Graduation: Broken Bottles and Rented Gowns

this week the graduating seniors are leaving (read-getting kicked off) campus. typically they are allowed to leave until the end of the year, but since the school has an upcoming evaluation from the education embassy (or something like that) they are leaving early so they don't create distractions. and to be honest, this is a good idea. since it is their last week things have been a little different around here. most notably at night. i right next door to the female student dormitories. typically, this isn't all that bad and my biggest complaint is that some girls get locked out at night (they lock the dormitory about 11:30 and instead of realizing they are "SOL" they bang and bang on the door yelling for the woman in charge of the dormitory to come and unlock the door. its pretty ridiculous and makes me wish there was a clear path of trajectory from my complex to the door, although this would also need to be accompanied by a store which sells water balloons. but the last few nights, the noise for the dormitories has taken on a whole new...realm of obnoxiousness. the seniors in an act of defiance?/celebration?/utter euphoria(?) throw glass bottles and other items that will make a loud crash out their windows and then scream. yeah...totally ridiculous and definitely wouldn't fly as a tradition thing in the states, but as well all know, this is not the states. so yeah. well into the night my sleep has been accompanied by breaking bottles, screams, and a higher number of slightly inebriated graduating students who were celebrating too much and TOO late.

an a faster note. the second, more amusing, sight this week has been that of seniors taking pictures all around campus in graduation gowns. the "official" ceremony thing doesn't really happen here like it does in the states, but some groups of students get together, rent gowns, and take pictures for an afternoon and the most random places on campuses (next to trees, the track, the main gate, the cafeteria, anywhere). this would be pure misery for me. i am glad i don't teach seniors. chinese students are absolutely obsessed with taking pictures, its ridiculous. i am glad i don't have to reach to point of exhaustion just from smiling too much.