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Monday we had our finals! All the NSLI-Y Americans did, that is. We leave a couple weeks earlier than everyone else, so this month's monthly test (月考) counted as our final. 

We tested in listening, comprehensive Chinese (writing/reading) and speaking. For our speaking test, we each had to speak for 3 minutes on a picture we were given during the test. We also had to prepare a 5 minute presentation over the weekend on a topic our teacher gave us. Our speaking teacher Ge Lao Shi is pretty hip and so the topics were as well. My topic was "乐活族" (le huo zu) or those who have lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS) and who basically live by the mantra "do good, feel good, look good". This group of people is definitely becoming larger and larger in China and it was really fun to research (I also happen to fall under a lot of the groups' characteristics such as doing yoga, eating healthily and working to protect the environment, etc. which is funny because we chose our topics from a hat...) 

The others' topics were also very interesting! Maike talked about Chinese heritage sites (世界文化遗产); Keiondre, about the "low carbon life" (低碳生活); Reo, about online trading (网络代购); Paris, about gender differences (男女有别); Carmen, about "doing what you love and loving what you do" when it comes to employment (爱一行改一行，改一行爱一行); Saori, about the slow movement (慢活族); Yas about the weak/spoiled "strawberry generation" (草莓族); and finally Brady gave us a look into the secret lives of fire fighters (消防员背后的酸甜苦辣).

All the tests went well and it feels oh-so-good to be done! 

I also got the chance to finish knitting my scarf Monday afternoon! Just in time for summer! ;) 

Tuesday was the singing competition! 

Maike and my Zebra duet went well as did our version of "Bruises" with Sara, but the real stars of the show were our Japanese friends, who belted out everything from local Okinawa folk songs to contemporary Chinese rap:

Wednesday we had off because a bunch of important world leaders came to Shanghai for an international meeting so I went with Megan, Tilden, Sara, Maike, Chihiro and Julia to Tian Zi Fang. It was such a wonderful summer day and a great girls' day out! 

Thursday in our speaking class we watched an awesome (although slightly confusing) movie called "Secret" (不能说的秘密) about love, pianos and time travel. 

On Friday after school, I went to meet Chen, a Chinese student studying astronomy at the U of A in Tucson who my dad and sister befriended at a science lecture a few months ago; he is traveling around China for the summer and currently in Shanghai! We went to a cool old water own; it was nice to meet him and realize again how very very small the world actually is. 

Saturday, I spent the day with Sara and Megan at a Korean spa! It was probably the most relaxed I've felt in my 9 months in China. There were four different flavored nude pools (a rose one, a ginseng one, a super hot one, and a cool one), a regular steam room and sauna as well as saunas with volcanic rock and infrared beds, an oxygen room, and even an ice room! We also got salt scrub massages, which were awesome. And the best part of all was that it all came out to only be about 25 U.S. dollars for the entire day! I am definitely going to have to get used to how expensive everything is in the States!

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This is one of my last few blog posts! 

I can't believe how fast the time is going. 

On Tuesday, we went for a final visit to the Shanghai consulate and met with Katie, the public affairs FSO (foreign service officer) who we talked with about re-entry and reverse culture shock as well as about internship/career possibilities. 

Over this year, I've actually decided working in the foreign service or political/bureaucratic government in general is not my ideal. I've missed studying science a great deal and would like to meld environmental and botanical sciences with environmental justice and human rights in a more grassroots sort of way. Regardlessly, it was great talking to Katie. She's very young and fun and loves to tell stories. 

On Wednesday, I met with my language partner Yi Chen. I am really so grateful to have such a dedicated and patient friend/tutor! 

Although there is no question that I want to continue my Chinese studies when I return, I'm not sure if college language classes are the way for me to go (the AP will exempt me from college language requirements). I was thinking it would be great to take advantage of some opportunities in San Francisco's Chinatown / working with Chinese immigrants in the city, but I think finding a language partner at Stanford with whom I can frequently chat is something I definitely want to do. 

Thursday at lunch, we got the devastating news from Julia and Chihiro that our favorite "Xin Jiang" (兰州拉面) restaurant was shut down. I don't even know how to express how much we loved this place, except to say that some of us went there twice a day every day for weeks. 

In the afternoon, I was playing my guitar on the grass in our courtyard and Anton came up and told me I was now a "real hippie" and promptly asked if he could borrow my guitar (and wear my green chakra glasses) to sing us some Russian ballads:

I also taught Sara to knit! She's a very concentrated student! 

In the evening I decided with Susanna, Luca, Anton, Tilden, Maike, Megan, Sara, Brady, Erik and Paris to guiltily check out another "xin jiang" noodle place that Maike, Tilden and I had found on one of our nearby explorations. We were all pretty disappointed and sad, because nothing can compare with our beloved original!  

But it's a very "China thing": an entire block of shops being torn down over night with no prior warning. But the fact they can set up an outstandingly delicious noodle shop overnight makes up for the fact that they can raze them in the same amount of time. It's also a good reminder of how temporary everything is. 

