Home 
Life in China University Life
Life in China University Life | University Life |
|
|
|
| China | |
| Wednesday, 11 October 2006 | |
|
I haven't been writing for a while, perhaps I am lazy. But perhaps it can be put in this way: life is peaceful for me at the moment. Whenever there is dramatic change or movement, you are more likely to be challenged and have something to say. Anyway, suddenly I have decided to write, with my basic English, in my diluted language depicting skills. I would like to draw a portrait of a generation, which was born in late 70's or early 80's, and who studied in a recently opened-up region of China, who were 'privileged' to have been able to receive a university education — my fellow schoolmates. You may find it bizarre and confusing, when you read the following, or you may delightfully recognise some of it. Whatever it is, please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you. Joining Sun Yat-sen University  I studied at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) from 1999-2003. As one of the top ten universities in China, Sun Yat-sen is even more competitive in Guangdong, simply because Cantonese hardly like to live outside their own region. Guangdong, as the reform and revolution gateway, has been pretty well off compared to other regions in terms of the economic development, just slightly below Beijing and Shanghai. It could partly be the result of the complacency of the people there, or the habit of conservatism and reluctance to change. Whatever it is, Cantonese parents just like their children to stay in Guangdong, and therefore, everybody is fighting to get the entry offer from the best university in the region. Once you are in, you're brilliant. It also means that you are going to have the governors of Guangdong, or other influential people in the region, as your alumni. After struggling to resist to my parents' earnest effort to make me join this university, I was eventually very reluctant to accept the offer from the SYSU law school, which meant that my little hope of being away from my parents' net and possession, had failed. Luckily, SYSU has the most beautiful campus of all the universities in Guangzhou, and it also has the newest student hall. My residential hall, for example, instead of 10 people sharing a dorm in an damp old red brick building, only had 6 people per dorm in a brand new, modern 6 storey building. It was very modern Chinese. A dormitory shared by six single sex students, with two bathrooms, a balcony, three bunk beds lined up on one side of the room, while the other side was lined with 6 desks. Unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to have a hot shower — only cold water in the tub. You want a hot shower in the winter? Go for 200 yards to the public bath to fetch the hot water with two kettles to your room. Electric products were banned in the dormitory, for the security reasons. The whole electricity network in the building was so marginally sufficient that it could not withstand one more little electric product running. Every night after 11pm all of the dormitories must switch off their lights, and students were supposed to sleep after that time, although in reality most of them never do. When the lights went off, most people just lift up their little bedside light lamp, so dim that only the owner can read the book under it. It was the time when people sat in front of their PCs, chatted on the BBS (university forum) or internet, or when long distance couples chatted on the phone. It was never quiet as what the management would hope. Outside the residential halls, around 11pm, there always were many couples didn’t want to leave each other to go to back to their respective dorms. They would prefer staying in front of the Iron Gate as long as possible until the female watchperson locked the gate, when they had to separate and to be locked in each other’s single-sex building. Later while I was in UK, many people just couldn’t imagine how you could survive sharing bedroom with 5 other people for 4 years and not go mad. But I have to say, my roommates and I developed over time a strong sisterhood. Hui's next article will explore love on campus, and modern attitudes to relationships in China. |
|
