Other Adventures
Beijing Rush Hour
Now, as you (should) know, Beijing is a big city. The large population translates to nearly everything, more hotels, more restaurants, more shops, more traffic. We caught that last one hard. Let me set the scene for you, we had just met our guide, Lily, a sweet woman with a quiet nature, polite as could be. We had used the subway a couple of times, and we felt confident that we could handle it during rush hour. Hint-hint, wink-wink. Our group moved through the throngs of people, attempting to part the sea as best as possible. (pro tip, I found that leading with your elbows provides an arrow-dynamic aspect that is of great aid in these situations) We shoved into the subways, so full that you have to put your hands up in order to fit, as people’s abdomens occupy the most space. Our guide alerts us that we are to get off at the next stop, which is great because I am shoved up against a wall far from the doors. Let the games begin. I attempt to politely jab my way through the crowds, a hard feat because I don’t know how to say “excuse me” or “I’m sorry”, so the best alert I could give of my necessity to move was a sharp elbow to the ribs. Whoops. The doors open, and I bust through the last packed group of people, making it outside to fresh air and freedom. I turned around to see the doors close on Charlotte. The face of pure panic came across Charlotte’s face until Jack steped forward and RIPPED the doors open, causing every alarm within a 2 mile radius to go off. Guards materialized from thin air. I swear one guard mission-impossible-style tore off his disguise when he saw us. Jack somehow completely ignored the numerous people yelling at him, the alarms that sounded like several grown women shrieking, and continued to hold the doors open until everyone from our group was safely off the subway. Our guide looked horrified. What a good first impression.
Survival of the Fittest
While traveling to China, one of the main concerns is the time change. There is a complete 12 hour difference between China and Tennessee. Needless to say, our group was suffering. I pride myself on being a professional napper, with the ability to sleep anytime, anywhere, for any amount of time (my parents are not fond of this hobby). My strategy was to not sleep until we arrived at our hostel in China. This meant not sleeping on the 13 hour flight to Taiwan, the 10 hour layover, or the 4 hour flight to China. I had not slept in 43 hours. I was in a different realm. Honestly, who needs drugs when you have sleep deprivation? We arrived at the hostel and ya girl HIBERNATED. My body went into coma mode. I’m pretty sure someone could’ve lit the hostel on fire and I would’ve slept through it. (if it’s my time to go, let it burn) Anyway, the group was pretty messed up for the next couple of days (rightfully so). We checked out some touristy spots, enjoying the days and loads upon loads of dumplings. However, come nighttime, we began dropping like flies. One particularly rough occasion was in a favorite dinner spot. Let me lay out the scene for you, the vegetarians are chilling at their own tables, while the flesh eaters have our own table. Halfway through the meal, we look over to see the vegetarians have been defeated. Charlotte, Nicole, and Brooke are facedown, conked at one table, while Roni and Sam are snuggling at the other. I am honestly surprised one of them didn’t fall asleep on their food. Flesheaters: 1, Vegetarians: 0.
Teaching in Lijiang
Ok imma be honest, I took a gap year because high school demolished me. I didn’t take a gap year just to go back to high school. So, when I heard that we were teaching, I was pretty scared, not gonna lie. High schoolers can be BRUTAL. We headed to the high school, and it was shocking. There were so many kids (it was also a boarding school). The “lesson” I was teaching was about music, but the real purpose was to encourage them to use their English. We would walk into the classrooms to be greeted by ~50 excited teenagers. We were split off into groups, where I began my lesson. In order to find a connection with the kids, I asked them of American songs they knew, or if any of them play an instrument/sing. I sang a ton of “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran. There was also a group who said one kid had some killer moves to “Beat it” by Michael Jackson. I (of course) played the music and the kid began shuffling around. I was shocked. Is this their version of dancing? No. I got a definitive answer about 30 seconds in. The kid began hip thrusting like there was no tomorrow. I stood in shock for .002 seconds before diving to shut off the music. After the performance, I then tried to chill out the group by teaching them the Macarena. It was honestly very surprising interacting with these high schoolers. We entered expecting to converse with the teens, talking about life, and teaching only more advanced words. In reality, we were met with a group of kids who knew how to say “hello” & “my name is…”.
