subway [suhb-wey] noun: an underground electric railroad, usually in a large city, with plain colored walls and a streamlined design. Often causes commuters to zone out and turn into robots until they get to their designated location.

I love Beijing’s subway system; it is reliable, easy to figure out, and for the most part, modern or at least newer than most western subways. However, just like most subway systems, the vast majority of stations here look very boring.

Although I don’t mind the plain white columns as I hastily transfer to another station or head up to the “real world,” the rare occasions that the doors open to a nicely designed station considerably brighten up a boring commute. Although typically only the newer stations or stations near tourist sites have fun designs, I have come across a few surprises.

Keep scrolling to see photos of my three favorite stations, then maybe look out the subway door the next time you are in transit!

1. Dongsi (东四)
Transfer Station: Line 5 and Line 6

The Dongsi subway station, dismissed by most commuters as a transfer station or “just another stop,” does not seem like a likely place for anything artsy.

However, the next time the doors open while you are riding line 5 or 6, it is worth peaking up from your phone to look outside the subway car; the artists did a really nice job on the orange poles and Chinese-styled columns stretching across the ceiling.

2. Nanluoguxiang (南锣鼓巷)
Transfer Station: Line 6 and Line 8

Nanluoguxiang is a well-known subway stop because it is conveniently located in front of Nanluoguxiang, the hutong with hip café-and-art-store-lined streets. It makes perfect sense, then, that the station looks like hutongs with its fake gray brick walls and artwork of Chinese kites and shadow puppets.

3. Olympic Green (奥林匹克公园)
Line 8

We can’t highlight some of Beijing’s unique subway stations without including at least one stop from the Olympic line.
The ceiling of the Olympic Green stop imitates the Bird’s Nest, with white branches growing from columns to intertwine above commuter’s heads.

Check back next week for three more interesting subway stations in Beijing!

Post inspired by Nargiz Koshoibekova’s post “The 5 Coolest Beijing Metro Stations” on The World of Chinese

Photo of moving subway: Shawn Clover (Flickr); Olympic station: Michael Chu (Flickr); Subway Map: Wikipedia

Leah Sprague is a high school senior and beijingkids’ intern for July. After living in Seattle for two years, Leah is super excited to be back in Beijing, where she lived from 2009-2012. When not at the office, Leah can be found biking or subway-ing around the city, soaking up everything before she leaves again in August.
 

Beijing United Family Hospital will hold a public forum on dealing with the impact of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 on families and the community, Thursday, March 13 at 6:30pm. In an email to beijingkids the forum details are as follows:

Coping with the MH 370 Disappearance: How to Help Yourself, Your Friends, and Your Family

On March 8^th, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 lost contact with ground control and disappeared. We understand that this kind of event can be especially difficult for those with family and friends impacted by the incident, but also for the community as a whole. Beijing United Family Hospital and Clinics joins with the community in hoping for the best in this difficult time. On March 13 at 6:30 pm, we will be providing a presentation and question and answer session for the general public to discuss how to talk about difficult topics with family, friends, and other loved ones, as well as how to address complicated feelings that may arise. 

Time: Thursday, March 13, 6:30 pm

Location: Beijing United Family Hospital, Building 2, 5th Floor, Auditorium

Language: Chinese and English

For more information, please visit: www.ufh.com.cn

Wednesday marks the fifth day that the Beijing bound plane went missing in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The 239 passenger manifest had a majority of Chinese nationals mostly Beijing residents as well as foreigners. 

This post was modified from the one found on thebeijnger.com, on March 12, 2014.

Photo from ibtimes.com

In the pursuit to find and apply to the nation’s preeminent universities, many students will opt for private colleges, on grounds of prestige, diversity, and smaller class sizes that typically warrant greater personal attention for each student. Oftentimes, however, looking at colleges on this smaller scope will exclude several exceptional options from consideration.

The University of Michigan (UM) is one such school. Located in the heart of the midsized college town Ann Arbor, UM is a relatively large public school, accommodating nearly 30,000 undergraduate students.  Many see such a class size as a disadvantage that translates into an undesirable student to faculty ratio, greater distance between professors and students, and substandard facilities. However, this university, sometimes referred to as a “Public Ivy”, proves otherwise.

The perquisites of attending a large public school are most apparent in the academic opportunities that they can provide. The University of Michigan has high levels of research activity, and students have an ample opportunity to engage in research opportunities. A certain emphasis is placed on the sciences and the arts at the college, although underclassmen have the opportunity to enroll in one of twelve schools, including the College of Engineering, the Ross School of Business, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and the School of Music, Theater and Dance.

The University of Michigan offers students a wide, diverse range of majors and programs, with their engineering, business, and medical schools maintaining nationwide repute. Large class sizes, a typical drawback of public universities, is a negligible concern at Michigan. 80% of the university’s classes have 50 students or less, with only 6% of all classes over 100. In the case of large class sizes, however, each lecture is paired with a smaller, more intimate discussion session. For those in search of a more vigorous workload, the college’s Honors Program or Residential College, a living-learning community within the school, offer a challenge to all participating students.

As an institution searching for well-rounded students, the University of Michigan does not fail to deliver as a well-rounded school. The University of Michigan boasts 27 Division I varsity sports teams and participates in the Big Ten Conference in nearly all of their sports. One standout in the athletics program is the football program, a leading program in the NCAA and notable for their eleven national championships.

An additional merit to such large universities lies in the range of extracurricular opportunities available for each student. The University of Michigan boasts nearly 1,500 student organizations, the number of students for some small universities. Offerings range from the more typical a capella groups and student publications to other quirkier groups, including a Quidditch team and their Michigan Squirrel Feeding Club.

No assessment of a school can be made without an appraisal of its surroundings. Ann Arbor has been ranked as one of the most livable and walk-able cities in the United States. A city with a relatively young population, Ann Arbor has a median age of 27 and a local atmosphere that exemplifies such a statistic. With a plentitude of restaurants, stores, cafes, museums, and movie theaters surrounding the university, the college town caters to all.

Ultimately, it’s up to the applicant to decide whether a school is suitable. To avoid passing on favorable opportunities, refrain from ruling out any prospective universities based on generalizations or preconceptions,

You might just find that robust squirrels suit you.

This article originally appeared in the August/September 2013 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Kathleen Ma, a student at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo courtesy of UNIT-E