From Grits to Chopsticks

As freshmen begin their college career, all of the men and women are required to participate in two weeks of military training.  They dress in camo and spend many hours marching and shouting slogans.  At the end of their training, they parade in front of a reviewing stand: and demonstrate their fighting skills (click Takedown to view):It’s really impressive to see thousands of students training together.  Here are a few photos of our students in the national news: Xinhua.  Most freshmen study at our remote campus in Yanglin which will be their new “homie” for the next few years:Last Saturday evening, a huge welcoming ceremony was held with over 4000 freshmen attending:The program included a dazzling display of videos and performances: Earlier in the week, a camera crew stopped by my classroom for a spontaneous interview.  It was included on the big screen behind the stage:Along with another foreign teacher, I was invited to perform an English song for the crowd (click to watch:What a Wonderful World):It was a bit scary to play in front of such a huge crowd, but fortunately, most of them were wearing camo so they blended into their environment (haha):Interestingly, the whole event seemed like a flashback to the old days when Bob Hope would perform in front of the troops!