LIVIN THE (SHANG)HIGH LIFE 2
This past weekend we treated ourselves to a nice little post-midterms vacation … to Shanghai. (I’m really digging the one academic break a month life, though this was the last one so that’s kind of sad). Shanghai is such an international city that compared to Beijing, it felt like we weren’t in China at all. Walking down all the roads and seeing the tall skyscrapers all lit up and streets surrounded by modern buildings, the only thing that reminded me that I was in China was the food and the signs themselves.
LIVIN THE (SHANG)HIGH LIFE
This past weekend we treated ourselves to a nice little post-midterms vacation … to Shanghai. (I’m really digging the one academic break a month life, though this was the last one so that’s kind of sad). Shanghai is such an international city that compared to Beijing, it felt like we weren’t in China at all. Walking down all the roads and seeing the tall skyscrapers all lit up and streets surrounded by modern buildings, the only thing that reminded me that I was in China was the food and the signs themselves.
HUGE SMILES AND LAUGHTER ON A SATURDAY MORNING
This past Saturday I, along with a handful of other TBC students had the greatest pleasure of spending time with children at the BoAi Hospital here in Beijing. The ages of the children ranged from just over a year old all the way to seven years of age. Many of the children at the hospital are being treated with physical rehabilitation. Our job was to spend some time with them and put smiles on their faces. This was my very first time volunteering at a hospital so I had no idea what to expect.
A BLOG ABOUT A BLOG
When I came to China, I was under the impression that I would have a lot of free time to take random trips throughout China and to explore the city. What I did not realize was that Beijing itself is a city that could take months on it’s own to explore if you really wanted to explore every nook and cranny, that travelling in China is not like it is in Europe because China itself is a huge country and is not as cheap, and that my classes last way longer than they seem (the reality of having class 950-1220 and 130-415 is a lot longer and takes up a lot more of your day than you might think). All to say, my expectations were completely changed as soon as I realized this, and I’m glad it has.
THE 12 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU.
1. Chinese is hard!! You’d think that even after being surrounded Chinese here and there for at 10 years, I’d get around better than I do. Speaking aside, there is literally a character for every single word you can imagine AND it’s not based off sounds like English is. As much as I love being in a foreign country, the complexity of the language makes it a lot harder to read and get by than I originally thought I would. Probably explains why everything I eat either is a dumpling (because I can recognize the word) or has a picture attached to it. And I can guarantee you by the end of this semester, we will still not know anything.
HOW DO I BEGIN?
For my first blog post, I want to give you some advice. I don’t want to spoil my experience in Beijing to you just yet and nor do I want to tell you about the unforgettable Silk Road excursion I just came back from. I will tell you that I am having the time of my life and I am happy to be here. I will reveal more details soon…
THIS IS WAR: AIRPLANE ARM REST EDITION
Hello from sleep deprived me. We just finished our 13 day trip across China to follow the Silk Road, which I have to say was one of the coolest trips I’ve ever taken. I don’t think I ever would have traveled 2 hours from the Pakistan border on my own.
CHINA: YAK STYLE
Our trip has finally calmed down enough for me to get to sit down and blog and sleep (!!) and think about what I’m actually doing aka studying abroad for 4 months.
Yesterday was by far the most “zen” and top 10 days that I’ve had in my life ever which is why it gets it’s own post. We traveled to a town in the GanSu province called Xia’he, which, is a significant Tibetan monastery town.
ADVENTURING
Hi it’s me. Literally one week ago I boarded a plane to China and since then I’ve been going nonstop. Currently, I’m sitting in the middle of Tibet, 5 days into our 13 day trip to follow the Silk Road route.
I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW TO USE CHOPSTICKS
I am currently sitting here wondering what I am about to do with my life. In just over a week I will be on a 13 hour flight to spend the next 4 months of my life in the vast country of China. Don’t mind the fact that there are over 1.381 billion people living there or that the entire country is covered in vast and diverse landscape or the fact that China has the largest economy in the world. Or, alluding to the title of this blog, that I literally don’t know how to use chopsticks and the chances of me finding a fork in China are slim, yet alone if I were to find some I would be hard core judged.
THE WALL THAT CAN BE SEEN FROM SPACE!
Constructed from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD by successive Chinese Empires, the Great Wall begins in the east of China at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province in western China. With a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers, this military defense is considered one of the wonders of the world. Parts of the wall that are less intact are still being rediscovered today. When I was a little girl watching the classic Disney movie “Mulan” I never thought I would make it to the historical landmark where the opening scene takes place.
MY WENDY-FUL ROOMMATE
When I received the housing questionnaire to apply for what housing I wanted for the next year of my life in Beijing, I immediately checked that I wanted a Chinese roommate. What a great opportunity to practice my language skills and learn about Chinese culture, I thought to myself as I considered the pros and cons of my choice despite the fact that my mind was made up.
FROM ROME TO BEIJING
Why CHINA?!” That was a question I got asked quite often before my year abroad. It is a question the Dean of Students asked me on the first day of orientation. It is also a question that I never really had a satisfying answer for. I hadn’t spent my youth dreaming of climbing the Great Wall, nor had I had a burning passion for studying Mandarin. Heck, pandas aren’t even my favorite animals. The question was usually followed up with polite enthusiasm and worry about my well being.
GETTING AROUND BEIJING
Although I’d always considered myself a city person, coming to Beijing was my first encounter with a public transportation system of this size. Minneapolis has a fairly decent bus system and recently added a new line to the light rail, but compared to the double decker buses and sprawling subway system of Beijing, Minneapolis seems incredibly small.
WHY STUDY ABROAD?
The best way to learn about another culture is to walk in its shoes. There is no greater way to understand another culture without submersing yourself fully into its environment. The opportunity to study abroad will be a life changing and benefiting experience, where you will bring back cultural knowledge to help our nation better understand the world.
TRAVELING DURING NATIONAL HOLIDAY
When you choose to study abroad, you hope that you get to travel so you can make the most of the experience. Early on in the semester, you could already hear of the different travel plans other students were trying to fit into our semester here in Beijing. Xi’an, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Thailand and Korea were just some of the many options we all had to choose from. While on the Silk Road trip a few months back, some of us asked Bill, one of the TBC staff members, what he recommended we do for the National Holiday Break that we were all eagerly anticipating. Quite frankly, he said “Leave China”.
SHANGHAI ADVENTURES
At the beginning of October, China had its National Holiday. This meant that we would have our first semester vacation! A group of friends and I decided that it was time to go to Shanghai and explore this popular metropolitan area. We booked flights and an Airbnb and headed down for a long weekend adventure.
HOW TO STAY HEALTHY WHILE STUDYING ABROAD
The dreadful “Freshman 15” is back in a new form. Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity for you to immerse yourself in different cultures and gain a whole new perspective. A lot of fun and socializing will be involved which, of course, revolves around food. This means you get to try a variety of exotic and tasty foods; as delicious as they may be, this can also put a toll on your health and old habits.
WUDAOKOU
Craving for Korean food or Korean inspired fashion? You should visit Wudaokou while you are in Beijing! Wudaokou is known as a trendy and energetic atmosphere, since it is a popular student hangout. There is a multitude of multicultural restaurants, trendy cafes, and funky fashion boutiques.
MAMA CHEESE
You know that craving for a warm piece of pizza; but you look at your wallet and it says nope, cannot afford western food tonight. Well, I got the solution for you.