Beijing Bumming/Blogging Blitzkrieg

Today, October 1st, 2010, marks the 61st anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Known as "National Day," or 国庆节 guóqìngjié, the celebration begins on this day every year and lasts for a full week... and there are Chinese flags literally EVERYWHERE.

The patriotic thing to do, I learned, is to wake up before dawn and go down to Tiananmen Square to watch them hoist the flag at daybreak. Yes, daybreak. I'll wait to see a flag-hoisting ceremony until the sun rises a little later, say 8 AM? Maybe I should check one of those astrological calendars.

Since the national holiday is celebrated for an entire week, a good portion of the Chinese work force uses this time to travel, be it recreationally or to visit home/family. My classmates will be sending themselves to various locations around China; some have already left. After juggling a few ideas around, I decided the best thing I could do for myself was settle myself in Beijing for the week. My plan, if you could call it that, goes as follows:

1. Explore/document a new area of Beijing every day. My friend Nicole will be joining me in this endeavor.
2. Narrow down the scope of my International Studies senior essay enough that I can draw up a research plan and begin to conduct surveys and interviews with local Chinese. My friend Miles (yes, the competitor) will potentially be a co-collaborator, as he is also an IS major.
3. Catch up on a little homework (essentially read "The Dream of the Red Chamber") and write a paper.
4. Work out daily, take as many gym classes as is safe/healthy. Joanna will be joining me for that.
5. Relax, and finally settle down into my lodgings.
6. And finally... blog once to twice a day. At least. We all know why.

On that final note, I would like to know what you, my few and faithful readers, want to know about. Beijing? Peking University? China? My life in China? My life in general? Ask, and it shall be yours.

Totally unrelated: here's a praying mantis I spotted on the road to the Yale office on campus. I shoo'ed him to safety, to the confusion of the group of Chinese guys waking by me. Isn't he so cute??