When I was learning about Constantinople in my tenth-grade world history class, I never in a million years thought that I would actually step foot in this incredibly historic city. And yet somehow I ended up there last week! I think it was only slightly less shocking than if I had landed in an actual …
Tag Archives: Asia
The Last Days
Why is it that we don’t fully appreciate what we have until its about to leave us? My last days in Beijing were certainly ones for the books! I made last outings with my friends from my program, spent some last time with my host family and just took in the city one last time. …
Adventures on the Roof of the World
I got back from Tibet about a week ago, but its been whirlwind of finishing my program, packing, saying goodbyes, and doing last-moment-in-China activities. A post on this past week to follow! But, TIBET. This trip was the bulk of my final area’s studies class about Tibet. There were 13 of us total, ten students, …
On Being a Laowai
Whenever I go to any famous landmark in Beijing, there is usually a huge crowd of people, and I almost always hear one of a few things while I’m walking through the crowd. Laowai is a term for foreigners as is waiguoren, and these words follow any non-Asian person through the crowd. The more of us …
Those Big Moments and Learning What I Need
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. In the meantime I traveled for our longest travel weekend to Shanghai and Hangzhou, and this past weekend, climbed the Great Wall! My favorite part of Shanghai was seeing the iconic skyline lit up at night, even though it was smoggy, it was still awesome! It was one of …
Continue reading “Those Big Moments and Learning What I Need”
So About the Study Part…
It’s not what usually gets talked about, but schoolwork is a significant part of the study abroad experience. My program, Contemporary Issues in China is fairly intense. We have Chinese class throughout the semester and Area Studies courses, which are held in intensive blocks one at a time. Right now I’m in “China in International …
Unexpected & Beautiful: Chengdu
This past weekend was a long travel weekend, so we had Friday off of classes. On Thursday night, I flew with two of my friends to the city of Chengdu (成都) in the Sichuan Province of western China. We originally decided to go there because it is the only place in the world where you …
I Have Never Been So Cold…
I know this is a long one, but last weekend I went on my first travel weekend out of Beijing! 15 other students from my program and I went up North to the city of Harbin, which is closer to the Russian border than to Beijing! We took an all night train Friday night and …
A Day in the Life
8:00- Wake up, eat Chinese breakfast. This usually consists of zhou or rice porridge, a hard boiled egg, and usually something else. Sometimes I have dumplings for breakfast, I never know until I walk into the kitchen! 8:30- catch the bus to school. The time of my commute changes drastically depending on the amount of …
Happy New Year!
Chungjie Sunday was the Chinese New Year, or since China now follows the Roman calendar, Spring Festival (Chunjie). Chunjie in China is like the American holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year’s all rolled into one. Life in Beijing stops as the migrant labor force (about half the population) returns home to other provinces. We …
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