What a crazy
last couple of weeks it’s been. Working through the language barrier can be difficult at times, but we've done quite well. I was just thinking recently about how little Chinese I've learned versus what I expected to learn. Not being able to read the written language like I would be able to anywhere in Europe or South America, definitely makes it more challenging to pick things up. On the other hand we have gotten great at charades. We frequently have to use hand motions to describe what we're looking for or want. Despite the language barrier, it actually is fairly easy to get by day to day without knowing very much Chinese.
As I
mentioned work has been very busy. Last
week I continued research and preparation for another presentation which I just
gave a few days ago. Last Friday we also
had a major event in Beijing sponsored by ACCA.
The event brings together representatives from major international
employers to discuss hot issues in the world of accountancy and finance. It was a great event and I was able to take
away a lot of useful information on some global changes as well as more
regional issues. Since the event
included both Chinese as well as English speakers, there was a shortwave radio
system setup and translators in a booth in the corner of the room. By listening in on a headset, the native
English speakers could hear a translation and someone also translated the
English to Mandarin on a different radio frequency. This is the first time I’ve attended a major professional
event that was bilingual so it was a unique new experience for me. After giving my presentation a few days ago,
things have calmed down a bit. I have a
few other projects I’m continuing to work on, but next week will be my last
full week of work.
I also spent
3 or 4 days last week working on arrangements for a trip I’ve wanted to make
ever since I came here. It took a lot of
leg work and several trips to different ticket locations, but I was able to
secure seats on a train to Xi’an this coming weekend! I’m extremely excited to
be going. I’m sure 99% of you have no
clue where Xi’an, China is or why I want to go there so I’ll explain
further. Xi’an was the capital of China
for many dynasties. It has a history of
over 3,000 years, and there are many different cultural sites to visit there. There’s really only one reason I am so
determined to get there though and that is to see the Terracotta Army.
We started
trying to get tickets last week the day they became available, but were unsuccessful
for multiple reasons. After several days
of working on it, we were able to get round trip tickets booked. Just to give you an idea of my resolve to see
this cultural site, I will tell you that the train ride is about 11 to 12 hours
each way and we will only be in Xi’an for approximately 10 hours. We tried to make it a longer trip, but
unfortunately the length of the ride and the schedules of the trains do not
make it feasible to stay overnight. This
wouldn’t have been too bad had we been able to secure sleeper cabins as we had
planned. However, the trains book
extremely fast here and by the time we got our tickets (a few days after they
were available) we were only able to get regular seats. It’s sure to be an interesting train
ride. Additionally we tried to get seats
on the modern Z class trains but they were entirely sold out so we will be
riding on an older train which I’m told may or may not even have modern air
conditioning. I’ll be sure to fill you
all in on how the trip goes when I get back.
This past
weekend was also a blast. It seems you
can never run out of things to do in Beijing.
After spending half my Saturday working on getting tickets booked, I
decided to take a relaxing stroll through the Old Summer Palace. This is not to be confused with the Summer
Palace which is actually a different palace.
I personally preferred the Old Summer Palace. The lakes casually weave in and out in many
directions so you’re able to stroll aimlessly.
The Summer Palace by contrast has just one huge open lake. There actually is no palace at the Old Summer
Palace though. The place was destroyed
in 1860 by French and British troops during the Second Opium War and all that
remains is ruins. It still is a
beautiful area though, and on the day we visited there were at least 100
photographers taking pictures of various models spread throughout the palace
area. This isn’t including all the other
photographers we saw just taking general pictures of the lakes.
On Sunday,
we went back to the Great Wall. We
actually went to the exact same spot we went last time because that’s where all
the new people wanted to go. I guess I
have no real justification for going twice other than the experience is just
amazing. It was also a much clearer day
than last time so I was able to get better photos. I’ll try to get pictures up soon, and check
back early next week for pictures of my trip to Xi’an.
