So yeah, super busy, but I'll try and keep you guys informed of any developments that aren't related to the dismantlement of Maoist ideology in China after 1978. Yeah.
So, how's the flat? - Good, actually. Despite my fears of having not seen it before I moved in, I was quite pleasantly surprised. I guess it helps if you've been picturing the worst. It's right near the Meadows (fieldy thing connecting the uni to other residential areas of Edinburgh) and is cosy in a typical Edinburgh fashion. I shall try and post some pictures if I remember.
How's school? - Yes, I still refer to it as school. It's fiiinnne, doing way more China related courses, which means I will probably know how the country is run by the end of the year. I took an impossibly hard re-entrance exam, but actually did quite well, which I'm taking as a good sign. By impossibly hard, I mean this was one of the questions:
Translate the following passage into English: Other BRICS have slowed too, including China and Brazil. But India's GDP figures, the worst for at least nine years, will havea deep impact on the sub-continent. The country was meant to grow in its sleep - regardless of what happens in the rest of the world. A quick bounce back looks unlikely. The central bank has cut interest rates a little this year, but will struggle to loosen policy further given high inflation. The ruling coalition keeps promising a bout of reforms to boost confidence, but it is so divided, its behavious so erratic and its record of delivery so poor that few believe this will actually happen.I'm sorry, what?
Well, I had a crack at it, and I passed the test, so I'm sure I'll be fiiiinnnneeee. I've got a sh' load of reading to do and I've been coerced into taking a Literature course (starting with poetry. Poetry!), so expect a languishing death, accompanied with a memoir written in quatrain in the didactic, ku-fu style of the HighTang dynasty.
Does your Dissertation have to be written in Chinese? - Ha, hahahahaha *wipes away single tear* You're so sweet. No. No it does not.
What's your Dissertation about? - How the capitalisation of China's markets and the growth in consumerism in China since 1989 has erased popular demand for democracy. Don't watch that.
What else are you doing this year? - Well, besides cornering innocent Chinese exchange students and forcing them to be my friends, I'm also attending Debate soc, doing some volunteering (meant to be mentoring 1st years/ promoting higher education in secondary schools. I'll definitely let you know how that goes.) and trying to keep on top of Japanese. Or just on Japanese in general. I have the books with me anyway.
I'm determined to get a 1st and look really impressive by the end of this year. In the words of Wang Zhihuan
欲穷千里目，
更上层楼
"If you wish to see for a thousand miles, you must ascend further up the tower".
Deep.
Xxx
NB: 上学 (shàngxué) means to attend or begin school, usually in reference to university students.
