Swordswomen, Newlyweds, Class as Usual

I went out very early yesterday, determined to be in class on time, for once. In front of the kindergarten associated with my housing complex, I was greeted by the puzzling sight of women with swords--glittering, shining, metal swords--leaping about in slow motion and looking most fiercely martial. Perhaps it happens every morning and I just don't notice because I usually sleep in. This is not an especially impressive picture, I admit. Many of my photos are aesthetically impaired by the haste and furtiveness with which I feel I need to take them. It's clear that the only sociably acceptable targets for photos here are tourist sights. Anyone taking non-tourist photos is stared at or scowled at. I know I should just get into the habit of asking permission. That's what most photographers do right? And I know exactly what to say, how to ask. I just never quite feel like it. So I sneaked this photo while the sword ladies' backs were turned.

It was a fairly chilly day. I wore a long-sleeve short and the blue scarf Colin gave me for X-mas last year, comfortingly soft.

Classes: a lot of them. I am getting braver about asking Crystal to help me out with handwriting I don't understand. I like it when she arrives late and I arrive early and she sits next to me. It makes me feel almost like a real Chinese student. She said that the professor of the class (her advisor) had asked about me. This prompted me to exclaim how strange it was being an exchange student in China. In the U.S., I said, whether you're an exchange student or not only comes out if you open your mouth. It's not like the professor looks out at the class and immediately notices that "one of these things is not like the others"! She seemed genuinely surprised to hear that the U.S. is so diverse. She said she had never thought of it.

I went and introduced myself to Professor XK at the end of class. Crystal came along. XK asked if I could understand him talking. I said mostly, and that my classmate helped me when I couldn't. I said the usual things, that the class was very interesting and helpful. Like most of the professors I've tried introducing myself to, excepting BV's host-father, XK was rather cool toward me. A Beida thing? A foreign relations thing? Something about my manners or appearance? They stare at me with such curiosity if I don't introduce myself, that I assume they really want to know who I am. But then they don't. Or something. It's puzzling.

I tried to go to one of the classes SXb recommended, but ended up somewhere totally bewildering. I think it was a historical geography class? I'm not sure, but I really don't think it had to do with literature, which is what I had meant to be hearing about. The youngish professor would spend 5-10 minutes silently copying a text up on the board, and then spend 2-3 minutes talking about it. Then he would start copying again. It would have been fine perhaps if he'd also written what the texts were, but he didn't, and if he said it orally I couldn't decipher it. They were classical Chinese. I copied some. One seemed to be from the Warring States period. But I had a total lack of context and couldn't make sense of any of his discussion. I am thinking it's a bit late in the term to be starting a new class. I am also thinking I was in the wrong room.

This is a picture of the vast bicycle forest that springs up outside the classroom buildings in the late mornings and early afternoons.

YHz's class was all about dictionaries. Again, a replay of Prof. BE's class last spring, but with different details. At the break she chatted with me enthusiastically, and said she might be able to get me some books (that she had helped to compile) which are highly necessary to my research. We talked very briefly about my research goals for the year. She suggested that collecting materials should be a high priority, as I'm here for such a short time. I gave the impression, a bit mendaciously, that I was hard at work reading the dissertation she had lent me. Well, I've photocopied most of it and have read the first chapter....

Meanwhile, some over-excitable young Korean girls were having a birthday party for one of their number, complete with big fluffy cake. And not for the whole class (which numbered perhaps 50 or more) but just for their little circle. Why they had decided to have the birthday party in class during the break, I have no idea. YHz was clearly annoyed by it. As the cake boasted two flaming candles, I quipped snarkily, "Hm, only two years old," which she thought was quite funny. So I may have made my first successful joke in Chinese.

Anyway, it is good that I have a built-in excuse to see her even just for a few minutes each week. I think she's too young and busy to be a real hands-on advisor like LGs could be if I were more in his field (and might be willing to be anyway). But YHz does have the experience with my topic, there's no doubting that!

I managed a quick dash to the library during the one hour break before the next class. There, in great triumph, I managed to get hold of an article I had been very anxious to read. Another one relevant to LGs's project, very interesting though not in agreement with his conclusions, I'm afraid to say. While I was at the library, I saw an eye-catching group on the front lawn: a young couple doing wedding photos. Perhaps they met in the library. The Nostalgia of Campus Life, proclaims a billboard somewhere along my daily commute, an ad for cameras. You can get the nostalgia even before you're done having the experience. Anyway, it must be the nostalgia of campus life that prompted this young couple to get their picture taken on the library lawn, on a Monday afternoon.

Last, Song dynasty literature, a very good class. I got there early and while I was waiting for it to start, I took this picture of the courtyard. The classroom building is called Lijiao. It is newish, as I mentioned last week. There is something dreary and totalitarian about the white tile, but maybe that's just me.

I happened to meet up with NT, a Japanese girl I had encountered several weeks ago on "activity day." Since I was still lacking one of the essential texts for the class, I was especially grateful to sit next to her and share hers. The professor of that class, a really fine fellow, noble and sentimental and highly literary, as well as a good teacher, is her advisor. Lucky her! However, the unlucky thing for her is that she says she understands less than fifty percent of what goes on in the class. It must be so frustrating for her. Of course she reads, and even writes, classical poetry with great expertise. Ah, if only she and I were one person we'd do okay at being a Chinese student. I'm up to probably almost 80% comprehension with this prof, as he speaks so nicely.

A long day, a full seven hours in classes, plus one in the library.

When I got home, Queequeg and Yojo were both asleep on top of their basking shelf, it a way that made it look like they were kissing or whispering. I thought their water was too cold, so I moved them away from the chilly window shelf.


I guess the news pick for the day would have to be a nuclear North Korea, but as that's all over the news, no need for links, I'm sure. I guess clouds were looming on the horizon, but it's still kind of a shock to know that they actually went through with it, a mere...what, 1000 miles away from where I am? Though it doesn't seem likely that Beijing would be high on a list of targets. Still, I wish the news would limit itself to sex scandals and archaeological discoveries, instead of such interesting and momentous things. "Interesting" as in the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." ("Chinese" should probably be in quotes too, as in nine years of studying China's classical tradition I have never turned up such a saying...) Bring back the "boring" news!

From Chinese TV news (I'm sure you all saw it too): some North Korean official reading a prepared statement, is confronted by the rapid-fire question, "Will there be more?" Involuntarily cracking a smug smile, "I think it's enough, don't you?"