By Heather Cigas | November 28, 2016
Thanksgiving, regardless of whether you’re back in the States or not, is still a time to appreciate all the wonderful things that surround you in life. I haven’t really missed home too much until this holiday when all my friends and family were together and I was halfway across the world, but in reality, it just made me appreciate them even more. We got to have a Thanksgiving potluck here at TBC, where we got to all bring in dishes and eat some turkey and mac and cheese and pie … yum.
I’m thankful for the people I’ve met in this program who support me every day and make this foreign country feel like home. Who knew sitting for 13 days in the back of the bus on our silk road trip would lead to this friendship.
I’m thankful for my Chinese roommate Jenny who brings me a chocolate cake all the time. Without her, I’d be wandering China completely lost. I challenged her to speak to me only in Chinese in the room, and while we sometimes forget, it’s such a great way to practice.
I’m thankful for Kitty and all the other Chinese (and foreign) friends I’ve made in China who think I’m super crazy, but who keep me constantly entertained.
I’m thankful for all the random artists who come to Beijing and how easy it is to get to the front row. FloRida/Alesso, Bow Wow, Vicetone, and Steve Aoki, and we’ve gotten to the first row for everyone. Here’s a pic of Steve Aoki handing me the microphone, right before 3 of my friends got on stage and another one got caked in the face.
I’m thankful for the opportunities to explore the city. Beijing is so huge, and I knew it would be hard to see everything, but we got to go to a cooking class where we learned to make some street food – so watch out world, when I return that’s all we’ll be eating (well that and dumplings).
I’m thankful for Chinese ski resorts that aren’t really ski resorts. It’s stuff like this that keeps me on my toes – we went “skiing this weekend” but they failed to tell us that only one of the three slopes would be open and that it was going to be the smallest one (comparable to a bunny hill). Even more hilarious was that they let in over 1000 people so you had millions of inexperienced skiers trying to go up and down this single hill. Safe to say, I only made it down 1.25 times (accounting for the wipeout I had). Welcome to China, everyone!
We only have 2.5 weeks left in this country, and I’m starting to freak out. As much as I’m ready for some smoothies and fresh vegetables, there’s still so much I feel like I have yet to do. Until next blog post, catch me in Hong Kong. TATA!
Over this past weekend, some of our students enrolled at Minzu University of China took their annual Spring Outing – this year, to Gubei Water Town. Situated about a 2-hour drive northeast of Beijing, the April weather made it absolutely perfect to explore for a spring outing. It surrounds various canals and offshoots of Yuanyang lake.
If you ever want to get a taste of Old Beijing, by far one of the best ways is to visit the hutongs. They’ve conceptually been around all the way since the 1200s, and in their most modern forms exist as protected alleyways and streets surrounded by old traditional houses and neighborhoods in the heart of Beijing and are recognized in China to be an important part of cultural heritage in the city.
I’m thankful for all the random artists who come to Beijing and how easy it is to get to the front row. FloRida/Alesso, Bow Wow, Vicetone, and Steve Aoki, and we’ve gotten to the first row for everyone. Here’s a pic of Steve Aoki handing me the microphone, right before 3 of my friends got on stage and another one got caked in the face.
I’m thankful for the opportunities to explore the city. Beijing is so huge, and I knew it would be hard to see everything, but we got to go to a cooking class where we learned to make some street food – so watch out world, when I return that’s all we’ll be eating (well that and dumplings).