The third day in Dalian, China. (29th October)

We went to the Dalian Nationalities University in the morning to interview nine students. We interviewed three students in the morning and six students in the afternoon.



I noticed several students were walking, reading a textbook aloud. I asked a teacher what they were doing. He told me that they were memorizing sentences. It was the best way for mastering a language to memorize the whole textbook, said he. The corridor is full of students reading a textbook every morning, which I missed to witness.

The series of interviews went well. Every student was enthusiastic and spoke very good Japanese. Some of them only started learning Japanese two years ago and still spoke the language fluently. I was impressed by their energy spent for acquiring the skill. As I had time after finishing the interviews, I looked around the school.



It was an ordinary scene which you may find in any other places called college or university.


One interesting thing was that students put on a cover on their shoes when they entered computer rooms. We might rather ask students put off their shoes in Japan. Such a subtle difference amazed me.



The computer rooms were full of students, too. They used computers to run teaching materials. I understood that the kind of technology was useful when a small number of staff have to teach a large number of students. If you are short-staffed, computers are indispensable.



We went out to visit some other buildings. The square was so spacious and the distance to the library was felt rather long. I wondered why they needed such a large space in the middle of the campus.


From the library, you can look through to the entrance gate, which seemed to be far away. Few cycles we found. I did not know why they opted for walking, but the campus would obviously be overcrowded if everyone rides on a bike.



The library looked modern and well-organized. Students occupied their seats to read something. We went out of the library to stroll into other places.



Students seemed to be enjoying their campus lives. They met friends, looking for something interesting. I suppose that they are rather talented and wealthy to the nation's standard. Studying at a university must be a privilege for the young. I believe that they live their lives under some restrictions, but the option is probably far better than others and they are contented with their choice. We should be pleased to see them opt for coming to Japan to continue their studies.



We were treated with nice choices of Chinese foods in the evening. The exchange with Chinese staff that night was inspiring. We were all agreed on that it is most important to exchange people between the two countries to promote mutual understanding. We are after all neighboring countries and cannot ignore each other. For us, friendship comes first. Diplomacy next.