Shrines and New Students

So far we have visited a few shrines one of them being the largest shrine that is still in existence.  I will be able to write more about the details of the places we`ve visited when I figure out more information on it.  I wasn`t really able to understand what it was about but I will have that information shortly.  I want to be able to explain what everything was.  

On another note, today we are meeting up with students in Nara University.  We get the opportunity to try to communicate with them in the attempt to make new friends.  I can`t wait.  Also later on today we will be meeting our host family.  I share the details on how all this goes after I`ve had the experience.  Until then…�

First Blog about Japan

Hey everyone.  The trip to Japan so far has been really great.  The flight was very long, about 14 hours, but after finally reaching Japan I’ve really enjoyed myself.  The food is really good.  I haven’t had a meal yet that I haven’t enjoyed.  The people here are very friendly and polite.  One thing I’ve noticed though is that so many of them walk or ride bicycles here compared to those in the states.  It’s also weird to see kids as young as 8 or 9 walking around by themselves trying to make it to school.  The classes so far have been pretty exciting as well.  My Japanese language class is very interactive.  In addition to learning to write the Japanese language and speaking, we have activities at the end of class where we go out as a group to practice ordering food at a restaurant.  It’s a very cool experience and so far I would recommend this to anyone interested in studying abroad in Japan.  I look forward to writing more about my experiences here after I’ve done a few more things.  In a few days I’ll meet my host family and write about what it’s like staying in a Japanese home.

Mainz in Spring

Tomorrow is Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi), and as such, we poor stressed out students are given the day off from Uni! Giving us a nice little break during the middle of the week, and a well earned day off – or at least an opportunity to catch up on a little overdue homework or reading. Or maybe just the chance to go down to the Rhine and relax with friends, either way… the Summer Semester is full of one day holidays and random protests (preventing us from going to uni – as an example, when the public transportation strikes… very difficult to get around then). Just this weekend there was a great protest/party in the city – Night-Dance-Demo, in english – this was 500-600 people literally dancing their way through the old part of town with three large trucks carrying suspended mixing tables and a slew of dj’s to entertain the crowds. Definitely one of the most interesting ways of taking an issue (literally) to the streets. It was so bizarre watching hundreds of people with live music dancing through the city – past buildings that are hundreds of years old, past statues of Johannes Gutenberg and Friedrich Schiller – juxtaposition if I have ever seen it!

In addition to my regular university courses I have been auditing a few courses this semester (I can’t enroll in them for credit as I lack some serious prereqs, BUT I am here to learn, so that is what I am going to do!). One of the absolutely most interesting of them is Exchange Rates and International Capital Markets, the professor works in Swiss Finance and is just a wealth of information, especially considering Germany’s role in the current Euro Zone economic troubles. The professor knows his material, and tries to represent as balanced a view of world Capital Markets as possible. Even though I am not taking the ‘Klausur’ (the exam), but I have definitely been trying to learn as much from this course as possible. Like last semester I have been really focusing on my German and taking a lot of courses about the language and the german literature – I have been trying to take advantage of every possible opportunity to learn the language while i am here. I do an English-German Tandem with a friend of mine, I live in a German-speaking WG (Wohngemeinschaft – apartment), and I am taking a courses about the language, that I simply can’t take back in Louisville. I had signed up to take ‘Business German’ (Wirtsschaftswissenschaftsdeutsch), but the course was unfortunately canceled after 3 sessions due to lack of interest. I did manage to get into ‘Scientific German,’ which has been unbelievably helpful.

I have been learning a great deal from my job in the International Office – just like last semester – but this semester I feel that my German has really gotten to the level that I can talk to the people I work with at a mature and appropriate level. Just yesterday my boss and I spoke about the events unfolding with Israel and the humanitarian aid ships, which has certainly taken a lot of people’s minds and discussions off of the European financial crisis, at least for a little while. I am still translating documents and preparing an online portal for all the new exchange students, like last semester, but I would gladly do it for free just for the experience! I can not describe how great of an experience it has been working in a German office, even if it is only one or two times a week. You can read all about how an office should work, and how you are supposed to act in intercultural situations, but to actually work in one… that is something totally different, something totally unique. Definitely making my experience here worth it in my mind, without a doubt!

