Wednesday

Today I had orientation for WorldLink. I met some people, more
people from the states, which is always nice. I met 3 guys, Jesus
from California, who wants to teach Chinese in China; Mark from Hong
Kong, and Bryan from California who is doing this while he transfers
from UMichigan to USC. He will start at USC in the spring semester.
After orientation, which was basically lunch at a restaurant and a
very brief tour of the BLCU campus, I looked at the campus gym with
Mark and Bryan, theres not much to gym, and then we walked back to
WorldLink. They wondered what they were going to do so I told them I
was playing indoor ultimate frisbee that night and they could come
and they said they would.
So we went to my apartment which is about 40 minutes from the
WorldLink office, luckily I dont need to go there often. They envy my
apartment since they are in the student residence which is basically
a dorm room. Then we got on the subway and went to Tiananmen square.
They had both arrived within the past two days so for the first time
I'm actually showing somebody around Beijing.
We walked around Tiananmen square, its a big place, and then ate
at a Japanese restaurant. Then we went to a cellphone store and Mark
bought a SIM card. With my knowledge of Chinese culture and how they
don't like the number 4 because its pronunciation sounds like death,
and my knowledge of a few phrases, I was able to get Mark a 40 kuai
($5) SIM card with a few # 4's in the # vs a 100 kuai ($22.5) SIM
card which had no 4's and a few lucky 8's. I kept asking for a lower
price , 90, 80,70.... and noticed the appearance of the 4's. So that
was cool. The cell phone store workers were teenage girls and it was
very amusing to them when I was trying to ask how much the rate per
minute was. You have to pay for a certain number of minutes, and I ,
with my horrible and limited chinese, was acting as interpreter for
Mark. Anyways, I don't know how to say minute and the girls were
laughing at me, so it was kind of funny. I ended up telling them
where I live and what school I go to.
Then we went to the Kerry Center, which is a very very nice
hotel. They have a sports complex on one floor and we played indoor
ultimate for 40 kuai ($5). The rules are; you play on a basketball
court, stall count at 7, and you score in the key. And once you score
it is make it take it and you switch directions. So you score and
instantly turn around and head the other direction. Played with about
4 per side. Its pretty fast paced and somewhat tiring, as well as
very hard to score. So that was fun. Afterwards I used the sauna and
hot tub and took a shower, because it was a nice place and i guess my
40 kuai got me access to all that. We took a taxi home. I have been
told by "Doc" (ultimate player) about a tournament in Hong Kong in
late October that Beijing is traveling to, and to "make it happen".
He says its no more than 4000 kuai ($500), and that it is a blast, so
I think its an appropriate time to break open my savings account.
Tomorrow morning I have a placement test. I've done some
reviewing, so my skills are better, however I dont know if doing well
on this test would be that great. I am in the intensive course so I
have additional afternoon classes, 30 hours/week vs 20, and I get the
impression that things move pretty fast.