From Grits to Chopsticks

In previous posts, I’ve talked about the bus ride from our local campus to the new campus an hour away.  As the bus departs from my nearby (in-town) campus, it’s interesting to see how quickly we travel from the city and into the countryside.  I usually leave our apartment about 6:30AM and walk to the bus while it is still dark:Our apartment complex is in the background, and you can tell that only a few residents are awake at this time.  The bus departs the campus and quickly leaves the high-rise buildings and haze in the background:At the edge of town, the sun starts to rise and the buildings get smaller:The population drops as we get into the mountains and countryside:By the time we get to the remote campus, the sun has risen and we’re ready to start the day:I teach a large Financial English class (62 students):and a smaller group of International Trade students (32 students):It is springtime in China, and the trees on the campus are in full bloom:Even after teaching in China for nine years, I still wake up some mornings and am surprised to be here!