Beijing is not as hot as I expected! The smog is exactly what people have made it out to be though. This first weekend, we went to the Great Wall at Simatai, one of the steepest sections of the wall. It was such a trek, but my friends and I are extremely proud of each other for making it all the way up. The cable car down was another matter, for I have a pretty big fear of heights.
Down in the village where Simatai is located, we had a delicious lunch with the entire program. There was a roasted pork dish, 红烧牛肉, that literally melted in our mouths.
The classes are exciting, I especially enjoy the afternoon course regarding China’s political system. Although I do wish they weren’t three hours long, but the breaks in between the class is nice. I like how the classes are relatively small, and broken into levels that are within the students’ comprehension levels. In Chinese, I appreciate that we only speak in Chinese, which forces me to rearrange my brain so I get accustomed to speaking just in Chinese.
The dorms that we are living in at Peking University are super nice. Though not at all indicative of what actual Chinese college students live in, these dorms are very well suited for students studying abroad. I’ve heard that the Chinese college students live in rooms with up to five other roommates. Luckily I have a single with its own AC unit and only need to share a bathroom with my roommate.
