Author: Steve Evans

Le temps a passé tellement vite, et je ne peux pas croire que je suis arrivée ici il y a plus de deux mois. Je me suis installée très bien au travail et dans mon nouveau studio, peu à peu j’ai commencé à parler avec tous mes colocataires et j’ai fait des amis au travail aussi. Mais je l’ai trouvé très difficile à faire des amis hors de travail parce que pendant la semaine je dois me lever vraiment tôt, donc je suis trop fatiguée à faire des choses pendant les soirs. Cependant, pendant le weekend je profite d’explorer Montpellier et aussi de visiter des autres villes qui sont situés à proximité.

Par exemple, le dimanche dernier j’ai visité Nîmes, situé une demi-heure de Montpellier en train. Je suis allée toute seule car ma copine Zoé a passé le weekend avec son copain dans le nord de la France, mais c’est une ville très jolie et plein de culture et d’histoire, j’ai vu beaucoup de la ville et des monuments historiques. Cependant,  je dirais que la chose le plus marquant du jour était la corrida que j’ai regardée dans l’arène de Nîmes. Je ne jamais vu une corrida, donc c’était l’occasion parfait pour moi! L’atmosphère était super; avant les taureaux sont arrivés il y avait beaucoup des divertissements tels que des danseurs, des chanteurs et des cavaliers. J’ai aimé l’événement and je suis heureuse que je pouvais le voir, cependant je ne suis pas sûr si je suis d’accord avec la façon dont ils traitent les taureaux.

Aussi pendant d’octobre, moi et mon copain sommes allés à Paris pour le weekend; nous n’avions pas vu l’une à l’autre pour plus de deux mois, depuis il a quitté Montpellier après il m’a aidé à déménager en France. Il y avait plusieurs années que je voulais visiter Paris et j’étais surexcité que finalement je pourrais aller! Le voyage était pour mon anniversaire, mon copain a payé pour tout et nous sommes restés dans un hôtel de très grand standing s’appelle Pullman Paris Montparnasse, c’était incroyable. Nous avons visité beaucoup des sites touristiques tels que, La Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, Le Pont des Arts, La Notre Dame et nous avons mangé dans plusieurs restaurants chics. Mais, si le weekend n’était pas suffisamment bien, le samedi matin il m’a demandé de l’épouser! Bien sûr j’ai dit oui et c’était l’un des meilleurs weekends de ma vie.

Je pense que, pendant ces deux mois, je me suis plongée dans la culture et la langue française, mes compétences linguistiques ont amélioré beaucoup. Chaque jour, j’ai un peu plus de confiance quand je parle avec les autres et je me sens que les gens sont plus aimables envers moi, surtout au travail.

 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Time has gone so quickly and I can’t believe I arrived here more than 2 months ago. I have settled in nicely at work and in my new studio little by little I have started talking to my flat mates and I’ve made friends at work too. But it’s been hard to make friends outside of work because during the week I have to get up really early and I’m too tired to go out and do things in the evenings. However, during the weekend I enjoy going out and exploring Montpellier and visiting other cities nearby.

For example, last Sunday I visited Nimes, situated half an hour away from Montpellier on the train. I went on my own because my friend Zoe went to see her boyfriend for the weekend in the north of France, but it’s a lovely city full of culture and history, I saw lots of the city and historic sites. However, I would say that the best thing I saw during the day was the bullfight. I have never seen one before so it was perfect opportunity! The atmosphere was great; before the bullfight there was lots of other entertainment, such as dancers, singers and skilled horse riders. I liked the event and I’m glad I was able to see it, however I’m not sure if I agree with the way they treat the bulls.

Also in October, my boyfriend and I went to Paris for the weekend; we hadn’t seen each other for more than 2 months, since he left Montpellier after he helped me move to France. For many years I have wanted to visit Paris and I was so excited that finally I could go! The trip was for my birthday, my boyfriend paid for everything and we stayed in a luxury hotel called the Pullman Paris Montparnasse, it was amazing! We went to see lots of tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Le Pont des Arts (the famous love lock bridge), The Notre Dame and we ate in lots of posh restaurants. But, if the weekend wasn’t already good enough, Saturday morning he proposed to me! Of course I said yes and it was one of the best weekends of my life.

