When I lived in Beijing...

When my fellow Boilermakers and I embarked on this crazy/wonderful journey, we asked ourselves, 'when is it okay to say you've actually lived in another place? Is it based on length of time, how much you embrace the culture and immerse yourself in the local life, or what?'

After much debate, we came to the conclusion that we indeed have lived in Beijing. We weren't put up in a fancy hotel, we had to find our own food, entertainment and really survive. We made the most of it, each in our own way, and here is a list compiled by our group about...

When we LIVED in China:

• I spent more time washing my clothes that I spent wearing them.
• A horn was always honking.
• I found out that corn is not only good on the cob but on popsicles as well
• Meals that cost less than one U.S. dollar were the norm.
• “Nearby” meant a 40-minute subway ride, minimum.
• I was a minority.
• I rediscovered books, as they were the only English “entertainment.”
• I never got used to be stared at constantly, and I will remember how that felt next time I am tempted to do the same.
• Bread had sugar in it and eggs were black.
• I waited in the bathroom next to Jennie Finch and Laura Berg (U.S. softball players).
• We learned how to wash our hair in the sink because mud showers were a weekly occurrence.
• Cramming yourself on the train was typical and sprinting at the transfer station was essential to assure a seat in the next train.
• We were all "pretty ladies," especially when someone wanted you to buy a knock-off handbag or a pearl necklace.
• We learned how to communicate with cab drivers without speaking a word of the same language.
• Lime and blueberry were flavors of potato chips.
• Adidas blue was the craze.
• Finding cheese felt like winning the lottery.
• Friendships blossomed and pre-conceived notions disappeared.
• I was inspired by the people but enraged by their system, and it became the most unsettling paradox I've ever experienced.
• There was a woman with a pet duck who took it for walks every morning around the campus of our university.
• The babies had crotch-less pants and were free to do their business whenever, wherever they pleased.
• I was both more proud and more embarrassed of my country than I had ever been in my life, all in one day.
• I fell in love with international track cycling in a serious way.
• A continuous struggle to do simple tasks taught me the true value of patience.
• My hair looked like it should have been called the Bird's Nest, but the Olympics became real and even more magical.
• I realized that it's easy to get by without the little things in life if you know you have western plumbing to go home to.
• Wrinkled clothes became common. Without a dryer and an iron, one had to rely on the wrinkles to come out while on hangers, which didn't happen most of the time.
• Watching television wasn't common. The Chinese television stations were all in Chinese but one so the time-killing TV viewing option wasn't available.
• I realized I take A LOT of amenities I have for granted, and I hope I never will again.
• I realized for all its problems, the U.S. is a pretty great country.
• Seeing a couple wearing matching shirts was no big thing.
• Getting your picture taken by someone with a camera phone was as common as a cold.
• Random people would try to practice their English with us.
• People would spit on the ground, anytime, anyplace.
• "No Smoking" never meant no smoking.
• The suspense of opening a door to a bathroom stall to find out if the toilet was Western or not was often our biggest thrill.
• We were the “loud Americans” everywhere we went. The Chinese are very quiet.
• We ate many, many meals not knowing what we were eating.
• The silkworms looked worse than they tasted.
• The bicycles were more dangerous than the buses.
• A lukewarm shower was something to be excited about.
• I realized how ethno-centric the U.S. really is.
• I learned the first two lines of "Beijing Huan Ying Ni" from an enthusiastic taxi driver who spoke no English.
• I made friends from all over the world that I know will last a lifetime.
• I found out that from China to America, Chinese food got lost in translation.
• Tourists/foreigners asked us for directions and we could actually help them out.
• We got our picture taken everywhere we went, even when sleeping on the subway.
• An hour-long massage was cheaper than a drink and sandwich at Starbucks.
• I consumed my body weight in white rice.