PiB 2007 Preparation Updates

This is the last entry I shall be posting from "Princeton" - in a week, I shall be "in Beijing!" Yes, that's right dudes and dudettes, after months of fervent anticipation, it's almost here! In the twinkling of an eye, I shall be preparing for the program in my nice, warm office in Xinsong Gongyu, waiting to see your joyously jet-lagged countenances...

Well, this post hopes to provide you with a final boost of preparatory wisdom, during these last days before your momentous crossing:

I. Flight Arrivals on Thursday, June 21 and Friday, June 22.

For those who've requested for transport from the airport to BNU: after clearing customs and getting your baggage and all, look out for a sign that says either "PiB" or "Princeton in Beijing." You may have to wait for a short while, because bus shuttles will leave only at regular intervals, probably every 2-3 hours. (Depending on how much info I can get, I may inform you of the shuttle departure times.)

If you arrive at a time when the previous shuttle has only just left, you may have to wait quite a while. Or if you don't want to wait, just inform the driver, and you can intrepidly take a cab to BNU by yourself. Also, in the unlikely event that you are simply unable to find the shuttle, please take a cab too. (The fare should be in the region of 100 RMB.) Refer to pg 27 of the Handbook for instructions!

And if you've not told me that you want a ride by this time, I am really unable to slot you in, i.e.:
1) please don't email me with a last-minute request; and
2) BNU will not be responsible for making sure you get transport to the dorm.
However, if you are desperate for this free and reliable transport service, this is what you can do: upon arrival, look for the person with the "PiB" sign. He may or may not be very visible, because your arrival time isn't on his list. But if you see him (or other PiB-looking students - you will know them by their really, really ridiculously good-looking faces) just go to him and tell him meekly that you're not on the list but would truly appreciate hopping on the bus with them to BNU. He'll probably agree. But if it happens that the bus is totally full, be prepared to take the taxi to BNU yourself too.

II. Princetonian Textbook Carriers

If you've been specially entrusted to carry some textbooks for us, please don't forget to bring them over!! Thank you!! (If you don't know what this is about, it doesn't concern you.) Everyone: please bring all your textbooks and CDs to Beijing with you!

III. Visa/Passport Stuff

Worse case scenario: if you've been a naughty recalcitrant without a visa yet visa, and - gasp! - in fact, lose your JW202 form and/or BNU Admissions Notice, I'm afraid that you won't be able to join us this year... =/ Just kidding! No, if you find yourself in a dire emergency like this, just go ahead and get a regular travel ("L") visa for as long as you can (60 days?) to enter China. After you arrive, we will help you through whatever steps that need to be taken.

Also, it would be a good idea to make a few photocopies of your passport and visa to bring along to Beijing.

IV. Dorms

Breaking news: you will NOT need to call Xinsong Gongyu to reserve your room if you're arriving on June 21. Your room will be available, only that you'll need to pay for that night (around 100RMB, I believe) yourself when you check out at the end of the program.

If you'd like to stay in the dorm any earlier than that, you will also not need to phone ahead to reserve a room (unless you'd like to warm-up for the program by chatting with the receptionist in Chinese). There is a chance that you may be placed in another room for a few nights before you get to move to your actual room for the summer on June 21.

This will be in the Living Guide you get when you register with me, but I thought it'd be important for those of you arriving early. Do NOT use the stand-alone ATM just within the Dongmen of Beishida. It is known for having beguiling and eating up many unsuspecting students' ATM cards! Instead, use the trustworthy Bank of China ATM just to the right of the Dongmen as you walk out, after you passing the McDonald's. (And yes, I did say McDonald's. Beishida is the only university in China with a McDonald's on campus!)

IV. Language Pledge

# posted by Teng-Kuan Ng @ 2:25 PM

It's been a month since you last heard from me publicly, and I must apologize if this has left any of you with separation anxiety! But let not your hearts be troubled. This update will elucidate some queries that may have been swirling in your mind.

I. Educational materials

Non-Princetonians: All your textbooks/CDs were sent out by first-class mail recently. You should be receiving them soon, if you haven't already. (Fourth-year students will be expecting two packages, one with books, the other with CDs)
Princetonians: Please come by my office during regular working hours asap to pick them up. Flee procrastination! With papers and exams looming, you might not remember what you've forgotten! Just pop by the next time you’re in Frist, engage in some perfunctory banter with me, then off you go in no time, back to your last week of class [!]. You can do it!

