Day 17 (19-3-2009) - Pre-cruise

My quiz results were rather disappointing. 57 marks out of 100 is hardly comparable to the 80s and 90s that everyone else is getting. It feels a little bit pressurizing that everyone is doing so well.

The tour guide for tomorrow’s cruise came today to brief us on the safety issues aboard the boat. I’m not expecting so much of a classy cruise, rather, just a decent one, so I don’t get too disappointed when I see it.

This will be my first time being on a cruise, explaining why I’m so excited right now. What’s more, I’ve been dying to see the rural, countryside of China. Let’s hope the Three Gorges are as gorgeous as what most people say.

Have to head to bed early today. Will blog again in a few days.

In Chu culture patterns, it is common to see the Phoenix triumphing over the Tiger or the Dragon, in contrast to other places in China which puts more emphasis on the latter 2. This might suggest that the earliest people of Chu worshiped the Phoenix as a totem.

Day 16 (18-3-2009) - Quiz and night life

Last night I studied all the way till 2am and today, during the quiz, I realised that I did not know how to do 30 marks worth of questions. What a disappointment. I guess it can only mean more studying from now on.

No studying today though, the end of a quiz must always be followed by an evening out of campus, including dinner. So today, we went back to the Southeast Gate as there is a Halal stall there. On the way, we met Mohamed, a friend we made during our earlier days.

Even though the bazaar-like atmosphere at the Southeast Gate is always bustling with activity, the streets are dirty, probably the dirtiest around. I’m surprised that a place like this would attract the most number of street food hawkers. Or maybe, it’s the huge amount of hawkers that cause the polluted streets.

As the days get hotter, we realise that the insects also start to appear; probably not the best of news, given how dirty the streets already are. One thing is for sure, we will not be returning to the Southeast Gate next week onwards, when we predict, the weather will be much hotter.

Close to 4 weeks in, and I’m still an admirer of Wuhan’s night life. Even at night, people are everywhere. Shops are still open, and there is plenty of activity. Today we explored another side of our area and found even more cheap bargains for shirts, shoes, and the usual stuff. The conditions of these places are dirtier than usual, but the goods are still attractive.

Back to the bunk, which I predict will be another late night, this time not for studying, but for fooling around.

Day 15 (17-3-2009) - Chinese Etiquette

Today was pretty much the normal routine. The only difference was that our morning lesson was about Chinese Business Strategies and Social Etiquette.

Regarding this matter, the main thing you have to take note, is what Confucius said, “A man of honour insists on his principles but bears with others’.” We must be Respectful, Tolerant, Credible, Wise and Beneficial. And it’s all because of very direct and simple reasons.

People won’t insult you if you respect them.

People will support you if you are tolerant.

People will trust you if you are credible.

People will approach you if you are wise.

And people will help you if you are beneficial.

I find all these very real, and useful. Other than this we also learned Chinese salutations, customs of a visit, and dining practices. The only problem I found with these lessons was that they should have been thought to us way earlier than today. For more than 2 weeks I was clueless as to how to dine properly, greet properly or to put it straight, do anything properly. I recall the 2^nd day whereby I was seated at the same table as the dean of the school for lunch and had completely no idea what to do. I certainly wish that I did.

Day 14 (16-3-2009) - Yellow Crane Tower

Today’s weather was probably the closest to Singapore’s that I’ve ever experienced here in China. It made me feel very comfortable, naturally. First of all, the sun was up and at some point, it seemed as if it was shining down on us at full force. There’s also a different feeling to the wind. Days ago the wind always brought with it and annoying cold chill that would kill us every time. Today, it was more of a warm and nicer feeling.

The main highlight of today was our visit to the Yellow Crane Tower. Contrary to what we all thought, the tower is actually quite close to our area. I have to say, that I was a little bit disappointed when I learned that the tower was actually reconstructed a few times through history. I thought it would have been much nicer if we were visiting an untouched ancient/historical site. But I also figured an untouched ancient tower could also be the place I spend the last moments of my life in.

