I'm a Beijinger (?)

Close your eyes, and imagine the busiest street you have ever encountered. Cars fuming, horns blaring, people swarming across sidewalks and intersections, and crazy one-armed old ladies grabbing you by the wrist with a shockingly-powerful grip and insisting that you "buy a big pink balloon animal for your girlfriend." 

Now open them before you get hit by a three-wheeled tricycle truck. 

If I could sum up the people of Beijing in one word, I would say: aggressive. The drivers literally have no concept of braking or traffic rules, and the car horn is used more often the the word "is." It's as if they don't honk their horn, their car will cease to work, and longer, more drawn-out honks where they lean on the horn for a good 12 seconds makes your car run even faster. 

Even better, the people have no idea of what it means to stand in line. Just because you got there 45 minutes before everyone else doesn't mean that an old toothless grandpa can't shove you into a bush so he can get to the ATM first. And just because you were about to leave the subway doesn't mean that six giggly asian girls can't interlock their arms and thereby create a Great Wall of Chinese blocking you from your exit. 

Now for some fun pictures of random things by my campus:

trike-in-a-box

(yes, this is a full bathroom)

So, for the past few days we've been getting oriented to the city, and to our program. Luckily, after each painfully-boring 3-hour long orientation session, we get a free meal at the campus cafeteria. The cafeteria serves real food, which i know is absurd for a school cafeteria. And it is true Chinese food, basic but tasteful, and very easy to like. 

After each campus activity, a bunch of us go out and hit the town. We found a bunch of amazing bars, and with the help of a few native students, got some crazy discounts on drinks while watching the World Cup matches. In addition to the sights of Beijing, just observing how people go about their everyday lives is truly eye-opening. 

We took a trip to Tian'anmen and the Forbidden City today, but excursions of this nature deserve their own post. 

晚安。