Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2008/03/09 Renmin University dorms, neighbourhood market, Beijing

Catching a taxi from Wudaokou, we arrived at the front gate of Renmin (People’s) University.

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Eric pointed out the main cafeteria, which was quiet on the Sunday evening.

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Eric’s room is in International Student Dormitory Building . There was uniformed security guards on the ground floor, and Eric introduced me to them. We took the elevator up. The rows of slippers at the door mark Chinese-style living.

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Eric’s roommate Jimmy was expecting us. Eric said that his room was messier than usual.

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The lights in the hallway were dim, presumably to save energy.

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Down the hall, the shared bathroom has a long basin for washing up.

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The other way down the hall, there’s a kitchen for people tired of dining out. We had seen some students coming in with groceries.

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On this floor of the dormitory building, there’s a classroom. It’s a place where motivated students can escape their room for a change of scenery.

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Going out for dinner, we crossed the major street outside the university on an overpass.

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Across the street from the university is a series of small lanes. Even after dark, it’s easy to buy fruit.

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Vendors lay out displays of merchandise for browsers.

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The retail shops were closed for the evening.

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We walked by this large restaurant with another destination in mind.

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For a snack, we could have bought grilled meat on a skewer.

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Around a few corners was the restaurant that Eric and his friends had chosen.

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I was surprised by the size of the dining room. There were more than enough waitresses for the number of customers.

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Klaus and Jimmy made some suggestions from the menu. The pictures gave me some idea of the selection.

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The meal was good. It was regional cooking, and definitely not Cantonese. Eric commented again at how cheap food is in China, compared to North America.

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