The One Month Mark

Hello everybody,

Well, its been another rather uneventful week here. There are a couple things that deserve mentioning, but the exciting update will come again next week, after our big trip to Xi'an. That leaves this Friday the 15th, and we'll get back on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll get a post up either Monday or Tuesday so that you all don't have to wait too long before finding out what happened there.  Anyways, with that short update out of the way, lets move on to the couple of things that happened this week.

Firstly, one of the girls in our dorm from Nepal had a birthday on Friday, and we celebrated that with traditional, homemade food from India and Nepal.  It wasn't exactly the same because they couldn't get all of the same ingredients here.  But if it was anywhere near the same, they eat very good food in those countries, and I definitely wouldn't mind eating it more often.  Unfortunately, I don't know anyone from Nepal when I return to the states... :/ I think I may have to go to more of the UNK cultural events and try out many new foods, as well as meet new foreign students on our own campus.

The second thing I did this week that was slightly less important, but still very fun, was that I went to see the new Thor movie in the 3D IMAX theater at one of our local malls.  It was even in English, which made things that much better.  And I must say, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.  I don't know if it was the fact that I was watching a movie in English, or if it was just a good movie, but I definitely enjoyed it more than the first.

I know, that doesn't really explain much of the culture here, but I think this next part might a little:  there were actually a lot of Chinese people in the English theater watching Thor, even though there was a Chinese showing in the same theater.  I don't know the reason for that, but it could be that they like watching the movies in English to practice their language skills, or maybe they like watching it in its original format, without the dubbing.  I know that when I watch movies like Ip Man or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, I prefer to listen to the original actors and just use subtitles.  Maybe that's what they were doing as well.

Anyways, with my pondering aside, that has really been the extent of my week.  Again, there has been the usual studying, sleeping, going to class and all those other wonderful things that don't really liven a post up.  We had a quiz over section two of our language book this week, and I only missed five points on that, so my language skills are still staying up there.  Hopefully they just keep improving the rest of the time, and I don't lose them as soon as I leave. :P As the title of my post says, this week also marked the point in the trip where we only have one month left.  Looking back, the time has really gone by quickly.  There have been some struggles, but there have also been some really cool parts.  Its going to be a bittersweet moment leaving Hebei Normal.  Thanks again to everyone that's reading these, and I'll update you as soon as I can with the details from Xi'an.

Adam