2nd Semester starts

Wind, like clockwork the spring winds rolled in. That has cleared the air and made for some very pleasant spring days in Beijing. Especially after the smoke build up from weeks of fireworks. The snow from the last big snowfall has all disappeared and it looks like the buds have just started to form on the branches of trees.

That is what you miss living in Hawaii or in the sun belt, the anticipation and feeling of each season and its change.

Today is the last official day of the winter break. School starts tomorrow, however it will not be the first day of classes. Rather, we will have an opening ceremony, a briefing by police officials regarding Chinese laws and visas, then diagnostic tests to assess our Chinese and determine the appropriate classes for us. The older students like myself only have to take a spoken exam and I will assuredly be placed in one of the advanced classes, since I passed the highest level of intermediate last semester.

I have called the English school I work for and made a request to just work Monday, Wednesday, Friday, instead of all week like I have been. This hopefully will allow me to pay my bills and still do my homework and study.

I paid out of my own pocket to go to Renmin University and worked to come up with the money for this coming semester. I needed 10,750 RMB for a semester. I worked for 2 months at 100 RMB an hour, 3 hours per day until I raised the money I needed. On top of that I needed 400 for insurance, 600 for a new visa, and money for my room, food and daily life. But I did it.

So I feel I better make sure I have the time and energy to make the most of what I paid for! I want to have made huge strides in my Chinese by the end of the semester, July 7th.

Mom sent my university diploma, transcripts and Intl' Business Certificate to me by the fastest and safest method we could think of: FedEx. I needed them to apply for the government scholarship in China. It cost $71 dollars, ouch!