Today was our last day of classes before having to take our midterm.
It was a tough day in class, as not only did we review but also
crammed down a new lesson in just a few hours. I can’t say I am not
glad the first half of our study session at Nanjing Da Xue is almost
over. For it to be intensive, it surely is. But I can see my Chinese,
as well as other classmate’s, improving more and more everyday. 加油！
Later in the afternoon, we had the chance to go check out the famous
five stars Jinling Hotel. Deborah Wright, the first and only foreign
business consultant at Jinling, was kind enough to receive us all and
give us a presentation on different aspects that have shaped her life
to lead her in China. She also told us more about the company itself,
their different prospective projects, as well as what her job
consisted of doing.
A few key point that stood out were: Choosing a good translator in
China is a must because no matter how well written a speech may be, if
the delivery is not good, the message won’t get across well. It is
important to have big dreams but one should stay open to new things
and avoid misconceptions about culture and people. She also pointed
out that giving speeches in China is very different from giving
speeches in America as the Chinese are more influenced by pictures on
PowerPoint slides rather than plain info. She further stressed the
importance of leaving one’s ego aside to be able to be successful
overseas. It was truly a pleasure to hear from Ms. Wright and learn
more about the wonderful job she is currently doing.
The evening was also rather memorable. Since tonight is our last night
with our host families, they took me out to a local Chinese
restaurant. After driving from their places into town for 45 minutes,
we finally arrived in the Confucius temple area. Walking down an ally
filled with colorful lights, we finally found it. The food they have
always wanted to make me try: Xiao Chi (Chinese Snacks). We arrived in
this restaurant and were warmly welcomed (although I was called a
Laowai as soon as I got in, but can’t say many foreigners had ever
been there). Our meal consisted of Xiao Long Bao (juicy buns), Jiao zi
(dumplings), Guo tie (pan fried dumpling), Ya xue fen si tang (duck
blood bean thread soup), and many more which I had never eaten before.
There was also a college student playing the famous Chinese instrument
Gu zhen, which really gave the restaurant a pleasant atmosphere. After
dinner, we were able to dress up in Chinese traditional clothes and
take pictures all around the restaurant. It was truly a great
experience to share with his family on our last day.
Good luck everyone for the exams tomorrow.好运！
- Cedric A.
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