Liebe Grüße,
Justin

Hello everyone and greetings for Panama City, Panama.  Although I have only been in Panama for two weeks, I feel I have experienced so much.  The way of life here, the people, the traffic, and the food may seem extremely different to someone who is not open to learning or fully immersing themselves within the culture.  There are many differences between Panama and the United States however; I do not think these differences are as prevalent as people may think.  By observing and speaking to the locals, I have come to realize they are trying to get out of life the same things people in other countries are only they have a different approach on how to achieve it.

I have met many Panamanians who attend UofL Kentucky and have talked to them about their country and some of the similarities and differences between the two.  I do not know if it’s because I already had an idea about what to expect when coming here or because I am a very open minded person but I am surprised I do not (and have not) had a huge feeling of culture shock.  Because I tend to hang out with the Panamanians in Kentucky, I am used to not understanding much, if any, of what they are talking about and therefore it doesn’t bother me when I am surrounded by it here.

I am surprised at how Americanized Panama city is, especially the supermarket.  It was not hard to find what I was looking for.  Even if I didn’t understand what the entire label said, I knew and recognized the brand so I could figure it out.  The amount of fast food and common restaurants (what you see in the States) also surprised me a little.  I think I expected more local restaurants.  The other “shocking” thing that I have experienced (even though I was told about it ahead of time) was how nice and friendly complete strangers are to me.  The people here are willing to talk to you and get to know you.  They do not make fun of the way I speak Spanish, especially since I do not know that much.  On the contrary, they are quick to help in correcting my grammar so I don’t continue saying it incorrectly and are willing to teach me more of the language.

I think the worse thing about Panama by far is the traffic.  Not only are there an incredible number of cars and taxis all trying to drive down the same stretch of road at the same time but the way in which these people drive on an everyday basis is typically not seen in the United States.  I have heard many Panamanians who I have talked to say that if you can drive in Panama you can drive anywhere.  I used to think rush hour in Louisville was bad but the three different rush hour times they have here are much more congested.  The drivers here do not give pedestrians the right away and do not abide by the road signs (although I have notice there really aren’t that many street signs compared to the US).

A huge difference between drivers here and in the States is the frequency in which people here use their horns.  Every hour of every day you can hear horns being honked.  This is a form of communication, not only between the drivers themselves but between the drivers and people walking along the sides of the roads.  If a taxi driver sees you walking along the street (especially if you are a Gringo) he will honk his horn to let you know he is available to take you wherever you want to go.  While this is the case, most tend not to slow down and therefore pass you before you even have a chance to hail them down.  In the US, I have noticed that when someone honks it’s usually to get the attention of someone else.  I have a habit of waving to whoever honks, just to be friendly.  The first time I heard a car honk I just absentmindedly threw my hand up in the air to wave and a taxi pulled over to the curb.  I didn’t need a cab and was just trying to be friendly but I’ve realized this is an inefficient way to do that.

Honking is also a way for a driver to let another driver know he is passing him.  I have noticed Panamanian drivers are very impatient.  For example, if one is stopped at a red light with someone in front of them and the light turns green, that driver better put the pedal to the metal if he/she wants to avoid being honked at.  While the honking system of communication seems to work fairly effectively in Panama, it tends to get obnoxious to people like us who are attempting to sleep and all we can hear is beep, beep, beep.

