NEWS & EVENTS

My study abroad experience in Beijing was, at the very least, everything I could have hoped for. About midway through the semester, I decided that four months would not be enough time in China and I quickly started to make plans of staying in China this summer. After struggling to find a suitable internship or housing, I was fortunately given the opportunity to stay at TBC and be the Social Media and Communications Intern this summer.

At TBC, classes are scheduled very simply: aside from Chinese classes, each class is held just once a week, for two hours and forty-five minutes. The time slots are 1:30–4:15pm, 4:30–7:15pm, and 7:30–10:15pm. While two and a half hours may seem like a really long time to sit in class, every professor is understanding about giving one or two breaks per class period so we can breathe and talk and hang out for a little bit.

It is a privilege to study here; I feel truly honored and humbled by my first several weeks in China. I have been so hospitably received that I feel that 对外经贸大学 (University of International Business and Economics) has already become my home. These past weeks in China I have experienced new things every minute of every day.

China. It didn’t seem real. As the plane landed, the grogginess of my jet lag, slowly faded away. Am I really here? Is this really where I will be for the next semester? Waves of anticipation and nausea hit me, making my stomach churn. The weeks of preparation and studying, slowly vanished as I took in my surroundings. Swarms of people filled the airport, some visitors, some coming back home.

你好! I have officially been living and studying in Beijing for two weeks and have two more weeks to go! I have to admit that I can’t believe it’s already the third week, it really has flown by. I have looked forward to going to China for as long as I can remember and thanks to China Encounter it was made a reality. These weeks have been filled with fun and fascinating trips to popular tourist spots, restaurants, and “real Beijing” locations.

El aeropuerto de Beijing tiene tres terminales; la uno, la dos y la tres. La tercera es para vuelos internacionales, la primera para uso exclusivo de los miembros de la élite del partido y la segunda para vuelos domésticos y algunos destinos cercanos. Yo estoy en las segunda con Lance, Stephanie, Victoria y un chico que nunca habla, creo que se llama John. Juntos esperamos a que las aerolíneas abran el escritorio del check in para registrar nuestras maletas.

Lo que pasa en occidente —o al menos en en que yo vivo— es que las personas se desplazan y usualmente poco importa a dónde vayan o con quién. Yo me muevo entre la muchedumbre de la universidad y la gente ni se entera, así cómo yo no me entero de ellos y los refiero como «muchedumbre».

Esta tarde, mientras comía en la cafetería conocí a dos nuevas amigas. Dos estudiantes de mundo a portas de graduarse de su maestría en traducción. Las dos se rieron cuando les pregunté por el tal Singles’ Day. Según me contaron, la festividad es una nueva práctica que se celebra principalmente entre los estudiantes universitarios por pura diversión. En concordancia, varios bares en Beijing ofrecen actividades para aquellos en busca del amor (qué cursi) y por eso también Munch, el restaurante estadounidense favorito de mis los gringos acá, organizó una sesión de citas rápidas en las que ofrecen pizza y café por solo 50 yuanes, la módica suma de 15.800 pesos colombianos.

Ando en Pingyao, una de las ciudades más lindas que he visitado en China. Mientras merodeo por estos lares me siento como explorador de NatGeo, Discovery Travel and Living y Lonely Planet; todo a la vez.