란저우대학에서 (At Lanzhou University)

봄과 겨울의 경계가 모호했던 2005년의 초반은 네팔에서 시작되어 중국에서 끝났다.

쿤밍을 떠나 사천성의 고원지대에서 지내다가 다시 평지의 온기를 느낄 수 있었던 것은 4월 중순, 랑무스를 거쳐 싸허에서 란저우에 도착했을 때였다.

쌰허에서 맞은 한파에 거의 초죽음 근처까지 몰고 갔던 감기에서 여전히 벗어나지 못한 채, 예전에 머물렀던 역 근처 호텔에 방을 잡고, 햇살 따사로운 날 란저우대학 교정을 거닐며 포착한 봄의 기운.

It was almost impossible to tell Spring and Winter apart when I was travelling from Nepal to China via Thailand and Laos at the beginning of 2005.

After having left Kunming and heading to the north at the end of March, it was like to have another winter in the highlands of Sichuan. I suffered from a bad cold I cought in Xiahe, and it took me some time to recover from it. I remember that I was still not very ok during my stay in Lanzhou, the last destination of my eight-months trip, just before heading to Beijing.

China is amazing - you move 5~6 hours from one place to another place, and the climate and scenery is totally different. People never been to China will never know that.

While there is a snow-storm in Xiahe, the campus of Lanzhou University is full of flowers, and students enjoy the warm spring sun, busy taking pictures with their classmates.

It was awful to be sick in that warm spring day, but I decided to go out and take a walk along the campus. I had no other choice anyway, otherwise I had to stay in my room, but that was even worse.

Some things I noticed about Chinese university students that is different from Korean students: 1. Students usually tend to look younger than their age. 2. Very few girls wear make-up. 3. Students are mostly dressed unpretentiously.

Probably I would have taken them for high school students if it was not in the university but somewhere else.

Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China (2005.4.14.)