The phrase “time is of the essence” does not seem to resonate with Panamanians.  “Panamanian time” is much different than what I am used to.  Here when someone tells you to meet at a certain time they usually mean about an hour or more later than the specified time.  At home, when people specify a time they mean show up at that time and being late is frowned upon.  The people here are much more relaxed and go with the flow a lot better than majority of the people in the States.  The best example of this is when I told a Panamanian to meet me at 8ish, which in US terms means give or take ten to fifteen minutes.  In Panamanian time it means at least a half-hour to an hour later.  Luckily the plans we had made did not need to be at an exact time or else we would have missed them.

Another thing I have noticed is that people in the United States tend to always be thinking about the future and don’t really live in the present.  Panamanians, however, look at the here and now.  This isn’t to say that they don’t think about the future, but they seem more concerned about what’s going on today and not a couple years from now.  One possible reason for this may be because of all the family businesses that are in Panama (this is just a speculation).  Many of the Panamanians I have met all have parents who own their own businesses and therefore a lot of them will be taking over the family business when they finish their school.  Most of them therefore will not have to worry about finding a job when they graduate because they are almost 100% guaranteed to have one in the future.  This is not necessarily the case with all Panamanians and is definitely not the case with US students (at least the people I know).  There are many people who have graduated with good degrees and are still having problems finding a job which is why people in the States start worrying about getting a job before graduation.

I was really excited to come to Panama, not only for the experience of being in a different country but getting to play soccer with people who actual care about and follow the sport.  Soccer is becoming more popular in the States but it is still really behind compared to the rest of the world.  One of the big things I noticed when playing soccer down here is females do not play.  The first time my friend and I showed up to the field we received funny looks from the guys because they are not used to seeing girls walk in with soccer cleats in their hands ready to play.  Most females sit on the sidelines and act as cheerleaders instead of playing.  I think they guys were also unsure about whether my friend and I were able to play and keep up with them.  Since we both have been playing soccer since we were little, we were able to play alongside the guys without any problems and they realized this because they have invited us to come back and play with them on a couple different occasions.

Another thing I noticed that is different about playing soccer here versus the States are the fields they play on.  Because Panama doesn’t really have any state parks with soccer fields, the fields are synthetic and enclosed.  If you want to play you have to sign up for a time and you pay to play for an hour.  This keeps the game moving at a fast pace because you want to get as much playing time in as possible.  The fields are also smaller than regulation fields and therefore they play with 6 people on the field including the goalie.  The rest of the people sit out and switch in when a team scores two goals or they have been playing for ten minutes.

Panamanians are very individualistic soccer players, meaning they have a lot of foot skills and want to challenge each other one on one and school each other.  I am used to passing the ball and making give and go runs so sometimes it gets frustrating when they don’t pass or include others when playing.  I love playing soccer with people who are passionate about the sport though and I’m glad they recognize that my friend and I are decent players who play for the love of the game.

Panama is a wonderful country, full of friendly and welcoming people.  I will be very sad when I have to leave but the friendships I have made while being down here and the experiences I had been a part of are unforgettable.

-Kerry G.

Bordeaux!

