Foreign Expert Building

What a privilege for all of us to be considered an "expert"!


Once we arrived in China, we were taken to the Foreign Expert Building (pictured above) for our lodging. This place became our 'home away from home' for the duration of our stay.

Staying at the Foreign Expert Building on the campus of Jinan University is a special treat. Many people from all over the world stay here, so it isn't unusual to strike up a conversation with someone from another country. Pretty soon, 'what IS foreign, anyhow?' becomes a real question, as total strangers become fast friends.

Rooms are either deluxe or standard. Both styles of rooms are comfortable and the beds have mosquito nets. For us Americans, sleeping under a mosquito net was a 'first time experience' ~ and one that we all valued.

As Midwesterners, we appreciated the air conditioning (since the outside temperature in Guangzhou often felt like a sauna to us), the 'western style toilets,' the opportunity to boil water for tea, and the small frig for keeping left-over snacks (or water) at a cool temp. Drinking tap water or any cold water is not advised, so all water had to be purchased (or boiled). Even using water to brush our teeth was not advised.


The picture to the left illustrates 'breakfast' at the small restaurant adjacent to the Foreign Expert Building. Fried or soft boiled eggs, noodles with soy sauce, and sticky buns are available for the price of a few RMB (Chinese currency). Hot green tea is the beverage of choice, since coffee is not considered a healthy option.





This image illustrates the fish tanks located just outside the small restaurant mentioned above. Having 'fresh fish' for lunch or dinner really means FRESH!