7 REASONS WHY TO CHOOSE A CHINESE ROOMMATE
Have you decided to study abroad in China and are making plans on how to make the most of your semesters abroad? Are you excited but at the same time nervous about your upcoming new life in a country and culture that is perhaps completely different from your own? Do you want to build international friendships and connections during your time abroad but are afraid that it may prove difficult? A great answer to all these questions you are probably having right now is actually quite simple – you should choose to live with a Chinese roommate.
MY SECOND ACADEMIC YEAR IN CHINA
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Veronica Lewis (Roni). I grew up in D.C., but my university is in Denver, Regis University. I’m an East Asian Studies major with a concentration in Mandarin, and a community food systems/ farming minor.
A JEW IN CHINA
I’ve never considered myself as a religious person. Since I was little, I remember not wanting to go to the synagogue or any Sabbath dinner with my family. Even though I come from a traditional Jewish family, I always felt that faith was a gift I didn’t get. Nevertheless, Judaism has always meant a lot to me because it’s a part of my identity as a person, it defines who I am, and it gives me a sense of belonging. That is why, in Colombia -where I live- I’ve joined different groups that have allowed me to play important roles in service of the Jewish community such as being a counselor for Jewish summer camps and teaching Zionism to children.
VIEWS FROM THE UNDERGROUND: FROM ROME TO BEIJING
Every year, Loyola University Chicago’s Ricci Scholarship gives a handful of students the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the celebrated Jesuit scholar Matteo Ricci, and study in the cities of Rome, Italy and Beijing, China. After spending their sophomore year crafting a detailed proposal for independent research of their choosing, the Scholars spend one semester at Loyola’s John Felice Rome Center and the next at the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies, conducting fieldwork for a comparative research project to be finalized during their senior year back in Chicago.
TOKYO ON BUDGET
Do you want to go to Tokyo, Japan? Are you on a budget? Do you think it’s going to be too expensive? No worries, you can stay within your budget without losing an arm and a leg. I too am constantly on a budget. Luckily, that did not stop me from visiting Toyko, Japan during my spring break.
TERRIFIC, TURBULENT, THAILAND – TRAVEL TIPS
Travel has been easy to come by since my arrival in China. Beijing has allowed me to get around not only other parts of China but also around Asia. I took my opportunity to plan a trip to Thailand for my spring break this year… I had other options such as Laos, Australia, Tokyo and Seoul among others but ultimately I went with Thailand.
2018 TBC STUDENT’S SPRING BREAK!
TBC students took the opportunity to travel throughout Asia this spring break! Whether they stayed in China or traveled out of the country to explore! This is a slight breakdown of their trips and some cities our 2018 Spring Students visited during the break!
MANDARIN, UNKNOWN TO THE WEST
Learning Chinese before coming to China would seem somewhat like a good idea, right? Well it would help you initially when coming to China. However, I, myself didn’t learn any Chinese before arriving this past semester.
I did perfectly fine, well sort of.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING ABROAD
Studying abroad is an opportunity that I believe will help to strengthen and build a foundation for my future endeavors. I would like to become an international pop culture writer/editor and content creator. My Haitian heritage has influenced my interest in learning and reporting about countries and cultures abroad. It has helped me redefine social norms and beauty standards for myself by challenging me to appreciate a culture other than Western culture.
AN EXPERIENCE ABROAD
Initially, this study abroad experience was meant for traveling and growth as a person of my own volition. As soon as I arrived in China, I started fulfilling these goals. It wasn’t until coming to China that I began to write my own journals to remember the time I spent here and reflect. This form of self-reflection was quite encouraging in allowing myself to make way for change and growth. Even though I came to China without much knowledge of both its language and culture, I hoped to erase the ignorance within myself and learn even more about the 5000-year-old Chinese culture.
