It was really hot today. Hotter than yesterday; like 95 degrees and sunny, and the sun came through the smog. It was so hot that standing in the shade for just a few minutes made me start to sweat. This is what a Beijing summer is supposed to feel like, but we haven't been experiencing it due to rain that I attribute to Tropical Storm Doksuri, which hit southeastern China yesterday.
Anyway, I got to sleep in today since it's our day off. I woke up around 10, had a slow start to my day, then around 11:30 I went to Carre Four, the supermarket, with Marissa. I like going to ordinary places here because even the everyday things are different and interesting. I went to get more wipes for my broom, and I totally handled the salesman on my own this time. I really feel like I'm picking up Chinese fast, but if you ask me to say something, I'll probably just say "wo bu shi laoshi" which means "I am not the teacher." I could tell you my name or my surname or that I am a foreign student at Peking University, but that's the phrase that I always come back to because it was one of the first things I learned.
I got some apples and mini cucumbers for snacking this week, and I'm so glad I did because there is nowhere to get a salad or a plain cooked vegetable; everything is in sauce or unsafe because of pesticides and water, so I've been trying to play it safe with packaged and cooked things. But I washed an apple today with my bottled water, and it tasted amazing, so fruit is back in my life! I also got some bread, dried fruit, and cleaning spray.
I really wanted to go to the Olympic Village today, but nobody was free to come with me. I ended up sticking around campus, and I think in the long run it is better that way because of the heat. All you really do at the stadiums is walk around outdoors and take pictures, so perhaps a cooler day. I walked around campus with Andrea and Nate, and when we came home, there were two girls who were moving things in the elevator, and they offered their refrigerator to us. Nate took it, and it was just an instance of kind people and good timing. He lives down the hall from us, so we might mooch some fridge space.
I made a list today of all the excursions we have planned, all the recommended sights, and the things that I want to do. I included the things we've already done, but I now have an enormous checklist of things to do, parks, temples, markets, museums, and areas that I want to see. I even looked up the directions from our dorm to each location, and many of them go together, so it should be a good way to fill days and free afternoons/evenings. I don't know if I'll get to all of it, but it's made me do some research on what's up in Beijing so I can start filling my Sundays in advance. I felt kind of lame staying in the air conditioning all day because there's a whole city here to explore, but I can't do it alone, and when nobody responds to my calls and texts, I'm a little bit stuck here.
Today is awesome because I set goals for myself.
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