A Long One

So I've been away from this thing for a few days, just like last time. It's been an odd couple of days, but busy and for the most part fun.

Going back to mid-last week. I had a 'placement exam' so they could determine my Mandarin abilities and pick which class I would be put in. I got the paper, and it was all in Mandarin so difficult I couldn't even decipher the instructions. I muddled my way past about 20% of the test, leaving the rest blank. Then the instructor stood up in front of the class and rattled off about 15 minutes of rapidfire Chinese, which everyone else SEEMED to understand.

I had an inkling that all was not well.

After everyone but a couple students had dispersed and I went up to the front, I learned from another girl (a Belgian who spoke VERY good Chinese and flawless English) that there are two programs. There is a Chinese Language and Literature Program (where I was) and a Chinese Language Program. Turns out, I had registered for the CLP, but they put me in the CLLP.

Problem: CLLP is for advanced learners, and includes study of classic literature, calligraphy and other such. Not what I signed up for.

Either way, my program is switched to the CLP as originally intended. A whole NEW crop of problems comes up now. My classes in the CLP don't start until the 23rd, a full week and a day after everyone else. It's also an 18 week course versus the 16 weeks in a traditional Tsinghua semester.

What this all means is that I'm now arriving back home 4 days later than I originally intended. I also arrive back AFTER the change-add-drop course date has passed for the U of C. This means that I'm totally messed up for my winter semester. I anticipate writing a dozen or so e-mails to a half dozen professors seeing if I can enroll in programs late, miss the first 2 weeks and try to catch up when I return. I dunno though; most might not go for that.

I will be returning with about 2-3 courses MAX left on my degree, provided I am granted the 5-6 courses credit for this exchange. Spring can only cover 2 courses of that, so if Wei Cai decides I only learned 5 credits worth of Chinese here, I'm hooped for that 1 credit until Fall. It's irritating, to say the least.

Other than that, Mom should be proud. I did laundry last night and today! I washed everything I owned except for the cold-weather clothing i haven't worn yet. I have to wash half at once in the tiny machine (it's only 3 yuan per wash, about $0.50CAD), and then air dry it because the drier doesn't have heat. It worked though; the first half is dried (overnight) and then machine dried to loosen the stiffness.

It's not perfect, but it'll do.

Sort of seems to be the motto for my stay so far.

Here's a couple photos:

This here is a photo of one of the lakes on campus. There are about 3 of them, and they're filled to the brim with lilies and decorative statues and whatnot. Tsinghua used to be the gardens for the Summer palace (very close nearby)

This is a photo of the Main building and the grass islands leading up to it. One of the more picturesque areas on campus.

And this is my room with laundry everywhere!

That's about it for today, but I'll be a little more vigilant about posting more often.

Hope you're all well,

Nathan

P.S.: You suck, Mayan. I wanted to go to Wil...