I decided to try something new for once. Instead of a 22nd (23rd?) night of studying in my usual spots in the first floor lobby, I biked to the nearby subway stop, and took the subway to a random stop. I’m sitting across from Abby in a small cafe surrounded by highways and skyscrapers editing pics and typing out this blog post.
Day-by-day, it’s hard to really tell if my Chinese ability is indeed improving. But at the very least, I feel much more confident in reaching out to strangers. Going to restaurants and shops is no longer a stressful affair.
Last Tuesday the Light Fellowship program hosted a pleasant event at the Yale Center in Beijing. They brought in three Light alums who are working in Beijing to share some of their experiences. For me, that convinced me I needed to get away from the UIBE campus and really explore the sprawling city. It was also amazing to reconnect with some close friends that I hadn’t seen since starting my travels.
On Friday, we went to the Bird’s Nest to eat a hotpot dinner with Yassi, Beijing native and fellow Yalie.
On Saturday, after over nearly five years I finally met up with my close middle school friend Jeffrey. He’s working on a startup and attending classes at Tsinghua, so I took the subway and toured the campus with him.
Yesterday night I had dinner with Helen, Amy, and Tae, as Helen’s UVA in Shanghai program spent the weekend visiting Beijing.
Still trying to balance the program’s workload with meeting friends, internship work, and Yale club work. In the future though, I’m sure the memories I’ll look back on will be the exciting times exploring Beijing with friends, not the many hours spent in classes and on homework.
Views through a dirty window 