INAUGURAL FINANCE J-TERM COURSE
In partnership with Le Moyne College, TBC’s short-term programs division hosted a successful 3-week online + in-class Finance Course this past January in Beijing. The course, Modern Security Analysis – FIN 467 instructed by Fernando Diz, Ph.D, taught students about value investing, business valuation, corporate finance, security analysis, and how to develop a successful investing approach. Included in the course were business site visits and cultural trips. Special thanks to Deloitte and MiCai for hosting this year’s group! If you’re interested in learning more about the program, click here.
TRAVELING TWINS
Not many people are born having a best friend and soulmate, but I was. Everything I do in my life, I always think about how I always have someone to count on and someone to do anything I want with. Whether I am in school, traveling, having a meal, or just sitting at home reading or watching tv, I always have the option of being alone or having company, a choice not many people have many times. Being in a foreign country is already scary and unpredictable, to begin with, but being alone without knowing anyone, makes it that much harder. Fortunately, my experience is never as scary and hard as many others’ because I have my sister, Verica.
CHINESE ROOMMATE APPRECIATION DAY
On November 16, 2017, TBC students hosted a Chinese Roommate Appreciation Day to show our thanks to our wonderful roomies! Each semester TBC students have the opportunity to room with local Chinese students who are amazing because they dedicate so much time and energy into making us feel welcome and with helping us transition, get around, and adapt during our time in China. Chinese Roommate Appreciation Day is a way for TBC students to acknowledge their effort and the crucial role Chinese roommates play in creating a unique experience for students at TBC.
DISNEY IN SHANGHAI
Shanghai is already a magical city all on its own. But this weekend at Shanghai Disney felt like an out-of-body experience. I felt like it was someone else experiencing this trip, not me. My two days spent exploring Disney and Shanghai have been exceptionally memorable. Especially since, everything was so well planned, as soon as my 7 friends and I got to Shanghai at 9 am on Friday morning, the fun began. We made our way from the airport to our Airbnb (143 kuai per person), and by 10 am we were standing in front a luxurious gated building that was just as nice on the inside as it was on the outside. As soon as we settled in our apartment, we made our way to People’s Square – the beginning of our exploration around Shanghai.
RECOMMENDED, CLOSE & DELICIOUS
Restaurant: Let’s go to Chengdu
Location: Outside East Gate
Cost: $
The menu includes: No English and no photos
Order: Everything here is delicious and SPICY! We ordered hotpot, noodles, duck blood, and pig brain
Recommended
FALL BREAK STORIES: TBC STYLE
The first of week of October celebrated the Autumn Festival in all of China, and it gave our students the opportunity to travel all over China and explore Beijing even further! Students shared with us how their trip went, how much it cost and what their favorite part of it was:
FALL BREAK STORIES: FLYING IN ZHANGJIAJIE
I have to give thanks to my parents and my uncles for making me love nature and be an adventurer at heart. And I also have to give thanks to my friends Kate and Reed for organizing the trip to the best park I’ve visited in a long time.
The Monday of the Chinese national holiday, the Autumn Festival, we embarked on a twenty-four-hour train to the Hunan province, on the south of China.
LIVING WITH A CHINESE ROOMMATE
Living with a Chinese roommate
As we approach our month mark of living in Beijing, there are many things I’m grateful for that TBC has provided to make the experience of studying in another country comfortable.
ADJUSTING IN CHINA
It’s been a few weeks into classes and I can say that I have pretty much adjusted to the unusual ways of China’s living. This has been no easy feat. Culture shock is a real thing, and it happens to everyone. It affects everyone differently. I will not brush over it. It did not hit me lightly. It hit me like a full on emotional bus full of doubts and stressors. It ran over me at full force leaving me completely lost in what to do and how to feel like I was going to be able to make it.
FAVORITE FOODS WITH FATHER GENE: IBERO-LATINO NIGHT
On Friday, resident Jesuit Father Gene invited nine students to his apartment to cook and eat delicious Ibero-Latino food. It was a very fun night in which we shared laughs, spices, recipes, and stories about our first month in China.