Yale in Tianjin: Days 3 & 4
Our first Sunday in Tianjin was the busiest day yet. Four team members spent the morning helping out with JPP, the Junior Polo Program for Chinese children between the ages of about seven and thirteen. In an arena set up with wooden horses, we had a great time teaching them basic polo shots. Afterwards, the entire team gave a presentation to Chinese students and parents about Yale University. In addition to describing the academic and extracurricular aspects that make the university unique, we also shared with them our own reasons for choosing Yale, as well as information about the admissions process. The Q&A session following the presentation was lively and rewarding for Yalies and visitors alike.
The last part of the day was spent on the field, as four members of our team played the opening league match against the University of London. And what a game it was! In an aggressive, nail-biting first three chukkers, Yale managed to hold the lead. Only in the fourth chukker did the Londoners prevail, ultimately pulling ahead after a quick succession of goals. Despite the 10 – 7.5 loss, we were proud of our performance and look forward to playing Oxford on Wednesday.
The next morning, we had the privilege of receiving a riding lesson from Santiago Araya. The whole team agreed that the experience was invaluable; in just half an hour, we all had learned a great deal from the nine-goaler. The remainder of the day was spent in Tianjin with the other five universities, touring the city by bus, boat, and foot. We visited the markets of the traditional Asian Cultural Center, ate Peking duck in an enormous mall, and were able to see Tianjin from an entirely new perspective during an evening boat tour. We returned to the hotel exhausted, but impressed by what we had experienced that day.