Day 108, 109, and 110: Ciqikou again and Easter Barbecue

Friday started off with getting up a bit early and working my blog before going to Heat Transfer. Then I took the bus to Campus A, and went to class. I ended up deciding to stay for Pablo's next class, so we could get lunch afterwards.

Walking down toward Sanxia Square, we saw a pottery shop, and after I had interest in it, Pablo and I went in. We marveled at the handiwork and regretted the fact that we couldn't take any home. I also had to be very careful not to accidentally swing around and hit something with my backpack.

One of the cutest pottery pieces in the shop

After that, we headed all the way down to the square. We were trying to figure out where to eat, going through some of the cafeterias, and Pablo suggested a ramen place that Robert had taken him to the past week. I had never actually been to an actual ramen restaurant, so I agreed, and we went there.

Getting there, we talked for a while, but we were having issues with getting the waitress to hand us a menu. We waited for about 15 minutes before we could get her attention without her brushing us off, and then we had to pantomime what a menu was for her to understand. I was considering going to another restaurant, but Pablo said it was worth it, so I decided to wait for the food.

I ordered a mixed meat ramen, which included a half boiled egg, which has an interesting texture. All the meats were so tender and delicious, and the broth was so good too. I ordered mango pudding for dessert, and Pablo got a rice and meat bowl of some sort. We talked for a while about our personal lives, politics, and just telling stories, and once we were done, he headed home to take a nap, and I went back to the other campus on the subway.

The walk back to campus was very pleasant, as the sun was out, the blossoms were open, and the scent of spring was in the air. Wei Wei asked if there was anyone who could pick up Greg's key from campus, and I volunteered since I was already going there.

After I picked up the key from the JCI office, I went to the pond on the other side of campus to grade the manufacturing midterms and draw.

Interesting little caterpillar

About 6, I left to get some tomato bread, which I planned to have for dinner along with some fruit and coke. Doing that, I got stopped by a couple of clubs (badminton and environmental protection), who wanted me to vote for their clubs for student government elections of some sort. I told them I was faculty, but they said I could use my CQU number to vote. I did it, putting the ballot in the box (and the girls at the ballot laughing when I turned my back to walk away). But I had told the boy with the environmental club there was one back at home for me, and he said that I should join them. I told him sadly that I was going home soon, and I couldn't. I realized that I missed clubs a lot (as I am overinvolved at UC), and wished that I had found a club that 1. I had time for during the semester, and 2. I would be able to communicate with the members in English, as most CQU students don't speak fluent English, only JCI students, and a handful of others.

 I went home, helping teach an older couple how to get out of Huxi Gardens by pushing the hidden button (I assume they were visiting someone else),  and sat down in the apartment, doing nothing for a while, just resting and relaxing.

Around 9 pm, Jessica and Nick got home, having moved their Prob and Stats Office Hour to that night, and having had one student come in that day. Jessica said that her and Nick were going to go to the rooftop garden at night, and I decided to join them for the heck of it.

We took the elevator up as far as it would go, and then we had to take the stairs up the rest of the way. It was a gorgeous view, but there was a couple story high ladder to go up even farther, which we all took, although internally, I was halfway freaked out because I don't trust myself with many physical activities, especially not one where I could fall any moment.

Nick had brought his laser that we had bought at Jiefengbei, the one that goes about 10,000 meters, and was pointing it at people's feet on the sidewalk, and at the side of apartment buildings, which added some hilarity to being up there.

There was also a sunbathing chair, and a discarded school uniform up there, which was interesting, because the Chinese don't try to get tan, they try to stay light-skinned. They use white people as a beauty norm, so it was strange to see that someone was trying to sunbathe.

You can very faintly see the line of Nick's laser pointer

After we were finished, we headed down, and with Jessica's flashlight on her phone helping me, I managed to make it down the ladder safely. I went back to the apartment, and soon went to sleep.

Saturday morning started off with getting work done, and then going to the English conversation hour. Smalls, the girl I had met at the train station when we were going to Chengdu had wanted to hang out with me at some point, so I had invited her to the English conversation hour. She brought her two roommates, and we chatted for a while. They went to Chong Qing Medical University, so it was interesting to talk about our varying projected career fields.

Two girls also came in for models help for their final GUI project, which was unexpected, but I tried to help them. I wasn't able to do much, but I invited them to stay around for the conversation. Amanda and Rebecca also came in to

The office was getting swarmed with bugs that were pouring in from the corner in the wall, so we went outside, and had the rest of the conversation hour outside. Amanda and I talked about my relationship and graduate school in America. The girls there for models ended up leaving early, and Smalls with her roommates, Lily, and Alice were quiet. They said it was because they couldn't understand the quick pace of our conversation, which reassured Amanda that her English was good.

We all dispersed, Rebecca having already gone to her hip hop dancing class, Amanda back to homework, and the other girls to finish their project (instead of coming to Ciqikou with us like they said they would). Nick had to go back to the apartment to get his subway card, so I met Sean at the gate. I got a message from Smalls saying that they were also going to Ciqikou to finish their assignment, and that they might see us there, causing me to shake my head at the indecisiveness.