I think the Yellow Crane Tower and its surrounding parks are all beautiful. It’s the kind of place whereby you just can’t stop taking photos in. Most important was being at the top floor of the tower and looking down on the great scenery of the city of Wuhan, which I realise, is actually rather modern.

I got myself a pendant which has my name carved in Chinese characters. “Ah Du Ah Zhi”, or so they say. The best thing is, it seems like it has already brought me good luck. Just as we arrived back in campus, Dr Zhu told us that we might need to write our names in Chinese characters to fill up a certain form. I for one would know how to do that.

I also got a souvenir for my uncle whose family sent me to the airport the day I departed. I hope they like my taste.

Some people were complaining that the $25 we spent at a restaurant just now was not worth the food. I would somehow agree to that but only because there was no food for me that was completely Halal, except for the “pan cake” that they served last. So throughout the whole lunch, the only servings I ate, was rice, broccoli and prawn; kind of plain but I managed to fill my stomach so I’m not complaining.

Another thing that I have noticed about life in Huazhong Normal University is that the night life is really very lively. The main reason is because most students live in campus and so they are still around at night. But the more important thing, is that they take the initiative to be out at night and engage in activities, rather than just call it a day. I think that even if Singaporean students live in campus, night life would not be as entertaining as what it is here. Today I saw indoor skating, students playing table-tennis, students exercising at the gym, and much more, all at night. If they’re not doing any of this, they will be at any free room and be studying. I guess students here are very proactive.

Talk about being proactive, I think it’s really time for me to kick it up a bit and start to get out of my room more.

Day 13 (15-3-2009) - Car accidents and beyond Bugis

First thing I did this morning was to play games on my laptop. Then as usual, I would go out for lunch with the others, deciding on where to go, when we’ve met in the middle of nowhere.

So today the plan was to go beyond “Bugis”. “Bugis” is the name of a shopping centre that we have nicknamed for our convenience. As of yesterday, we have not yet gone beyond this point. We explored beyond today and realised that there really was nothing much along those roads. We did find a cinema, first one ever that I’ve seen since I got here. And we also got ourselves some McDonalds Coke Float, something which is extinct in Singapore.

One thing we realised as we were window shopping among the many many shops in town is that there are no more discounts going on. Everything is returning to its original prices. Either that, or everything we saw were new arrivals. Whatever it is, I’m sure I will stay faithful to the “hidden gems” that we’ve found when I decide to do my last minute shopping.

Amanda introduced us to yet another connection of street shops. A very dandy place, considering it sells things from the range of sports equipment to musical instruments. But more importantly, the place seems like a good place to get all your souvenirs. Needless to say I will be returning to that place more times than once.

Other than all the walking around, one very significant thing happened today, when we were heading out of campus. A toddler almost got banged by a car. I was always anticipating when something like this was going to happen. It’s not that I want it to happen, but with all the carelessness going on when the Chinese drive and jaywalk, I am in fact, surprised, to see an accident like this happen 2 weeks after I got here. I’m amazed with how little accidents there can be considering their traffic. But I still believe my life span decreases when I just walk on the streets.

It is really a blessing that the toddler was never hit by the car. Instead, he just fell down on the ground, in shock. Considering the sound the car made when it skid and stopped, I would say that a fatal accident would have happened if he had not avoided the kid. The situation went back to normal after just a short commotion.

So one thing to take note, no matter what, accidents do happen, so from now onwards, be extra careful when crossing roads.

Day 12 (14-3-2009) - United vs Liverpool

Today in the morning, I was still resting up and making sure that I fully recover, but by afternoon, I realised that fully recovered or not, I could not afford to waste any time doing nothing in my room. Instead, I should get out there and do things.

My decision would indeed pay off. I met quite a few people today.

The first activity I was about to do was to play soccer, when I saw Ram, the person who invited me to play soccer, happily walking along with 2 Chinese students. Ram had seen the pair holding table tennis bats, and having a passing interest on table-tennis; he approached them and asked if he could join in. Apparently, the 2 are very friendly, even going on to say that they love to have foreigners here in China. Now, isn’t that delightful to hear?