I think that during my 2 months that I have been immersed into the French culture and language, my language skills have vastly improved. Each day, I have a little more confidence when I’m speaking to other French speakers and I feel that people are becoming friendlier, especially at work. ​

Journey to the South-West 西南游记

Every year on October the 1^st celebrations are held throughout China to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic. This is just one of the nation’s Golden Week holidays, which are aimed at  the domestic tourism market, as well as allowing people to make long-distance family visits. This means travelling during this week can be described as a mad rush to say the least. Our group of six mapped out a route around Sichuan province in south-west China. Chengdu, the provincial capital, known for its spicy food and even more fiery women, would act as our hub as we travelled out to China’s most famous national park, Jiuzhaigou and the Leshan Buddha.

 

每年十月一日中国各地会举行庆祝的活动，庆祝的是中华人民共和国的成立。十一是中国黄金周之一，黄金周假期鼓励国内旅游，而且允许长途家庭探访。因此，黄金周中去旅游一定能描述为疯狂抢占座位。我们一族人，六个学生，安排在中国西南方的四川省去旅行。四川省会成都因辣菜和火爆的女人而闻名于世，这座城市会做我们旅行时候的中心，从那里游到中国最著名的国家公园九寨沟和乐山大佛。

 

We arrived close to midnight at our hostel, located in Chengdu’s famous snack street, which during the daytime was packed out with vendors selling Chengdu’s typical snacks such as such as fiery cold noodles, sweet roast duck and stinky tofu. It turned out not to be the best of starts when the hostel could not find our booking and we faced a night sleeping in reception. Luckily, the kindly staff lent us their dorm room and we crashed out before an early start to see Chengdu’s panda sanctuary, China’s largest. Having only ever seen the cute black and white creatures in photos and a lot of Chinese emblems, coming face to face with the real thing was quite a surprise. My favourite tableau of all was seeing a group of five huge fat adults draped over each other in a pile of black and white, covered in bamboo stems, all contentedly munching away. That’s excluding the newborn bundles we saw snoozing in the nursery, and having a red panda brush past our very ankles!

 

第一日午夜才到青年旅舍，坐落在成都有名的小吃街，白日的时候街道的全部挤满了小贩，他们卖的是成都传统小吃，比如伤心冷面，张烤鸭并臭豆腐。原来，我们旅程没有最佳的开端。旅舍找不到我们的预订。我们正在面临一整夜在客厅里睡觉时，幸亏员工让我们住他们的宿舍睡。我们两分钟之内就入睡了，因为次日早晨就要出发去看熊猫在中国最大的熊猫基础。那日子之前只有在照片里面和中国象征上能够看到这种黑白可爱的动物。面对一只真的熊猫挺让我们吃惊的。除了我们在幼儿园里看到的刚出生的宝贝熊猫、感到一只小熊猫擦踝而过以外，我最喜欢的情景是看到五只肥胖的大熊猫躺在一起，成为一堆黑白色，上面盖着笋茎，都是充满满意而大嚼着。

 

The next day begun with yet another early start and an eight hour bus ride to Jiuzhaigou. A beaming man donning a cowboy cap picked us up at the bus station and drove us up into the mountains where lay our home-stay for the night, owned by a Tibetan family, which looked out onto the valley and village below. Head of this family was Zhuo Ma, an equally jovial woman as her son, dressed in brightly coloured traditional Tibetan attire, often seen chasing her hens around the yard and feeding her guests green tea and walnuts. The home itself was decorated in red, pink and gold, outside were gold prayer wheels which were spun every morning to release the prayers into the cool mountain air. Every evening the family would serve all the guests a traditional meal, including local yak meat and barley wine.  Most fortunately, we met an Italian lady who came every year and suggested we spend one day at the fairy lakes instead of two at the national park.

