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Category: Culture

Beijing Reflection

Posted by mur538

It has been a few weeks since I left Beijing and it is a little strange. I was jetlagged for a week after coming home! I miss all of the great people I met on the trip and I am really excited to see them again when we get back to Northwestern in a couple

Going Up One More Floor

Posted by xln1177

Guess where. Above 90 degree temperatures with sweltering humidity. Overwhelming swarms of people. Buzzing mosquitoes. Delicious food. Pandas. Yup, that’s my tropical island mansion. Well, I wish at least. I actually only left China a few days ago, where I am now currently relaxing with my aunt and uncle in San Diego. And to be

Its Almost Over…

Posted by mxl9567

The last couple of weeks in the program, it was a big rush and passed by extremely quickly. Everyone was rushing to do all the things they haven’t done yet in Beijing, and go to the places they haven’t been yet. I myself also did not escape this trend. At the beginning of the program,

On a Mini-Vacation

Posted by mxl9567

During our five-day break my roommate and I decided to go to Shanghai to explore even more of China. Shanghai is very different from Beijing. Maybe it was because we were mostly checking out areas where tourists usually visit in Shanghai, but I got a more “modern” and extravagant vibe from Shanghai while in Beijing

Great Wall!

Posted by shn9613

So I’ve been in Beijing for a week and it has been something. The immersion was definitely a big change in my life. It was hard to go from only speaking in English with my friends at school to speaking in Wenzhounese with my family and then completely doing a 180 and speaking primarily in

China was Hot’n’Fun

Posted by nbi9444

Socio-cultural climate into which I was plunged was an experience like no other. Beijing University was a universe of its own and I have never seen a university campus of that size. During my stay in Beijing I tried to take as much as possible of the city landscape but during the final days of

I feel like a Dothraki

Posted by nbi9444

After the mid-program break, my classes of Chinese got more intense. I was finally able to put together sentences in Chinese and have a basic conversation. My new professor was great. At the same time, I have finished my Political Science class and started Chinese Traditional Medicine class. TCM is a very interesting area to

Breaking up with Beijing

Posted by nbi9444

After one month spent in Beijing it was time for a break. Not that Beijing is not fun and amusing, but traveling around China is amazing. My friends and I packed our things and got on an overnight train to Shanghai. I have been to Shanghai before, so I took us to my favorite spot

Pre-Departure

Posted by shn9613

Prior to arriving in Beijing, I actually started my trip in Wenzhou in the Zhejiang province. I thought I would visit some family first before my study abroad program. It had been about 10 years since I’d last been there last and it was truly a pleasure seeing my extended family again. I’m glad I

The Bus Doesn’t Wait

Posted by xln1177

The saying “the bus doesn’t wait” has become all too popular among Northwestern students studying abroad in China. Perhaps it is because the phrase has turned into one of Professor Gu’s mantras. But perhaps it is also because the bus, more often than not, does indeed wait. Of course, I’m talking about our trusty private