Hello! I can't really even begin to describe how excited I am to finally be beginning to get ready for this trip. I have been dreaming about traveling around the world for... well... my entire life.
When I was younger, I always assumed that I would first have a grand tour of Europe (like, you know in the 1800's when parents sent their children off to tour Europe in order to finish them, or get them out of the house for a while). But when I got to college, I randomly took an introductory Mandarin Chinese class, and I kind of fell in love with the language and the people. Since then, I've taken three more Chinese language classes, a Chinese design class (where I mostly painted crappy blobs and ate amazing food), and added the East Asian Studies major.
However, now that I've added the East Asian Studies major... my schedule for the next two (and a half) years is going to be packed. Which, I'm fine with, I love my biology and cultural studies classes, but it does make studying abroad a little difficult. I knew that it was pretty much impossible to spend an entire semester away because 1) science classes abroad are tricky to find 2) it is really expensive to spend an entire semester in Beijing or Shanghai 3) I couldn't find any programs where I would actually spend time with the locals, rather than other American students.
So, I asked my EAS advisor about programs that would be a good fit for me, and he recommended the Chinese History and Modern Development of Environmental Health. This is a four week program focused on studying ancient and modern Chinese history, by visiting the locations where history happened, reading texts about the changes, interviewing rural residents about contemporary issues, and listening to lectures from academics at Chinese institutions. Additionally, students have the option of enrolling the in the internship program, where they will be placed with a Chinese company that matches their interests for the remainder of the summer. Doesn't that sound awesome?
Starting May 18th, I will be embarking on this great adventure. I am starting this log a little (or a lot, depending on your views) early, because I want to record everything about this trip. As of right now, it seems that simply getting into China is half the battle. I will be writing about how to pack, what to expect when applying for a visa, how terrible the plane ride will be, and more details about the trip as these things come up, but first I would like to set up some ground rules for when I am actually in China.
1) I will try to post once a week... For the most part I will be staying in hotels or dorm rooms, which provide internet access, but it will be spotty. Also, the great Chinese firewall is still up, so I will not attempt to use Facebook at all over the summer, it simply isn't worth the trouble. Also, I will be busy, and tired. I can't guarantee that I will always be in the mood to upload my pictures and type up descriptions... plus, I have homework to do!
2) I will try to take cool pictures, but I won't be constantly taking pictures. I love photography. I really like my camera. But this is not a photography trip. I'm here to experience China, and I know that sometimes the camera lens gets in the way. I will be taking pictures of various things I see, but don't expect them all to be great, and don't expect a photographic record of everything I see. It simply won't happen.
3) I won't post about absolutely everything that happens. Quite frankly, if this trip is anything like I expect it will be, I won't have enough time to write about everything. You guys will get the highlights. If you want more details about something, save your questions until I get back. Most likely, I will have written about it in my personal journal.
4) I will try to share some fun facts about Chinese history, language, or culture that I pick up along the way, simply because I love little facts like that.
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