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So how do I summarize my first week back in China. So much has happened in such a short amount of time, I should really be writing it down everyday but who has the time for that? Today is Sunday night, classes will start up again tomorrow after a weekend of academic trips. Last week of classes was interesting, I am sitting in on both the Atlantic Canadian Studies class and Dr. Perrins class on Chinese history. The Atlantic Canadian studies class in the morning is only for the Chinese students who will be heading to Canada in the fall to take classes as part of a 2+2 program, two years in China and two years abroad, in this case in Canada. During the week the students tend to be pretty tired after classes, especially on the nights of the guest lectures which run from 7pm-10pm although so far none have run the full amount of time. On Friday there was no night lecture so a group of students (most of them I think) and myself headed to the near by Buddhist temple. It is very beautiful there, the landscaping and the architecture make you feel like you have stepped back
in time when you enter. There was a service going on when we were there so chants and singing filled the gardens and the halls of the temple. The sun also set during our time there making for a beautiful backdrop on the buildings.
On Saturday we went to Humen to see the Opium War museum and then spent the rest of the day at Splendid China in Shenzhen, a park which showcases minority groups in China and also has miniatures of all of the great sites in China, including a mini Great Wall. It was a very hot day and also a very long drive! I think about 2 hours to get there and another 2 hours back, the bus apparently has air conditioning but really it is just a weak fan above the seats that does nothing to cool you down. I think the day was so hot that it was impossible to stay full hydrated and by the time I got back I had a bad migraine and my mouth was completely dry it was too hard to swallow. At the park there had been no place to go in order to escape the heat and
another student has heat stroke from it, even today she still cannot eat and feels ill. I think next time it would be smarter not to leave a bunch of Canadians out in 40 + degree heat for more than four hours because it is impossible to make sure everyone is safe in that kind of heat.
Today we went to the home of Sun Yet Sen and I also think the time we stayed there was too long, most of the students were just sitting and waiting to go home. Most were being bothered to take photos with the local people and tour groups who came through, although I think everyone took it in stride except for a few. Once we returned to campus some of us went out for dinner to a restaurant on campus with the language partners and it was very good food and good company! Afterwords one of the language partners played guitar and sang for us, she then took me to the pharmacy on campus and got me some Chinese medicine for my bug bites, my legs have been absolutely eaten alive, bites everywhere. I find it odd that I am having such
trouble this year as the bugs never bothered me last year. My Canadian bug spray does not seem to be working so well so my language partner helped me to pick out some Chinese bug spray in the supermarket and I hope it will work better than what I brought with me.
The students have managed to convince their professors to move their midterm examinations until Tuesday, I find it confusing because they have had more time to study already then we did last year, the trip they did today was only for a few hours so they had the whole morning and this whole evening to study that we did not have last year. Many students seem really worried about their exams and do not want to go out or do anything because they worry about failing them. maybe once they write the midterm it will put their minds at ease about the courses a little more.
Next week is the last week of classes, a week from today we will be getting ready for Dragon Boat Festival and then next Tuesday is the closing ceremony. As the students begin their internships I will be heading to Guangzhou to visit Amy and her family. I met Amy last year while studying in China and she partook in the 2+2 program, attending my home university and I have been lucky enough to stay friends with her! I will be visiting her and her family while I am here in China and I am excited to meet her family as she has already met mine, her and three other girls from this program spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family in Canada and we had a wonderful time sharing our traditions with them!
My language partner has agreed to give me some Mandarin lessons in our free time together, I look forward to learning a bit more of the language, I find this year I am picking up on a few more things than I did last year and I think if I keep learning it will come easier over time.
Another week of adventures is on the way
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Diane
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Thanks
Thanks Jessica for the update on what you've been doing since leaving Nova Scotia. I love how you can share all you wonderful experiences with us at home.