You will read about our daily life, chinese culture, exploration of the surrondings of Chengdu, and so on...
This english version will be a bit of a short of the french one...just because, as students, our time is now very scarce.
Moreover, the nice feeling of the small internet cafés in south east asia countries has given way to crowded cafes of more than 100 computers, full of chinese guys playing loud war or techno dancing games and chain smoking (urgh!!!)
If you want more pictures, just browse the french version...this will be the same subjects...and you can better your french!
Today, I will fill you in, about what happened in our lifes since july...then hopefully the english version can keep up with the french!

Oh, and thanks for all the encouragements that you sent...poivrepandas-english was born out of them!!!

AUGUST 2007.

My dad joined us in Chengdu for a "trip of a life time"; for his 65th birthday we climbed to 5000m altitude in Western Sichuan (do you think fitness and longevity are genetics? I hope so!!!). After that, we went to Everest Base Camp, which as always been one of his dreams, and climbed to 5900m altitude (there, he actually let us behind and climbed like a "Chamois"...where we felt out of breath and tired!!!).

Atmospheric Genye Gompa, at the bottom of 6700m high Mont genye, sacred mountain.
My dad nearly retreated there...until he saw the monks living conditions!
Western Sichuan-4days Hike to Mont Genye

Prayer time in the kitchen (only warm area of the monastery) for the older monks while theyounges are loudly "debating" outside.
Genye Gompa Western Sichuan-4days Hike to Mont Genye

125 years old celebration (over 3 people!!!); grilled duck and chinese red wine (not bad!)
Western Sichuan-4days hike to Mynia Gonka

As you can see, we had a wonderful time, did 3 hikes in different areas (2*4days hikes) in Western Sichuan and one to get to Everest Base Camp, saw beautiful scenery, temples and thoroughly enjoyed the tibetan culture and good hearted people!

SEPTEMBER 2007.

Back to Chengdu and lessons starting...we are much more busy than what we thought!

We have only 2*1h30 periods in the morning, but it takes us the whole afternoon to "digest them", learn the caracters (about 200 caracters each week!).

Every morning we have a dictation over the previous days' caracters...as an engineering student, we could still work out the solution of the test even without studying thoroughly...with the chinese caracters, this is IMPOSSIBLE!!!

So here we are, back to notebooks, tests and lessons, while our friends are talking nappies, milk bottles...what we DO have in common, now, would be...the sleepless nights!!!

We are actually very much enjoying the brain work envolved in learning this language which is totally different from any languages we learnt before...and really strongly rooted on the writing...but I'll developp that in some further articles!!!

OCTOBER 2007.

Chinese National day, on October, 1st!

Here, this is not something to be messed around with; we got 1 week holidays!!!

We took the opportunity of 7days in a row (which will not happen until Chinese New Year in Feb...yes; no Xmas nor Western New-Year!) to go to Xian, which is 17hours away by train.

Queuing at the train station...this is what happens when millions of chinese want to enjoy one of there 3 weeks holidays!!!

We were quite surprised by the confort of the train! Even better than the french one!
But this is because we took hte highest class; soft sleepers. It costs only 22euros for 8500km-17h journey.
You can also travel by hard sleepers, soft seats and, the moer economic and less confortable; hard seats!!!

Xian is reknowed for the Terracotta Warriors, 8000 full size warriors. hoorses, chariots, generals and archers, burried under 4m of earth, to protect a huge mount of earth; the tomb of the Yellow Emperor, revered as the First Empror who unified China (roughly) as it is now.

You might have seen pictures of it, but the hugeness of the area that has been open, and the mystery what what is still remaining under ground cannot be rendered on any media!!!

Nor is the shouting and picture-taking chinese crowd! (especially on a holiday, which are so scarce in China!!!)

The only warrior we coul actually approach and take satisfactory pictures was the one in the hostel lounge...but it did have a very distinct personality!!!

The Wild Goose pagoda, dating from 900ac, one of the few Tang dynasty remains

Amongst all the historic places and remains (which very often are "newly made looking old" affairs) that can be enjoyed in Xian, our favorite was the muslim quarter.

The Hui, a muslim ethnie from north west China (not to be mistaken for the ouigour, which are also muslims, who don't feel chinese and are fighting as I write for independance of the Xinjiang, their province) are settled in Xian since the time of the silk road.

They look and speak chinese (even better sometimes than the people from Chengdu, whose accent make it very difficult to understand!)...only difference; their hats or scarfs and their plumpy looks (if you want to see the many delicacies that are available in their streets, go to; http://poivreetpandas.uniterre.com/27389/Xi%26%23039%3Ban%2C+la+musulmane.html !).

Their old mosk is an atmospheric mixture of Taoist Temple and South Spain like Maures Architecture which made for a very peaceful out of time walk, away from the crowds!

One of the very chinese looking pavillons, set in an atmosferic garden

Beautiful mix of chinese and muslim architecture!!!

We are now back in Chengdu, and back to school...but we have time to enjoy some new friendships; from Srilanka to Nepal and from US to Russia...our class is a Babel tower!

And of course, we're also slowly making friends with some chinese people who speak english, as at the moment our chinese doesn't go much further than buying stuff and asking directions!!!

Keep watching this space for (I promise...huh hope...) regular updates!