“CHANGED FOR THE BETTER”: A TBC LOVE STORY
TBC Spring 2016 alumni Meili (nee Burns) and Dominic Van Dyke tied the knot in June 2022, embarking on a lifelong journey that found its roots in their shared time abroad. Both graduates of Loyola University Chicago, Meili studied biology and is now a student at the Illinois College of Optometry. Dominic studied political science and international studies with minors in history and Chinese Language, and now works as a business intelligence analyst in cybersecurity.
FROM DEVELOPING EXPERIENCE TO DEVELOPING NATIONS
What have you done that changed your life?
Recently, TBC sat down with Fall 2007 alum Meagan Breidert, a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and Indiana University, to talk about her experience during and after The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies. After a ten-year career as a management consultant, she is currently working to lead Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts for a company. She is based in Washington, D.C., and attended the August 2022 Washington, D.C. TBC Alumni Meetup. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
TIPS FOR LEARNING MANDARIN CHINESE AS A BEGINNER
Learning a new language is a challenge, and I speak from my own experience. My native language is Spanish, and I also speak English and a little French. I have been learning English since I was a child and French, in some ways, is similar to Spanish. However, in my opinion, Mandarin is another world.
HOW MY EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY LED ME TO BE INTERESTED IN WORKING IN CHINA
Why did I, Teresa Paniagua Sanchez, end up doing my internship in China as a Spaniard? That’s a good question.
Several aspects have influenced my professional path and have made me choose to do my internship at The Beijing Center (TBC) this summer.
DISCUSSING MULTICULTURAL COMPLEXITIES WITH TBC STUDENT JOYCE FU
On a cold Beijing afternoon, I sat down with Joyce Fu, a current Fall 2020 American Pathway Program student, who, despite the ongoing global obstacles, has managed to remain optimistic about her academic future and has found the opportunity for personal and academic growth at TBC this semester.
DON’T MISS OUT ON A BETHEL SERVICE TRIP
“Ok! We have to stop playing with the kids now. If we stay any longer the kids will be TOO EXCITED to go to sleep tonight.” Try to imagine making someone this happy – so happy that they can’t even fall asleep. This is what we were told right before we left the Bethel Foundation in Beijing last Saturday.
THE TRUE SILK ROAD EXCURSION BIBLE
THE SILK ROAD – the most famous, by far the LONGEST, and arguably the most influential trade routes in the history of the world. Just let that sink in for a minute, and then you can go ahead and keep reading.
GUBEI WATERTOWN
If you’re looking for an escape from the city, spend a weekend in Gubei Watertown. Located just a two-hour drive from Beijing, the town is made up of traditional architecture, greenery, and not to mention an endless number of doorways to take photos in. While in Gubei, hike up to the Mountaintop Church for a view of the city and a coffee to start your day. Once down the mountain, take in the view from a boat for only 80RMB.
HOW TO NAVIGATE THE MARKET
1) Make a list of items you want to purchase beforehand
Don’t make the mistake of leaving with items you don’t need. The salesmen are excellent at enticing you to buy their products if not for you, as gifts.
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE PLACES IN BEIJING
By Nicole M., Loyola Marymount University, TBC Summer 2019 Intern Abroad Student
UNA COLOMBIANA MUY ORIENTAL
La estudiante de Ingeniería Civil, de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Paula Andrea González Mojica, fue condecorada con el premio Living the Mission de otoño 2018, que otorga el Centro de Estudios Chinos de Beijing (TBC por sus siglas en inglés), al sobresalir por sus cualidades personales en la experiencia de la Misión Matteo Ricci, S.J.
THAI-ED TO MEMORIES
During spring break a group of 6 friends and I spent our time in the Land of Smiles-Thailand. A week full of dream-like scenery and adventures straight out of a book. To say the least, it was the perfect escape from the Beijing cold and bad air. Our first stop, Chiang Mai, was a tranquil place during the day but lively and vibrant at night. Known for its night markets, food stands, and friendly locals, Chiang Mai showed us a good time.
MY HOT SPOTS OF BEIJING
Here’s a handful of places that I suggest you must try if you are here in Beijing! I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do.
HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FIRST WEEK IN BEIJING
Beijing is going to be intimidating, AT FIRST. Larger than any city in the United States, there’s a lot to be learned. Don’t fear, this blog post is here. Get ready for the time of your life.
STEPPING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE
China has always been on my places to visit list, but I know I couldn’t experience the full Chinese culture that I wanted to if I went on a short vacation. The opportunity for me to come to Beijing and study abroad was a bold one because I was born and raised in San Francisco. I have never left the city or stayed away from home for more than 3 weeks. Knowing that I was going to be a semester abroad, half way across the world, was very scary.
THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN BEIJING
When I left Chicago a lot was going through my mind. I was going to a country that I had never been to before, and one that not very many American students wanted to study abroad in, at least compared to places in Western Europe. After the fourteen hour long flight was finally over the plane landed at about 4 PM Beijing time.
THE GOODBYE POST FROM LENNY
I am Lenny, TBC’s marketing intern since this past June, and today is the last day of my internship with TBC. I want to take this opportunity to talk about something a little personal today, something that I’ve had a complicated history with and still struggle with from time to time. Today I want to talk about goodbyes.
VENIR HASTA EL FIN DEL MUNDO | COME TO THE END OF THE WORLD
I found myself at this moment on the other side of the world, writing to you about my adventure here in China. If you ever have the opportunity to travel, do not hesitate, because I promise when you cross the ocean, a magical world full of wonders to discover will be waiting for you, and it will be something you have never seen before. Where I can start? Maybe first I’ll tell you a little bit about where I come from; I’m Catalina Gonzalez, and I was born in Bogotá D. C, in the heart of Colombia.
HOW CHINA HELPED ME UNDERSTAND WHO I AM
“Where are you from?” is a question I constantly dread. It is one of the most basic sentences we employ when meeting other people, and it can usually be answered with a simple: *insert country of origin here*. However, if I were to respond to my interrogators with a simple “Venezuela”, this would not come close to describing who I am; it would not paint the full picture of my identity.
OUR DAYS IN BEIJING
Since coming back from both the Silk Road and from whatever adventures we planned for ourselves during the Chinese National Holiday, all of us have been quite busy with schoolwork. We’ve come to the middle of the semester now. I’d be lying if I said that the semester hasn’t been flying by since the National Holiday. Midterms are this coming week, and many of us are spending this weekend preparing for them. As for me, I am a chronic procrastinator, so here I am writing this blog while my to-do list for this weekend stares mockingly at me.