I talked to one of them about many things, mainly about studies. The pair is taking a major on Political studies and will attain a master’s degree in 2 more years. We talked about how difficult it is for Chinese students like them learning how to speak English. Indeed, I had quite a tricky time understanding what he was trying to pronounce; but I made it through fine, and we had quite a free-flowing conversation. I guess it helps for both parties to want to talk. The great thing is that we exchanged numbers and they suggested that we visit their dorm and go out for dinner some day. We’ll see how things go.

I had a lot of fun playing soccer after that. I have to say, that playing soccer really gives me the feeling that I need, to feel at home. It’s quite a pity that I had imagined me having the chance to play with foreigners. Instead, all they ever care about is basketball, something I don’t really excel in. Nevertheless, nothing can stop a soccer player from enjoying his kicking of a ball.

After that, was time for dinner at the usual Halal stall. We’ve gone there so many times, I bet the owners can anticipate what we would order. But today’s dinner would have a certain spice to it, as we coincidentally met a group of Ngee Ann students (Chinese Studies) eating there too. Again, I met and exchanged numbers with others. I feel that meeting new people gives me a certain joy, especially so during this trip, as it brings more meaning to me being here. Before this, I would not even care about making new friends. Chinese Studies students have to stay here for about 4 months. I wish them luck for that.

Internet posed a problem today as we suddenly got cut off from it. Not the best time for this to happen, as Manchester United and Liverpool were going to play at 8.40pm. Times was running out, so in the end, we made a long trip to the girl’s dorm to access their internet and watch the match. I regard the trip as extremely anti-climatic as Manchester United ended up losing 4 – 1. I would not like to elaborate further.

I watched Stardust on HBO after that; a movie which I think was very disappointing. Then it was time to rest up for another free day the next day.

Day 11 (13-3-2009) - Bread and Crackers

I am feeling much better today, but I’m not taking any chances and am playing it safe as to what I eat and what I do for the next few days. I’m going to eat mainly bread and crackers and rest for the main part of the days.

I also returned to class today. EM3A lessons are going at a frighteningly fast pace. I fear for the worst as I’m not as mathematically gifted as everyone else, and have already missed out on quite a lot.

I’m hoping my condition keeps getting better.

(A little bit disappointed that the field trip today was postponed)

Day 10 (12-3-2009) - Diarrhea, still

Today, diarrhoea has rendered me unable to attend classes for the whole day. It’s a pity because there was a lesson on the Chinese Education System in the morning.

Once again, I am in my room, suffering alone. I’ve run to the toilet countless times and have almost finished up the supply of toilet rolls enough for a few weeks, all on my own. I swear diarrhoea is such a troublesome thing.

When you are feeling lonely, uncertain and uncomfortable as I am, you start to think of home, and all of its luxuries; the safe and good food, the temperature that you are accustomed to, and so much more. So far, in my stay here in Wuhan, the 2 hardest things to adapt to are food and the cold weather but nothing has disrupted my stay more than this ongoing diarrhoea.

Dr Zhu suggested that I go to the campus clinic should anything get worst. I am certainly hoping for the opposite. As for now, I searching the Internet on what to do during diarrhoea and I’ve found out lots of things. Among them are, drinking lots of water to rehydrate yourself, do not starve but instead eat frequent small quantities of bread and crackers, and always keep a check on hygiene. God bless the Internet.

Let’s hope this setback end by the weekend.

Day 9 (11-3-2009) - Diarrhea

I am currently sitting here, typing this entry, all alone without anyone of my mates around in their rooms. Everyone is out eating dinner, walking around, or namely just having fun, while I am stuck here with a really bad stomach ache.

It has not been the best of days for me. First of all I am down with diarrhoea. I’m not entirely sure what is the cause of it but it is still bugging me after 3 days. Luckily the feverish feeling I felt on Monday did not escalate to anything more troublesome. I guess I have not adapted to the food here well enough yet, even though the only thing I’ve been eating is Egg Fried Rice.

