Down to about two more weeks in China! It’s getting to the point where a lot of us are getting homesick. You wake up certain days having odd cravings for food you never cared to eat that much of back home. For example, I’ve been missing donuts and burritos, maybe more than I miss my family (just kidding…kind of). At the same time, there are so many new things left for me to experience here in China that two weeks does not seem like enough.
We’ve started to get a good idea of things to do around campus. Two days ago, we went to a BBQ place with the spiciest food that I have ever had in my life. After you took a bite of a chicken wing, your mouth would numb, your eyes would water, and your body would start sweating. It became evident that my brain was begging me to not ever do this to myself again. Even so, it was the best meal I’ve had in China so far.
We’ve also discovered badminton, ping pong, and bowling on campus. PKU hosted the Olympic events for badminton and ping pong in 2008, so these areas are a little intimidating because of how skilled the people using them were. Badminton ended up being more fun than I expected. I played with my cousins in India in the past, but all we ever tried to do was to keep the birdie from hitting the ground. Playing for real involves some skill, which I have yet to develop.
So the goal for me now is to finish this study abroad experience strong. Learn and practice as much Chinese as I can, learn about traditional Chinese medicine, try new foods, and make sure to hang out with all the other NU students here as much as I can. After that, I will be enjoying Taco Bell and donuts until college starts back up again.