Today in Mandarin we learned about how to further introduce ourselves and our families. Although I still feel unable to properly pronounce anything, I found the system with which to introduce older and younger siblings, of which I have none, quite interesting. I am still very impressed with our professor’s ability to make class both fun and engaging, while still moving through lots of material. He seems like an excellent teacher. I am still sick, and my voice is starting to go, so I’m wondering if I’ll even have one for tomorrow, when I’m supposed to speak in front of the class introducing myself. Attempting to learn a little bit of a new language, in addition to spending time with my fellow Americans, so many of whom are multilingual, really makes me want to learn a modern language!
I wasn’t sure what was meant by the term “recovery center,” but quickly learned that it means hospital or a place in which to recover. The place we visited was geared towards people with mental disabilities ranging in age between 3-35. The staff we met all seemed very enthusiastic in addition to incredibly empathetic. People that live in the center make money by selling soap that they make. We made soap, which was a surprisingly simple process. We chopped up a block of what already looked like soap, heated the mixture, gave it color and or scent, and pour it into the molds. Then, we waited for the soap in the molds to harden. The language barrier made it impossible to effectively communicate with the people we made soap with at the center, most of whom were around our age. Because of this, we shared lots of sweet smiles and songs. Members of our group sang a few songs until members of their group felt comfortable enough to sing themselves. This proved that although we couldn’t speak the same language, music can always work as an universal unifier.
After we got back to BUPT, I went to go out for dinner with a friend from high school who is living in Beijing for the summer. Emmy came along too because I wasn’t sure if I could make it all the way to the restaurant and back by myself. We had a delicious dinner, shared by a mix of Chinese, Japanese and American college kids, consisting of a ton of appetizers, some of the best noodles I’ve ever had, and the largest fish I’ve ever seen! Afterwards, we went bowling. This sport seems to be a lot more popular and certainly a lot more affordable than it is in the US. Hopefully I’ll get to bowl again here soon!