As May rolls around, I can’t believe that I have lived in France for so long and that this wonderful experience will come to an end in about six weeks. This truly has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. If given the opportunity, I recommend that every student study’s abroad during their college career. The time spent over here has taught me so much about myself and my culture, as well as an appreciation for other cultures throughout the world. While the majority of the international students at BeM speak English fluently, they come from all over the world and I have made friends with people from pretty much every continent. The intermingling of all the different cultures has truly made me more aware of the differences and taught me how to work with them in terms of business and everyday life.
In terms of school, BeM is quite different than Louisville. The courses are broken up into three week sequences, one course per three weeks. Generally, we have class from 8:30-4:30 (with breaks) but there are a lot of half days and days without class so it never becomes overwhelming. Due to the fact that a course is so short, there aren’t many written exams or finals but we do have group projects which usually consist of a large paper and presentation analyzing a company’s strengths, weaknesses, risks, innovations, etc. These projects are where the cultural dynamics really come into play. You see which aspects of business each culture views as important and adjust the project to cater to these different aspects and work ethics. So far, I have taken two business courses in English, one French language course, one French business course, and will finish the semester with two more French business courses. The French courses have proved to be quite challenging but manageable. I have learned so much about French business as well as the language itself. Don’t worry though, students are not required to take courses in French and most of the internationals stick with the English courses. The student life is also slightly different too. The school is much smaller, 1,500-2,000 students; however, there are plenty of organizations to join such as the wine club, cinema club, sports club, or Melting Potes (international club.) Each of these organizations hosts parties and other events for students both in and out of their organizations so it’s easy to meet non-internationals as well as becoming integrated into the school.
The city itself is stunning and in my opinion one of the most beautiful in France. The city sprawls out throughout the red-wine region of France but the majority of the historical monuments, parks, boutiques/shopping districts, and old restaurants are located in the Centre Ville. If you do plan to come here I highly recommend that you only look for apartments in the city center. Everything is easily accessible by foot (no more than a 20 minute walk anywhere) but there are three tram lines that meet up here and go all throughout the city. Its relatively inexpensive 1.4 euro per trip or about 25 euro for an unlimited monthly pass. The city just implemented a new bike rental program where you can pick up a city bike at most tram stops. It’s free for a half hour and 1 or 2 euro for the day. I know a lot of people who ride them to school every morning but they are also convenient to use after the trams stop and you want a fast way home. Throughout Bordeaux there are a ton of cute shops and cafes so it’s a great city to just walk around or people watch from time to time. Now that the weather has become nicer, the city has become much more alive with people everywhere. We have made it a habit to spend afternoons in the Jardin Publique or along the Quai to just hang out. Bordeaux is about 40 minutes by train away from lovely beach cities which also make fun weekend or afternoon activities!
Traveling in Europe during a study abroad is a must. Since you will already be over here, I recommend going to as many different countries as your budget will allow. I recently returned from a trip to Greece for about 5 days, but I have also visited cities in Spain and France. This is the best age to visit famous cities since the majority of tourist sites are discounted or free for EU students. The majority of what you spend money on is transportation, food, and living. Traveling is super easy and it’s always possible to find cheap planes through RyanAir or EasyJet (just beware of their additional fees and know exactly which airport they are taking you to.) Trains are another easy way to travel especially in France. If you come, get the 12-25 card which costs 50 euro but gives you at least half off of every train ticket you purchase; mine paid for itself after 3 tickets.
I cannot express enough how amazing this experience has been and one that I think every student at U of L should make. If you have any questions about BeM or study abroad in general please contact me!

Gros Bissous!
-Molly

BorDeauX live

Hello everybody, after having an excellent time here in Bordeaux, I have decided to let you know some really good advice for those of you that are planning to come here.

Housing

No matter if you are not sure about coming, reserve your place in advance. Melting Potes, which is the student organization in charge of helping int’l students, can help you with that. They take a while in answering you, so keep sending emails on a constant basis. Personally, I recommend asking for a flat as soon as you decide to come here.  During the first week of the semester there are a lot of student looking for other places to live for several reasons – they do not like their actual flat, or they just want one closer to centre ville (downtown).

Having a good place, in other words, a place centrally located, gives you the advantage of having to walk short distances to stores, and tourist areas in case the tram does not work or is in strike (extremely common here). Also, you would be able to walk home when parties are over, because most of them, plus all clubs and bars are in centre ville.  But if you do not get a flat there, do not worry, it is not the end of the world, and you have several options to compensate for that. For example, you will probably be living closer to the university campus, so you will have more time to sleep before classes.

Public Transportation

Basically, there three ways to move around Bordeaux:  Tram, bus, and public bikes. Tram stops at midnight from Sunday to Wednesday, and at 1:00 am from Thursday to Saturday. After-hours buses usually just work from Thursday to Saturday, which makes it really convenient to use public bikes that are spread around different locations in Bordeaux. In order to have access to all these modes of transportation, I recommend getting the local transportation contract for a year, where you just pay 15 Euros per month to use everything. If you are not staying for a year that is OK, just ask the university administration for a letter saying that you have to depart soon, and you present it in the TBC office (Public transportation bureau) in order to cancel your contract.

