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Back to School
Thursday, March 3, 2005-8:57 PM
Natasha's brother is finally back in school. This afternoon the three of us took bus 885 and enrolled Wan Wan in the computer program at Lingnan College.
After we got there, Wan Wan had second thoughts, and there were some tense minutes while Natasha tried to persuade him to start school. Eventually he came around and agreed to start classes as soon as possible.
Besides the nearby Guangzhou Fruit World, there isn't much out there. Outside of the school's gates, there are a few small restaurants and further down the road, you can find a few more businesses. But besides having your bike repaired, they don't offer many useful services.
Inside the gates, on the other hand, the campus that the school's three thousand students study at is pretty nice. Clean classrooms, basketball courts, all surrounding a lake. All the buildings are very new and in good repair. (The school is less than ten years old). It's quite the contrast to the crowded, noisy Guangzhou.
(Note: One minor mistake I noticed was a sign with English idioms on one of the classroom walls which included "Do to hell!")
I was surprised when we went to pick up his blankets and pillows for his room. The warehouse was very large and quite tidy, but the building itself was constructed on a frame made completely from bamboo poles lashed together.
The four-year curriculum for computer majors includes math, physics, chemistry, an assortment of programming classes (eg C, C++, Java), English, and physical education classes.
Tuition is 3600 renminbi per semester (or about $450) and room is 600 renminbi per semester (less than $100). Add on a few administration fees and deposits and the total comes to a little less than 6000 renminbi (or around $700) for the semester).
Wan Wan starts class tomorrow.
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