First Three Weeks Being An Adult.

Finally, I have my first weekend in Boston!

Took by my partner Nikita in front of my collage building.

1) School.

Register. Drop. Register again. Drop again. The same course. It happened in my first two weeks. Couldn't make the decision, I changed my mind every day until last Thursday. 

Finally, I am taking 16 credits this semester. 

And I already get two credits, painful but exciting!

Last two weekends, we had 9 to 5 classes every day. It was a kinda "boot camp," teaching us photo shooting and making videos. So carrying the heavy tripods, mics and cameras, I had four wonderful days.

I took a video of my partner's dancing story and edited it in Final Cut Pro. It was so interesting to cut the interview video, put them together and add music and photos. 

 

From the top of Hyatt across the Charles river.

One of the courses really opens a new world for me-- Data Storytelling.

I have been interested in data for a long time. In my capstone paper, I analyzed the data of the digital subscription of The New York Times, which was time consuming but interesting. 

I am thrilled at the new course, which teaches us to search, analyze, and request for data from internet and government. 

In China, we are allowed to request public records. There were few university students requesting the government officials to show the government records, but failed. And every request was regarded as super brave.

I cannot say how exciting I am that I could make request for public records, which can be everything I want to know. 

Political asylum is a topic that I have been curious about for a long time. I am surprised to learn that the top reason for Chinese to apply for the asylum in America is One Child Policy.

Though I may never get the data I want, but I would fight for it. It feels good to have the right and use it.

2) Commute.

Somehow, I live super close to Boston College. It takes me one hour to commute every day. So you will see me sitting in the train, reading The Wall Street Journal with highlight pen every morning. 

One thing annoys me a lot. I see the train passing every morning when I walk to the station! Maybe it's just bad luck, or the train doesn't like me. ;(

I didn't get any time for football games. But at least I can feel the game on the train. 

Last Saturday after the class, I was surprise to see the train was full-packed. It started to rain, but the happiness from the BC fans can't be diminished. It reminded the football games in Oklahoma last year.

Winter is coming. I hope I can catch the train every morning, instead of standing in the snow and waiting for ages.

Rails.

3) As an adult.

To be honest, it is my first time to feel like an adult.

Though studying in States last year, I was in a big group. I had my friends living next door. I had advisers who took care of everything for me, including courses, housing and etc. OU provided me chances to meet with Americans, such as OU cousin and host family. I couldn't work so I relied on my parents financially, though feeling sorry.

But everything is different.

From housing to courses, I have to make every decision by myself. I am too old to totally rely on my parents. I don’t have a group to connect with. Though I have nice classmates and generous professors, I feel I am all alone some time. The feeling that I need to be a fully grown-up shows in my head every moment. Four years after turning into 18-years-old, I finally feel I am obligated to take every responsibility for myself. I know it is late, but I am still happy but scared.

Room. Desks and Chairs assembled by myself.

Everything seems to get better.

Put gym into my schedule. Start to cook. Had my furniture arrived and assembled. Get used to the transportation and the walking pace. Two or more cups of coffee a day. Try to finish homework in school before heading back home. Write journal every day. Fall asleep with music on.

Love life! ;)

 

I couldn't blink or close my eyes every night when I walked out. The sunset is amazing.

What? My Package Flew to Oklahoma?!

As soon as I signed the lease, I started to use my address for everything. 

The other day, I ordered a textbook on Amazon. Tracking the package, I found it was delivered. But, I didn't see the package. 

Where did Amazon send my textbook?!!!!

Just in case, I checked the order again. OMG! I forgot to change the address on Amazon. The book lies in front of the door in Oklahoma!

I couldn't fly to Oklahoma just to get the textbook, though I'd like to.

Posting a status on Facebook about the situation, a girl suggested me to call the club house in the complex to see if they get the package.

I called and explained. 

"You must come here and show your student ID," the girl on the phone said.

"But I am in Boston." I almost cried.

Finally, she checked the package list. Unfortunately, it was not in the club house. 

Suddenly, I remembered my old roommates may still live there.

She recommended me to contact Amazon to see if they could waive the returning fee.

So I had an amazing conversation with the customer service.

The staff checked my order and decided to give me the refund, even without returning the book!

My brain stopped working for a moment, and I thought I couldn't understand English.

But this was MY fault. I put the wrong address.

Though the textbook is cheap, I am still so happy and relieved. 

Maybe this is one of the reasons that Amazon can grow so fast! 

From Oklahoma to Boston. What a difference!