 

次日再次早起，直接去坐大巴去九寨沟，一共要8个小时。笑容满面戴牛仔帽的男人来车站接我们，开上山坡送我们那夜要住的西藏民宿，透过窗可以远眺下面山谷的乡村。家长就是卓玛老太太，跟他儿子一样快活。她穿的都是五彩缤纷的传统西藏衣服，常会见到她院子里追鸡或者给她客户端来绿茶和胡桃。他们的房子以红、分红、黄金颜色而装饰。外面每天早晨卓玛会摇动转经筒超度。每天晚上家人给客人端来传统的一顿饭，包括牦牛肉和青稞酒。幸亏，我们认识一位意大利女人。她每年都来九寨沟。他推荐我们去神仙池一天，也不在国家公园两天。

 

The next day we heeded her advice and set off through the snow topped mountains. The fairy lakes were hidden away and almost no other tourists were to be seen. The lakes themselves are surrounded my pine forest at an altitude of 2000 metres. They are a series of terraced calcified pools. The high levels of calcium make the running water a jewel like turquoise blue. The deadly alkaline levels mean they are completely clear of all life, and so take on a crystalline appearance as they cascade down the silvery rocks. As we are sitting admiring the scenery, one of our party suddenly called out in alarm; we looked down to where he was pointing, and saw his phone lying below in one of the waterfalls. The locals called out that the legendary fairies had playfully snatched it from his pocket. It turns out the immortals didn’t mean us too much harm however, as the water mysteriously left no damage whatsoever.

 

次日我们听她的推荐，穿过雪顶山峦开过去。神仙池藏匿在少有游客的位置，海拔高度2000多米。松林绕着池塘的周围。神仙池是钙化的，如梯田般洒落在你眼前。钙化的清水像蓝碧一样。碱性过强，不利于某些植物生长，所以清冽的水流从银色山崖上飞流直下。我们坐着欣赏景观的时候，我们族的一个成员突然发出一阵惊叫，我们直接往下看，看到他的手机落入水里面了。一位本地人叫喊说手机是被神仙人抓起的。原来神仙人没有对我们任何伤害的意思，因为手机神秘地没有任何长期水损。

 

The second day we headed into Jiuzhaigou park as planned. It was a long 10kim track uphill. We passed through pine forests, reed marshes, expansive valleys, Tibetan villages, not to mention all kind of lakes and waterfalls. Compared to industrial Beijing, the air could not have been more pure, and the colours of the changing autumn leaves more vivid. A favourite scene was standing on the edge of a cliff, fluttering Tibetan flags above and the path behind us stretching out into the distance beneath a bright blue sky. In one of the villages, we found ourselves lost when seeking a toilet. Our rescue came in the form of an old lady with deeply wrinkled skin and no teeth. We spoke no Tibetan, she spoke no Mandarin. She led us hobbling to where we wanted to go in silence, only smiling at us strange white skinned outsiders, and we thanked her with a small bow and clasped hands as we parted.

 

按照计划我们次日去九寨沟。那天走了很长的上坡路，一共10公里。我们穿过松林、芦苇沼泽地、深壑险谷、西藏乡村、各种各样的湖和瀑布，跟工业化的北京相比，空气纯洁极了，

秋天飘落的叶子鲜艳极了。最喜欢的情景之一是站在悬崖边上，上面看到西藏棋子飘动着，眼前蓝天下延伸走过旅途的景象。在我们穿过的西藏乡村之一，我们寻找洗手间的时候丢路了。一位老女人来救我们。她皮肤都是深深的皱纹，嘴巴里没有一颗牙齿。我们一句藏语都不会说，她一句普通话也不会，只会对我们白皮肤的外地人大笑。她一瘸一拐地走，沉默地带我们到寻找的地方。告别的时候，我们鞠了个躬，握了手，然后自己随着自己的路走了。

 

Next up on our itinerary was the Leshan Buddha, the largest stone Buddha in the world at 71 metres tall, dating back from the Tang dynasty. It is carved into a cliff face near the city of Leshan, facing Mount Emei, with a confluence of three rivers lying at its feet. The Buddha is supposed to bring good luck to those crossing the perilous waters. We took a boat out to beneath the Buddha’s feet where there was just time to marvel at its magnitude, and of course, take a selfie. We still, of course, had to make it to the station before sunset.

 

我们的旅程下一站是乐山大佛，世界上最大的一尊摩崖石刻弥勒佛，大约71米高，唐朝留下来的。靠近乐山市，大佛面临峨眉山，脚下是三江汇流处。佛像会给过危险河的人带来好运。我们坐了船到佛像的脚下。时间正足以欣赏它的伟大性，当然还足以自拍一下。我们还需要日落之前赶到车站。

 

Overall, the only fault I could find with the trip was that returning back to Beijing and therefore university was somewhat of a jolt back to reality. Sichuan definitely has a more relaxed way of lifestyle than the north, displayed simply by the number of tea shops lining the streets where people often spend a relaxed afternoon. The beauty of the autumn landscapes we saw I really cannot overemphasise, and the wonderful insight into Tibetan culture was an unexpected touch. I would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to see some of China outside of Beijing and Shanghai.