At the subway station, we ran into them again, and they were delighted to see us. It turned out that their assignment was to get a picture with a foreigner, and the last girl was able to do that with Sean (as Smalls had done with me, and the other girl had done with Nick). So they stuck around with us, walking around Ciqikou with us, helping us negotiate prices.

Sean caressing this season's new fashion accessory

Very rude statue

Who knew all these different superheroes were secretly cats?

apparently this is a historical district

I was pretty hungry, so while we were walking around I got a juice (which wasn't as sweet as I expected), and got a set of 5 meat sticks, which I split with the other girls. I felt a bit self-conscious taking it into the silver jewelry store where Sean was getting stuff, but Smalls reassured me it was fine. I had also gotten a flaky meat pastry outside, enjoying it along the way.

At the store with this fountain, the girls helped Sean get the price down for a bamboo bowl for his father, taking Nick's job from him (since he loves to barter), but doing it a bit more effectively.

I ended up getting a bamboo mug with "Chong Qing China 2017" written on it, a leather banded watch, and a to go hotpot things.

United States of A-moo-ica???

The biggest comb you'll ever see

We headed down a way that I haven't been down before, and we meandered a couple miles down the road until we reached the end of Ciqikou.

Quick picture break

Because, you know, everyone needs a shell in their home

Cutest decorated dumplings

The Chinese Willy Nelson playing his violin

On our way back to the main gate, Nick saw several people with some sort of freezing candy blowing out smoke, and wanted to try it. It turned out that it was cereal puffs frozen in liquid nitrogen, and I tried one as well. The guy at the desk warned us it was very dangerous (and there was a video playing about it as well), but we claimed we'd be fine. Smalls took a video, but I wasn't able to get the smoking effect as much as Nick did. I realized it was a better effect once I bit into it, rather than just blowing out air immediately.

I ended up getting one of the giant cotton candy things that Jessica had gotten before when Apollo showed us around Ciqikou the first time. I desperately needed the sugar because my energy was running down quickly, and I was a bit tired (not that that was much of a surprise).

Before we all headed home on the subway, I suggested taking a group picture that they could show their teacher (maybe for extra credit).

They got off of the subway one stop before us, and we thanked them for the nice day they had helped us have.

The goods I bought that day

Getting home, I relaxed for a bit, continuing packing my suitcases for the trip out of here, and made a video call before heading to sleep.

Sunday started off pretty slow. I got up and worked on updating my blog, as well as philosophy homework, but I was looking forward to the BBQ as well. Jessica and I had bible study in the morning, which reminded me that it was Easter. It shocked me how quickly I didn't remember, because no one over here celebrates it, and the constant inundation of commercialism for it is nonexistent.

However, that helped me get my mindset together for the day. Although I was sad that we weren't going to have the traditional Easter celebration, but I was glad that all of us could get together for the wonderful meal. Around 1, Wei Wei got Jessica, me, and Will to help set up the grill, and then he went to get the vegetables. I worked on philosophy homework and made a PB&J sandwich while waiting.

We had to start prepping about 2, so we started on the vegetables while we waited on the Chinese TAs to bring meat.

lotus root in its natural state

Chinese cucumbers

They soon got there, and we started on the skewers as well and officially started the barbecue!

All the prep work almost completed

Lots of chips, beer, and pop, courtesy of Dom, Sean, and Nick

Completed skewers

Nick and Robert having to fan the smoke away from the grill

Lotus root dish that Wei Wei cooked

When we finally got the grill going

Watching over the grill in my finest Easter apparel

We were all having a fantastic time, prepping everything, giving encouragement, and eating (with some people doing more eating than anything else), but it was just nice to be in each other's company.

more prep work

We had some issues with the grill, and trying to get it hot, so Sean had the idea of getting skewers and putting it in the grill to get it hotter. We were eating a couple dishes that Wei Wei was cooking in the kitchen while we were waiting, and they were really good too. The skewers hadn't been soaked in water, so they were often breaking, but we laughed it off, often eating them out of a bowl with our hands.

Will grilling charcoal (as it was the only way we were able to get it hot)

Pablo got there a bit late, but there was still enough food for him to partake. I had also bought bbq sauce for the occasion (since the whole thing was my idea) to introduce the Chinese TAs to it. It was average BBQ sauce, and we all agreed we'd take them to a BBQ restaurant in Cincinnati called Eli's (which I haven't been to yet either).

As the food dwindled, I decided to give everyone the gifts that I had brought with me from America, the rose pens that I make with duct tape, and Celia gave us each two cans of tea from her hometown!

The duct tape rose, and the tea Celia gave us in the right picture

We cleaned up, and then were unsure what to do. We all headed into Nick's apartment for a bit to play a game of Uno together, and introduce them to buttered popcorn (since the only popcorn over here is sweet), before they had to head back to campus A.

Sean, Jessica, Nick, and I all decided to watch a movie together, and decided on Trolls. It was a very cute movie, and after watching it, I was pretty tired from the fun day we had, and headed to sleep.

-Zoe