Social Study Week: Inner Mongolia: Days 1&2

As students in previous years have said, the social study week is what sets HBA apart from other programs such as PIB and ACC. I completely agree - it was a fantastic experience that gave everyone a good break from the rhythmic daily classes and quizzes. There were a lot of choices this year: ShanXi, Shanghai, Shaolin Temple, SiMaTai countryside, or to stay in Beijing. I chose, along with 18 other students, to go to Inner Mongolia.

The trip was organized so that it would be interviews coupled with tourist attractions and other fun. We left on Friday night and took an overnight train to Hohhut. We were in the "hard-bunk" car, which meant we were able to lie down comfortably (it's not as bad as it sounds - there's still hard-sitting!) The dreadful thing about the trip that everyone knew prior to going was the bathroom/shower situation. We were planning to sleep in traditional Mongolian tents on Saturday and Sunday night, which meant no showering or regular Western toilets for 3 nights. Furthermore, we wouldn't get to our hotel on Monday until evening. That was quite miserable, as nobody could shower for 3 1/2 days, but it was also a bonding experience where everyone complained and shared their misery. Gradually, our living conditions got better.

The first day, we interviewed mu ming, people who raise sheep in the countryside, and by countryside, I mean THE REAL countryside, where there is one or two houses every half mile or more. It was very humbling listening to them talk about their lives. The family we interviewed had 2 children who went to boarding school in the city. Tuition costs a fortune for these families, and the children are often removed from home at an early age because they can't make the daily commute to the city. Still, they were very welcoming, and this was definitely one of my favorite parts of this trip.

Still, the Mongolian tents were awesome! There was one big tent and a few smaller ones. I stayed in the big tent with 7 other people, and it was like a big camping sleepover where we stayed up and played mafia or just told jokes and what not.

The first night was really eventful. First off, we were served lamb meat...after we saw the sheep being killed just for the occasion. Let's just say it wasn't the best meal ever...they don't like to season their meat...at all.
Dinner was a lot of toasting. Mongolians LOVE bai jiu (white wine). Most Americans, however, do not. Yet, the toasting is really fun and it is a sign of courtesy as the Mongolians welcome their guests. So of course, everybody participated in the fun. They also made us sing before we drank, which was interesting because none of us knew many Chinese songs.

Look how happy bai jiu makes you...

At night, we watched (and participated in) Mongolian wrestling. Let me tell you - it is intense. Director Feng, who also came on the trip, made all the guys join in, and most of us acquired some sort of injury as a result. My shirt was definitely bloodied by my opponent...it was a fun experience nonetheless.

On Saturday morning, a few friends and I got up at 5 Am to see the sunrise. It was nice, but I don't know if it was worth such little sleep... Judge for yourself:

Some people couldn't make it up...

The second day, we went to Huang Hua Gou (Yellow River Valley). We got to ride horses (seen below), watch horse racing, and take a short hike down into a large basin with great views.
That's just a quick sprint through the first two days, which should give you all a good sense of how fun this trip was. I'll continue to update on the rest of the week later, but for now, I've gotta start by social study report. 2000 characters - rough draft due tomorrow! Great...