Prelude

I can't sit still.

I rarely drink anything with caffeine, I don't have A.D.D., and I don't do drugs. Maybe I need a check-up at the hospital. Maybe it's just been a hard adjustment from the fast-paced life at Yale to the tranquility of my hometown. Or, maybe all this waiting is messing with my nerves. Waiting for another parcel post filled with clothes and books that I couldn't take as flight luggage to come home. Waiting for friends to finish at their colleges. Waiting for my puppy to finish eating so that I could have someone to talk to (I do talk to my dog, as you do). Waiting for allergies to stop bugging me. Waiting for the tomorrow. Waiting for China.

I'm not sure what to expect when I get off the airplane at Beijing Capital Airport. All the demo videos of how to take a taxi, how to order food, how to find a hotel room, how to bargain for goods, all the little anecdotes from Zhou laoshi, all the days of studying Chinese into the twilight - I hope they pay off. I know China is developing fast, but I hope the globalization doesn't interfere my cultural experience.

Before I go off on my itinerary, some acknowledgements. Many thanks to the Richard U. Light Fellowship committee for providing me the resources to make my experience financially stressless. I'm sorry I missed the reception. According to a fellow classmate, Mr. Light was like a "jolly Santa Claus with a skill for story-telling." Adam and Kelly - thanks for all the presentations and walkthroughs to Traveling and Making the Most of China 101 - I won't forget the information you gave me. To Harvard-Beijing Academy - thanks for accepting me, but I'm not sure how much I'll love you after the first two weeks of studying. Finally, thanks to all my Chinese lecturers, who ignited my passion for the Chinese language and culture.

Now, down to the logistics.

June 13th - Off to Beijing, China
June 14th - Arrive in China, stay over at fellow Couchsurfer's place in Wudaokou
June 15th - Move into dorm at Beijing Yuyan Daxue
June 16th - HBA breaks loose
August 17th - HBA ends. Traveling China.
August 19th - Back to Pleasanton, CA
August 27th - Off to Yale

I think the hardest part of being back home is the lack of discipline to open the red Chinese book and review the characters. I find myself on Facebook, reminding myself of what I left at Yale. Or, I find myself reading books I didn't have time to read. But, now that I've stated the problem, I suppose I should open the red book now. I also need to apply for my visa. Eww...bureaucracy.

Ah, excuse me until my next entry. The puppy needs to go to the toilet. But please, comment away, for as soon as HBA starts, this is the only way I'll express any thought in English.

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