Academic Issues

You will hear several times that things here are really easy, and that you will have a lot of free time. Well, they are not lying. Comparing this to the U.S., this is not “easy” it is just “not demanding”. So, I recommend you, during the time that you are not travelling, get enrolled in the French Alliance, which is international private school to learn French. This will cost 100 Euros per month.

If you are coming here for your last semester, you need to know that your final grades will be sent to UofL after one or two months after you are finished here. Just in case you are planning to get your diploma as soon as possible after the graduation ceremony.

Social Life

International students are just great; each one has a different background and different life experiences that makes them really interesting people. But also try to make some French friends, this will make your social integration here easier, and of course, you will learn or improve your French much faster. So try to keep a balance between these people, it is always good to have the best of two worlds.

Bank Account

As soon as you arrive, get a copy of your housing contract and go to any bank to open an account, for almost every bureaucratic procedure here, private or public, that involves money, they will ask you for your bank account number –Gas, electricity, cable, internet, TBC, etc. And as you will notice here in France, everything takes a considerable amount of time, especially taking in consideration the time for things to get done. And you never know when some union will be in strike, which makes things even worse, so be proactive in this aspect.

Traveling

Since you will have a lot of free time, It is a great idea to travel, so try to plan in advance and try to travel in groups because by doings you will spread the cost of things among friends, which makes thing cheaper for everybody.  Also, take in to consideration that strikes are really common here, so you will probably get stuck in some place, since train or airline unions decide to go on a national strike. Just to mention, if you go to Barcelona, PLEASE, watch your stuff, especially your wallet, these guys are more than thieves they are artists at stealing from you, so be aware of that.

 

That is all have to say for the moment, in conclusion, this have been an excellent experience. So, I recommend preparing yourself to be really sad when you realize that you are going back home soon.

 

Ramon

 

A little about my travels

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As I am starting to settle back into the school mode, I have been preparing myself for the coming semester. I have been traveling on and off through Europe for the past two or so months, and am just now returning to some form of normalcy (though some friends and I are off to Barcelona for a friend’s birthday at the end of the month – some birthday party!). The way that most German universities break up their year is as follows: the summer semester, from about the middle of October through the middle of February; and the winter semester, from about the middle of April through the middle of July – with short breaks and vacations within the semesters, of course! But, this system leaves the students with a substantial block of time (mid Feb. through mid April) to travel, prepare for the upcoming semester, take exams from the previous semester, work or a whole slew of imaginable other time-occupying activities! Aside from my job duties at the university, I was very happy to be left with a great deal of time to travel and enjoy the convenience of living in Germany (within 5 hours of pretty much everything!).

I was lucky enough to have a few friends of mine come over and visit during this break. A great friend of mine from high school and fellow business student, Eric Chapman (University of South Carolina) came over and visited for about a week and we trained to Brussels and Bruges in Belgium, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, were we met up with a friend of mine from Texas, Katie. After this we went to Stuttgart (in southern Germany). It was definitely really wonderful seeing two of the three Benelux countries (the third is still to come)! It was a very enjoyable experience and wonderful to see my friend Eric again, but I would definitely like to return to Belgium!

Two days after Eric left two friends of mine from UofL flew in and visited for about a week – my friends and coworkers at the Office of the President Megan and Britney. I showed them around Mainz and then we were off to Paris, Strasbourg and Munich! We met up with our friend and other coworker, Patrick in Paris. Patrick is doing the year long exchange in Montpellier, so this is the first that the four of us have been together since sometime in August, so it was a very surreal experience. The four of us all reunited, and in Paris of all places! So that was quite an experience, no doubt about it – and it was great to see my friends again! It was really great to have a few weeks with my friends – the first time I have seen any one from home in a long time, and as I am not going back to visit, it is going to have to last me until August!

