Blending In in Beijing
Michael Wang | July 21, 2008
Michael Wang in front of the summer palace, where many of China's emperors would retreat for leisure.
After an entire spring quarter preparing and waiting, I am finally here in Beijing, China, for a much-anticipated summer experience. The prospect of being away from my familiar surroundings for two months had not fully dawned on me, until my parents waved goodbye to me at the airport while I approached the security check point. That was when I experienced a sudden jolt of panic, as I heard myself say: "What had I gotten myself into?" That’s when I questioned whether I could survive an entire summer in a foreign environment. However, my feelings of apprehension were abated by my fascination and curiosity upon arrival in Beijing, as well as the hospitality of students and staff members at the Computer Network Information Center.
I applied to PRIME because I wanted to gain scientific research experience, which in turn would help me evaluate my career goals and options and would allow me to gain some useful knowledge for the future. Additionally, I had always wanted to experience life abroad in a different society. Since I speak Mandarin, Beijing naturally seemed like the perfect place for me to fulfill that aspiration.
Although I am enthusiastic about my summer abroad, I know I will come face to face with a number of obstacles. One of them will be the need to converse in Beijing's local language perhaps more than I speak English. I know living in Beijing will be a great opportunity for me to practice my Mandarin, though the language is difficult and doesn’t come naturally to me. In the little time I've been here, I have tried to add a slight Beijing accent to my Mandarin, to build a facade that would make me seem more like a local. I must say that overall, I now am enjoying adapting to Beijing's local culture and trying to blend in as a Beijinger.
Wang poses with the Beijing Olympics mascots.
While I was on the forty-minute taxi cab ride on the way to my dormitory from Beijing Capital International Airport, I could not help but notice the number of cranes that tower alongside many of Beijing's buildings. I even pinpointed some of the sights along the way that I want to visit, the National Stadium for the Olympic Games, colloquially known as the Bird's Nest, being one of many. Beijing's physical appearance is ever-changing. Even now as I write this at 2 a.m. Beijing time, I can hear the loud clamoring of construction and the voices of construction workers working around the clock. It is an exciting time to be here, especially with the entire city gearing up for the Olympic Games and I look forward to all the great experiences that await me in the coming weeks.
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Michael Wang studies in Beijing, China's capital . |
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