The Pledge is SERIOUS

Two colleauges of mine here at Princeton in Beijing (PIB) were interviewed today by The People's Daily and some other paper. The news wants to find out student perspectives on China, since we have been here for about 2 months.

PIB is famous for its Language Pledge. We only speak Chinese (except when phoning home) - for eight lonnnggg weeks.

One of the reporters is American, and speaks no Chinese. The language pledge is so serious....that the American reporter hired a translator to speak with my American friends about China.

Picture this scene, a reporter speaks English that everyone else can understand. My pals wait for the Chinese translation. The New Yorker and Oklahoman both reply in (flawless) Chinese [they are 4th year students]. Then the translator relays (with flaws) their message to the American report.

Wow.