already two weeks ago I read something about culture shock. I guess I was well prepared for it by AFS a few years ago but somewhat it doesn't help. so I read:

There are four basic stages of culture shock: fascination, friendship, frustration and fulfillment.

ok. so when did I ever feel fascination here? I was not rly fascinated by anything ... I left out the friendship stage too and went right to frustration. it frustrated me that I was frustrated. on some days I'm fine but some days just suck ... when chinese ppl tell you " you are a foreigner, you don't understand" and just pull an annoyed face, it makes me just so mad. and my teachers tell me chinese ppl are very helpful and don't mind if they have to repeat something because you didn't understand something - that's so not true. once I asked a worker for help, she told me she is not in cahrge for that and I should wait for someone else. but no one came, so I asked her again "where is the other person?" - she just shook her head, hold her hand in the air and walked away. Welcome to China!

I guess that's the reason why I'm not really into studying Chinese. Why do I want to talk to people who treat me so badly? of course - if I could speak better, they wouldn't react the way they do. but right now and in the upcoming two or three months I will not be able to actually talk chinese. so where's the sense in all that?

 

Anyways, I did some sightseeing this weekend. I was at tiananmen square and the olympic stadium. the tiananmen square is so much smaller than I thought! and I must say .. It's not that impressive ... plus those guards are very irritating, but they are everywhere in china, in front of every bank, at the entrances of my uni ... just everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh, that's opposit the "bird's nest" - the olympic stadium, it's a swimming hall for professionals ... it's a bubble building! I love it! bubbles bubbles bubbles .. :D

 

 

those soldiers where crawling around at the tiananmen square. chinese invasion !!! they make a robotic sound while crawling ... then they stop and make " bang bang bang bang" I guess they try to kill some dust grains ... DIE, DUST GRAIN, DIIIEEE muahaha. .... I bet the dust grains will win, they are obviously in the majority. I try to report about the development of this war later again.

 

 

extremely talented ....

 

 

 

there is one huge advantage here in china : everything is SUPER CHEAP. julia and I were shopping last friday, that's the outcome, about 70 euros spent for 5 pairs of shoes, a bag and several dresses and shirts. hmmm I like.

 

fun fact: the more I dislike China, the more I miss Finland. Shouldn't I miss Austria, instead? I decided to start studying Finnish studies in Vienna when I'm back. I hope this is not a temporary urge ... but I'm pretty sure it's not. Mä haluun taas opiskella suomea :)