你好 (Ni Hao) from Beijing

We finally made it to Beijing, and it’s been wonderful! Upon our arrival, we had to pass through specific gates that said “Foreigners,” which was unique for all of us. The airport was very different; there were guards everywhere! We had to put our bags through security one last time before we could exit the airport. Then these huge doors opened like we were walking into the gates of heaven, and thousands of people were waiting outside the gates to pick up their specific person. We had about an hour drive to get to Renmin University. Then our bus driver missed his exit on the highway, and he backed up to make the turn! Then we saw three cars afterward doing the same thing! It was a little scary, backing up on the highway. When we arrived at Renmin, they had a huge sign welcoming us on the front of the hotel. People were there at the front door, waiting to help us with our luggage. Everyone is so welcoming here; it’s wonderful! In my room, there’s a desk next to the bed with a control panel, which controls almost everything in the room, the lights, television, alarm clock, etc. It’s crazy!

We ate at a Chinese restaurant on campus the first night. I ordered chicken and rice with vegetables; however, the menu was in Chinese, so I really didn’t know what to order. One of the students got a popsicle after she ate, and it was corn flavored!

Today, we tried on our uniforms and ordered our sizes! The media was there taking pictures and interviewing all the students. It’s currently 9:30 PM here, and I just returned from a reception. Check back soon because Ted will be posting a video from the evening.

莎拉 (This is “Sarah” in Chinese!)