I often, even everyday, go to the university library to study with two friends from other countries.Rodger is from Zimbabwe and Zina is from Tunisia.The library can usually accommodate more than 5,000 students.Now with the arrival of the winter vacation, it is completely empty! Most areas of the library are closed, and only one building is reserved for students who stay in school during the holidays.
▲ On January 22, 2020, the Main Library of HuazhongUniversity of Science and Technology was empty the nightbefore the lockdown.(Image source: author)
Every morning at 11 o’clock,we would go to the only student restaurant that is still open during the winter vacation, as after more than 30 restaurants were closed, only this restaurant continued to provide meals.After that we would go to the library to study and return to the same restaurant for dinner at 5 pm.Then we would return to the library until it closed at 10 o’clock in the evening.
However, our study didn’t end there.After the library was closed, we would go to a place called “24 Hours”.This is a food store which opens throughout the night.There are tables for study in the store.Chinese students are extremely diligent and they work very hard to master knowledge.People from all walks of life in China are equally hardworking.The “24 Hours” shop can accommodate ten people sitting down and studying at the same time, and we have become as diligent as Chinese students.We were squeezed in places equipped with central heating, only here can help us withstand the cold in Wuhan.We didn’t end our studies until the early morning then went back to sleep in the dormitory.
This monotonous life lasted until January 22, two days before the Chinese New Year.