Facts and Facing the Real World

As I’ve been leafing through my notes on China and working on my projects for the class I have come across some interesting facts I stumbled upon along the way…

-When taking a picture the Chinese, rather than saying “cheese” like we say in English, say a word that sounds similar but actually means ‘eggplant.’
-The four stars on the Chinese flag each have meaning. The large one represents communism, the four small stars symbolize the workers, merchants, scholars and farmers, upon which the country is built.
-Chinese drink their water warm. They mostly drink tea, with virtually everyone carrying a vat of it around with them, but even at restaurants when you order water, if it doesn’t come in a bottle, it is served warm because they believe it is better for your body.
-The Chinese are also certainly not afraid to use the car horns and just like in elf “the yellow one’s don’t stop!” Our first hour in Beijing and we were nearly killed by taxis and small motor bikes. Yikes!
-Rather than wearing diapers, the kids in china simply have a slit in their pants. When they have to go to the bathroom they simply squat over the sidewalk and go. The parents then pick it up. It was shocking to see a little boy going poop in Tian’anmen square…
-In places where we typically see one person doing a job, the Chinese have three. Labor is so cheap and employment needed meaning that in stores, supermarkets, hotels etc. there are many workers and about three times as many trainees.
-Numbers and names have meaning. Number 4 is unlucky because it sounds similar to the word for death. Eight is a very lucky number, and nine is also lucky and used for royalty because it sounds like the word for longevity or forever.
-According to one source there are 1,000 new cars on the roads of Beijing everyday. I have no idea where they could possibly fit more cars!
-Chinese don’t eat desserts. On a birthday, the birthday-boy/girl is served noodles because they represent longevity and long life in the future.
-It was also interesting to learn how products from other countries have changed their names to ones that sound very similar and also have a positive meaning. Coca-cola, which sounds something like “ko-ka-ku-la,” means ‘happy drink,’ BMW has adopted a meaning something like ‘good horse,’ and the local name for Volkswagen is related to popularity. Popular products have also changed the flavors they offer; I found ‘Cool Cucumber Lays’ to be accurately flavored and extremely delicious.
-The Chinese use all the public space available to them. Under overpasses, on the sidewalks near train stations, at parks, and in squares, the Chinese are always out using the space when they’re not working. It is truly incredible to drive around the city and see the older Chinese population waltzing, ballroom dancing, and line dancing in large groups. I hope this tradition will not die out.
-When counting age the Chinese still use the lunar calendar in that they start counting a child’s age when the mother is pregnant. So theoretically, Chinese are always nine-months older than we would think of them.

Anyway, now that I've slowly readjusted to local time I have been trying to get back into the real world. Being back in Copenhagen was great, but it also made me a little homesick. I was so happy to come home to Denmark, but after a few days, it felt weird not going home to the U.S.

Regardless, I have been staying busy! I have a TON of papers and projects due in the next few weeks and I am doing my best to get everything done before next weekend when my FAMILY WILL BE COMING! I can't wait to show them Denmark!

It is getting dark here so early now, which is fine if I'm just going home to drink tea and eat dinner, but trying to find the motivation to train when the sun rises around 7:30 and sets around 4:10. I have had a pretty good training week, getting back into a schedule here. I participated in another rollerski race on last Sunday, although the combination of a 17.5K skate race and some serious jetlag left me barely awake at my host mom's Birthday lunch! After this grueling race, the rest of the week I tried to get some solid hours in, but kept the intensity to a minimum. I got a good week in with some strength, long easy runs, and even a long classic rollerski! It was great to get on classic skis for a change, and also nice to find a group to ski with. I am so indebted to the amazing kind people here. I’m hoping to get some more intensity in this week and possibly get on snow at Lillehammer this weekend with my Mom!

I can’t believe I only have a few weeks left here. I went running with my host parents around Bagsværd Sø (lake) and it was a gorgeous morning. Sunny, clear, just below freezing. Frost-laced grass, soggy leaves, and crispy mud. We chatted while we jogged and I can’t believe how much I’m going to miss this place…