Night market

After leaving your air-conditioned room (at a modest 26 degrees), you notice how hot it is outside, even at night. It's almost 10pm and still well over 30 degrees. I crossed the road and turned into Huoju Lu, just to the right of GXU's South gate. Grabbed some food at a small chain restaurant, where all dishes (various combinations of rice, meat, and veggies) are wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed in bamboo baskets. I recognize the leaves from the ponds at the campus, they are full of lotus flowers. The meal is simple but effective, and while sitting there I spot the first Westerner in this area. Very tall, with dark hair and beard, possibly Dutch. He strides past quickly, not noticing me. Unlike the hordes of students who stare and giggle from outside. The crew is very friendly, and manages to mumble some English words.
When done, I step outside and continue my stroll, amongst hundreds of students (almost no adults on this street) until I reach the corner, where the numbers multiply as I enter the night market turning left on Nongyuan Lu. At one side the long row of tents which were still empty this afternoon, but now filled with mostly girls' clothes, shoes, and accessories. At the other side one large restaurant next to the other. All with big outdoor eating areas where fans whiz above charcoal grills, and waitresses lazily move between the tables, carrying bottles of beer and trays filled with food.
I am actually looking for a pair of sandals, and after leaving a shop with a remarkable mix of products (a internet router next to a box of insect poison), I stumble upon a pair of faux-leather flip-flops branded with PUMA. Not the real deal I guess, but they are nice looking and comfortable, and they cost less than 3 euro the pair (25 RMB). No need to bargain.

Content with my purchase I carry on, following Nongyuan Lu southward, leaving the night market behind me. The street turns into a lively, slightly more upscale nightlife neighbourhood, still filled with thousand of students, many of which cute females wearing the tiniest shorts. Then I fall into an alley chock-full of girls and girls' stuff sold from numerous small tables and tents. It turns out to be a dead-end after a few turns, so I have to crawl back into the street. Out of this paradise for victims of yellow fever.
Back into the street I continue until I reach the corner of Mingxiu Xi Lu, which joins with Daxue Dong Lu at a intersection which is blocked by a giant construction pit. It turns out to be the construction of a metro line, or sunken railway, judging by the photos of trains on the long wall shielding the site from the traffic. It extends all the way back to GXU's South gate, where I finish my round for the evening.

GXU campus

I made a second visit to GXU campus today, to see if there would be any people around who can tell me more about the registration procedure and living on campus. It's Monday today, you would expect maybe a bit more activity, even though officially the university is closed until September 1st. There are a lot of people moving around campus today, not in the least because there seems to be some kind of military action going on. Loads of young (newly drafted?) people in military uniform gathering outside (and probably inside) some of the larger buildings. Later I pass a soccer field where thousands of uniformed boys and girls are cheering and waving red flags.

I also passed a small building which looks like it could be a mosque, with Arabic fringe and lettering, probably to satisfy Muslim students. The Mao era where freedom of religion was non-existent is clearly over.

Shortly after I passed the ominous library building, and just 100m further is the foreign student department. I bumped into a Vietnamese student by the name of Michael, who lead me to a man in the office, who was broadly smiling upon learning from my whereabouts and intentions. He tried to contact Ms. Wei, the foreign student department official whom I had been emailing with, but she was unreachable. Michael gave me her mobile number, for me to try later myself.
I already expected having to wait until September 1st, so will do just that. Meanwhile, Michael could tell me some interesting facts about the foreign student department. There are some 400-500 foreign students, of which the vast majority is Vietnamese (I already expected that, being so close to Vietnam). On a name list taped to the lobby wall in one of the students flats, I counted just one English name among about 50 Vietnamese, and some South-Indian sounding names. Michael told me that of the 5 student buildings, only one is for foreign students, and one for teachers. They have much larger rooms, and a kitchen, he told me. I saw a Canadian flag hanging from one of the teacher's balconies.
Many students live outside, he said, so I have to do so too, maybe. On the other hand, there is a brand new foreign student building erected right at the East gate, which is nearly finished. Trucks where unloading furniture, so it could be a matter of days or weeks before the students can move in. This could be an opportunity for me. However, this building is meant for students with scholarships, he said. Maybe they expect the rich foreign students who pay for their own tuition to also find their own apartments.
I guess I have to wait until I meet Ms. Wei to really know my fate.