Egg Fried Rice itself, is another problem. I’ve been eating the same thing so many times, that I have suddenly lost my appetite. I skipped breakfast and only ate some street food for lunch. It tasted good though.

Moreover, today’s math quiz did not go well for me. While some people were able to finish it in an astonishing 10 minutes, I struggled to almost the end, and yet could not complete the paper. I guess that really sums up my day.

Although I had a good start here in China, things have suddenly changed for the worst, given what I have described above. But don’t get me wrong. As soon as I am feeling any better, I’ll be looking to get out of the hotel more and try to immerse deeper into this big Chinese community around me. Of course, much time will also be needed to practice my Maths.

As for now, I shall stay quiet in my room and wait for the chicken burger that Jonathan promised to buy for me.

Day 8 (10-3-2009) - Integration

As usual, I am having problems trying to grasp the Mathematical subject of Integration. I feel that the lessons are going at a very fast pace, but it has to because we have limited time to complete the module. Let’s just hope that I would be able to pass this module, even without flying colours.

Day 7 (9-3-2009) Confucius and Pasar Malam

Today was supposed to be the day we visit the Yellow Crane Tower. However, Ngee Ann Poly’s Deputy Principal Mr Foo visited us all the way from Singapore. So due to some changes in the schedule, the trip was postponed.

However, we did have a very interesting lesson on Confucius and Lao Tzu. I find the stories of their lives and teachings very intriguing. One thing that I never knew was that Lao Tzu was at one time, the teacher of Confucius. There are some quotes that I find very nice and relevant. For example, “Learning without thinking is vain. Thinking without learning is confused”. Isn’t that just perfectly true? And this one I’m sure most of us have heard, “What you don’t wish for yourself, do not do to others”. They call this the “Golden Rule for Global Ethic”, and I totally agree.

We also started off our learning of the EM3A module. Today was just a revision, but I can see my difficulty in integration today, a sign of worst things to come. What made matters worse was that the classroom was so cold! It was unbearable! Over in Singapore we can freely control the room temperature to our liking. Yet another thing we Singaporeans take for granted.

We brought everyone to the Southeast Gate that we explored 2 days ago. As expected, everyone loves the “pasar malam” feel of the streets. It’s always full of people and food, most of which I am unable to eat. So after eating and much joking around the streets, it was time for the usual long and lazy walk back home. But that was the time when we saw the campus bus! 1 yuan per ride was a good enough offer so for the first time ever we experienced riding a vehicle around Huazhong Normal University campus.

It was a pleasant ride home and a much better alternative than walking. Let’s just say that the simple 5 minute ride made my day.

the wonderful night life at the streets of Wuchang.

riding the mini bus that transported us back home

Day 6 (8-3-2009) - Arcade

Nothing much happened today because it was a “free and easy” day. All we did was more shopping.

I had a very light lunch, buying a “Singapore Style Burger”. After that we went to the arcade to hang out and wait for the other group to reach.

Somehow, the arcade has a kind of “casino” feeling. There is this game, whereby you insert a coin and you have a chance to win many more coins. In Singapore, I think arcades only have one or two of these games. But here, the arcade is full of this game and the sound of coins dropping makes it feel like a casino. What’s more, unlike in Singapore, they have lots of arcade staff walking around and making sure everything is going rite. I dun think they do their jobs very well though, because at first look, I can already spot so many people kicking and pushing the machines to force the coins to drop. I found this kind of funny.

I think everyone bought at least one item tonight. As for me, I bought an extra jacket because wearing one is not enough. And even though I already have two, the other one is just simply too thick. I want to look more casual, to be honest.

I will probably remember today as the day I felt slightly feverish and worried about getting sick. Other than that, it was just a normal day.

Day 5 (7-3-2009) - Hubei Museum Visit

In addition to what we have learned yesterday, today we visited the Hubei Province Museum and saw the actually artefacts of ancient Chinese history.

