying my best to experience as much as I can.

International Student Center

Ya que Echeverría se anda quejando de que no escribo suficiente, les paso un artículo que sobre mi dorm y mi universidad que escribí para una clase online que estoy tomando a través de BC. Ojalá les guste... así por lo menos se enteran de cómo es mi vida en Beijing!


Con Juan y Ernesto--el grupo latinoamericano de TBC en su totalidad



Ana María y yo en nuestro cuarto! Nótese nuestro finísimo tendedero de ropa... jeje.. fuera de bromas nos tocó un cuarto súper grande... de puras suertudas



As a non-Mandarin-speaking foreigner with no previous experience in China, I find Beijing extremely intimidating. I never know where I am, I cannot read the signs, nor can I ask people for directions. Fortunately, my living arrangements are comfortable, homey, and convenient. Because of this safe haven, the chaotic maze of chatting pedestrians, insistent street vendors, disorganized traffic, and massive buildings becomes an exciting adventure, not a source of stress.

The city’s geographical and political center is Tiananmen Square--the rest of the metropolitan area sprawls around it in five concentric rings. UIBE (the University of International Business and Economics) is located in the north-eastern Chaoyang district between the third and fourth ring roads, less than eight kilometers away from the center of the city. The International Student Center (my dorm) and TBC (The Beijing Center, where I take my classes) are both housed in this university’s campus.

I share a room in the fifth floor of the International Student Center building with Ana María Perez, my Ecuadorian friend from Boston College. Because water in China is not safe to drink, the thermos TBC gave us has proven to be a lifesaver. There is a kitchen in our floor where we can get boiled water--we pour some into bottles which we store in the fridge and keep some warm for tea and coffee. Hot water is central to the Beijing experience; people serve it to you at restaurants and Chinese students pay to fill up their thermoses and then carry them around all day. I like it, but Ana thinks it will get really annoying in the summer months.

At first Ana and I were not happy with the shower; it is just a hose, so we expected the bathroom to flood every time we showered. Fortunately, it doesn’t. I figure this type of shower saves water and it is the least we can do in a country with water shortages, especially if we have been provided with a Western toilet. Chinese toilets are just holes in the floor--they consume much less water, but they tend to be a bit uncomfortable and dirty. There are the occasional bugs, the gym is ‘minimalist,’ and we only get hot water at certain times, but we consider ourselves very lucky. We even feel a bit ashamed sometimes because our Chinese classmates live in 10,000 people dorms, six people to a room, with outdoor bathrooms, and an 11 pm curfew.

The ISC building houses almost all the TBC students, as well as some students from Korea, other international programs, etc. Most of the TBC students are Americans from Jesuit universities, but there are two girls from Barcelona, a French student from Fordham, a Portuguese Marquette student, and two Latin-American boys from St. Louis and Fairfield. Students enrolled in intensive Chinese courses can room with a Chinese student, so there are also some locals in the building. Although living in international housing is a little alienating from the culture, it is very comfortable and has allowed me to befriend TBC people very quickly. I figure I will get my share of cultural immersion when I go to the south-western province of Yunnan this Saturday and stay in villager’s houses. Also, since most UIBE students study English, some are eager to make friends to practice the language. I have already gone out for lunch with a girl I met at a neighboring restaurant and my Chinese tutor.

Because we don’t know the language, it is very difficult for us to get around in Beijing. Living on campus cushions this limitation--we have a three-floor cafeteria, a restaurant, two grocery stores, a copy place, a coffee shop, dry-cleaners, several ATMs, several food stands, and a school-supply store all within campus. Right out of our school’s gates we have a huge array of restaurants, two banks, a supermarket, the post office, a nice river to walk by, a travel agency, a wi-fi Western coffee shop, beauty salons, etc., etc. Also, TBC gave us a set of index cards with places of interest written down in English, pinyin, and Mandarin, which we use to communicate with taxi drivers. Chaoyang is the largest urban district in Beijing and relatively close to the center, so most bars, restaurants, sites, and tother places we frequent are close enough for a cab ride. Ana and I took the subway once; there is a station walking-distance from school and we thought it was very efficient and cheap.

There is nothing that I can say I really miss about my living conditions in Boston or home in Lima. TBC and ISC make a very conscious effort to make us feel comfortable and at home. Some things are not up to the standards I am used to; but in most aspects I feel really pampered. I wanted to come to a different culture and be uncomfortable, but to a certain extent I need a safe haven to be psychologically at ease and thus be able to appreciate the culture calmly. If I were staying for a longer period of time I would probably want greater immersion. For less than six months, I can’t afford to spend half my time dealing with excessive culture shock. One of my classmates applied for a home stay and had to return to the dorm because he couldn’t deal with the intense cultural differences; I am glad I am not in the same position.

El templo Lama y el de Confucio