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.
GRANDMAS
I will never remember the real name of this place, but I know I’m in the right place when I see this cute old lady smile at me. Once you go inside, the first thing you will notice is that even though the place is probably smaller than our dorm room it somehow always fits everybody.
FORBIDDEN CITY
The Forbidden City, one of the first place we think of when we think of Beijing. Well, you can find all the information about it online or in an innumerable amount of books. However, I will describe in here how my experience was when I visited it.
A HUMBLE EXPERIENCE
When I made the decision to spend my Fall semester in China, everyone told me studying abroad was the best decision they’ve ever made. A couple months later, I started receiving e-mails about things to prepare for my two-week excursion through Western China before classes started in early September. I knew I was going to feel excited because I was going to a new country, frustrated because of the language barrier, challenged due to the rigorous academic courses, and personally, homesick since I have never been away from my family for this long.
SURVIVING AT THE CANTEEN
The first day I couldn’t understand anything, there was no order, lots of people passing by and food I could not identify. I took all the courage I had and approached the vendor pointed at something that looked edible and hoped it would not give me a stomachache. It was scary but my first day at the UIBE canteen was an adventure. Now I lost my fears and I even made some friends at one of the little restaurants.
THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
The best experiences in life are those that others don’t believe actually happened. Experiences that seem so surreal that you aren’t even sure if it actually happened, or if it was a dream. Studying abroad in China can present you with opportunities that you never otherwise would fathom.
THE KING OF ALL SWEET TREATS
China is well known for its diversity of food dishes. This diversity leads to many local dishes based off of provinces in China, which may taste exotic to many foreigners. My all-time favorite Chinese dessert/snack is the famous 蛋挞 dàntà.
CHINA 2.0
This past fall when I arrived at TBC, I remember hearing all of the staff talk about how TBC was a community and program that wanted to create long-lasting relations with its students. They didn’t just want kids to visit China and travel around for a semester- they wanted students who were interested in using their semester at TBC as a springboard for their future. I had the chance to meet a few TBC alumni who had made the leap to live in Beijing, and at the time was not sure how I would ever be able to get the opportunity to return.
TRAINS, PLANES, AND CAMELS
A journey through the Silk Road
AUGUST 23: Beijing to Lanzhou
It took 20,000 steps and 100 flights of steps, but I made it to the top of the temple. After the climb, seeing the sunset over the city was absolutely breathtaking.
GREEN BEANS
In my opinion, one of the best parts about living at the University of International Business and Economics, TBC’s host university, is the street right outside of campus’s East Gate. Every night from about 6-10pm, the street is always bustling with street vendors and a myriad of delicious restaurants. If you are looking for a small snack or full meal, the options are endless.