Places to study chinese in Hangzhou

[Bren_hubei]

I'm looking for somewhere to study chinese in hangzhou, or possibly somewhere else in Zhejiang. I have been in touch with the university of commerce in hangzhou and am considering applying to them. (I've been in china for over a year so have a grasp of the basics but i think if i'm going to make any real progress i have to have a go at it full time for a while).

their tuition fees of $900 US are not too bad, but is still rather expensive compared to some places in Kunming (about 3600RMB/semester). Does anyone know of any other colleges in Hangzhou or the surrounding area?

Whats about renting a flat in hangzhou/ living off campus - does this pose any problems and what sort of rent would you be looking at?

any info greatly appreciated,

Thanks

Brendan

[senor boogie woogie]

Hola!

I am an American man who has lived in China for 2 1/2 years now, all of it in Zhejiang and a year in Hangzhou. I like Hangzhou very much. It is clean, the locals are friendly but do not stare and gawk, the women are nice, young shapely and beautiful and there is a small but growing foreign community here.

The only place that I have researched so far is Zhejiang University. There are two branches of the school, one on Timusan (sp?) Lu (Rd.) and Zheda Lu. The Zheda campus is the place where they have the international school. There is a huge yellow statue of Mao in front. The website quoted me 1800 USD for a year, plus 20 USD for study material. But that is for the four year program.

I have a friend who is doing a Masters at ZU. He is married but lives by himself in a dorm. The dorm is brand new, clean and quiet. I'm too old to be a dorm rat again, but I am not you. I don't know any prices.

Apartments run between 1500 RMB and up. I saw a two bedroom apartment that I liked there a few monthes ago for about 2300 RMB, what was bad about the place was that the bathroom was too way tiny to shower in, nad the second bedroom was small. I saw another place for about 2000 RMB that was old and somewhat ran down, but it had a big kitchen and was not really too bad. Both places were owned by local Chinese. Your internet connection is handled through HZCNC on ShuGuangLu.

I like West Hangzhou, especially around the stadium. Zhejiang U., several good bars, cheap Chinese restaurants (including a Xinjiang noodle joint), an excellent DVD shop, plus a good supermarket (Trust Mart) with a Chinese cafeteria and a McDonalds. There is also the Hangzhou library close by which has a super clean and quiet computer room for 3 RMB an hour plus a DVD viewing room with individual TV sets and players.

Good town, Hangzhou.

Senor