DODW – March 1

Current Status – 3/01/2015

This makes me so happy. 

Accomplishment #1 – 3/01/2015

I successfully ordered my first meal in Chinese today, and the man didn’t even look confused.  青菜拉面

Examination and Class Prep – 3/01/2015

This morning, we all had to take a Chinese language, reading, speaking, and listening comprehension proficiency test. I had thought about studying some last night, but I eventually decided to do other things – like catch up on some social media now that my VPN is installed. Even after the exam, I still think that was the better idea. There were some questions I didn’t know the English vocabulary used. With each test question, I could feel my confidence shrinking, my anxiety increasing, and my frustration reaching new levels. I was immediately relieved to hear everyone else’s insecurities regarding the text.

After wracking our brains for hours, a group of us treated ourselves to lunch. We went down “Cheap Street” or “Dark Alley” or one of these nicknamed places and found a small restaurant large enough to accommodate us all.

When we sat down, we were served a kettle of tea with flimsy plastic cups that melded when the tea was poured. Our first plate was set on the table, and eventually the chopsticks followed. Eager to dive in, we tore the chopsticks from their sleeves. Unfortunately for Steven, his chopsticks were furry, green, and appeared to have been molding for a while.

Lesson #2 – Always look at chopsticks before using.

The rest of the day was marked by a campus tour, talks with my other classmates, buying a puffy coat so I will hopefully stay warm, and receiving our placement after dinner. I will be in the advanced intermediate class, which is the equivalent to the 300 level course at my home school. I’m satisfied with the results.

南京大学

Nanjing University

很好吃的午饭

青菜啦面