Yesterday Tsinghua University gave a welcome to the international students. We all entered the hall and received lectures on the history, traditions, and accolades of various alumni from the school. One could have looked at the talk as a sort of advertisement, but it was difficult not to feel special. I suppose as customers of the school, we have an equal interest in maintaining the school's special reputation and high standing.
"And remember, from this day forward, you will all be alumnus of Tsinghua University."
Here is a snap shot from the security talk given after the ceremony. The slide says "Do not addict in the alcohol".
After the talk I had my first experience of the Beijing metro on my way to meet Judith on an outing. The trains moved rather slowly (to me) and the stops are amazingly spread out. Often it takes 20 minutes to walk to a subway stop from anywhere! The metro is under extensive construction with many new stops scheduled to be completed by 2012 or so. It would definitely be a boon.
Here is a scene of more traditional architecture in the city.
Street Scene
Fireworks for the New Year. They are still lighting fireworks here at various times throughout the day. I can hear several loud bangs as I am typing this right now.
Bridge
Judith mit Ich chillin on the street.
Around Hou Hai I think?
Alleyways of the Central Business District
These represent a kind of traditional food in new years. The outside is a powdery kind of starch that is not very sweet. On the inside are different fillings. Typically lightly sweetened nuts.
On my way back to Tsinghua an American started talking to me. He was a Christian here coming to visit a Chinese Christian girl he met in the U.S. I told him I was going to Tsinghua which is when the lady across from me noticed and suggested that we traveled together, since the metro would be closed and we would not be able to change lines. Another Chinese man sitting next me was also going our way, and so joined in. The American man had to get off at the next stop. Before leaving he invited me to church.
On the way out with my new friends, they asked if the line was closed, then we all figured out what bus we needed to take. The lady asked the driver where the best stop was for me, and then wrote it down. Then she asked for my msn i.d. and I gave it to her before she left.
Now it was me and the man. We were still going the same way, and left the bus 3 stops down. We checked for more buses, but they were all closed. Then he gave me his business card, and told me in Mandarin that he was really Japanese and could not speak English. We decided to split a cab since we were going the same way. My stop came first, and when I offered the man some money, he wouldn't take it. And so I left the cab, dizzy from all the goodwill and kindness on this journey.
I decided to walk the 40 minutes back to my dorm instead of catching a cab. It was 12 a.m. by now. I walked the relatively empty streets of the campus. A girl rode her bike by me, singing some mix of Chinese and Western opera at the top of her lungs, it was haunting and beautiful.