 

总的来说，我们的旅程只有一个缺点，那就是回到北京再开始上大学课真的很难适应。四川街上的茶馆表现出来他们那儿的生活方式一定比北方放松得多。人们常常下午去慢慢地喝一杯新茶。秋天风景的美丽我真的不会过奖，并且我们看到的西藏文化是一个没想到会得到的机会。我一定会对想离开北京和上海的游客推荐我们走了的旅行。

 

北京住民的透镜

旅游时，并不是参观名胜古迹才能给你留下永恒的记忆。

人生给你提供去北大留学一年的机会时，日落的时候没有大巴车等待把你回到宾馆去。自由逛街时，我遇到了许多意外的情况，第一月在中国首都已过去了，这些情况的记忆都还在脑海徘徊一段时间。

一片宁静熠熠的蓝湖发现在我们的眼前，上面遍布五彩缤纷的小脚踏船。湖中间的岛上白白的西藏寺庙耸于我们上方。

“那个寺庙吸引大量的系藏游客来到这里”我朋友说，“可是把那个寺庙盖在北京帝国花园中间可不算是表现一种敬佩，而是北京控制西藏的象征”。

我们穿过小花园并皇帝曾经散步的院子而绕着北京著名的北海公园。突然我们遇到了站在水里的凉亭。从凉亭里传来了电子节奏。在这么安静的环境里听到强烈的音乐可让我们吓了一跳。接近一点，热情跳舞的一群老人出现在我们眼前。

每一对看起来全神贯注于舞步，而且旁观者禁不住也全身贯注于他们，所以一大群人聚集在老人周围是不言而喻的。实际上，在中国老人一起跳舞是很常见的现象。我不由自主想起英国老人参加公开活动的缺乏。

旁边的凉亭充满小群人，四围都是乐谱。手里拿着西方和东方传统乐器，各种各样旋律灌满了凉亭。这个画面又是一片能反映中国现代生活的快照。因为大部分城市人口住在一般互相叠压的公寓楼里， 邻居仅仅隔着一道墙。于此，在中国很多公园里你可以看到很多人在演奏乐器，远离邻居抱怨的声音。

北京798艺术区，从一条窄窄胡同的隐藏门口里走出了一个衣着光鲜的男人，西装笔挺，领带鲜艳。他以优雅亲切的态度迎接我们，她的法国口音浓重。我们跟着他进去了一个装了闪亮镜子的画廊，展示一个本地新兴的艺术家。

“来这里之前连画商我也没有学过。在巴西我上了商业本科，在中国为了成功这就是足够的。关系是最关键的，在正确的时间，正确的地点，遇到了正确的人。在这里资历不用过高，而只需要趁你碰到的每一个机会”。

身后回响来参观下一周展览的邀请，眼前是老旧工厂的迷宫。工厂里面是北京现代艺术园地。不知不觉，我们突然走出门口上了屋顶，装置了艺术展，一场网球地，绿绿的球漂浮在从小洞里吹出的气流里。站在屋顶上可以看到紫橙花哨的幼儿园，弃置工厂塔耸现在后面, 曾经生产无线设备，后来公司搬走了，离开了城市，后来北京现在最流行的画廊悄悄地蔓延搬进来。

我们一小群人站在小区门口外面。一对穿着黑制服的小伙子匆匆过去，看到他们究竟是两个保安，大概刚刚下班，让我大吃一惊。他们相逐，弯腰捧腹，一个把门关上，让对方吃闭门羹，然后大笑逃跑去。

我想起一般上班保安的样子，面无表情，站着一动不动。下了班，看到这些成人像小区游乐场的小孩子一样玩耍让我惊讶。可是，自己自鸣得意地相信他们回家以后就会继续坐着一动不动，不苟言笑，好像他们还没下班一样，也让我惊讶。

