Safe Arrival

Yesterday, September 7, around 5:00-6:00pm, my train arrived in Beijing from Hong Kong. It was about a 24hr trip. However, the train was running a little bit late. It was really safe on the train, as there were very few people. Most of us in the sleeper-car I was in were able to meet one another and share together about language, culture, and various other topics. That was a really fun experience, and I really learned a lot!

Last night, I stayed in the Red Lantern House hostel in one of Beijing's "hu tong" areas. I really enjoyed the stay, with the traditional architecture and the old fashioned housing areas immediately surrounding this quaint little place. For dinner last night, I went to a local restaurant with really delicious “jiao zi” (Chinese dumplings). The food is really inexpensive; I ate for about US$1.50.

Today, I moved into the dorm at the university, and I am excited to see what I will learn. Currently, I have a Korean roommate, even though I was originally planning to have my own room. (They ran out of single rooms.) However, this may prove to be very beneficial for both of us, as he does not speak much English. We will be able to help each other learn Chinese! That will be fun! :)

Always learning...