Under the Right Impression

There were three aspects of everyday life I was really banking on being available here: soccer, fruit, and areas to get away from people and the city. These things were reasonable to assume to be around, and I hoped would fill some voids of the missing American comforts. I'm lucky enough to see fruit stands all over campus, a large turf field always teaming with small-sided games, and the whole city is built to surround you in beauty.

I have only gone on the pitch once so far- right before/during a horrible stomach ache. Regardless, I have a good impression. I was invited to join games without hesitation, and was challenged to keep up with their pace (granted I was feeling quite sick). Many of the players wear English Premier League jerseys.
I plan on playing today, and once classes get started I hope to play soccer everyday. It should be a great way to keep in shape and make friends.


Throughout campus and the city are fruit stands. Many are there for people to pass and pick up a piece to eat on the run or to buy a bag to take home. The four plums, two dragonfruit, three apples, bunch of grapes, and two kiwis to the right cost just around $3 at a stand right across the street from my dorm; I expect to gorge myself in fruit in the next few months. Today the selection made a wonderful breakfast.

Hopefully not every post in my blog includes a picture of West Lake, but I expect the majority do. This one was taken after Mike, Chris, and I had an impressive meal of Indian cuisine and we took a stroll over to the lake. Everywhere in Hangzhou, including Zhejiang's campus, there seems to be spots of near aesthetic perfection. It helps when you are so far from everything you know to be in a place of such beauty.