Independence

It's strange how in China I am constantly craving independence. I cannot even catch a taxi without some help. I am, however, proud of myself for making it by subway to Jill and Anna's yesterday all alone. I even got home last night (or should I say this morning since it was 4 AM) in a taxi and rode alone. I was nervous the driver might not find the place and I would be stuck saying bu jidao (I don't know) when asked where to go. I have officially been in China for a week and I feel like I have already become a whole new person. I am realizing just how much my life is going to change before I go home next year. I mean, I ate sushi last night and enjoyed it. When has that ever happened? I'll tell you one thing- people in Asia sure do know how to cook Asian food!! Who would've thought?? We went to Tairyo, a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant last night and it was absolutely delicious. We were also in a part of town that has a huge expat community so there were foreigners everywhere. It is really nice to know there are native English speakers in town.

After leaving the bar we were harassed by some beggars on the streets. It was pretty annoying. I am sad and disappointed in myself that I could be so irritated by homeless people but they were genuinely irritating. They would grab my arm and shake a cup in my face. They would follow us around and try to get money. It was just seriously frustrating. They like hanging around that community since there are so many expats. I guess they think foreigners must have money...

There were also street vendors with some pretty interesting foods for sale. I didn't see any scorpions but I did see some beetles. Yum yum. I can't believe people actually eat these things and enjoy them. It just doesn't seem right. I have become a regular at the breakfast vendor across from my apartment. The two people that run it are very nice. They don't speak any English but they do smile and talk to me a lot. I have no clue what they are saying, of course, but they seem friendly. The woman who works there has a nephew that lives in Virginia. It really is a small world...

The places we went out to last night were very modern. The buildings were huge and beautiful. The architecture here is amazing. I can't wait to start doing some of the sightseeing around Beijing. I have been trying to get a list together of some things that I want to do before I leave. Now that I am figuring out the subway system it will be easy to find the tourist attractions. I also need to do some major shopping. I did not bring nearly enough clothes. I sure hope I can find things that fit me in this city... Everyone here weighs like 90 pounds and they are all 5 feet tall. Wish me luck.

I learned this last night-

Mandarin lesson:
Yòu 右 (right) and Zuǒ 左 (left)