Leaving the campus through the East gate, I walked back around the South-East corner of the campus, an area full of small and large restaurants, juice bars, and boutiques. I also passed what will probably be a bustling night market later on. I noticed a Bank of China branch, as well as a China Construction Bank, the only two who accept European Maestro cards in their ATM's. Good to know they are nearby.
On the square below my building, there is also a good collection of small restaurants (I had lunch there earlier today), as well as a supermarket. If I can't live on campus, I might have to negotiate a better deal for long stay at the hotel, until I find a proper apartment.

Moved

After spending 3 nights at my old favourite the Huaxing Hotel downtown, I moved to another place, directly opposite the South gate of Guangxi University. It's a hotel on one floor of a 20 storey apartment block. My room is spacious, has a giant balcony facing the street, a table and a couch besides the double bed, and internet! For less than half the price of the Huaxing, only 70 RMB (about 8 euro). On the 8th floor is another hotel, which has even bigger rooms, with separate kitchen and a large fridge, more like an apartment, for 90 RMB, but no internet. I rather have internet than a fridge.
When I get to live on campus, my room would cost 600 RMB per month, or 20 per day. I will have to see how it is, but I'm quite sure I will be moving to campus once the university offices open in two days. Now within walking distance :)
For the time being I'm quite happy here. I will check out my new environment. It's quite far from the city center (about 4 kilometer). I guess with the university here it will be quite lively and entertaining.

Crisis? What crisis?

While the rest of the world is barely recovering from the economic crisis, in China it looks like it never happened. I was here just half a year ago, and the number of new high rise buildings and shops is uncountable. I stepped into the local Wal Mart branch (there might be several in town, I don't know) which has a huge blue sign on the facade of the Wanda Shopping Centre on Chaoyang Lu where it is housed. Inside it's a frenzy of Chinese shoppers and sales girls equipped with portable speakers and headsets announcing the latest coffee flavoured drink from Nestlé or a local brand of herbal power tea. You can spend the whole evening tasting and browsing. Six kinds of rice are piled up for self-scooping and packaging, next to row after row of polished apples and other fresh produce. In the foreign goods department you find Heineken next to Bacardi breezers. The milk and yoghurt section is almost as big as at Carrefour in France, which is quite amazing for a country which only recently started drinking milk.
No less than 62 cashiers are lined up to deal with the constant flow of consumers. The floor is packed, but like outside on the streets, the population moves seamlessly around each other without causing major jams. It's a miracle to watch.

+86 136 7771 9267

That's my new number :)

GXU

After a hearty breakfast of Lao You Fen (老友粉 - old friend rice noodles) with Yanyan, we went to Guangxi University (GXU) today to check out my future habitat, but as expected, all offices are closed until September 1st. There were quite a lot of people on campus already though, some pulling trolleys to their new dorm rooms, or coming back after the summer break. After asking several people, each giving different directions, we finally found the Foreign Student Office and adjoining teaching building and living quarters. Five small four-storey red brick buildings, of which only two apparently house foreigners. It looks like there are not more than a couple of hundred foreign students then.
The rooms look ok from the outside, with a small balcony containing an air-con, a sink and possibly a shower (I have seen balcony showers in Taipei, which are very common there). I talked to some girls who where residing in the next building, but could not learn much from their shy giggling. If there is good internet access in the room it should be fine. I guess I will find out Wednesday.

Nanning

Arrived in Nanning last night. Plane was on time, luggage appeared quickly, then to Bank of China ATM to get some cash, and on the Airport bus to the city. It took a different route than last time, and brought me to an entirely different neighbourhood. A large square near the convention centre, which I had passed several times on earlier visits, on my way to the East bus station. A taxi took me to my hotel, where I met Yanyan.

In transit

Arrived in Beijing 20 minutes ahead of schedule, which means I have to wait 20 minutes longer for my connecting flight to Nanning, which departs in 2.5 hours. Immigration was easy and luggage already on the belt, so after a swift security check now already at the domestic gates.
Free Wi-Fi courtesy of China Mobile, but not before scanning your passport to obtain a login. And free power from sockets in the floor. I'm all connected :)