Even though I don't have a TV

I am supremely good at wasting time watching television. Case in point: I recently watched two seasons of the show Mad Men, which airs on AMC and will be starting its third season in the near future.

I kinda hate getting addicted to new shows because then I do indeed waste all this time catching up and becoming obsessed... but at least I can pretend I'm learning something from this show. It's set in the late 50's early 60's in Manhattan so I get my dose of New York culture and world politics from that time, which I can somehow link up to my Vietnam class since we're currently studying the Kennedy administration.

Ok but really it's about the characters and how ridiculously well their stories are written. Of course the costumes and all that help set the tone, and there are funny moments of circumstances that seem so ridiculously racist/sexist/inappropriate watching from this day and age. So I've been really enjoying all that while at the same time cringing at how much these people smoke (even on the airplanes! and while pregnant!) and thinking how glad I am to be entering the workforce as a woman in this era instead of back then.

Unfortunately one of the pervasive themes of the show is adultry: these "mad men" work on Madison Ave all day and then go off to meet up with their mistress in a hotel and then return to their wives and children in the suburbs after dark. Basically. Which is sad, and yet so seemingly common. And it's just made so much worse by the fact that television is supposed to allow a person to escape, and yet it seems impossible to escape this culture of deception. I'm lucky to have what I have, and I know I'm lucky, and that makes it all the worse when friends of mine are not so lucky. What I mean is... it's hard to watch a show (though it may be set 50 years ago) about people who cheat and lie in relationships and then have it echo back in real life.

I guess I just have to come to terms with the fact that television--that is, smart, savvy television--isn't scripted in a void, as much as we would like to turn to it for an escape. And actually I appreciate this show much more than others that are too over-the-top or gloss over more important issues (coughcoughGGcoughcough). So affairs and duplicitous men aside, I recommend watching Mad Men and would love to have more people to discuss it with, since it really is one of those shows that inspires dialogue.

Overheard in NY by YT

Last Sunday I mistakenly went out in search of dumplings for dinner (all the restaurants in Chinatown were closed for New Years, natch) and as I'm walking down Mulberry I hear this shopkeeper guy say, "None of the crazies are out tonight. It's so cold even the crazies aren't out!"

Except for me and my rumbly tummy, of course.

Also just wanted to say that skinny boys wearing skinny jeans but still trying to be "cool" should probably not sag their pants. I mean, it just doesn't look right.

Lastly: Worst weather ever today. Took the bus both ways to campus and really should have worn my wellies. Too bad we don't get school canceled for inches and inches of rain on top of really slippery snow.

In a haze

I've been going through the travel motions since I got back without really paying attention but just sort of knowing where I am going thanks to traveling the same routes all summer. If that makes sense. Well, the problem is that today I was on my way back from an interview (went well! fingers crossed!) near Herald Square and whilst sitting on the B train got lost in my thoughts and missed my stop. Oops. I looked up and saw that we were at Grant street, so I figured I would get off and switch trains to go uptown (I could've walked back, I suppose, but I was wearing heels so no).

While I'm getting off I notice all these Chinese people! And across the way on the other platform: more Chinese people! So I happily stand there waiting for the train and listening to/looking at all the Chinese-ness going on around me. There was an erhu war with one played on each platform, lots of old people with groceries, and even crazily dressed children. Oh Zhongguo! I miss you!

Only bad thing was that everyone was speaking Cantonese. Wth. Also these two blonde girls came to stand in front of me (what are YOU doing here?? clearly this area is the new Chinatown, I thought) and I realized they, too, were not speaking English. Because of all the Canto-craziness around I swear it sounded like they were also speaking Cantonese, but given the circumstances a better guess would be some Scandanavian language. Or German.

Right so as if I weren't missing Zhongguo enough already, that pretty much did it for me. Now I'm going to eat "Chinese" food tonight and cry internally that I am paying $7 for my meal instead of $1.

I would just like to say that

It is very hard living in the city (and especially having classes all afternoon) and not being able to properly eat a sandwich. How am I supposed to eat on the run??

