July 2012
3 posts
June 2012
21 posts
Blue Skies
I just noticed looking through most of the pictures I’ve posted that the sky is bright blue in them. How funny…I haven’t seen a blue sky in two weeks. I almost forgot how great the weather was when we first got here. All I see now everyday is smog.
“Cities are man made creations, but they function like an ecosystem. A skyscraper...”
– Because so far I’ve only posted touristy stuff, but I am here for school after all. A friend on the trip with me posted this, and it reminds me a lot of what we’re studying here.
Joe Peach on the future of urban design education.
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“This cab—that like all cabs in Beijing is impossibly difficult to hail, and...”
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Mao is watching you
Literally.
Remember when I said on the first day I was struck more by the similarities between China and home than the differences? Well…I think that’s just because I was so ignorant of the differences, from food to toilets to Communism.
I feel like the government is very present here, and in really different ways than it would be back home. We went to Tienamen Square last week and...
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Meta
The internet here has been really spotty and I haven’t been able to post anything, and now I face the problem of having too much to post because I haven’t kept up with it. Sigh.
Tuesday we began again at the Global Center for a lecture by Prof. Yang, but the most exciting part was a reception in the afternoon with Barnard President Deborah Spar. She was giving a talk at the Global...
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“I finally figured out why my legs are so tired. It’s all that crouching to...”
– GSP member
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"Hackeysack with a feather"
Beijing, day 1:
It’s been nice having the group all together finally. Although enough people speak Mandarin, and especially with the help of a group of students here at Beidai (Peking) University where we’re staying, I’ve felt a bit in a daze—all I do is follow people around and let them do all the work. Basic things are in English, but like at the grocery store, everything was...
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Travel buddies
Sat next to two nice men on the flight to Canada. One goes to China monthly for work (what a commute, huh?). Bugs as food were mentioned…what?!
Also, the Vancouver airport is the nicest I’ve ever seen, in case anyone was wondering.
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In need of either coffee or courage
Cried into my mom’s shoulder at the airport before I went through security. Oy. Sitting at the gate now, Beijing bound and terrified. But also excited? At least I will be by the time I get there, when the terrified wears off…
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Don’t know where the past three days went. T-minus 4.5 days until I leave. Shots tomorrow (ugh). Reading and research yet to be completed, and necessary monsoon shoes yet to be purchased. But I did make this blog. So that’s something.