After we returned, two friends and I went on a road trip to Vienna and Bratislava – well, we started off for Croatia, but road trips are all about spontaneity and enjoying the ride! It was a very interesting trip – and we met a few very interesting people in Bratislava… but you will have to ask me about that in person when I return! Before my friends came and visited I did a little traveling – Berlin and Hamburg, to name a few. Before christmas I went to Morocco and New Year’s Eve I spent in Venice – that was a pretty amazing experience!

I have been working pretty diligently for the university – I am a Mitarbeiter at the university’s International Office (Abteilung Internationales) and I receive a scholarship to help cover my expenses, which is really helpful and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Most of my job entails translating or proofreading documents for the International Office or the President’s Office. The largest task I am responsible for is translating a website for international students to come out soon for the next year. I think that it is going to be a valuable resource for students who will be studying in Mainz in the future (I wish I had it!). Either way, I have been putting in some extensive time and effort translating all of the documents – it is a lot harder that you might imagine! Especially when the original documents have very Mainz-related terms (dialect, for instance!).

Ok, well I have written enough for now!

Liebe Grüße,
justin

Return to Changsha

Since my last blog over three months ago, a lot has happened in China. Things that were planned, such as going to Hong Kong, didn’t play out quite like I had expected. The winter stayed rough, and the homesickness grew stronger with every day that went by. By the time final exams came during the latter part of January, not only myself but many of my classmates had grown quite tired and we had all lost a bit of our motivation. For me however, my attention was focused on my return trip to America that was scheduled for the very end of January. I was fortunate enough to be able to return home for a few weeks during the Spring Festival. After exams had ended and before I left however, there were many changes in the campus and the surrounding area. Since many of the other students had finished their exams before the foreigners, many students had already returned home, and stores began to close. Even in Back Street, the area behind the foreign student dorm that holds many independent shops and restaurants, had begun to shut down some, as people returned to their homes and spent time with their families. Although the campus was getting a bit quiet right before I left, it apparently became much worse after I left, and became eerily similar to a ghost town, as my friends referred to it.

When the day finally came to return to America, I couldn’t have been more excited. It was a really long and tough journey, but I eventually made it. Being back in America was amazing, and so many things that I used to take for granted felt like luxuries to me (such as having heat and a drying machine). I spent a lot of time eating a lot of the foods that I missed, most notably Taco Bell, and seeing a lot of friends again. Even if I was just relaxing at home, the fact that I was at home and in America made it very enjoyable. It really helped to refresh me, both physically and mentally, from the long time spent in China. Most people that go there for a short time, such as a few weeks or even a couple of months, tend to think of it as paradise. While in many ways that may be true, once you spend a bit more time there and really see the country outside of your vacation bubble, it can be quite exhausting sometimes. That said however, China is still a really great place, especially if you’re a foreigner (normally meaning non-Chinese, but in this case it really applies to non-Asians in general).

In the last week of February, I left America again and returned to China. It was the longest journey I’ve ever made in my life, but after over 30 hours of traveling, I finally made it back to my dorm around 3 A.M., on a particularly warm morning. After I got back, getting used to things again happened very quickly. I was a little worried that my Chinese had gotten rusty while I was back in America, because I didn’t really use it much when I was home and I really didn’t want to much either, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually just about as strong as ever. Class started a few days after I got back, and we all got back into the groove of things.

Since then, a lot of things have happened. As well as strengthening the friendships with many of my current friends here, I’ve made many new friends, and had a chance to experience a lot more of the nightlife in Changsha. I’ve seen many new parts of the city, and discovered some things that I didn’t know existed before. I also just recently returned to my English school to work part-time again. As well as that, I celebrated my 24th birthday here a few weeks ago, and enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day Chinese-style, with some friends from Brazil, India, and Turkmenistan, as well as a few Chinese friends. Definitely one of the more memorable birthdays that I’ve had in my life.

