Day 5: To Nanjing

Photo: Four Dialogue students in their bunks on the train from Beijing
to Nanjing

A "hard sleeper" car on a Chinese train has a narrow corridor running
up and down one side. On the other side are a dozen or so compartments
divided by thin walls of six beds each (two triple-bunks,
perpendicular to the corridor). Nothing divides the compartments from
the corridors, giving the car an open, communal feel. Unless you want
to perch sideways on the tiny folding seats that line the corridor
wall, you are basically forced to sit on the beds of perfect
strangers. Sights, sounds and smells are all shared among the
seventy-something occupants of one hard sleeper car.

It was in that unique environment that our Dialogue group found itself
after shoving its way through the crowds at Beijing Railway Station on
Saturday night. We were spread out between two adjacent cars, each
with a top bunk. With all bodies and luggage on board safely, we
settled in for a few minutes of chit-chat with our local bunk mates
and then got ready for bed. The next morning we would wake up in
Jiangsu province, nearing its capital and our destination, Nanjing.

Sleeping on a Chinese train is can be difficult. This year's Dialogue
members reported varying amounts of success. As we pulled into Nanjing
Railway Station at 8:30 am, most of us had been up for a while, a few
for hours. One had to be shaken from his bunk as the train rolled into
town.

The peculiarities of Nanjing, especially in comparison with Beijing,
will almost certainly be covered in future student-written posts. Here
I'll just note that Nanjing is warmer, more humid and often more hazy
(it was raining when we got there); it is a much smaller city, and in
most ways more accessible, even considering the relative lack of
English signage and tourist facilities. It has an incredible history,
is a hub of higher education, and remains a bit more conservative than
the first-tier cities. But, like Beijing, it is developing quickly.
This Dialogue program finds major changes in Nanjing's shops, public
spaces, skyline and infrastructure every year.

We checked into our hotel at Nanjing University, happily jumping into
our showers and taking dirty clothes to the laundry facilities. Many
students caught up on coursework or explored. It was a good morning to
have free of scheduled activities.

The afternoon saw the official start of our language courses at the
school. We were introduced to the teachers who would be leading us in
our intensive courses - sometimes six hours per day with an enforced
Mandarin-only rule - as well as the our local undergrad and graduate
student Language Partners. This combination of classroom teaching and
one-on-one tutoring has proven to be very successful every year, and
gives students access to local resources, attitudes and viewpoints,
not to mention friendships.

The Language Partners led our students on a tour of the campus, which
offers historical buildings, modern facilities, parks, a track and
basketball courts, among many other things. While there is a clear
feeling of nervousness among the students about the upcoming classes -
there always is - spending time with the Language Partners certainly
helps to build some confidence an erase (or at least address) some
cultural concerns. They returned to the hotel in time to prepare for
our evening discussion, which will review all of the incredible
site-visits, lectures and dialogues from our time in Beijing.

After such a packed time in the capital, it feels good to settle in to
the place that we'll call home for the next four weeks.

- Alex