This dispatch comes from Beijing, where I’m currently serving as a guest lecturer at the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), teaching a three-week summer session. ICMA members Lyle Wray and Richard Underkofler are also participating. The program is arranged by the ICMA China Center. 

I am having some trouble adjusting to the time difference. It doesn't help that the sunrise is about 5:00 AM or that I always hear the ding of new emails in the middle of the night. I have taught 2 classes. I have had to revise my syllabus a few times because the English level of the students is less than anticipated. Of course it is a lot better than my Mandarin. One of the revisions is that, they have decided to shorten the number of classes to 10 but increase the length of each class by 30 minutes. My students have decided to make it 3 hours and 30 minutes for our morning classes and 2 hours and 30 minutes for the afternoon classes.

On the 2nd day here I was getting a tour of campus when someone pointed out this poster.  While I can't read it, I know it is all about me. They are all over campus.

 

I haven't had the time to do any touring around Beijing. This afternoon after class my teaching assistant is going to take me on a tour. I am looking forward to getting to see more of the city.

I haven't witnessed any of the pollution they talk about. It was hazy yesterday. It is very hot during the day but it is cool in the morning and several nights or late afternoons there have been very short but impressive thunderstorms. After that it seems like the temperature drops 15 degrees.

I am getting better each day with the chopsticks. We have had 2 meals with groups. The first with 18 people and last night with 7 people. When you do that, you sit at a round table and the host orders all the food for the table. It is then placed on a lazy Susan in the center of the table. As the lazy Susan turns around, you reach in with your chopsticks and take what you want. My other meals are usually in one of the dining halls. I have a meal ticket. I go up to a counter and I point at something and the attendant puts it in a bowl. If one of my students is not with me, I don't have the faintest idea what I am eating but it tastes OK.