Still, after a week in Boston, I still couldn't believe it's true: I am here in Boston!

Though I have been lived in United States for one year, it's totally a different place for me. From Oklahoma to Boston, what a difference!

The last sunset in my hometown Wenzhou

After an exhausting travel from China, I arrived in Boston.A brand new life is waiting for me.

I skyped with Maria and Janine when I was at the Hongkong Airport. Miss the friends!!!

1. Housing.

First thing to deal with is housing. I am so thankful that OU prepared the housing for all the International students. I was really desperate, since I knew nobody here in Boston, and it was really late to look for a room. 

Searching on Craigslist, I found a place. After seeing the house twice, I thought I liked it. So I filed the application and send the copy of my I-20 to the landlord. 

But I changed my mind as soon as I lay down on bed. The room is too old and too gloomy and cold. The next morning, when I started searching for housing again, I got the electric lease from the landlord. I was freaking out!

I contacted a friend, Troy, who lives in Illinois, to ask if I could say no the lease. Troy  comforted me and tell me to calm down. And he found me a girl in Boston, who works for a church!

In the same day, my second day in Boston, I found my room. I made the quick decision, and hope it is a good one.
It was a room with a small balcony in the third floor. I am satisfied with everything, expect I have three MALE roommates.
I didn't get the news until Sept 1. Before, the agency asked if I mind live with guys. I said no. But I didn't mean ONLY man. ;(
I have never lived with any guys except my dad and my brother. I couldn't picture me living with three MEN. I was shocked when I heard the news from the agency. Maybe I should have thought about this before I signed the lease.
Well, it just happened. And I guess I'll have to deal with it, at least, for now.

My room has a small balcony!!!

2. Transportation.
Boston is a nice city, especially with convenient commute. I can take the train to the most city, which is totally different from Norman, Oklahoma. I couldn't even do grocery by myself back to Norman.
But it is not very easy to do now neither. I walked to the Star Market happily, enjoying the sunshine and the beautiful scene. But I had to carry them for a 10-minute-walking. Though it was a short distance, but with carrying the stuff, it was not so easy. But I'll have to do that time to time since now, a good work out for my arms I guess.

The metro takes me everywhere.

The metros and the sunset.

Besides, I can get cabs easily here, though it is really expensive. The meter changes so fast, even faster than the cabs in Dubai!!
This morning, I tried Uber for the first time. I had to move my luggages to my new room, and there was no cabs. So I used the app Uber.
It was convenient and quick. But I found the Uber charged more than the meter showed. I guess I need to pay for the convenience.

3. HUGS?
I didn't do hug at all before Oklahoma. Chinese don't do hug usually.
But last year, the warm people I met in Oklahoma changed me. And I thought Americans do hug too.

So when the Americans I meet in Boston shake hands with me, like we usually do in China, I was a little bit shocked.
I asked the agency if people do hug in Boston, or it's just because I am Chinese. He told me that people won't hug until they are very close to each other. Girls hugs, but not guys. They hug on dates, but not to people they just meet.

It may because most people I met in Oklahoma were Europeans and Latin Americans, so we hugged each other a LOT! But Americans in Oklahoma hug too.

I don't really like the people here think Oklahoma is conservative, not civilized. It could be true in some part, but for me, I like WARM people. There will be a hard time for me to get used to the cold people.
I miss the bus drivers at OU, whom we said Thank you, Have a nice day to!




4. Chinese EVERYWHERE!
Because of so many reasons, I got to know maybe ten Chinese in the year at OU, really talked maybe five of them.
So I was really shocked when I walked on the street and see Chinese every second. WOW!!! We are really everywhere.
It has pros. There are a lot of Chinese restaurants and supermarkets here. The Chinatown has nice Cantonese cuisine.
The cons? I guess I'll just have to get used to that. Since 35% of the International students at BU are Chinese!

The Commomwealth Ave is really beautiful!

5. New Life in Boston.
I am still trying to settle down. I just got my mattress today, still waiting for the frame. I have nothing in my room. I still don't know my schedule as a tutor in the Writing Center, which could be a big challenge for me.
But I am sure that I will get through all these, and have a fantastic life in Boston. Though I may cry, I may feel depressed, I will try my best to live a happy life and learn things.

My college building. 

Saw kids walking together. Super cute!

Things that I need to get used to again in China

After nine months exchange student life in States, I come back China for the Summer.
Though only left for nine months, things started to become different for me.

