guiLLERMO @ guiZHOU - 常钦功在贵州 (ENG)

Once I was familiarized with spicy food, fresh air, and the lack of shanghai busy life, I realized I was fully adapted to Guizhou. As I told you on last post, I had the chance of knowing more less closely some of the Kaili University students. The case of that University is quite outstanding, because it reflects that not even small towns are left out of the Real State Boom that China experiences in the first years of the new century. The original campus is located right in downtown, but now it's being turned down and moved somewhere in the outskirts of the city. Even the campus' trees have been transferred... Here you can see two pretty girls in the Old Campus:



It was very interesting to get involved with chinese university ambience. They told me that since they are 16 yrs old they have to choose wether they want Science/Eingeneering or Social Sciences/Humanities, then, they have to study very hard to pass a test where the only thing in risk is Everything, in the sense that it will determinate their future. Once they did the exam, without knowing the mark they have to choose which University they want to go. If they look too high and their marks are low, they are screwed. Also, if their marks are good but they applied to a so-so University, there is no chance to change that. At the end they have to put a little bit of both so they avoid the chance of repeating the last year of High School.



One of the many positive things about Chinese people, or at least most of them, is that they like photos, they understand that if you picture them is because you think they are aesthetic so they think is something good... the way it should be! So, when we were in the University I went everywhere, even into the dorms. There are the images:





Those guys were really good hosts, and the best thing: our whole conversation was in putonghua (chinese)



So, we took the bus to the new Campus, then we rented some bikes, and after a half an hour ride in the countryside, we arrived to this place:



You have no idea how much I enjoyed that little trip. As if I was a fish, I spent most of the time inside the water. I found a strategic spot where I could lay down in the stones and feel the river current passing by. I also took more pictures with kong fu theme.



We swam and we took a boat ride, but to say the truth it was a bit dull, since it was paddling boat it did go kind slow. This was the picture we made, as a team, when we came back. Also, we had to bargain the price because it got broken on of the bike's seat.



Later we went back to Downtown Kaili because we had dinner plans at a friend's place. It was so cool to have a hearty home-made meal, listen to local persons telling their stories and even going to the building's roof; there we could hear a stream and the view was awesome. To finish, we went to the penthouse of a hotel to meet with Louisa and plan our trip to Zhenyuan, which happens to be the subject of the next post and the end of the Guizhou series in this blog.



Like if it was Uncle Sam, this boy is pointing at you, because you are who keeps alive this blog. I strongly encourage you to leave your comments, it is very helpful to know that non spanish speakers are reading the posts' translations.

El niño chino, cual tío Sam, te señala, tu eres quien mantiene vivo este blog.