Page 27

In the lobby of our dorm, the reception was manned by one or two staff and backed by a wall of monitors. Frequently, it was an older man in his 40’s and sometimes a vaguely unhappy woman in her 20’s. I later learned she was a university graduate and had yet to find a job in her field. Each monitor offered a clear view of every floor and corridor of the dorm. Prior to my trip, I had asked my Phd advisor offhandedly, “Should I be careful about being under surveillance?” To which he replied, equally off-handedly, “Yes, as soon as you leave your dorm there are cameras and algorithms that will track you wherever you go.” I’m glad I asked. The lobby made it clear I was on camera as soon as I left my room. Once I exited campus through the eastern gate and entered the Tibetan quarter, cameras were suspended at every intersection and at intervals along the roads. This was also the case once you left the Tibetan quarter, albeit with less frequency.

One lunch, I watched a show on the cafeteria televisions. One of the larger cafeterias had televisions suspended from the ceiling. Shows would play while people worked away on their breakfasts, lunches, and suppers. At one point, there was a show about Chinese police solving crime. It was like a Chinese version of the American show, COPS. In this case, however, a central police bureau, a little like the one in the Jason Bourne movies, tracked down criminals using the surveillance cameras. I wasn’t sure whether to feel reassured or unnerved.

As long as I wasn’t doing anything political or illegal, I thought to myself, I shouldn’t have any problems. This meant dodging the occasional offers to teach English. There was a fair bit of money to be made teaching English and significant demand, but it meant working under the table. I had heard stories of visiting students getting scooped up by the authorities. Avoiding controversy also meant discussing my studies of Tibet in a neutral tone. I didn’t think there was anything controversial about my topic but Tibetan culture, religion and history can be delicate subjects.