The Dome 2022

Number 0172 07/12/2017 Dear Zhao Mei Lin, Congratulations!

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as one of the elite soldiers for our military summer camp this year. We are excited that you will be joining us for 2 weeks. In the camp, your name Zhao Mei Lin will be hidden, instead, you will be assigned to the number code: #0172. # 0172: the following instructions must be remembered and followed during the camp, or, severe punishments await you.

1. Wake-up time is at 6:30 A.M every morning.

2. Make your bed in the “four square” way.

3. Breakfast starts at 7:00 A.M for 30 minutes.

4. Lunch starts at 12:00 P.M for 30 minutes.

5. Dinner starts at 6:00 P.M for 30 minutes.

6. Bedtime is 10:30 P.M. 7. BE ON TIME for everything!

8. Being 1 minute late to tasks means running one lap for punishment. Laps are added as minutes increase.

9. If you violate the rules, you will have to stand under the sun for hours.

10. Different training activities will be done each day.

11. Be ready for a memorable experience.

Best regards, Your instructors This offer was the start of two-week-long suffering. It was indeed memorable, just in a bad way. All members were required to write diaries to reflect on and record their experiences. Here is mine.

08/07/2017 Zhao Mei Lin This is my first day at the camp. At noon, I flew an hour to Beijing, then traveled by car for another hour. Sitting in the car, wearing a white flannel dress, enjoying the music and the sunshine, I was curiously wondering about life at the camp, but was startled into fury when seeing the actual camp…countless Chinese flags flying in the air, people wearing soldier suits running, huge green steel water bottle on the table, dorm room with 8 people, and 2 officers, monitors surrounding the camp, huge dining hall with crude facilities, and a track field with no grass. Oh no! It’s 10:20 P.M now, I have to get ready and go to bed before 10:30, I don’t want to get punished. Good night!

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