1. Time Difference
Before States, the farthest place I've ever been to was Dubai, which is four hours difference from China.
This time, the 13 hours time difference is killing me.
After 6 p.m., I started to feel sleepy. Everything looks darker, and my brain stops working.
I couldn't sleep at night, waking up before 5 a.m. with every night intense and horrible dreams.
Hope I can get use to the Beijing Time soon!

2. The Volume
For the first time, I felt it was kinda annoying when I had dinner with my big family.
Somehow, we like to talk in higher volume and all talk at the same time. I chose to remain in silence because I felt sleepy at the dinner time.
It is the same feeling when I am the only person in sober. All the drunk people look so ridiculous!



3. Smoking!
Maybe because my father doesn't smoke, nor any close relatives, I extremely hate the smoking.
Especially in my hometown, not like Beijing, Shanghai, people still use to smoke anywhere they like, including restaurants.
So time to time, I have to eat with the smoking from the next table!

4. Umbrellas
When I arrived in Xi'an, it was a sunny day. Looking at the pedestrians, I felt a little bit weird.
Finally, I realized it was the umbrellas!

Almost every girl was holding an umbrella to block the sun! I used to do the same thing.


5. As a pedestrian
Still have no car to drive, I need to walk and walk through the busy roads, which is much harder.
Facing a busy road, if you expect the cars will stop and wait for you, you cannot cross any roads.
The right way is to be brave and start walking. Look left and look right. Be swift!

6. Comments.
No matter if he knows you or not, everyone likes to make comments.
From your body, your face, your hair, your cloths to your reactions. EVERYTHING!
And we are mean. We don't care if the person is glad to hear that or not. I got painful comments all the time, which makes me don't wanna talk more.

7. FOOD.
The best thing to get back to is the food!

10 days wandering in colorful Mexico!

Sunset at San Miguel de Allende! 

Though the way I got to Mexico and the way back was extremely awful and I cried a lot at the greyhound bus station and airports, still, never regretted going to Mexico for Spring Break!

1 Dangerous? 

"Hey Girl, you are crazy! You cannot go to Mexico alone."

"I have a friend who got kidnapped there and lost three fingers."

"You'll be kidnapped/ raped..."

Before the spring break, these were the sentences I heard from my friends.

To be honest, I was a little bit scared. 

I'm glad that I came back with all my fingers!

The way from Mexico City to Guanajuato. It reminds me the pic below!

This is the Classic windows XP background

Taking the bus to Guanajuato was my first time leaving Mexico City. I was told that sometimes there would be robber jumping on the bus!
So I put all pesos in my b-r-a (blushing). I couldn't believe how stupid I was doing that!
After I finally got to the city, I realized I had more dollars than pesos. So maybe I should hide dollar bills instead of the pesos.

The only moment I felt scared was the first night I arrived in San Miguel de Allende. Every alley looked the same! It was 8p.m. and I was lost.

I kept walking until there was no one on the street. Only the male drivers passed by and whistled at me.

There was a second I thought about the worst situation I can meet.

Finally, I saw a church when I passed by an alley. So I walked towards the church and finally got back to my hostel.

The bus I took from Teotihuacan to Mexico city stopped at the center of Teotihuacan. We were asked to get off the bus.
All the men were asked to face the face and put their arms on the bus. Police with guns searched their body! I was so shocked!

Except this "scaring" experience, the places I went to were safe!

In Mexico City, all the police carry fire-guns. I've never seen so many real guns in my life! And the police were nice even when I accidently trespassed. 

In Gunanajuato, I can walk at 10 p.m. alone outside with all the happy and dancing people!

Few hours before I lost in the small town! Beautiful Sunset!

It is convenient that you can send and receive text messages to American numbers for free when your phone can connect with a telecoms operator, Telcel in most conditions.

Met two girls from Finland. We all agree that if you walk outside at 2 a.m. in any big cities can be dangerous. 

So be smart!

Cannot stop laughing when I saw this in the Anthropology Museum.

"Man, I have a blue day."

2 English?

After landing at Mexico City airport, I decided to take a cab.

But, I didn't remember the name(Zocalo) and there was no internet at the airport.

So finally, I asked a gentleman helped me. On the way to the city center, the driver was trying to talk to me. "Hablo no Espaniol"..

The two days I spent in Guanajuato, a city four hours driving away from Mexico City, I stayed with an old lady, who doesn't speak English at all. With my poor poor Spanish and Google translate, we had a great time.

When I met someone talked English to me in Guanajuato, I was so excited and talked to him! So I got a free Spanish translator for an afternoon!

