Liang Gu, Public Health in China, Summer 2013
I am currently in my hometown visiting my relatives. After the end of the program, I decided to stay in Beijing for a few extra days to meet up with a friend. Whenever I had free time, however, I found myself at Beida because the area was familiar, almost as if it’s my home. When I was on the crowded subway that I used to take with friends from the program, I felt empty and scared; for the first time I looked around the subway and didn’t see anyone I know. Despite the place being crowded to the point of suffocation, I felt alone.
Portrait artist on the street!
I spent most of my three days daydreaming about the past two months; the places that we visited, the adventures that we had, and the lessons we learned. I remembered meeting everyone for the first time, being scared that my roommate was a stranger instead of Peter, meeting our language buddies for the first time, going to class for the first time, and our first dinner together when we overpaid by more than 150 kuai because nobody expected for the meal to be so cheap! I walked around and visited Beida, our dorm, and our classes. As I did, I remembered the first time I set my eyes on everything, and everything still looked the same, but felt different. Sure the program itself was fun, but it was the people who made it special.
Wumei, the convenience store that we visited throughout the 2 months
In my three days after, I found myself reading street signs and building names without any trouble. I used to think 2 months was too short to make any significant improvements on my Chinese, but I was wrong. I also saw numerous phrases that we learned in Chinese class including poems and Confucian sayings, and I felt much more culturally aware than before the program.
The front door of Beida, look at the amount of people lining up to get in! I felt privileged every time I whipped out my Beida ID
So future Study Abroad students, look forward towards your fulfilling experience abroad! Put in the effort to make new friends and make every day worth it!