For the holiday, I get Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off. But I have to make those days up on Saturday and Sunday. Also, from October 1st-7th we have off for China's National Anniversary.
Last night, I went with my Chinese friends to our friends work party. We had Chinese hors d'oeuvres, tea, watched some operatic performances, and listened to Chinese Folk Music. It was really interesting to experience. I also got tour an apartment that is selling for 30 million RMB or about $4 million USD because my friend sells apartments like that to rich Chinese people.
For me though, what was really noticeable about last night was that, in this apartment complex of three buildings, there were a total of 5 lights on in the buildings. There are so many high-end buildings but few people to live in them and owners have no incentive to lower the price of apartments because in China, there is no property tax. In the US, if you can't find a tenant at the price you want, it is better to lower the cost of the apartment, so that you can at least cover the cost of the property tax. But in China that doesn't happen and since many people see buying apartments as the safest investments in China, anyone with money buys one, and will only sell it at the price they want. So property prices in Beijing have climbed 12% since last year and it is becoming hard for poorer people to even afford the worst apartments.
Today, I also had my first meeting with my tutor. She is amazing, and I learned so much from her in just one day. The plan is to meet three times a week, two hours at a time. Combining my time in the class room and with my tutor and not including my homework and other studying, I will be studying Chinese 22 hours a week! This much studying should give me conversational Chinese in just a few months and this time next year, I should be fluent!
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