我们围坐在桌子旁，上面摆满了中秋节的酒菜：月饼、新鲜大螃蟹、冰镇水果、芫荽豆腐。身边都是两年前的寄宿家庭。我们都为了满月和聚集干杯！在家里你也会听到一些私人的想法。

因为我是中文系的学生，全家人都自然地对我对中国文化历史的理解感兴趣。我们在谈清朝，中国古代王朝之一，清朝皇帝秦始皇焚书坑儒，如此他会控制老百姓，因为他们教育水平不够于质疑权威。家庭的父亲接着做个比方，让我吃惊：毛主席也焚书坑儒，关大学和学校的门，他也不让老百姓提高教育水平，保护他的权威并防止毛主义的批评。跟中国家庭讨论这个有些忌讳的话题让我感到又不安又荣幸。

这些只是新搬过来住民小趣的故事。面前一个月我打算在北大校园进一步探索，国庆节的时候要参观中国最著名的四川熊猫基地和国家公园九寨沟，另外加入更多中国朋友的小圈。这一年的留学还在初期中！

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The most lasting memories about a place are not always made at the most famous tourist attractions.

When you find yourself offered a year to study at Beijing University, there is no longer a tourist bus waiting to take you back to the hotel at the end of the day. Wandering freely through the streets, I have found myself chancing on more that one unexpected scene which has lingered in my memory during this first month in China’s capital.

Before us spreads a glittering blue lake of utmost calm, on top of which are dotted pedal boats in a multitude of colours. In the centre a pure white Tibetan temple towers above us.

“That temple attracts huge numbers of Tibetan tourists” my friend comments. “But putting it in the centre of one of the imperial gardens is more of a sign of Beijing’s control over the area, rather than showing a kind of reverence”.

We circle around Beihai park, passing through small gardens and courtyards where the emperor would have once himself strolled. Out of the blue, we come across pavilions stood in the water. From inside the sound of an electronic beat floats towards us. Hearing such a sound in these peaceful surrounding almost gives us a fright. Drawing near, a group of elderly people whirling around appears before our eyes.

Each couple seems completely engrossed in their movements, and it is impossible for onlookers not also to become absorbed in this mesmerising ritual. Needless to say, quite a large crowd has gathered around them. In fact, groups of older men and especially women dancing in groups are very common here. I cannot help but think about the lack of public exposure of the elderly in the UK.

A short walkway leads us onto the next pavilion, around the edge of which are small groups surrounded by piles of sheet music. In their hands are a mix of Western and Chinese traditional instruments, and the air is filled with a cacophony of different melodies; yet another telling snapshot about life in modern China; as most of the urban population live in apartment blocks piled on top of each other, proximity to neighbours mean practising at home may lead to quarrels. Hence, in many of China’s parks you can find people playing their instruments away from their neighbours complaints.

A sharply dressed man with a crisp cut suit and colourful tie steps out of a hidden doorway down a back alley of Beijing’s art district, 798. He greets us graciously in a thick French accent and leads us into a brightly mirrored gallery showcasing an up-and-coming local artist.

I had never even studied art dealership before I came here. I took a course in business back in Paris, and that was enough for me to find success in China. It’s all about connections, meeting people at the right time. You don’t have to be overqualified here, just inventive enough to take advantage of the the opportunities you come across”

Leaving behind invitations to more showcases next week, we wander through seemingly abandoned maze of old factory buildings. Inside are exhibitions home to Beijing’s modern art scene. Without realising, we find ourselves up on the rooftop. An art installation in the form of a tennis court with jet streams of air suspending bright green balls has been installed. The rooftop offers a view of a gaudily painted children’s nursery, behind which looms the chimney of an abandoned factory tower, which would have once been the furnace to wireless equipment, before the companies moved out of the city and in crept the cities now most popular galleries and studios.

We stand in a small gathering on the corner of our apartment compound. A pair of guys dressed in black uniforms rushes past us, and I am surprised to see they are two security guards who have probably just finished their shift. They chase each other, bent over in a fit of giggles, as one pulls the gate to the compound shut in the others face before running off cackling.

I think of the typical security guard when on duty; expressionless face, motionless stance. Away from their posts, I am surprised to see these grown men playing like the children in our compound’s playground. And yet, I am also surprised in my own complacent belief that maybe when they got home they would continue to sit, unmoving, unsmiling, like they had never left their station.

