22:10, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013
From here on, it's China diaries.
Saturday
0900: Went to the airport with mother, checked in and left my mother in tears.
11:00: On the plane, I sat next to a girl called Vanessa who turned out to be another person from Usyd going on exchange. We mostly watched our own movies, but near the end we had a lovely chat about lot's of stuff. Apparently there were a lot of others on the plane as well: Tobias, Natalie and Elaine. There is A LOT of food on this first flight.
18:00 Guangzhou time: plane is delayed and we have to catch the next one to Beijing. I meet the others, and everyone is super nice. Vanessa is a halfie I think with mandarin background, super short and super easy to get along with and she wants to go clubbing in China. Toby is a white guy who is very excited and is pretty good at Chinese and very nice. Natalie is a white girl from South Africa I believe, and she is very chill and nice. Elaine is a Burmese girl who is pretty mummy-asian but nice. They are all 1B.
23:00 BJ time: Land in BJ. I meet up with brother in law of friend of father's brother. Takes a while to find them because of language barrier. They are very kind and drove me to the place.
Sunday
0100: Get inside dorm. Wake up my roommate, who is Chinese. Figures. She is very nice though, and gives me a toothbrush to use. I sleep.
10:30: Wake up, Karmen knocks, we go to get student cards. We go with Kevin to top up card and eat hamburgers for breakfast. We bump into some people, including the group I met yesterday. We go to buy stuff at the convenience store and buy sim cards and just walk around together. Kevin is known as the professional Chinese Kevin and translates everything and knows about everything we need to do.
13:30: we take a break. Me and Karmen have a chat in her dorm. I am still awkward with my roommate.
14:30: We meet up with everyone. Natalie, Toby, Karmen, Aaron, Jeremy, Doug, Brighde. Elaine stays in her room. Kevin takes us to the subway and then meets with Clara. Karmen takes Kevin's spot as translator. We catch the subway to Wudaokou, which is plenty fun, and then walk around until we eat an early dinner at a Sichuan style restaurant. They wouldn't accept tips. It was really awkward for me and the subway trips were better.
18:00: We head home, and check out the gym, and it is pretty cool: underground cavern: gym, pool, courts, karaoke, etc. Toby heads off to meet his Chinese friend.
19:00: Aaron wants to go to a bar, so we find a restaurant that sells beer and awkwardly just order drinks. We have Tsingtao, and see some people also from the class, including Alex, who was with us earlier, but then went somewhere else. Drinks is fun and everyone is more chill. It's better than dinner. I get super red, but I feel a lot less shit.
20:00: Some people from the other table join us: Blake, Alex, Artie or something, and two asian girls. We drink some more before going to buy slippers at the convenience store. Then we hang out a bit.
21:00: We head home. I'm still awkward with my roommate. I know some people better now. I'm glad Karmen was with me, I'm glad it was Karmen and not someone else, I'm glad it was only Karmen with me.
People
Aaron: Did medicine, now doing arts/languages. 1B. Chinese pretty shit, same as me. Nice and funny. Mood maker. White.
Toby: Cute, very excited, a little nerdy. 1B. Chinese pretty good for 1B. White.
Natalie: Pretty. 1B. Voice is very assured. Very open, mature. White. Interested in a bit of everything. Chinese is ok for 1B.
Jeremy: Commerce/Arts; Economics/computer science. 1B. Chinese pretty shit, like shitty shit. But hilarious; the funniest cunt. He's like got an almost sarcastic/stupid humour but I like it. I like his face. White.
Brighde: some other random asian. Pretty but heavy makeup. She's nice. 1B.
Alex: asian, mandarin background, 3B. Very elite asian-like. But those people are nice and get along with everyone.
Doug and Artie/archie are lols.
Two asian girls I don't know much.
Anyway it was a surprisingly good day. I feel like I have so much free time. This must be what happens if you don't spend all day on the computer. Well its nice. I should do it more. And class hasn't even started yet. It starts tomorrow. Lol.
See you then.