All About Activities

Folks, buckle up because we have one action-packed blog for you today with loads of photos. So without further delay, let's get started. Saturday morning was move-in day for the freshman. Unfortunately, move-in day means that music is played over the loud speakers all day long. After a while they got to the bottom of the playlist, John Denver, Rascal Flatts (I'm not saying either of these are bad - although Rascal Flats is - I'm just saying this isn't typical Chinese youth music.) and other interesting selections. Once the parents said goodbye to their kids, the military took over. The first week of school for freshman isn't really school at all, its military training!



Their training is mostly practice on how to march in formation. Sounds easy, until you realize that they are doing it from 6:30 AM until 6:00 PM. Yep, all day just marching and listening to drill instructors tell you that you got it wrong.

Sorry, Miss. You're going to have to do that again.

When the older students (that have already started class) have some free time from class and studying, we've been encouraged to find that they spend a lot of it outside. This is likely because they share cramped dorms, and really don't have any reason to be inside when they aren't sleeping. We walked around and took some pics of the students and their hobbies. We think you'll enjoy them.

As you can see, Ping-Pong is seriously popular here. I would estimate there are about 50 tables around campus, and that's just the outside tables. Personally, I like the shaded "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" tables in the trees. Oh! Another thing you're sure to see here are student surveyors. They are everywhere, and they are wild about surveying.

Martial Arts club practices in the afternoon. They often use bo staffs and samurai swords. Don't mess with them.

Coming in a close second to Ping-Pong in popularity is Badminton. Nets need not apply, here students just play wherever there's open space; even we have fallen victim to the Badminton craze!

Next we have two very popular sports at American Universities, volleyball and basketball.

So there you have it, Shandong students really get after it. I'm looking forward to bringing my game and my "special sauce" to these basketball and volleyball players very soon. While I don't know if they'll truly appreciate said "sauce," I do know they'll go crazy when I tell them I played with Bron-Bron back in my high school days and that he called me "Pippen." One last photo is waiting below, be sure to scroll down and check out the sweetest hobby on campus.

Are you ready for it?

Sweet nunchuck skillz dude, do you think you could teach me a move or two?

Until next time!
DB & KM