We saw lots of things such as objects from the bronze culture, the lacquer culture, the phoenix on top of a lion patterns and more. There were also lots of belts, crowns and accessories decorated with jade and other precious stones. But to me, the most fascinating object of all, were the huge bells that the ancient Chinese used. The moment I saw it, my imagination started running wild as to how in the world the Chinese used those huge bells.

I did not have to wait long to find out the answer, as soon after, we were treated with a live performance of Chinese orchestra, using ancient musical instruments, including the huge bells. Believe it or not, I am a silent fan of symphony music and one thing I love about Chinese orchestra is that it can be very soothing and very powerful.

Needless to say, I was mesmerized by the whole performance and never wanted it to end. But sadly, all good things must come to an end so after that we headed back to our coach and had a short tour around the East Lake which would turn out to be another great treat.

The lake was amazingly beautiful with its clear blue water. As the bus took us round the whole lake, at times we had the tall trees as the lake’s background, and at time we had the city skyline; all great scenery if you ask me. It was kind of disappointing to not be able to step out of the bus and experience how being at the lakeside really is.

We had free time after that and I decided to walk around town once again with Wilfred and Hao Bin. This time, we visited the electronics shopping malls. Very similar to Singapore’s Sim Lim Square if you ask me. But I think the real highlight of our little walk around time was seeing how random the Chinese people can be, on the streets.

A few days ago, we saw how they could set up basketball rings in front of shopping malls and play basketball over there. Today, we saw how they could play Chinese chess and attract large crowds of spectators around them, and also play poker cards. The things these people sell on the streets can also be random, ranging from pencil cases, to watches.

After we got back, I thought I could finally take a break from all the walking. It wasn’t meant to be though, as soon after, the guys decided to check out the place where we could use our internet. When we got there, we decided that we wouldn’t use the place for internet at all. Reasons being, it is a self study area so you must be very quiet there. Secondly, there are no power points where we can plug in and charge our laptops. Lastly, the signal is also quite weak so perhaps it’s not worth the 5 minute walk.

Since we were already outside, Dr Zhu suggested that we get our dinner. For this dinner, we went out the Southeast Gate, a first for all of us. Here I realise that the streets of Wuhan are filled with lots of food stalls shops. It is so lively at night; it feels like a “pasar malam” night every night! We found yet another Halal stall where I ate my now favourite Tan Chao Fan (Egg Fried Rice).

On impulse, after that, we bought ourselves cold milk tea. We really should have bought hot ones because just minutes after we started drinking the milk tea, we were already freezing cold. As much as I remember, it was a great uphill struggle to get back to our rooms, fighting through the cold and tired feet.

I feel that today was actually quite a tiring day given all the walking I made. But yet again, I learn more new things about Wuhan and its people.

Day 4 (6-3-2009) - Chu Culture

Nothing much happened today except for the lesson on culture that we had. But today also reminded me of how we take the little things in life for granted.

At first look, the major adjustment we all have to go through over here is the weather, but this itself is a force of nature which we cannot change. Other than this, we have to boil our water all the time before we drink it from the tap. We also are still struggling with life without the Internet. Without it, I realise that I am so outdated. For example, I did not even know that my favourite football team, Manchester United, played a match 2 days ago.

One more difference is that over here, we have lots of technical difficulties with computers and things like that. The absence of our wireless internet itself is one. Today I realised that back in Ngee Ann Poly, the reason why our lessons run so smoothly is because we can afford good equipment and have very skilful and efficient team of programmers and technicians who can help us with any technical problems.

Having to change classrooms due to computer faults was kind of troublesome but I shall not complain about it. After all, I feel that the lesson was well worth the long wait.

Altogether, I learned that before there was the Hubei Province, there existed a kingdom called the Chu Kingdom, during the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period; important periods whereby slave society collapsed and feudal system was established.

Then, in 221BC, the first emperor Qin, conquered all the 7 kingdoms and therefore created China, the first centralized feudal autocratic dynasty.