HOWEVER!!! Exciting addendum: I went to our original noodle place Saturday to see it for myself and there was actually a sign that said they are just doing construction and will be open again in 10 days (Julia and Chihiro probably missed it because they don't actually read Chinese...and it did look pretty destroyed)! So anyway, it looks like we will be able to enjoy some delicious fried rice and noodles again just before we leave to the States. Yay! 

On Friday afternoon, I actually hung out with a Xin Jiang friend we met at the beginning of the year. She showed us around her dorm and updated us on her life. Because of the recent acts of terror committed in Beijing, etc. by Xin Jiang protesters and the resulting anti-Xin Jiang sentiment, my friend is only allowed to leave the school one day a month for her safety! It's a pretty intense time :( 

But we exchanged weixin (we-chat social network) information and I really do hope to keep in touch with her. I would very much like to visit Xin Jiang (my oft assumed homeland) someday. 

On Friday, I had an awesome time hanging out with my host sister. She showed me some Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert type Chinese Internet programs and also an amazing Chinese recipe website that I cannot wait to use when I get back (www.meishiji.net)! 

On Saturday, I went with Sara to the rock climbing gym one last time. It was a lot of fun, but made me really excited to climb back in the U.S. so very soon! 

Next week will be very busy with finals, the singing competition, a day off and school trip to Suzhou! 

I'll leave you with a picture of Megan, Maike and me outside of our dorm. We took it for the background PowerPoint that will accompany our singing performances in next week's competition: 

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This week felt super long, especially since we had 6 days straight of school. It was a good week though! 

On Sunday, we had Friday's class schedule, which meant we had an extra long amount of time between the last class of the afternoon and night-study. 

Maike and I decided to get crafty once again and made collages using some of the Time Magazines that my mom has sent (one of her thoughtful clients collects them for me). As an inspiration/theme, we used the following line taken randomly from the Barbara Kingsolver book I just read: "Power, like space, it seemed to me, would always get used. People expand and bloat to fill it." 

(Mine is the collage on the left, Maike's is on the right) 

The AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam was on Wednesday!

After taking class pictures (wearing our fancy uniforms!) in the morning, Keiondre, Paris, Maike and Tilden and I got out of school to go take the test. 

Overall, I feel pretty good about it! The test is broken up into listening, reading, writing and speaking and although the actual language level of the exam didn't feel hard at all, because we hadn't been preparing for the specific AP test format this year (and have been focusing on HSK format which is quite different), the type of writing/speaking samples were the slightest bit challenging with the specific time constraints. The listening and reading were excellent though and I think we all did well regardlessly! 

It was sort of a bummer that we ended up having tons of Chinese class-work/homework to catch up on in night study though and it was definitely a very different experience taking the AP here than all the ones I've taken at my school before. 

I took the HSK 5 on Saturday! I also felt good about that test and even better being done with two big academic hurdles! All that's left is our research presentation and finals, both of which I'm not too worried about! 

:) 

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This week was a short week for Chinese Labor Day! We had Thursday and Friday off, but had to come back Saturday night for night-study and attend school on Sunday.

Monday was Sara's birthday! We treated her to a foot massage (I got gua sha / Chinese medicinal scraping) 

and then we went to dinner at our favorite Xin Jiang noodle place. It was great! 

This week our comprehensive Chinese lessons were all about women's social position in China. It is a fascinating topic and an exciting way to test and expand our Chinese capabilities. 

On Tuesday we had a debate on the pros/cons of stay-at-home moms (全职太太) and it was interesting that even in this day and age, all the boys in our class were on the "pro" side and all the girls were on the "con" side... We also had to interview a teacher about their views; I interviewed our "dorm dad" Huo Lao Shi, who seemed to be for it except that it wasn't economically sound (his wife is also a teacher and thus they don't make a ton of money). 

Wednesday we discussed gender/beauty ideals in China and compared them with different cultures. When it comes to some things, there are many similar points (faces for example) but definitely not with everything (body shape for example) 

My host sister Xin was in Hong Kong this break in order to take the SAT (they don't administer it in Mainland China), but we had a good time on Wednesday night before she left! 

On Thursday, I went with Tilden to Tian Zi Fang to explore and do some shopping for souvenirs/gifts (we want to be proactive so as not to feel stressed and scramble the last week we are here). 

(Candies shaped like grapefruit and passionfruit at the awesome candy lab where you can watch them make the candy at Tian Zi Fang) 

(Beautiful construction across the street from Tian Zi Fang) 

Thursday night I also practiced my research project presentation with my host mom as part of NSLI-Y requirements. I am about done with the presentation (which we will give late May), but just need to practice, practice practice (practice makes perfect: shu neng sheng qiao 熟能生巧) in order to make it smooth and streamlined. 

Friday I went with my host mom and host brother to an amusement park! It was great to get to spend time with my host brother Bi Hao (who I never really see) and get to know my new host mom better (she is really one of the sweetest coolest people I've met here)!

(My host brother refuses to be photographed) 

There was an awesome roller coaster where the seats were shaped so it was like you are riding a motorcycle along the track. There was also a terrific one that basically dropped you vertically backwards! 

It already feels like summer! Everyone's eating ice cream and the Chinese men have started doing their classic exposed stomach move. It feels crazy to be wearing short sleeves and shorts, but as a desert girl, I'm totally loving the return to warmth.