I’ve also been busy planning trips for the near future. Still on the list are Shenzhen and Hong Kong, as well as return trips to Guangzhou, and Shanghai for the 2010 World Expo. As well as that, I’ve been planning my own trip to Beijing sometime in May or June, to visit the the UofL students that go to Bei Wai (Beijing Foreign Studies Univeristy) every summer. I’m actually quite eager to return to Beijing, as it’s a very fun city, and after spending a long time in real China a visit to Beijing is a great way to relax and have some fun. I’m also eager to have some fun with the pirate-like accent found in Beijing, where you can throw r’s onto the ends of words seemingly almost at free will. However, the timing of the trip is a bit difficult, as I’m already quite busy and things will likely only be busier around that time. Despite that, I’m really looking forward to going to Beijing again.

With the HSK exam looming in the distance, I’ve been making every effort to improve my Chinese as much as I can. I’ve found some new ways to expand my vocabulary and understanding, and I feel like I’ve been making a lot of progress. The HSK exam however will be no easy task. As our teachers have informed us, on the HSK exam, there are four sections: Listening, Reading, Grammar, and Comprehensive. I’m not sure what exactly Comprehensive consists of, but I believe it also involves a lot of reading. Thankfully, there is no writing on the HSK exam at all, it’s all multiple choice. However, our teachers have also informed us that the section that you perform the weakest on limits your overall score. So, let’s say you scored an 8 on everything but Listening, and got a 6 on that. From what I understand, that means your overall score is a 6. Which basically means that you need to be really well-prepared for this exam, and you have to work on your weaknesses as much as you can.

In other news, there was a holiday here this past weekend and Monday, known in China as 清明节 (qing ming jie), which literally translates to something like “Clear and Bright Day” but is called “Tomb Sweeping Day” in English. Despite the rather gloomy sound of it, it’s actually not a particularly sad holiday. Qing Ming Jie is all about paying respects to one’s deceased ancestors, and people will travel to where their grandparents or other ancestors are stored, and will sweep and clean their tombs. If they don’t have a tombstone, as many people are cremated and their containers are stored in buildings, then their containers will also be swept and/or cleaned. An interesting holiday, but unfortunately, as a foreigner there wasn’t much for me to do except enjoy the one day off from class.

There are probably an endless number of things and experiences that I can talk about, but I’m going to end this relatively short and just say that a lot has happened in the past few months, and my understanding of and appreciation for China has grown quite a bit. As I spend more time here, I can feel myself growing in ways that I wasn’t able to do back in America. Not only is my Chinese improving more and more, but my understanding of the world and other cultures is growing. It’s not always easy being here, but it’s a truly rewarding experience. And even though I miss home sometimes, I’m really glad that I made the decision to come here and do what I’m doing. It’s an adventure that I will definitely never forget. I would strongly recommend that for anyone who has the opportunity to come to China, do it. But do yourself a favor and take some time to learn about the culture and the people first, because that makes a huge difference.

Look Out China… Here I am!

                China is by far one of the most amazing places I have ever been. The culture has proven to be rich, and unique, yet somehow similar to that of home. My trip is planned for four and a half months with one down and three and a half to go from the date of this blog post. While here, I am staying in Beijing, attending the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).

