Today was our second full day in Beijing and waking up today was a little bit easier than the day before. Our day started with another amazing hotel breakfast, where I found out how amazing sausage curry and rice was. We left after breakfast for the Central University of Finance and Economics dressed in business casual, which was a bit hot in the 80 degree heat.

Once we arrived to the university we met some of the students and went into one of the buildings. One thing I noticed about many of the buildings on campus is that a lot of them have an open atrium with a lot of natural light being let in. We sat in a classroom and were given a lecture about Big Data by one of the professors named Jason. I was very intrigued by the usefulness of Big Data, but also very surprised and scared by how companies collect data. Especially with the cultural differences in China, the sheer power of the government, and the large use of mobile payment apps show how Big Data is used throughout China. We also learned how Big Data is used by companies like Google to direct ads to certain users based upon what they search or talk about. Jason’s lecture intrigued me and I think our group might incorporate some of what we learned from him about Big Data to our business idea. Our second professor to talk to us started off with a sheet of random things ranging from Kanye West to American Insurance Group, to The American Revolution, to even Ketchup. We soon learned and guessed that each of these various things either originated from China or was tied to China in some way. For example Kanye lived in China for a period of time, the American Insurance Group was founded in Shanghai, The American Revolution started by the dumping of Chinese tea, and Ketchup was originally a tomato based condiment from Northern China. This really opened my eyes since I knew China is huge and has a very expansive and important history, but I never knew how much of what we use and know today is related to China.

After our lecture we traveled to the university’s dining hall for lunch. It was another traditional round table meal where we shared several dishes, but this time it was different. I saw several familiar dishes like the Chinese bread and fried chicken with peppers, but there were many new and interesting dishes for us to try. I could deduce some dishes easily such as potatoes with peppers, or fried shrimp with their heads still attached, but many others I had to ask about. I tried all of the dishes at first before asking about their contents which was a mistake. I shouldn’t have asked at all since I learned that the delicious meat in what I thought was broth was actually Blood Pudding and was made of pig blood vessels in pig blood. Even the brown hard boiled eggs which I learned were called thousand year eggs were absolutely delicious but had an off putting texture and color. In the end I’m glad I tried all of the foods and I can’t wait to look for them again.

Next we traveled to the university library and I was amazed. Hillman could not compare, with a expansive, open atrium when we walked in that allowed us to see all of the floors of the library. Our guide Richard showed us how at the entrance there was a computer that allowed students to reserve a seat at the table in the library for the day, which is something Pitt does not have. He went on to show us the first floor of the library and all it had to offer. Finally we went to the lower level where we saw many beautiful Chinese paintings and pictures of the landscape of China.

Finally we traveled outside to the university’s sport courts where we were told about an activity we would have to participate in. It turned out we were jumping rope, something that I hadn’t done since elementary school. We all took turns running and jumping in the rope and trying not to get hit. We managed at one point to get five guys in the rope at once and made it a while before someone messed up. Next we played a game where we broke up into three different groups and had to form a circle joining hands. The task at hand was passing a hula hoop through our bodies and around the circle five times before the other groups. I took this opportunity to expose a loophole where our group could spin around in a circle five times to technically fulfill the task at hand, but not in the suggested way. My idea was shot down, but in the end we ended up losing just barely. Since we lost we had to perform a dance and song for the students and the rest of the students in our Plus 3 group. The end result was singing Old Town Road while doing Fortnite dances.

In the end, visiting the university allowed us to both have fun while learning more about a Big Data and college in China. I enjoyed talking to the students and learning more about what they did as students and their interests. This opportunity allowed me to see what my college life is like in another part of the world. I am excited for tomorrow since we are both visiting Huawei and VIPKID and then the Olympic Village at night. Beijing is such an amazing city and I’ve had such an amazing time with my fellow students.