Blog for liuy2

What shall I begin this entry with?We arrived last evening at Washington after 12 and a half hours of flight which was nice but a bit tiring.Then we flew from Washington to Richmond which lasted only 50 minutes.I'm glad that I didn't get plane weary,just the 12 hours of time difference bugged me.Anyway I feel alright and today we just did a bit of tour around the "campus".Well I shouldn't really call it campus cuz the uni s integrated into the city and you can see churches,shops everywhere.I started to wonder if Richmond is on the so-called "Bible belt"....it seems to be a very religious city.That's not bad.*lol*
I have 3 pretty nice dormates and we live in the student's dorm which is well-equipped.Well....just the TV set is too out-dated.And the air-conditioner is too cold! We said that the Americans really waste a lot of energy resources! Can't believe that they use so many disposable things! And about the food,I really can't get used to the cold sandwich and the sweet stuff.They don't taste too bad themselves,but having them for my main meals is a bit unacceptable.And we have an intern for each 4 people.Our group's intern is a guy called Mathew,he's a nice guy and has shown us some places around.
I still can't make a full impression of the States or the American life cuz we have seen only a teeny weeny of America and I'm expecting to see more!=)
GTG I'll continue next time.

Today we had a bus tour around the city of Richmond,Virginia and learnt a bit about the history about Richmond.Now I can pull together some of the knowledge I have learnt in high school world history class.Indeed Virginia is the first colony Britain established in North America and there's a lot of history in Richmond.We toured the Virginia Capitol which was designed by Thomas Jefferson.It was a great piece of architect and I like the inside of it which reminds of me a revolution museum in my home city Wuhan.What impressed me most was that we actually got to see the senate chamber(at least from the outside) and we could see thru from the glass window how it looks like.
In the afternoon we had a barbecue which was cool,but I didn't eat too much cuz I felt kinda full.
I guess that's all for it this time and I'm already looking forward to an exciting day tomorrow.
XXX

Well I wanna whip up a bit about the first a few days in America.
In overall,I have a very favourable image of Richmond and America.It's a nice and clean country and the pace of living is not so hectic as some metropolis I have been to.The streets are well-organised and are very clean,this is what I like best,cuz it seems to me that although there are countless cars in America,most of them are pollution-free.And the drivers do not sound their horns so often,which makes the streets quiet.But offcasionally you can hear loud music coming from car windows.But that's cool.*lol*
However I still think that the Americans are using too much resource to maintain their well-being.Sometimes I think that the disposable plastic bags,utensils are totally unnecessary,but maybe that's the way they maintain a high employment rate.*lol* I also notice a big problem for Americans--overweight.There are a lot of overweight people in America and I do think it has something to do with their lifestyle.Well fast food is one of the main cause.Then I think cars are also another factor.Americans drive too much,even sometimes their destination is within the "walking distance",they would still prefer to drive.I noticed that there are no bicycle lanes on the streets,so it seems that bicycle isn't a popular transport here.That's a shame cuz it's a good sport.Anyway I will try to eat less fast food and keep fit.
Talking about food,I went to a Thai restaurant with my two dormates Liu Jia and Li Zhidao and their intern who is a very lovely Vietnese girl.We had really nice Thai dishes which I had never tasted before and the restaurant and we also snapped a few photos.It was an enjoyable time and we talked about our weekend trip to Virginia Beach and the Busch Garden.Wow I'm already looking forward to that! I have seen on the map that there is a "Schwarzwald"(Black Forest) and "Oktoberfest"(October festival) at the Busch Garden!!!
Yesterday we went to a nice food court at the local shoppping mall Short Pump and had Chinese food.Well it isn't exactly Chinese food though it is called Chinese food.It's much more oily than real Chinese food,but I'm already very satisfied cuz you can't have too much expectation on Chinse food here! We also went "window shopping" cuz "window shopping is free".Well not exactly because we didn't wanna buy anything,but because we didn't wanna carry too many stuff to New York which is the real "shoppers' paradise".=) Later in the evening,we went shopping in Wal-Mart.I couldn't help but bought a CD from one of my favourite American bands NICKELBACK!!! It was a fantastic album cuz I have already listened the song "IF EVERYONE CARED" many times.They are really a great band,great music,great lyrics and they appeal to the public for some charity affairs.I also bought two dozens of various postcards about Virginia and I'm gonna post some of them to my family and friends.It's such a shame that I still dont' know where the local POST OFFICE is at.Shame(I know I keep using this word again and again but it's my "pet phrase") cuz I have already written three letters to my penpals in Germany and Brasil and I can't wait to post some other postcards to my parents,my college friends and my penpals from other countries.
So I'm gonna end here today and hopefully I can get to watch "Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix" tomorrow night! Hurrrrray! Harry Potter's coming back!!! Harry Potter rocks!Yay!
XXX

