All posts tagged: campus

Around Town: Deserted Again

Published by Sula H.

The summer break is in full swing, and that means, our campus is deserted yet again! But take heart, it’s never as empty in the summer break than it is in the winter. The reason: There’s summer camps all over the place. Some for orphans, some for athletes, some for kids who want to learn English, and some for students who just get bored staying at home over the summer. That, by the way, is another reason why the campus doesn’t get as deserted in the summer as it does in the winter: Because quite a number of students stay around for the summer, renting apartments in the vicinity and use the quietude to study (at home, they’d be spending most of their days watching TV, which can get quite boring if you do that for a whole month). Anyways, for me the summer is usually a good time to brush up on my tennis skills, as every late afternoon by 5 pm the tennis court gets frequented by more or less capable players … …

Commencement

Published by Sula H.

It is done! For several thousands of senior students, their lives at university has come to an end. The occasion was celebrated this morning with lots of speeches and congratulations both from national and international representatives of delegations present at the graduation ceremony. And for us it is time to say good bye, or “Zai Jian” as it is said in Chinese!

Homecoming Day

Published by Sula H.

We had a very busy morning today, with the first ever Homecoming Parade of our university, followed by the Homecoming Ceremony and Performance. But instead of getting ahead of myself, I’d better let the pictures speak … Homecoming Parade   Homecoming Performance

Graduation Weekend

Published by Sula H.

Graduation weekend is coming up with lots of events all weekend. Saturday Morning Homecoming Parade (the first ever in the history of our university) Homecoming Ceremony (with speeches by representatives of various delegations, and the awarding of scholarships Homecoming Performance Sunday Morning Graduation Ceremony (Commencement)

Around Campus: Preparing for Graduation

Published by Sula H.

It’s been rather busy around here, these days: graduation is coming up. For the students who have been with us for four years now. Everywhere on campus preparations are underway. Lot’s of delegations are around and a busy weekend is ahead. Will keep you posted with all the events, as soon as I can. But I have to share this picture with you, today: it shows the German and Chinese flags together. Usually, the American and Chinese flags get put together, so this is something special for me ;-).

So, I got up this morning …

Published by Sula H.

… only to realize that this was probably one of the worst mornings I’ve woken up to in a long while. I had a rude awakening, not just so to speak, but in the literal sense of the meaning. That rude awakening was a knock on my door, announcing a most unpleasant affair: “Your room is flooding!” Yep, and that’s exactly what was happening. By the time I reached my front door, water was streaming in from underneath, and the first thing that crossed my mind was: I wonder when this is going to happen to me! See, it wasn’t my apartment that actually was having the problem (though I got my share of water, too)! But it was the second apartment on our floor to get flooded within two months. A pipe had broken in my next door neighbor’s bathroom, and now the water was flooding the hall, my apartment, other people’s apartments, and of course stood several inches deep in my next-door neighbor’s apartment. So, who am I to complain? Just equipped myself …

Around Town: University Sports Days

Published by Sula H.

Every year, by mid April, the university sports days take place on a Thursday and Friday. There are no classes these two days, and students get to participate in the competitions or have two days for fun and enjoyment. For the foreign faculty, attending the opening ceremony is mandatory, and usually we are asked to march into the stadium in a grand procession, together with selected representatives from all the different departments of our school. While the marching is quite fine-tuned with everyone else, the foreign teachers always stand out, because We don’t wear uniforms (coordinated clothes), We can’t march. Wearing the same shirt, probably wouldn’t be that big of a challenge. The marching on the other hand is. Not once in all my years, have we achieved the same uniformity as the other groups marching. Fortunately, the opening ceremony isn’t all about the marching, there are speeches, and the different vows by representatives of the referees and athletes; there is the torch run, and the lighting of the “olympic” flame; and last but not …