A Letter on the Train to Xi'an

大家好！


Midterms were upon us at CET this last week. The stress level was higher than ever before as everyone prepared for exams. 400 level students had 3 tests, so I was run ragged getting ready. After a think-tank study session for Classical Chinese and study groups for Business and Grammar classes, I feel like I did well. I’ll know for sure when I get my scores back.

With midterms behind us, my classmates and I immediately left for a 4 day weekend with our teachers in Xi'an via train. Riding on a passenger train for the first time made me think of all the stories I learned in junior high school about WWII, Anne Frank, and European immigrants. The tight rooms, hard beds, and over-night travel gave me the feeling that I was back then. It seemed strange to be in China and yet feel as if I were half a world away. The overwhelming nostalgia I felt prompted me to hand write my blog entry this week.

" To my friends and family back home,

BLOG TIME! Different style this week, as is fitting since I am riding on a train for the first time. Im going to Xi'an, the site of the ancient Terracotta Warriors! Being on a train makes me think about WWII stories. People fleeing their homes, finding new ones, and reuniting with loved ones. It has been a wave of memories from 8th grade, studying Anne Frank interspersed with moments when I imagine traveling across Europe, like in the animated Anastasia movie!

Coming off of a week of the most difficult midterms I've ever had, it seemed like handwriting this would be nice. Taking a break from the comforting glow of my phone and the petrifying luminescence of my laptop, it feels incredible to relax. There are cots and the train is filled to the max. It has been fun hanging out with my classmates, who I am getting to know better each day. Despite the stress of exams, there was a lot of bonding. I think it's great that there aren't real cliques. Everyone seems to be friendly and relatable, which is reassuring. 

As far as the language study goes, I've received several comments from teachers, roommates, and classmates that my Chinese has improved. I really noticed it this week when, for the first time, I was able to do an oral exam without stumbling over my words. There were at least two times a day that I wanted to give up, yet somehow mustered the strength/willpower/fortitude to stick to my studying. At this point I sucessfully prepared and completed 3 of the hardest tests I've had in my college career, including: grammer, ancient history, and business.

That's all for now.

Eric"


Xi’an was filled with history and cultural spots. Here are a few pictures of the places we visited while in town.

A back alley market in the Muslim Quarter with Malin and Weili.

The fattest panda doll I've ever seen!

Mushu the Dragon hanging out in the Muslim Quarter. Seriously rad canes.

Paris and Walmart in one store? Only in China. 

Rou Jia Mo again. This one is from a famous restaurant, and it was like Sunday Dinner in a bun!
The best roast pork I've had in ages!

Marin and I split this one.

Ink Tablet Prints that I wanted to buy SOO bad!

The butt touch

Great Wild Goose Pagoda

Im pretty sure that is steam, but we were shocked to see it in the city.

The museum at the Qinshihuang Mausoleum.

Marigolds were a taste of home in the most unlikely place I can imagine.

Jupiter in Amber

The one and only, Qinshihuang.

Terracotta Warriors! Wow! Surreal moment seeing them in person for the first time.

and there are a TON of them! This is only one hanger out of 5!

This is a meme...i know it.

Me at hanger 3.

Again in the Muslim district, but in the afternoon this place is packed!
Lots of people, edibles, and trinkets. It felt very authentic Chinese.