Even in Mexico City, young people don't speak English, which pushed me to speak Spanish.

A pink church! 

By the time I left Mexico, I can use my broken Spanish to ask the price, ask the way to go and how can I get there.
But, the spring break ended when I began to love speaking Spanish!


3 Food-√
The most meals I had in Mexico were Tacos, which was not surprising at all.
Tacos varied from 5 pesos to 35 pesos, with or without cheese, beans and etc.
Whether the food was good or not depends on if I can read their menu.
Love the ICECREAM there!
One of the happiest moment was I bought two awesome mangos with 6 PESOS, which equals 50 cents. Wish I could live there just for the mangos!
Had a shot of real tequila! Keep firing the class until it started blue fire. Use a straw to drink it as soon as possible!

Zocalo right before the tequila.

Well, it's much nicer than the ones I tried in the States!



4 Fate!
Traveling alone and living in hostels is the best way to meet different people from different countries.
Met a nice Japanese girl who quit her job as a midwife last year and started traveling around. Wish her all the way good luck!

The Japanese girl! She was grabing the 6 PESOS mangos!!

A girl from Argentina, who once worked in a city in China super closed to the city I attended primary school!
A guy can speak English from Guadalajara, Mexico, who saved my afternoon! He's the only person I can really talk to during the two days in Guanajuato. And he bought me a not-so-sweet ice cream!

Guanajuato. The light blue big buildings are part of the University of Guanajuato.

Chinese girls study at Columbia Uni, also as exchange students. We went to the pyramids in Teotijuacan together. Without them, I guess I won't go there by myself.
We went to a wrestling game the last night I stayed in Mexico City.I could not say I enjoyed the game but it's a totally new experience.

People were stretching to absorb energy from the sun.

It was not difficult to get to the top.  But you have to wait for more than hours under the burning sun!

A lady from Oregon led me to the super pretty market in San Miguel de Allende. Wish I could be rich enough to buy the super awesome handcrafts there.She gave me an English-Spanish dictionary! Have more reason to study Spanish!
It was the fate that I could meet all the nice people during the travel. Though I was alone, but not lonely at all!
The two nights I stayed in Guanajuato, I stayed at an Spanish lady's house, who doesn't speak English at all.

The view I had in Guanajuato. Sitting on the roof, I feel like I owned the view all by myself!




Love Mexico! Be smart and open-minded, then everything will work perfect for you!

Almost EVERYTHING about Chinese New Year

1 When and How long?

The Chinese New Year is the Jan. 1 on Chinese Lunar Month Calendar, which is made according to the moon. 

2014, the New Year is this coming Friday, Jan 31. 

Also, we'll call our New Year Spring Festival. It usually lasts from a week before New Year to Lantern Festival (Jan.15 of the lunar calendar.)

Pic from Internet

Take my family as an example, the whole family members are businessmen, working in countries all over the world. So we only gather together during the Spring Festival.

My parents will have a two-week break. They do nothing but have big meals, meet people and sleep, which are not very "Chinese."

All my friends in China are having their winter breaks.

2 What year?

In China, we have 12 animals to represent each year. 

2014 is the Horse Year. People who was born in 2002,1990,1988.., this is your year.

In China, wearing something red (usually underwear, socks ) in your year will give you luck the whole year!

So 1991 was Sheep Year, 1992 was Monkey Year, 1993 was Chicken year and so on.

3 What do we do?

The biggest thing for Chinese family is having a big dinner on the New Year's Eve. 

The Dinner has its name.

People usually have the dinner at home. But nowadays, going to restaurants is more convenient.

Since 1979, the national TV station (CCTV) has been running the Spring Festival Gala every year on New Year's Eve. So Chinese are used to watch the gala during the dinner.

The gala is well-prepared every year, though younger generation found it was not really interesting these years.

2013, Celine Dion was invited to sing in the Spring Festival Gala.(She was gorgeous!!)

Since my family lives in countryside, so we are allowed to set off fireworks. If you stay in my hometown on New Year's Eve, you'll be amazed by the fireworks at midnight (or annoyed..).

Hong Bao with Lucky Money

Kids can get Hong Bao with Lukcy Money from parents and relatives.

Cannot get Lukcy Money is the most unfortunate thing to be away from home during Spring Festival.

This is my face when I get Hong Baos.

Usually, you can get Lucky Money until you begin to earn money. 

Most parents will say they'll help you keep your Lucky Money when you are little, which means you'll never get it back.  I didn't realize the truth until my middle school!

Why Lucky Money?