An Historic Day

Well, for someone other than me, I suppose. Today was the first day of classes, which meant running lots of errands and standing in lots of lines. I still don't understand why the Brits are stereotyped as loving to queue, when clearly no one does it better than New Yorkers. Ugh.

Anyway, classes look good so far except that they will entail a LOT of reading. But I'm pretty good at that so yeah, it's just a matter of getting my hands on the books. I have a very full day tomorrow of class, checking out the job fair, meeting with the EAS dean, then class, then going to see my Chinese professor (and perhaps auditing his class, har).

What else? Oh yes, some random lady came up to me at Whole Foods and started going off on how she felt offended by Obama's speech as a white woman because she helped with the Civil Rights movement in the 60's etc etc and I felt very awkward. But then I saw her go up to two other people after me and repeat the same schpeel, so I guess it's whatever. Reverse culture shock, episode 153.65!

So yeah, I miss China and my friends from there lots. Prices here are already making me sad. I can't hardly eat! Well that's not true, because of this wonderful thing called the "Recession special" that some restaurants have now. For example, Amy and I ate at Calcutta the other night for 9.95 and we each got: a samosa, soup, a chicken entree (mine was korma), rice, and naan bread. Nice! Portions were slightly smaller, but still. And the tax and tip basically killed, but still. 9.95 for delicious Indian food.

And the last note: I bought a bunch of yogurt on sale and it's possibly the weirdest texture ever. Not feeling it.

So sad!

That this is my last night in Beijing. I've been trying to take pictures of things I see everyday and the places I go, but I should've started this project at least a day ago.

I won't be updating for awhile since I fly out tomorrow and get in really late. Fortunately those 12 hours of my life that I unwittingly gained when I flew here will be given back to me, so that in essence I will be going back in time tomorrow to arrive in the States only 40 mins after leaving Beijing. Oh if only travel was that quick. Luckily I now have several books to keep me occupied on the plane, both in English and Chinese, and assuming Continental hasn't downgraded their facilities thanks to the economic crisis, I should also have some movies to watch in-flight. Looking forward to everything except the actual getting to the airport part, which is always a pain but in Beijing (of course) even more so.

All right now I'm off for my last night of karaoking (or KTV, as we call it here)! Oh how I'll miss you, cheap singing entertainment in classy rooms with terrible music videos on screen.

Transport-hation

After Tuesday night's failed attempt to make it to dinner on time via the 394 bus to BeiDa's west gate, I was quite gratified that yesterday I found a bus to take us directly from Bei Wai to the Wudaokou clothing market (hurray 836, you are convenient and efficient!) HOWEVER it took me half an hour of playing around on bjbus.com to figure out the right schedule, AND the bus of course took forever to come while all the other buses (including the loathed 394) whizzed by, repeatedly.

Not to mention while we were waiting, we stood there for enough time that a creepy middle Chinese man approached my and asked me for my phone number and email address (among other questions.) Luckily I had encountered this situation before (on a bus, coincidentally) and I told him my phone is broken and proceeded to give him a fake email address. I would feel bad except I was being polite and he was trying to pick me up, even though I told him I am returning to America in three days and I'm totally not an appropriate age for him. WTH China.

Also I just learned that those strange people who stand outside Carrefour asking for your receipts when you leave actually have a purpose in collecting them. I never gave mine up, but I wondered why they wanted them, because it's not like the receipts have credit cards numbers on them since everyone pays with cash. But apparently they collect them and then sell them to other people who want to claim them as tax returns. What??? Can't you find a better way to stick it to the man?

Oh, China. I've been thinking that a lot lately. I'm trying to take lots of pictures in my last few days here of the random stuff I see everyday, just so I have a reminder of how truly crazy this place is. On one hand, I'm glad to be going home and seeing my family and not having to deal with Beijing transportation/pollution/haggling etc, but on the other hand I know that I'm not done with China yet. So I'm going to enjoy my last few days here, think "Oh China" a lot, and then look forward to some serious R&R back in the US.