April 2, 2019
By Georgina C., University of San Francisco, TBC Spring 2019 Student
During spring break a group of 6 friends and I spent our time in the Land of Smiles-Thailand. A week full of dream-like scenery and adventures straight out of a book. To say the least, it was the perfect escape from the Beijing cold and bad air. Our first stop, Chiang Mai, was a tranquil place during the day but lively and vibrant at night. Known for its night markets, food stands, and friendly locals, Chiang Mai showed us a good time.
On the first day, we spent our day at the Grand Canyon water park (Not Arizona) that included zip lining and kayaking. After spending the entire day there to celebrating a friend’s birthday, we wandered into town looking for great food and a market. Much to our surprise we found delicious pad thai for only $1 (50 baht). We ended the night with some shopping and thai tea flavored ice cream. On Day 2, we took a red truck (thai taxi) to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple. A stunning gold temple surrounded by buddhas of many different sizes was truly a sight to see. Though we enjoyed the temple, Day 3 in Chiang Mai was definitely the highlight.
One word: elephants! On day 3 we ventured to an elephant sanctuary and had the opportunity to feed, walk, and bathe elephants. A surreal experience that left us in awe. On day 4 we travelled all day to the island of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan to attend the (in)famous Full Moon Party. Honestly the most fun I’ve had on a beach. Ever! A night of neon paint, bright flames, and lots of dancing was the most crazy time we had in Thailand. The day after the full moon party was spent roaming the town and eating at a western restaurant (the closest place open to our airbnb) as well as pool time at the airbnb with the most amazing view out into the ocean. Our two days in Koh Samui felt like a fairytale. Waking up the ocean and going to bed knowing that I would wake up to it again had me in trance. We all felt at peace in Koh Samui during our two days there. Finally on the day before we left, we travelled to Bangkok with the purpose of visiting the reclining buddha and other temples along the Chao Phraya river. As young foreigners many people would come up to us offering tours and discounts and luckily a temple guard arranged a tuk tuk tour for us around the city. We visited the Golden Mountain, the smiling buddha, the black buddha, and the reclining buddha in only 3 hours! Finally, we ended at Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) and enjoyed the last moments of the sunset as we walked around getting ready for the our last moments in Thailand. On our ride back on the ferry through the river, I kept thinking about our dreamy trip through the most colorful and lively place I had even been to. Overall this trip will never be forgotten as I replay every moment in my head since I’ve been back. The most wonderful memories were made and will be forever with me. Thank you Thailand!
Simon also had a meeting with The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, a dicastery of the Roman Curia. In this meeting, Simon shared insights into the current situations in China, offering the organization a deeper understanding of Chinese society.
It was an honor and a privilege to be able to speak to so many and share these incredible moments with both old and new friends of TBC.
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.