From January 26th to February 15th, I had an opportunity to travel during the winter vacation. I was able to go to Turkey, Greece, and Israel. I joined two friends in Beijing, Kevin Earl and Aaron Stevens, for the first leg of the trip and then ventured out on my own. I had intended to go with them to India last year, but it did not work out with me because of my job situation. This was a once in a life experience, to be honest, and I can only hope that I have another chance for a trip this awesome in the future. I posted a great many photographs on Facebook, in the Albums: Part I: Istanbul, Gallipoli, and Troy, Part II – Pargamum, Ephesus, Hierapolis, and Cappadocia, Part III – Greece – Athens and Delphi, & Part IV – Israel (you have to Facebook friends with me to see them). This entry is not to go over in detail of what I saw, but to give my broad impressions of each country.
Turkey was an absolute marvel. I could definitely see myself living in Istanbul. I also consider the Hagia Sophia to be one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, if not the most. The people were fantastic and the food was as well. In particular, I enjoyed the bread. I went to the market in Istanbul and nearly wept on my first day because I had not had such wonderful bread in months. The Chinese steamed bread has it its own charm but nothing beats freshly baked bread, in this case with olive oil mixed with spices. Several people hinted at safety concerns with ISIS attacks in a couple places, but I felt safe the entire trip. The police and gendarmes were out and armed, looking for any suspicious people, which is why I wonder I got pulled over a couple of times. The history of Turkey was phenomenal in both the sites available and the museums there. I went into the trip with a rather negative view of the country – by this I meant I did not think it would be that interesting – and was astonished at how wrong I turned out to be.
Greece was a different experience. Greeks feel a great deal of pride of their ancient culture and history, but the current state of affairs tends to weigh more heavily in my opinion. We stayed in the self-described “anarchist’s district”, but it seemed the entire city is covered in graffiti. Most of it anti-EU, anti-German, ant-Soros, etc. etc. I loved the historical sites, as the Parthenon was worth the trip in itself. The food was good, just not as delicious as in Turkey (nothing compares to the Cappadocian clay kebab). Please, Greek nationalists, give me another chance at your fine nation before you consign me to the depths. I was only there for 2 & ½ days and sincerely, that was not near enough. I still want to go to Sparta, Mycenae, and Mt. Olympus. There were many things even in Athens I was not able to experience. I truly wish to rectify this problem with another visit.
Now to Israel. This trip was such a dream and yet, a disappointment. I saw things I waited my whole life to see. I was able to walk up to the Dome of the Rock (but not enter because they do not allow non-Muslims to enter). My culinary journey was rather limited to a single Palestinian restaurant, where I picked up a definite anti-Israeli vibe, but since I am not Jewish or Israeli, c’est la vie. The security was seemingly everywhere but the palpable tension that seems to settle over the place (in my mind) is not necessarily something I would want to subject myself to long term. I hated that I was sick and unable to see even a tenth of what I wanted. Despite this setback, it is definitely a place to go back to and visit again.
On Wednesday night, BLCU set up a night of music for the students. We took a bus down to the west side of Tian Tan in south Beijing. The traffic was a nightmare, but we made it in time for the show. Originally, I thought it was going to Beijing opera (京剧), which caused my enthusiasm to plummet faster than a rocket on re-entry. This is because Beijing opera usually lasts three hours (which is two hours too long) and usually causes me severe headaches after. This is due to the crashing symbols and high-pitched voices. As I untactfully told my first Chinese teacher, Beijing opera sounds to me like two cats in a bag.
My first week of school was one of frustration and anxiety. The frustration was due to the registering process. I spent a great deal of time in great many queues. I have no doubt that my school, Beijing Language and Culture University, endeavored to streamline the process with helpers directing hallway traffic and answering questions. Large placards detailed every paper and other items needed for each line. I am just that guy. You know that guy – the one who seems incapable of standing in line. No because I am incapable of reading the instructions, just incapable of following them.