Gwen in Hangzhou

August 31, 2009, marked the first day of school for Gwen at Zhejiang University of Technology (ZUT) in Hangzhou, China. Gwen will be working on her degree in Chinese at Grinnell College through the C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in China. As part of the program, Gwen took a pledge to speak only in Chinese until the completion of the semester. Violation of the pledge can result in expulsion from the program and a failing grade.

Hangzhou, known as China's "Garden City" for the number and splendor of its parks and greenery, is a city of seven million people located about 100 miles southwest of Shanghai. Hangzhou has a similar latitude and climate to New Orleans. When Gwen arrived the temperature was 95°F with a heat index of 107°.

Gwen will live in a dormitory on the ZUT campus with one of its 15,000 students as a roommate. She will take a full load of courses, all in Chinese. You can follow Gwen's progress on her blog: http://gweninhangzhou.blogspot.com/