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Photo Essay: CET Kunming

Photos by Peri Law, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Student Correspondent CET Kunming, Summer 2018

Every Wednesday, we have 中文桌子, or Chinese table. CET takes everyone out for lunch to give us an opportunity to talk to our teachers outside of class. CET always orders SO much delicious food and I look forward to it every week.

 

We spent one class learning about Chinese Gaokao (高考), the test that every Chinese student takes to get into college. The next day, my class and a few of the Chinese roommates talked about the 高考 and comparing it with American college entrance exams.

 

The last weekend activity CET planned was for us to go to Fuxian Lake, about a two-hour drive away from Kunming. When we first arrived, it was cloudy and raining, but after we ate lunch, the clouds cleared and we were able to go swimming in the lake. It was a clear, beautiful area to swim in.

 

My absolute favorite restaurant in Kunming is Heavenly Manna, a restaurant about a 5-minute walk from the dorms. I always go with my friends, and we order a feast. (Tip: garlic water spinach, grandma’s mashed potatoes, and pork with pickled vegetables, are the best dishes!)

 

My class’s final oral exam was on the lives of the elderly in China. To prepare for our exam, we walked around the neighborhood, interviewing a few grandmas and grandpas. They were all so friendly even though it was hard to understand what they were saying.

 

All around Kunming you can find 烧烤, or barbeque places. It’s a great late night snack, and is popular with Chinese college students (and me!).

 

I am really going to miss my 200-level teachers and classmates! Me and my classmates grew close to our teachers over the 8 weeks, so we decided to commemorate graduating from Chinese 200 by taking a class photo.

 

I would not have had as much fun as I had in Kunming if I hadn’t made these friends! We would often go out to eat together or talk about how class was going—hanging out with them was my favorite way to relax after a hard day in class. I am going to miss seeing them every day!

 

For my last meal in Kunming, my friends and I decided to go to everyone’s favorite 小笼包 (xiaolong bao) restaurant. Located right between the dorms and the classroom, it’s a perfect place to eat some delicious bao and dumplings. This was one of the first places I ate when I came to Kunming so it was a great way to end off my summer in Kunming!

 

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