                Getting off the plane my first night was an interesting experience. I arrived in Beijing at 1:30 am, had no idea where I was going, only a little exchanged currency, and could speak very minimal Chinese (which has improved greatly in the past month). Walking out of the airport I saw a taxi stand, and found a taxi and stretched my limited knowledge of the Chinese language as far as it would go to get to the University. After about ten minutes of trying to communicate with the taxi driver, we finally negotiated price of transportation, and away we went. After a 45minute, awkward taxi ride, we finally arrived to the university. The driver dropped me off, and drove away. So there I was, alone in the middle of the night, at the front gate of an unfamiliar university unable to speak the common language. I pulled my map out of my folder and asked a night guard if he could help me… He couldn’t speak any English… So again I stretched my very limited Chinese and pointing at the map learned I was at the wrong side of campus, meaning I had to cross an eight lane road with all of my luggage. Luckily, there was little traffic at 2:30 in the morning, so crossing was not too bad. After walking for about 20 minutes I finally found my dorm… The next 45 minutes were spent talking to the receptionist trying to get my room. By about 4 in the morning I found myself sleeping in my dorm, which was to be my home for the next 4 and a half months.

                Since that first stressful night my experience has been amazing! I have made some great friends and been completely engulfed in the fast pace life style and culture.  The people here seem so much friendlier here than back home (perhaps it’s because I am white?) and very willing to help. Also, everyone you meet, either through class or friends or in a line in the cafeteria, are very willing to become your friend. My first day here, I did not know anyone and ate my lunch alone in the cafeteria, and had a guy sit next to me, we traded phone numbers and that night we ate dinner together. Such connections are almost unheard of back home and it never ceases to amaze me how easy it is to make friends here.

                Chinese hospitality is another aspect of life that I still struggle to get used to.  For the first few days, with friends, I had to fight to pay for my own meal… And even still the people I am eating with will cover me before I can reach for my wallet. This custom is gender neutral and goes beyond food. Drink and taxi rides are also usually covered and everyone deemed “guest” does not typically need to worry about it. A few days ago, I surprised the people I was eating with, by asking for the check (though they may have been surprised I was able to ask for it) and paying for the meal. This was followed by several assurances that they would take care of the next couple of meals.  And now they all watch me extra carefully to make sure I at least let them pay for their part of the meal.

                Another one of the more shocking aspects of China is how cheap everything is. I can literally eat 3 meals for under $5 (USD) and that is when I pay for all my food. Bottle water is less than $.30 and high brand clothing about a fourth the price of back home.  This of course means (since I am posting this on a public site) that I will be bringing back gifts for friends and family.

Time is Flying!

I cannot believe that as I am writing this I have been abroad for just a week short of three months! The time here has been nothing but amazing. Since writing last I have had the opportunity to travel some in between classes. A large group of students from the US, Canada, and Turkey went to Barcelona, Spain for our first break. It was absolutely amazing. After the four days in Barcelona we traveled to Paris for a couple, and saw the main sights.

Last week a large group of us were in Ireland, on St. Patrick’s Day. We got to see a huge parade and literally everyone in the city wearing green, whether is was a crazy hat, face paint, scarfs, shoes, you name it and it was green. The best part of the trip to Ireland though was the day we went to the west coast and saw the Cliffs of Moher. They are absolutely unbelievable. They stand 750 feet above the ocean and looking at the pictures doesn’t do the experience justice. If you ever get the opportunity to travel into Ireland go to the Cliffs of Moher before you leave.

Yesterday I bought my plane tickets to Greece for my week long break in April. I couldn’t be more excited! Our group currently consists of four and we are planning on spending a few days in Athens and then possibly making it out to one of the Islands around the city.

I have also taken several trips within France, and feel as though I know Paris like the back of my hand. Being a group of college students, on our way home from Ireland we thought, “Our plane is landing around 10PM and our train back to Bordeaux is at 6:30 AM so we don’t need to get a place to stay for that night, we can walk around Paris and see the city at night.” This would have been the perfect plan had it not been the first time in two weeks that we had experienced rain. It made for a great time with friends, lasting memories, and we even learned a Russian card game while sitting outside of the train station waiting to head home. And how many other people can say they have been standing underneath the Eiffel Tower at 3 a.m.?

I absolutely would trade this experience for anything! From being waterlogged in Paris, to walking through the museums, to being in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day, I honestly could not ask for a better semester. If anyone reading this is on the fence about study abroad you definitely need to go.