Today,Liu Jia and Li Zhichao's intern invited us all to her apartment which was just two blocks away from GRC and we had a nice dinner there:-) Phuc is really very nice and I feel that Asian people have a lot of similarities.
This evening me and some other students went shopping in a nice shopping mall called Stony Pasrk(or something like that).I bought a nice dress for 18 dollars which is half of its originial price.Well it was really NOT easy for me to choose a dress in America cuz even the "small" size dresses can be too big for me! Anyway it is a nice bargain.I also saw some really expensive shops like LV and a sunglasses shop with brand glasses such as Dior,Chanel etc.Unfortunately they are not for me,I gotta earn a lotta money in the future to afford real luxuries!
I guess that's all for this time.Time is tickling!*lol*

Well we spent the weekend at the Busch Gardens(cute name) and the Virginia Beach.At the Busch Gardens me,Liu Jia and Zhichao went on a ride on Griffon which is a huge rolller coaster.I can't believe I went on a ride on it!!!!! I conquered my acrophobia!!!! It was indeed a huge achievment for me!Yupeeee~
At the Virginia Beach resort,we strolled on the sand and went into the water to play with the tides,but we couldn't swim in the sea.Shame.Never mind,we went cycling.Me and Zhichao rode a free wheeler cuz neither of us could ride a bicycle.lol
Today we visited Williamsburg and another shopping centre.What's interesting at Williamsburg was that we visited the rebuilt House of Burgess and had a nice tour inside,learning how it worked.Well we got lost at Williamsburg and made the other people worry,I felt really guilty,but we reallly lost our bearings!The roads were so confusing!
At last at the shopping mall,I bought two bottles of nail polisher--one black,one silver.I'm gonna give the black one to my uni friend and keep the silver one for myself cuz I'm kinda tired of always painting my nails black(sounds weird).I also bought a lovely watch at discount,but it's not really my type,so I'm gonna give it to mum as a present.
That's all for it now,I have loads of e-mails to reply in my mailbox!Cheers!
XXX

Well today the lectures we had are all about politics.In fact I'm very interested in politics and I'm very much aware that the way we talk about politics in China is very different from the way they do and talk about politics in Western countries like US,Germany etc.I gotta go now.

This morning there was some drizzle.Normally I love such weather,but today I don't.There are not many things happening around today,the lectures were good but I felt a bit tired.It was good to know that the Americans are very critical about their political system and their politicians themselves which means that there's always room for improvement.
I received an e-mail from my Finnish penpal yesterday which said that the postcard I sent to him last Thursday had already arrived at him! How fast! It was a bit out of expectation.The postal service in Northern Europe always works super fast and super efficiently.So now I expect that my parents will soon receive the postcards I sent them on the same day.
This evening,we are going to Short Pump and Walmart again.I've been longing for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for so long!!! Hopefully I'll get to read it tonight,and I'm also looking forward to purchasing some CDs and postcards if they appeal to me.
Okay I'm gonna put an end to this entry cuz I have 20 some e-mails to reply.Ouch! XXX

