Although to the best of my knowledge none of this year’s Ricci class has any actual ancestors buried in China, we did visit something of an honorary ancestor: Matteo Ricci. Over the last year we’ve traced his life, voyaging from Rome to Beijing, seeking fame, fortune and adventure (or at least successful research projects). Thus,…
For many years now, I have been building up a bucket list. Learn Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Gaelic, Portuguese, etc. Go to every Disney Park in the world. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Eat at restaurant in France that has three Michelin Stars. The list keeps growing with each passing day and I wonder…
A SPOTLIGHT ON THE BEIJING CENTER “The way of looking at the world can be so different, and there isn’t one right way. There is a beauty in the other, and there is a beauty in the Chinese way of approaching life.” – Jim Caime TBC’s Executive Director, Fr. Jim Caime, was featured on a…
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…
Being in Beijing for the past two weeks has been quite an experience! After getting off our 13-hour flight and getting through customs we hopped on the bus and headed to UIBE (University of International Business and Economics) in Beijing. Since it was dark out, it was hard to make out the details of the…
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…
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…
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….
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…
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. Wudaokou is a district located in the Haidian District of…
