Brookline High School in China

China 28: Saturday, College, and Travel

Time left: 7 weeks
Approximate life left: 60 more years

Yesterday was Saturday and jammed full with stuff to do. We had to meet up at 830 to go to the Shan'xi history museum. A teacher and a principal from Saugus, CA accompanied us as well. They're apparently planning on creating another exchange with Gao Xin High School so that Gao Xin can have a west coast contact as well.

At the museum, we managed to disclude these two by getting our tour guide to talk to us in Chinese instead of English. I got bored and began taking photos of random people.

We then went out to a truly western lunch at some hotel. The lunch was officially hosted by Madame Wang the head of pretty much everything that has to do with all the Gao Xin schools. But she was only there to talk to the Saugus people, and get them to sign the contracts. The lunch was good though. I ate bacon and had my first real cup of coffee in a long time.

Then we went to Da Yan Ta or the Wild Goose Pagoda. We climbed all the way to the top in the 80 degree weather and found a nice view in all directions. At this point my throat began to get a little soar from all the dust in the air. This was the last "official thing" to do w/ the school.

After words we headed to Xiao Zhai where all the college kids are and hang out. It's mainly women's clothing, but here and there me, Ian, and Isaiah could walk into a store w/o millions of eyes staring at the kid with no hair, the kid with a lot of hair, and the kid with black skin who were all boys in a women's underwear store. We decided it'd be better to split up, girls and boys. I managed to buy a badly needed belt. My pants have been falling off for months now.

My throat remained sore, but the sunny day was nice as was the fact that I didn't get into Brown or Yale or Williams. Bastards. But I never got my hopes up which I discovered might be the best way to face the world. Anway, after walking around feeling our feet die, isaiah and sara left for home. We all met rendez-voused and sat around for awhile. Ate dinner.

At this point I was getting cranky. 80 degrees, a lot of walking, and shopping with your primarily female exchange group can do that. Anyway, somehow they found an Italian gelatto place with couches and spent about an hour and half there. I kind of sat in my own world while they got high of the "Ice Cream Hot Pot."

I even forgot to buy flowers for my mom for spending all this time getting me tickets to Hong Kong and back. I really should do that. She got them almost half off though I'm still paying around $400 for the flight! Anyway, the rest of the trip will have a lot traveling.

After the ice cream place, a rarity in China, we ended up deciding to go to a club that Celine's older brother had been to four years ago when he went on this trip. I was neither enthused nor defused, so I hopped in the cab. Yet upon entering, for free I might add, I started girating to the music and had a grand old time. Some guy tried to dance with me, and I got the feeling it was a little more friendly than good old guy time. I just danced away my bad mood with the rest of the group, and was sweating profusely after 20 minutes. I tried to buy a water, and found out how this place gets all this money. They charged $4 for a bottle of water. I didn't get any. I'd rather die of dehydration. Anyway, the night went well and we got home by 11. My ears were ringing. So the night was good.

Anyway my family has been waiting for me for the last 30 minutes I think so i shouldd go. Goodbye world. I feel so... i'm not really sure.

posted by dAVID @ 9:47 PM