Ni hao, Sam F. & class!
I’ve been trying to learn some Chinese while enjoying seeing Xiamen.
Ni hao ( 你好 ) is sort of like hello.
Xie xie ( 谢谢 ) is thank you.
Zai jian ( 再见 ) is good bye (but actually means more like see you later)
That first weekend here (which was now awhile ago, cause I couldn’t get on here to post!) was sunny and warm, warm enough to be summer.
Xiamen University, Siming (Main) Campus
We went to see the building Kat works at the university. There were many interesting things inside.
Some new hanging roots from the tree 
This kangaroo with a koala hat is from a student of Kat’s who studies in Australia now
After seeing that building, we went outside to see why tourists visit the campus.
Egrets flying on a big vase. This bird is a symbol of Xiamen 
A palm frond that fell of a palm tree. They try to cut them down before they fall off, cause they can really hurt someone if they fall on you 
I wanted to swim here, but Kat wouldn’t let me – we did go on the bridge 
Again, I wanted to swim! So nice! But Kat was afraid I’d swim away & never come back
Nanputuo Temple
Right outside the south gate of the campus, there is a very famous temple called Nanputuo. (Yes – the campus has a big fence all the way around it! You can only enter through one of the gates, and the guards have to let you)
The temple has elephant guardians – this is one of them 
The door was open, so I didn’t have to knock 
The biggest door I have ever seen!! 
The lotus were not very pretty this time of year while we visited 
In front of the temple is a lovely pond, behind it a mountain. Kat said this is an important part of why it is a special temple that many people visit 
Look at all the turtles & fish! I wanted to join them on the board