These are the textbooks/CDs that you will be receiving, according to the level you applied for:
2^nd year: A New China
3^rd year: All Things Considered and Newspaper Readings: The USA in the People's Daily
4^th year: Literature and Society, Anything Goes and Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese: China's Own Critics
5^th year: China's Peril and Promise and The Silhouette of China [Textbook only]

Please bring these materials with you to China. If you’re taking a laptop along, you could consider ripping the audio files onto your harddisk to save space. And if the package you get in the mail doesn't contain all that it ought to have, or if somehow the materials fail to reach you before you leave for Beijing, inform me promptly!

As arduous as it might be for the more studious amongst you, please refrain from writing in the textbooks after they arrive. In the event that you are bumped up or down after the placement exam, you will need to return them! The only absolute exceptions to this statute are current CHI 102 or CHI 406 Princeton students, for whom chances of demotion or promotion are infinitesimally remote. But trust me, you will have all the opportunity in the world to write in them during PiB!

A little advice about the placement test on the morning of Saturday, June 23: by all means, prepare for that, but please don't stress about it? As far as possible, your performance should an accurate reflection of your Chinese abilities, i.e. not lower, but also not higher. The test is designed to evaluate which level you will benefit most from.

II. Liability waiver, P.U. registration form, medical profile/immunization records, and photos

If you haven't submitted any of these items yet, do so immediately! (Many of you seem to have forgotten about the 2 photos. These photos are separate from the ones that you will need to apply for a Chinese visa yourself.)

III. Travel information form

Click here to fill this in and return it to me, by email or mail or fax, by May 30. It is necessary for me to have the information listed on the form, but by this deadline what I MUST know is whether you want to be picked up from the airport when you arrive! (A person will be there with a sign that says "PiB.")

If by May 30 you still haven't obtained your visa (which shouldn't be the case) but want to be picked up, just fill in whatever you can and send it to me. The rest of the information can come a little later. Once again, most sternly: we will NOT be able to pick you up from the airport if you do not give me your arrival information by May 30.

IV. Super special bonus download of beautiful Chinese song to make blog entry more interesting

Respectfully disregarding anti-piracy laws (in the footsteps of mp3.baidu.com), I felt like sharing with you one of my favorite songs, Hongdou, by Faye Wong. I find it moving and philosophically wistful. Besides acquainting you with what many regard as excellent Chinese music and poetry (download lyrics + translation here), listening to this song can equip you to, uhm, better handle the psychic trauma of culture shock when you arrive in Beijing.

Hope you guys are all enjoying the sunny spring weather! :)

# posted by Teng-Kuan Ng @ 1:13 PM

Greetings! This is Teng-Kuan, the PiB Program Coordinator you've been corresponding with for the past few months. Before anything else, here's wishing you, once again, a big hearty congratulations! I hope you're all getting happy and excited - as I am - about going to Beijing! It's going to be tough, but may you find comfort in this faithful saying worthy of all acceptance: per aspera ad astra ("Through hardship, to the stars"). Or, as the Puritans sometimes say, the way down is the way up.

This entry you're reading is the first of a series of updates that will help you prepare for the program. Of course, if you have queries, feel free to email or call me, and I will do my best. If I've been curt or unhelpful in the past, I truly seek your forgiveness. Like you, I am still learning...

As stated in the "[PiB 2007] Deposit and Enrollment Form Received" email, I am in the process of getting the handbook, tuition bill, and miscellaneous important forms to you. Depending on the printers (i.e., the people working them), I hope to send them off next week.

In light of the steadily escalating price of plane tickets - and considering your myriad queries dripping with eager curiosity - the PiB Handbook is now available online in Word format here! To save the trees I'd plead with you to hold off printing it out because the hardcopies will be arriving pretty soon, but if you have to, please print 2 pages per sheet. (That's how it's formatted.) A map of Beijing Normal University and where it's located in Beijing can be found here.

Information about arrival/departure dates can be found beginning on page 26 of the handbook. One thing I would ask, though: there will be much more information in the cover letter that will be sent to you with the handbook, so please try to exercise restraint in your queries? It's only a matter of time when all will be revealed! (Patience, my little ones.)

Finally, for those of you so inclined, a facebook group (“Princeton in Beijing 2007”) has been created, which I am confident will serve as a conducive platform for developing authentic, meaningful relationships before you leave for the summer together.

Well, that's about all for now, folks! Will talk to you soon. Take care.

P.S: As polite and honorific as it might be, please refrain from referring to me as the hoary "Mr. Ng," or even the misnomic "Earnest" (which is meant to be a fancy synonym for the bland "Sincerely," "Truly," etc.). As you surely will in Beijing, please simply call me "Teng-Kuan."

# posted by Teng-Kuan Ng @ 12:30 PM