We sit around a dining table weighed down with Autumn Festival delicacies; mooncakes, fresh crabs, iced fruit, fresh tofu steeped in coriander. Around me are my host family from two years previously. We all raise a toast to the full moon and family reunion. Being invited into the family circle also reveals some interesting insights into their more personal thoughts.

Naturally, as a student of Chinese studies they are interested in my knowledge about Chinese culture and history. We are discussing one of China’s ancient dynasties, the Qing, whose emperor supposedly burnt all the books in the kingdom and executed the scholars in order to keep the ordinary people uneducated enough to not question his authority. The father then makes an analogy which takes me by surprise: that Chairman Mao carried out a similar process when in power; he also kept the masses uneducated (closing universities and schools) to maintain his power and prevent educated criticism of his ideology. I feel both uneasy and honoured to be discussing a relative taboo here with a Chinese family.

These are just some small observations of a new resident in Beijing. Ahead lies another month in which I plan to cycle further into Beijing’s University’s sprawling campus, visit China’s most famous panda sanctuary and national park Jiuzhaigou during National Holiday, and infiltrate more circles of Chinese friends. My year is still only just beginning!

Munich by bike

Wenn man denkt über Fahrräder und Städte vielleicht denkt man über das Straßenpflaster in Amsterdam voll mit Radler, neben die Kanäle mit einem Korb am Fahrrad. Aber München ist auch einen sehr freundlich Stadt mit große Fahrradwege daß Linie und Ampel haben. Es war echt gebaut und nicht nur eine Nachlese. Und wenn man fährt mit den U-Bahn ist man die ganze Zeit unterirdisch deshalb hat keine Sehenswürdigkeiten, Gerüche und Klänge von Stadt. Deshalb am besten für Erforschung ist am Fahrrad. Es ist möglich das man verloren in der Stadt könnte und finde Gebäude und Plätze das man werde nicht anderes finden.

Fahrradstrassen hier in München sind ganz anderes als wo ich vorher geradelt bin. Zum Beispiel wann ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad zu Universität in Sheffield hatte ich immer große Problem mit die Autoverkehr. Ich mußte immer Büsse und Lastkraftwagen vermeiden wann ich bin auf die Ampeln warten. Hier die Fahrräder sind getrennt von der Autoverkehr. Deshalb ist Radeln nicht so gefährlich hier in München. Es könnte wenn ich in einem Fahrradstau sehr lustig sein ob ich denke über Fahrrad in England nutzen.

Während meine Reise durch die Strassen von München ich habe eine paar ganz neue Sache gefunden und gesehen. Es war auch gut weil ich verstehe der Grundriß von Stadt besser weil vorher wann ich fuhr mit die U-Bahn ging ich nur in die U-Bahn, Zug nehmen und dann ich auf eine andere Ort in München bin. Jetzt verstehe ich besser wie alle Bereiche in die Stadt verbinden sind.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

When you think of bikes and cities then perhaps one conjures up imagines of cyclists gliding majestically through the cobbled streets of Amsterdam, next to the canals and with a thatch basket attached to the front of their bikes. But Munich is also an extremely bike friendly city, containing large bike paths with their own white road markings and traffic lights. It’s a cycle network rather than an after thought. And when travelling by U-Bahn or S-Bahn you spend a lot of time underground, in the darkness, away from all the sights, sounds and smells of the city. Therefore, what better way to explore Munich properly than by bike. It’s possible just to get lost in the city and stumble across buildings and areas that you have never seen before, and would not have even known about.

The way the bike lanes operate is very different to anywhere I have ridden a bike before in England. In Sheffield for example my commute to university, although quick, often involved having to avoid buses and wait in line with cars and lorries for the lights to turn green. Here the network is almost completely separate to that of the motor traffic, with some small exceptions, and therefore there is no need to jostle for position when waiting at junctions or crossings. It can be quite amusing to be stuck in a traffic jam of cyclists when I think about when I have used a bit in England.

Riding around Munich I have stumbled across a few monuments and buildings that I’m pretty sure I would have never have seen had I not explored the city on two wheels. It also helped me to better understand the city I live in as going underground and becoming disorientated before popping back up in another location were not helping me to get my bearings.