Tong xue men (classmates)

These are some of my classmates at Xi Bei Da Xue (Northwest University). In my classroom there are Russians, Koreans, Japanese, Kazakhs, and Americans. The student in the forefront of this picture is a Russian Tatar named Timur. I asked him if he was related to Timurlane the 13th Century conqueror who was known for piling up the severed heads of his enemies in huge mounds. His answer was an emphatic 'No!' This guys not a headhunter, he's very friendly and often helps me with my homework.