Today we went to the Short Pump shopping mall again!We arrived there at 6:30 pm approximately and the American girl who drove us there agreed to pick us up at 8 pm,so we only have a short time to go on a shopping spree.
This time I had dinner with Liu Jia and Ding Xiaoxi.The three of us all had Chinese food,but I bought a slice of pizza at the Villa Pizza stand.I luv pizzzzzzza!
Then we went through Macy's,but didn't find anything appealing.I came across a Collector's Shop and thought maybe I could find something about Steve Nash for my uni buddy,but sadly the shop assistant told me that all the stuff aboout Nash had been sold out.What a shame! But then I accidentally found out that there was another similar shop selling stuff about Harry Potter and rock bands!!! I went on a shopping spreeeeee there and bought 4 sets of Harry Potter trading cards!!! One for myself and three for my Harry Potter fan cousins(they should really be happy to have me as their cousin!!!) and a key loop with a Slytherine sign(one of the houses at the Hogwarts Witchcraft School in Harry Potter story),and a t-shirt!!! It is a t-shirt printed with picture of my fav. band Marilyn Manson.Well it doesn't really look freaky,but it's impressive.So it was really cool,they have such t-shirts for bands like Manson,Cradle of Filth etc,but none for my fav. European rock bands.Shame,so I just picked up the Manson one.It doesn't look too extreme,it's just cool.
Gotta check my mailbox again,let me just call it a day.XXX

Well I'm definitely a shopaholic.I guess I have spent 100 bucks! I bought 4 CDs today!!! It's a huge expenditure for me really,though I LUUUUUUV all the albums I bought today:Madonna's latest album "Confessions on a dancefloor", Within Temptation's "The Heart of Everything",Nightwish's "Highest Hope"(the immaculate collection of Nightwish!!!),H.I.M's immaculate collection album.Well I really wanna buy more but I just can't afford too many CDs!!! I wanna buy older albums from Madonna,albums from Black Sabbath(at discount!*shout*) and albums from Lacuna Coil!!! I'm just a shopaholic on the verge of brankruption!!!
Poor me! I still haven't found a bookstore to purchase Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.But today I bought a copy of USA Today on which there was an interview of J.K.Rowling(the reason I bought the newspaper).Now that I know Harry Potter has survived from his finale with Voldemort,but I know some other characters have died!! Sooo sad,but shhhhhh,I need to keep it secret,otherwise this entry will be a spoiler to the readers of my blog who are eager to read the new Harry Potter book!*LOL*
This evening we went to Allan Poe museum which is a cozy place.I bought a book which is a collection of some Poe's horror stories.It's not really exorbitant...well at least it helps killing boredom in my spare time.
Time for some snacks.End of entry! XXX

This weekend me,Liu Jia,Li Zhichao,together with Chen Guo,Yu Feng and Tian Tian spent the weekend at Phuc's family.We met Phuc's two lovely sisters and some friends of Phuc.It was really a great time! I like the atmosphere in Phuc's family and their relation with their neighbours and friends.Anyway it's too late here and I gotta go bed now.XXX

Today we went to Monticello where Jefferson's family used to reside.It is built on a mountain and is embraced by green trees,so I like the environment very much.We had a tour guide which is a very friendly old woman and she was surprised that we came from China.
I was impressed that the back of the nickel coin is actually the house we visited today.Though we couldn't take any photos inside,I can pretty well remember the settings inside the house.I like some paintings Jefferson hang in his bedroom.
We went shopping again this afternoon and in the mean time,me,Zhichao and Liu Jia dined at a Chinese restaurant which was very good.I had Hunan chicken with rice and cola.
I am going to write some postcards to mum and dad tonight.Cheers!

This morning,a professor from the art department of VCU gave us a lecture,actually it was more like a demo.He coloured an oil painting in front of the whole class which was amazing.I couldn't believe how fast he completed the work! And he kept talking to the class while he was painting.
This afternoon,we were given a class on acting and we toured the VCU theatre which was freezing inside!Well the theatre actually looks cool,it must be a great feeling to act onstage in that theatre though I'm not crazy about acting and performing.
I read a few pages of Harry Potter today which is a great feeling.Yupeee! Reading is a great activity in the spare time.It's such a gorgeous magic ride!
I'm feeling a bit hungry now.End of thsi entry!XXX