Today was a special day, wanna know why? I realized i was wrong about the shower. I tought there was no such a thing here, but, indeed, there is. It was just not working, because it is vacation now. (like many other things, there is no reason to keep things running for the few remaining students, they should find some other solution!). So, back to the shower, it is a HUGE shower room, like those we see in the movies where the prisioners shower all together, and then something happens...there is place for probably 100 girls. And it is not so far away from the dormitory. Marks are bought with some guy who looks like a gangster, one costs 3 and 10 for 25 RMBs. I would never do this, but it is pretty easy to fake them! Bad news are, they shower only work from 12 to 16, day yes day no. Well, one can not have everything! But the water is warm. What else...
So, yesterday (Monday 20.08), since there was no electricity in the laboratory from 9 to 16 (it is also quite normal, sometimes they let you know it, sometimes not) me and Hailian decided to do some SSS (sports, shopping, sightseeing!). We went to the Beiling Park, and to get there, interesting walking under the bridges.
The park is amazing. So many people, mostly the elderly and some handicapped, doing exercises. Also people sleeping in some shadow, biking or doing tai chi chuan ('Supreme Ultimate Force') or playing this tipical chinese instrument (i wish i knew the name). 
This is the biggest park around, and here i think most people can really forget that outside the city is big, loud and sort of polluted. It is a world for itself, with many specialthings, not easy to describe, and not possible to see all them in 3 hours. 
Walked and walked and walked, and we haven"t been everywhere. In the middle of the park is the Qhing Zhao Tomb, Unesco patrimony. Fried noodles for lunch in on of these very tiny restaurants where you have to go through the kitchen. I have to get used to the fact that when i ask for water, i get warm water. 
After some rest, visited the Hang-kong University old campus. Well, it is old, but it has something. I liked it a lot, with the many trees and other green areas, the uncountable round tables everywhere, where the students probably could play cards or eat during the breaks or in the evening. There are even some of them under the grape trees. The buidings are much more closer to each other, and you have everything you need in the blocks around. In fact, it would be much better to be living there, speacially because of the park, which is on the other side of the street. By the way, streets. There are plenty of big avenues, with 6 railways, and it is everytime an adventure to cross them. And the shopping was afterall reduced to visit some 2RMBs store. Yes, this stores i also know from Brazil, where you can buy 200 different products, that you probably dont need, for only 2 RMBs. I tried to be moderate and bought only 5 things. One of them was a set with these magic metal puzzles......Almost melting and tired from the day, we took the afternoon off. I did some literature research/reading in some books/proceedings from Hailian while we cooked soup at her dorm.
In the evening i tried to learn some Chinese. I figured out i really need to be more consequent in studing it. "Fleissarbeit". Learn, write, repeat, repeat. The four tones are just SO IMPORTANT. I also need to get used to the word order in the phrases. It is quite simple and interesing. The question pronoum always come at the end, you dont say what do you like, you say _you like what_?I am very glad that the grammar is not difficult at all, i just need to understand better how it works with the "particles".
Sunday (19.08) after my last post, we went for dinner nearby, something different. Huoguo- chaffy dishes. Delicious, i ate a way to much. Observations from restaurants until now: people is loud. And they drink a lot of beer. It is nice to see that it works just like everywhere, in one table the "women", end of 30ies, maybe single, having fun. In the other table the men, maybe collegues from work, all with a cigarret in the hand, and don't even start with beer, but with these strong wine. In the other table 2 couples, the guys maybe talking about cars, the girs about their dress. People is people everywhere! :-) (dughhh!)
Had a funny "accident" when going back to the lab. Since it rained some days ago, and the road is not asphaltiert, and what i tought it was dry, showed up not to be. Famous Feet in the mud. At least i was wearing my flipflops, and the other students could laugh a bit. Digestion while watching Bourne Ultimatum. Good programm for a hot sunday evening.
Continues later!PS. Hey, i did wash my feet just right after the accident!
