and I've only been here a week. That is probably about as bad of as
start to things as one can get. So therefore, I hope that it will all
be improvement from here. I will really try to post at least every
other day, even if it's just a picture or two and a quick thought to
let everyone know I'm still alive. There should be only two exceptions
to this: possibly this weekend when I relocate to Beijing and have to
settle things there; and the extended weekend that I have between my
four week "terms" of PiB. I have yet to decide what I'm doing for it,
but it could be without internet.
For everyone whom wants my physical address in China, I have been
waiting until I get to Beijing because it will probably be better when
I find out which dorm room I'm staying in at 北京师范大学 and I won't know
until I get there. (Also, I have no idea what they would do with any
mail for me if it was there before I was.) I will be flying north to
Beijing early Friday morning � however, I don't think that I have
class until Monday. The weekend is going to be a lot of orientation
and allowing for everyone else to get over jetlag, and may have some
large periods of free time for me to go on some adventures and get a
little acquainted with the city.
Alright � but what has been happening for the past week? It feels like
both a great deal and very little. I have been staying with my parents
in my father's new high-rise apartment. Considering that I haven't
started studying yet, I have few responsibilities. Which is another
way to say that I am on vacation and there may have been a day or two
during the past week in which I did little more than go for long
walks, take naps and eat. Each week day has the schedule of breakfast
and dinner before and after my father's long workday. The rest of the
day is relatively open for my mother and me to walk around the city of
Yantai. We are actually in the industrial development zone to the
north of Yantai, and we have yet to walk so far as all of the way to
Yantai.
I am very glad that I have gotten to see this part of China � although
I have yet to go to Beijing, it is already apparent that the life that
I have witnessed here is a world away from what I will be seeing
there. Yantai is considered by my father's coworkers to be a rural
outpost, akin to a bunch of shacks erected in the wilderness and his
company is among the first serious industries to move to the area to
colonize it. Mind you, now, that I am from a small town of
Massachusetts, and when I think of "The City" I am referring to the
Boston with its population of around 4 million. Yantai, therefore,
measures up as a lot more than a rural outpost, if it has a population
of "non farming" around 2.2 million (and around 4.3 million "farming"
people nearby). However, the gauging the size of the population,
particularly in the industrial zone is difficult. There are many large
buildings of all types that, only upon close inspection, are visibly
empty.
In many ways, the most outstanding characteristic of the city is its
devotion to attracting industry and foreign investment. The many empty
buildings are a part of this: some of them are still under
construction to house residents and businesses that the city hopes to
host. Many buildings are also being renovated � although I am a little
confused as to what was in place before the renovations. Many
buildings and businesses also seem to be completed and ready to use
with businesses all set up, however I never actually seen anyone
frequent them. This is true of many of the beachside hotels and
attractions that appear to be targeted at tourists. Given its position
along the coast in a relatively temperate climate, one of the main
industries that Yantai is attempting to attract is tourism. It appears
as though the main market may be Koreans � Korea is merely a hop
across the channel � or perhaps wealthy Chinese who wish to escape the
city. I am tempted to say that, things are either "just taking off" or
possibly failing.
The parts of the city and surrounding area that I see most often have
been carefully planned, and are almost obsessively landscaped.
Overall, the efforts to create a modern, attractive city are
successful. On the first night, one of my father's coworkers who came
to pick us up at the airport remarked, "See, the city is nicely laid
out. The streets are wide and straight, similar to in America." To
which I laughed and vaguely tried to explain how far from the truth
that is in most American cities. The main roads of Yantai are perfect
perpendicular grids with two wide lanes going in each direction as
well as side lanes (on both sides) for bike traffic. They are
carefully lined with tree. Highways leaving the city are edged
color-coordinated shrubs for miles. I have never seen anything like it
in the United States.
Alright. I am going to stop here for now, though I have much more to
write. I need to get out today. I really hope to get better about
writing regularly, and hopefully will get to catch up some on the list
of topics that I have started that I mean to write some of my
observations on.
ps. My birthday today! Hopefully we'll eat something tasty � although,
I really don't know how much better the food can get…
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