So sorry everyone. Livejournal was banned in China until about a week ago. I have posted several times on my Facebook profile, but this is the first time I havehave been able to post in China. So without further ado:
Life continues over here. It is freezing. It is around 24 F during the day, and down into the teens during the night. Beijing also has this nasty wind that appears every other day. It blows so hard that it is hard to bike, and it makes it even colder. I bought a Mao coat not too long ago, and though I was not planning on running around in it in Beijing ( I was saving it for paintball) it is so bloody cold that the coat is the only thing that keeps me warm when I bike. It does not help that the air is very dry. My host mom put water filled ramnen containers on the heater so that my bedroom's air would be a little more humid. However, I should stop bitching because I want to visit Harben during my 5 week long winter break, and it is so cold there that the toilet water in the public toilets freeze. However, I really want to see the ice festival! There is a really famous contest where people create humongous ice sculptures. It sounds great, but it will be so cold!
Actually, the break is going to be a pain. So far I have had five different plans on what to do during the break, and all of them fell through. First my class group was going to Shanghai. Then we had visa problems. Then we wanted to go to Hainandao, a tropical island. But that place now has cholera. Now my group is planning to go to Shanghai. My parents were planning to come visit. Then they ran into frequent flier blackouts. Another group of friends and I wanted to go to Vietnam and Cambodia for two weeks. Then that fell through. So now I have no idea what to do. *feeling confused and lonely over here!
As for school, it is being problematic. I am doing fine with the spoken language, but have trouble making sentences both in the spoken language and writing. My grammar sucks. I think it is because I associate the characters with a  sound instead of a meaning. So I need to work on it.
The cosplay club at Beida had it's 10th year anniversary. They had a big event with singing (theme songs), the Hari Hari Yukai and other such fun. I think I have discovered the main difference between Chinese and American cosplay: the Chinese do cosplay for the events surrounding it. They prefer to do group photoshoots, skits and the craftsmanship of the costume does not matter as much. In the US, individual work and craftsmanship is much more important. While I have not been able to get to an anime con over here, I am hoping to go soon. I will probably have to buy my costume though -.-
I am rather anime deprived though. Does anyone know any good new series? I lack internet in my house, so I can only use it twice a week, which means limited torrenting. I am open to any suggestions.
And just for you military buffs out there, I went to Beijing's Military Museum yesterday. I have NEVER seen so many tanks, anit-aircraft guns, howitzers, rocket launchers, swords and unique guns from different regions of China. They also had two shot-down US spy planes. One was pilotless, so it had to have been somewhat recent. I think I took over 200 pictures, and I plan to go back.
Well, it's time to run. Zaijian pengyoumen

I officially hate packing. It takes way too  much time, especially when you have a fifty pound limit for checked baggage. Well, I'm off, I'll be taking a direct flight on United from Dulles to Beijing tomorrow. And I have to be up early -before 9:00. ^.^ I'm already tired and my nerves are trying to kill me. I'm excited, but also scared out of my mind. Talk to you again in China! Zaijian!

Hello everyone. I have started this blog in order to show people about my study abroad year in Beijing China. On Tuesday I'm leaving the country on a 13.5 hour direct flight to Beijing.

To say I'm scared is an understatement. I went to China on a school trip four years ago and had my first peak into China. I'm also an East Asian Studies major. Therefore, while I'm very excited, I'm also apprehensive because I have an idea of what I'm getting into. Besides the fact that it's almost impossible to find tampons and deodorant over there.

I'll be staying with a host family, and attending Beida (Peking) University's International school. Currently, I don't know anything about my host family; their names, if they have a kid, and where they live in Beijing. I do know that they will probably have a kid, and that they live in the Haidan/Haiden district, the same district as the school. This is a far cry from moving into a dorm, where you know your roommates, room number and what you are bringing. I can only bring one 50 pound suitcase and a carry-on.

Each day I'll have three language courses and one culture course, plus either an art or martial arts course. I have already studied Chinese for two years, but it has gotten rusty over the summer. Luckily, fourteen other students from Dickinson are coming with me, and I already know most of them. One was an old roommate, another lived on my dorm floor and the third is a pretty decent friend. So I'll have plenty of people to go partying with.  ^.^

Either way, today and tomorrow are going to be very hectic. I'll try to update soon. Especially since I have found tons of little programs and other things that will make my  transition to Beijing easier. Zaijian!