Final Beijing Recap

Hello, you've reached Marissa. I'm currently unavailable, as I am in CHINA FOR THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS.

I'm so happy. I told a few of you that I've never used so many optimistically epic adjectives to describe a single experience. I am utterly thrilled to be here. And I have become so much more confident in who I am at my core--stripped of appearance, achievements, and biases. My hopes, dreams, and aspirations are clear and I feel honest and uniquely alive.

Did you catch all that?

I read books. Loooottsssss offfff booookkkssssss.

I used to have a touch lamp on my nightstand, so I would stay up every single night with this touch lamp on the highest setting so that when I heard my parents coming down the hall all I had to do was swipe my finger across any of the metal and it would soundlessly flood with darkness as I shoved my book under my covers or pretend I had fallen asleep reading. Most parents have children who sneak out or stay up playing computer games (I did it with my Gameboy sometimes too :/ Hi, confessionals), but I just read books like MAD.

That being said, I have acquired a delicious command of the English language (in my head...), and I believe that there is the perfect word for everything. And I fully intend to use those perfect words! But don't worry. I go through and change some of my obscure words to more colloquial ones (SLANG). 

Buuuuut, I think that's what's going to make it so great teaching English to students that really don't know that much. I'll have to find a way to articulate myself without relying entirely on language, which is something I tend to do. There's so many different ways to teach! And although I'm more comfortable speaking, I'll need to delve deeper into different teaching methods to broaden the comprehension of the students I'll be teaching in the not-too-distant future.

I'm sorry. I really should tone it down. 

IF I HAD A YUAN FOR EVERY TIME PEOPLE HAVE COME UP WITH AN OFFENSIVE NAME FOR ME MAKING FUN OF MY VOCABULARY, I'D HAVE AT LEAST 10!

....Several days pass.....

I found this in my drafts. Then I read it. And I thought, Shoot. What in the world was I even getting at.

So. Sorry for the random thoughts?...

Oh! Okay. So. Teaching seminars. We had this lady named Gail teach us. She was craaaaaazyyyyyyy. And also, the seminars were from 8-5 on Monday and Tuesday, which isn't entirely ideal when you consider the fact that nothing is ever air-conditioned and also the lady teaching basically says the same thing fourteen different times at various points throughout the chronic lesson (yes, I just referred to it as a disease). 

At any rate, I got ideas for lesson plans. And it quelled some fears I have. But all-in-all, it was about eight hours too long. Probably just because Gail is a terrifying woman. She does love her students, but she's loud and obnoxious and says things like 'a artist.' OH GAIL. USE THE N. AN ARTIST.

GAAAAIL NO!

But Monday night, we went to the Chinese acrobat show. Holyyyyyyyy. It was incredible. Before it even started, the Chingrish was almost too much to handle.

"1. Play Pimp. 2. Ball skills." 

Play Pimp?... I was awake the whole show, and I'm pretty sure I didn't see anything close to a play pimp. 

I wish I could go into detail to describe everything that happened, but I can't possibly get it all in there. At the end, they brought on this giant metal ball and a motorcyclist went in and drove around it like Mario Kart! He was driving in circles from side to side, and even going on the ceiling, in a figure eight, everything. Then another guy came out and joined in! And another! Until there were FIVE guys on motorcycles going around in this metal sphere onstage! Then they turned off the lights and it was just their headlights weaving in and out of each other. It was EPIC.

After the acrobat show, we walked around Beijing for about two hours haha.

Sorry for the lack of details. I'm writing in retrospect.

Tuesday, after the giant seminar, we went to dinner as a group and then about five of us went to rent scooters and we cruised around Beijing! It was terrifying! You have to consider that we're a group of white people weaving in and out of a million people--literally a million--and with no respect for any traffic laws, there were a few close calls. But we were fine! And turns out, I'm an epic driver. I can weave like you wouldn't BELIEVE. See how I did that? Weave? Believe? Hahaaahahha.

Anyway. We were looking for a lake north of Tiananmen Square because we heard that it's fantastic at night, but it was really difficult to try to follow a map when there isn't anything...on...the map... 

But we did find a square where a whole bunch of old people were getting together to dance! So we parked our scooters and were watching them when somebody slapped my shoulder and spun me around and all of a sudden I was fox-trotting with this old woman who didn't speak English! It was incredible. Everyone danced for a few songs, then we were off to find the square.

When we finally found it, it was probably the most amazing experience I've had. It's like the lake on Tangled. But encased by clubs with live bands every 20 feet and paddle boats and weeping willows surrounding it with beautiful lights strung everywhere. Unfortunately, my camera took a turn for the worst and the lens wouldn't go back in and it wouldn't turn on or I would have taken a picture!

Prayer works, though, and it turned on when we got back. 

We bought popsicles and walked around the lake and I honestly have no words that could adequately describe the finesse partying and the magical atmosphere. It was like a festival that happens every day.

All in all, the Beijing trip is something that I will never forget. Obviously, since I already have a creepy memory, but it really was perfect in every way. Even when it wasn't perfect, it was. Does that make sense? Probably not.

Anyway. BYE.