However, the Chu culture of the Chu Kingdom still remains.

Things I learned about the Chu culture are the Bronze Culture, Lacquer Culture and more. I find the stories of the Mandarin duck, Qu Yuan, the Phoenix, the Nine-heads bird all fascinating and I hope to learn more about them as we visit the museum tomorrow.

All in all, today was an average day so I hope tomorrow will be much better.

Day 3 (5-3-2009) - Meeting new people

Today I believe, is the best day yet. Even though there was nothing planned today and we were all just on our own, we actually did many things.

For a day so good, it actually did not have a good start. We all woke up late and way beyond breakfast time. So when it came to meeting up for a meal, it was for lunch. Basically, we all skipped breakfast. Moreover, when we got to the campus canteen, we realised that the stalls were already closed. The decision after that was to go out to town, find your own place to eat, walk around and meet up again 2 hours later.

My group which consisted of me, Fareez, Shakir, Jonathan, Hao Bin, Yi Ren and Wilfred went to the left side of town, while Ram, Chao Liang, Edward and etc went to explore the right. First thing that caught our eye was the term “Singapore Style Burger”. We did not know that burgers from Singapore even had a specific style. One of us just had to try it and Jonathan volunteered to do so. It is a good thing that it tasted good.

Next, we explored a fancy looking shopping centre, probably similar to Orchard Road’s Heeren. Most or all outlets over there are well known or reputable brands so there was really nothing to do there, except for have our lunch at KFC.

The next shopping centre we explored would be the one that would leave a great impression on us. I would say that it is similar to Bugis Junction or Far East Plaza. With so many fashionable shops, extremely reasonable prices and a fun arcade, the place is like heaven for a typical Singaporean teen. I am so glad that the youth here in China have similar fashion and entertainment tastes as us Singaporeans. We almost got carried away by playing the arcade games, if it wasn’t for the machine breaking down and reminding us what time it was.

Now that we are done with the entertainment part of today, I shall elaborate on the meaningful part. Priceless moments and events which we never knew could happen.

Our visit to the girl’s dorm was only meant for us to play soccer outside. We never knew that we would get the chance to interact with so many people.

First of all it was Alex who played soccer with us. Alex is a Russian (who does not look Russian at all), who speaks very fluent Chinese. After having fun with him, we met Mohamed.

Mohamed is an African from the war-torn country of Somalia. Because of that, many people like him are forced to migrate to other countries. As for Mohamed, he has chosen to travel China, and is finally settling down and learning the Chinese language. He then plans to stay on and take a major on Medicine. Big plans for him! He’s an extremely nice guy and even volunteered to show us where the Muslim restaurant is, as he is also a Muslim and eats there. For me, it is a great blessing to have been able to meet him. Words cannot describe how happy I was to have been able to find this Halal stall. I’m even happier that the way we found it was by making friends with other people; one of my main objectives in this trip.

So after having my first ever official Halal meal in China, we planned to just walk back to our hostel and call it a day. However, when we were passing by the park, we saw lots of people gathered there, and conversing with one another. We then remembered that on Thursday and Friday evenings, English Speaking is conducted there. Basically everyone just hangs around and speak to whomever they want to, most importantly, in the English Language. I feel that it is a very meaningful and beneficial activity for them, as they do not get many chances in conversing and improving their English Language. We decided to join in, and talk with 3 very nice people, Frank, Saint and Aimee. They are all locals, from a neighbouring university, majoring English. I mainly talked to Saint and he shared with me some things about himself.

For example, he is majoring English, and is also taking courses on hotel and hospitality. In fact, he already has working experience in Dubai, which I feel is very impressive. Here’s the treat. Saint actually plans to go to Singapore and work soon in the future. Well, we shared with him how there are many working opportunities in Singapore for foreigners like him, how the tourism industry would be getting a boost with the Integrated Resorts, and most importantly, wish him well for his further studies. After saying our goodbyes, we finally went back to our hostels.

