Today, we had our first educational class in the meeting room of our hotel. Everybody’s seat came equipped with hot water and tea. I don’t drink tea, but I thought it was cool. Claudia, our instructor, is very good at speaking English and she even used a word that I didn’t recognize. The way she teaches is interesting and I actually enjoy being there, learning about the different aspects of China. There was another girl there, Ruby, and they say that she will also be following us around China, helping us communicate with those that don’t speak English.
After class, we had a long break and explored our surroundings a little more. I like everyone who’s on the trip. Its nice how we all get along and there’s no hatin’ going on. There are a lot of places to buy alcohol around here, especially within walking distance of where we are staying. I think that this will be a good trip. Some of us are already stocking up for later on this week.
When the break was over, we were told that we were going on a tour of Tsinghua University’s campus. We didn’t actually go in any buildings; we just drove the bus up to the famous arch and took some pictures. Then, my camera died, which was a bummer. The campus was pretty though; they had a nice garden and a pond. It was a very short “tour” especially since it wasn’t too structured and there was no guide—we pretty much just walked around. But afterwards, we each got a free Tsinghua t-shirt. I think it must be so hard attending a school like that in China. The pressure to do well must be so intense, even more so than the pressure that SSoE puts on us back home.