In the Chinese legend, there was a monster call Nian (Year in English) or Sui(Age in English). The monsters only hurt kids during night. Somehow, someone found if they put money in red packets under the kids' pillows, the monsters could not hurt kids anymore.

Then it becomes a custom. (I'd say "Thank you, Nian or Sui monsters!")

4 What do we eat?

Well, it really depends.

In the north part of China, people eat dumplings (jiao zi). In my hometown, we prefer to eat rice balls( tang yuan), which means family reunion.

Almost every dish has its auspicious meaning.

 (Ignore the head..I was terrified every time I saw the heads.)

Fish sounds like Rest in Chinese. People wish they have extra money at the end of years.

Rice Cake (Nian Gao) means get promotion every year.

It can be any shape. This is a fish Rice Cake.

Nowadays, people tend to eat healthier during the Spring Festival. 

It is quite a lot to eat during the Spring Festival. In my hometown, everyone will invite all the relatives and friends to serve a big meal in fancy restaurants. So you'll have big meals twice each day basically, which means a lot of food.

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

PS: pictures are all from Internet.

"Play with the Border" Road Trip to Police Station?!

The first road trip in America ended up super surprising. For the first time, I was caught by the police and went into the border police station!!!

Now, I have three life time friends!

Tiezheng Zhu was my high school classmate, who attends Purdue U. Since I came to America, we planed to do some trip together.

Finally, the "play with border" road trip gang has two guys and two girls. Though it was the first time I met the other girl and guy, we'll never forget each other now.

We picked the Niagara Falls as our destination. But the road trip was not smooth at the very beginning.

My roomie' school mom gave me a ride to the airport. After I successfully arrived in Chicago and waited my friends for 4 hours, they finally made it to the airport.

CHICAGO!!!

BUT. After we look to each other for a half hour, Xueying Wang, the other girl said over the phone: " I feel we are not in the same place!"Then we found out we were at different airports. They were at O'hare while I was at Midway.

Because the heavy traffic, I took the train to Chinatown and they drove to there as well. It began to snow. I walked around for more than one hour in the Chinatown at the snowing night, looking at the people sitting in the restaurants.

Had an awesome REAL Chinese food, we left modern Chicago, heading to Niagara Falls!!!

12 hours later, 3 a.m., snowing Niagara Falls city, here we are!

It was the thanksgiving day! So obviously, no restaurants!

Wandering in the small city with snow, life became peaceful.

Just SNOW everywhere!!!

The pigeons were super lazy.. I had to get off the car to drive them away...

The way I walked..

The other side is Canada!

Walking on the thick ice with rains... It actually colder than it looks!

Beautiful Iced Chairs!

Lovely Snowy Car!

We left in the second day morning.

I admit that the Google Maps is handy at the most times. But not this time.

We chose a way without going to Canada but somehow it led us across the border. 

We paid $3.5 and then, we were on the Rainbow Bridge. (US citizens don't need Visa to enter Canada)

Until then, we realized we were on the wrong way. The google maps showed us across the border!

There's an arrow sign before we got to the Canada tolls. So we followed the sign and took photos of the Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.

Out of America!

I thought it was a toll station...

"Yeah! We traveled to another country!" We were super excited and waited in the line to go back to America until we realized the line was not a toll station.

The police were checking the Visas and Passports...

Obviously, we had no visa to travel in Canada.

The police asked us for the passport and I-20. (Zhu and Wang happen to have the papers with them)

We were asked to park the car and went into the police station.

Sitting together, we signed, laughed, talked about the future and guessed what would happen.

"Will we be deported back to China?"

"What if we can never come back to America?"

"It's not a big deal, don't worry!"

"I wanna finish the study and become a journalist!!!"

"Maybe we have to pay a large amount of money."

"We should write the experience down! We can tell our kids this magic trip!"

We were asked to stay in the building!

I imagined thousands of results in the half hour. Almost crying..

It turned out we were free easily!

A staff called us and asked us what happened. We told everything. The staff checked our visas.

He could not help but laughed after knowing what happened to us.

5 mins later, we were signed to leave.

I never thought I would have this special experience.

The half hour was like ages. It was long enough to make us life time friends.

Walking outside the police station, I breathed the air of freedom again!

The first road trip in America, travelled one thousand miles to the Niagara Falls, enjoyed the snow and the amazing Falls, caught by the police for the first time ever.

Super happy to see this toll bridge when we drove back to Chicago!

The Big Bean!

Walking in the super cold and windy Chicago!