Mom, I'm alive

After almost 24 hours in transit, I am finally sitting in my dorm room in Beijing! It's currently past 1 AM, 16 hours ahead of California and 13 ahead of the east coast. I arrived with the group flight late last night after a delayed flight from Tokyo to Beijing due to foggy weather. Orchestra buddies, I must say it felt strange to walk through the Beijing airport without 89 other kids holding instruments and fighting for places to store it on the bus :) Anyway, I'm living in the Beijing Institute of Education, which is a tiiiiiny campus on the western side of town near the zoo. There are many study abroad students here who were also on the same program last fall and continuing to the spring, which is nice because they can show the ropes to all of us newbies. This morning, we had the beginning of our orientation as well as a 2-hour placement exam that made me realize I really forgot lots of Chinese. In the afternoon they took us shopping at Ganjiakou mall, which is much too overpriced. Unfortunately, other stores were all closed due to Chinese New Year, so I couldn't buy many of the things I need like a laundry hamper and big towel. At night I went with some other students to Hou Hai, which is a really cute little area with a small lake surrounded by bars and restaurants. We had fun hanging out at a jazz club and then a lounge, and also got our first taste of Beijing outside the campus. Tomorrow our local Chinese roomates will move in, which should be very exciting. Sunday is the official beginning of the language pledge (no more English!) and Monday classes will start. I will keep this entry short and end it here, as I am extremely tired from not sleeping last night due to jet lag.

Here is my contact info for anyone who wants it (send me presents!):

Victoria Tseng
CET Academic Programs
Beijing Institute of Education
West Building, Room 309
2 Wenxing Street
Xizhimenwai, Xicheng District
Beijing 100044, PR China
Dorm phone (calling from US): 011-86-10-6830-0576
Email: Victoria_Tseng@brown.edu

No cell phone yet, but I'll post it once I have it!

I miss all of you!!