I really like what I have done today, interacting with people from all walks of life. Even though today was free and easy, I’m glad we took the initiative to try things.

Us and our new friend Mohamed (extreme right) outside the Halal stall he introduced to us.

Day 2 (4-3-2009) - Opening Ceremony and awkward dining

I woke up on day 2 feeling very cold even though I had my windbreaker on. We realized much later on that we left the window open and did not turn the air-con on properly.

We had our opening ceremony at 8.50 am so we did not have time to go anywhere for breakfast, given the time we woke up. Half of the opening ceremony was spoken in Chinese, a language that I am familiar with, but not by any means understand. Luckily, English was used later on and we were briefed roughly on what is going to happen for the next 41 days.

Campus tour was very interesting. I really love this campus as it seems to always be filled with life, even in the earliest of morning and the coldest of nights. I remember last night, when we just arrived in campus that I thought we were still on a normal street in Wuhan. I did not know that the big buildings, roads, road signs and others were all part of the campus. Right now, I still can’t believe that campus feels so unlike a school; much different from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

We went to see many places during the campus tour, but my favourite was the basketball court, where you could see many students gather to engage in physical activities, most notably Tai Chi.

We then had our lunch in a restaurant, in a hotel, in the campus. Again, I still couldn’t believe that all this was part of the campus. The lunch we had was probably my highlight of the day.

Jonathan, Shakir and I, had unknowingly put ourselves in a difficult situation. We were going to have our lunch at the same table as the 2 guests, the deans of the university. None of the 3 of us was aware of the Chinese customs and proper way of eating dinner. We did not even know what we could and could not eat! So I was very pressured and nervous throughout the dinner, constantly reminding myself not to do anything stupid. One thing I did not understand was how often u had to give a toast with someone.

We later learned that the giving toasts or saying cheers is very common in dinners between business partners, or in our case, between guests and hosts. Luckily, Shakir bravely broke the ice by giving a toast to Mr Liang, one of the deans of the school. I learned a lot from this dinner alone. I also tasted one of the signature dishes of Wuhan, “Toufu pi”, aka toufu skin (I am unsure of the spelling). I feel that Toufu will be very important during my time here as it is a Halal food, and it is quite healthy. The way it is served here in Wuhan is also very delicious.

After that it was pretty much our free time but we decided to go shopping together as a group at the supermarket nearby. There, we bought what we felt we needed. Some people bought hangars and mugs while others were more concerned about detergent and toilet rolls. I bought a fair share of stuff but I felt that nothing was as important prickly heat powder. It keeps you slightly warm, and I can substitute it with bathing if I feel that I’m just too cold to shower.

We did something very important after that, which was to get a local Sim card to call one another, and also to call our family and friends back at home. My mother was delighted to hear from me and for the 100^th time, reminded me to take care of my money and belongings properly all the time.

I had another interesting time when I was eating dinner. We had it at the same place as the previous night, and Shakir, Jonathan, Fareez and I sat at a separated table from the others, as we wanted to eat Halal food. We had much difficulty communicating with the Chinese waitresses and needed urgent help from our Chinese friends. In the end, we ordered rice, with 2 dishes of fish, 1 dish of toufu and 1 dish of corn. Once again, the toufu did not disappoint and so did the fish. Overall we had a great dinner but we were just jokingly annoyed by the fact that the waitresses stared, looked and giggled at us while we were eating. Maybe it was because of how we used our spoons and chopsticks, or maybe it’s because of how hungry we looked while we were eating. Whatever it is, I hope that we did not leave a bad impression.

We then had a brief meeting at the girl’s hostel, which I believe, is far better than ours, because they own their own bathroom, they have a personal desk and drawers, and most importantly they have Internet access. But I am not going to complain so much as my decision to come here was to put myself out of my comfort zone, and live a simple life.

After the meeting we went back to our hostel, played some cards, watched some TV and went to bed late as we knew there was going to be a free day the next day.

this photo was taken after the awkward lunch that I had. nevertheless, it was still a nice and memorable opening ceremony