Sword/Swallow/Pretty

Students in Beijing have a tough time. Absent specific requirements communicated up front, real estate agents will lead students to a few select high-rise apartments that resemble public housing. At one complex, the building had an entry-way that was unlit with unpainted concrete walls and floors, zero security, and filthy apartments. At Peking University, there's a central bathroom on campus that many students have to use for lack of any alternatives. But there are a few places here and there that are nice, and we managed to find one.

Second Day in China

The picture above is of the place we plan to rent this morning. It's about thirty minutes from campus via bicycle, and maybe a five minute-taxi ride (which costs all of $2.50). So it's a little farther than we would like, but it also gives us a nice home away from home that's not smack-dab in the middle of a major highway or commercial district. The current tenants are a nice Canadian girl named Jennifer and her Aussie boyfriend, who were very helpful to us. We're headed over there this morning to sign the lease.

Yesterday, in addition to renting an apartment, we toured the Peking University campus. The campus was formerly the estate of a famous (read: rich) Chinese general, and is decorated with huge buildings, a natural lake, and a pretty cool array of architectural styles. One of the most interesting sights was of parents taking pictures of young children standing in front of the west gate. According to Miss Han, our student host, the parents were trying to depict their dream of sending their kids to Beida.

Miss Han also introduced us to an amazing restaurant just beside the east gate of Beida. We had a traditional Chinese meal, and she told us about Chinese culture and modern ways of life. We learned that:

• When she sat for her exams after high school, out of the 600,000 students that took the exam in Miss Han's home province of Hunan, only 80 were accepted by Beida.
• Contrary to American perceptions, parents in the cities are fine having either a boy or a girl under the one child policy; indeed, Miss Han argued that girls are preferred.
• "Desperate Housewives" is her favorite show, and Samantha is her least favorite character on "Sex in the City."
• 6,8, and 9 are lucky numbers, and when you try to sign up for a cell phone plan, they give you about 120 options for telephone numbers so that you can find the most auspicious option.
• Jews are considered to be clever and financially astute.
  

We also chose our Chinese names today. Katie's is Shi Kaiting, and mine is Yan Maikun.

Today we're headed out to get a cell phone, rent an apartment, and get some food. More pictures to follow.